Latest posts

The leather over your toes has gone dark and heavy two hours into a wet walk. Your boots are not leaking yet, they are drinking. Clean them, keep them damp,…

The hip belt has slid onto your ribs and one shoulder is burning before the first stile. Most of the time the pack is fine and the fit is not.…

The wrong pack digs into your shoulders by mile one. Here is how to choose the best hiking backpacks for day hikes and weekends: measure torso and hips, match volume…

New hiking boots dig into heels and ankles until they settle. Here is how to break them in with short walks, the socks you will hike in, sensible lacing and…

Wet, bunched cotton socks ruin more hikes than bad boots. Here is how to pick the best hiking socks for your trips, from merino fibre and a snug heel to…

Blisters on the trail are mostly a fit and moisture problem, not bad luck. Here is how to prevent blisters when hiking with better socks, a heel-lock lacing trick, quick…

A flat, stale sleeping bag is usually just a dirty one. Here is how to wash a sleeping bag by hand or machine, which cleaner to use, why low heat…

One slip on a river crossing is all it takes to turn a sleeping bag into a cold flannel. Here are the best dry bags for hiking and camping, how…

Most people hold new trekking poles like ski sticks and give up within ten minutes. Here is how to use trekking poles properly: set the right length, wear the straps…

Steep descents are where knees give up first. These are the best trekking poles for most hikers, from an easy first aluminium pair to a refined cork upgrade and a…