Gear Guide
We put the latest outdoor clothing and equipment to the test
1. ISBJÖRN Frost Lightweight Jacket, £80
ISBJÖRN know what they are doing – the warmth of this children’s jacket is top rate. My daughter was the only one not feeling the chill when a group of 11-year-olds were volunteering with the local ranger service. Despite the insulation, the jacket is lightweight and breathable, allowing ease of movement without ending up hot and sweaty, as can often happen with winter jackets. It is also thin enough to fit under a waterproof, including the hood. The jacket can also be rolled up to fit easily into a rucksack, and the pockets are big enough to fit a small flask. But most importantly, perhaps, for an 11-year-old, it looks trendy enough to wear, even to school.
2. Quechua MH520 Hiking Fleece, £17.99
THE Quechua outdoor brand has been going since 1998, but good quality and reasonable prices has seen their clothing become increasingly popular in the UK recently. This hiking fleece illustrates these two points and is a great addition to my hillwalking rucksack. It is light and very comfortable. The fleece provides enough warmth to be used as a mid-layer but is ideal as an outer layer on warmer days up in the mountains. The full-length zip also allows heat to be regulated. Finally, the fact that the fleece is made from recycled plastic bottles highlights Quechua’s ongoing ethical environmental policy, something that sits very comfortably with me.
3. Lifeventure Compression Sack 5L, £15.99
MY goal for hiking weekends is usually keeping my pack as light as possible, but on winter trips, weight tends to take a backseat to space. All those extra layers for keeping warm on the hill and cosying up afterwards take up room, and it’s easy to find your kit bags suddenly overflowing. These compression sacks make short work of this, by compressing jumpers and extra clothing down to half their original size. The sacks are surprisingly strong and durable too in ripstop nylon, and come in three different sizes. I’m now in the habit of taking a couple of 5L compression sacks on weekend trips, containing fresh sets of clothing that are compacted and easy to identify among the rest of my kit for each hiking day.
4. Men’s Titan Ridge II Trousers, £110
AVERY decent pair of all-round winter trousers. They’re meant for hiking but I’ve had them climbing too – reinforced sections at knees and bum mean they’re very hard wearing, fine for scraping over rocks and ice. They’re lined with reflective Omni-shield material that reflects back body heat – this means they get very warm. I was too warm when I wore them with long johns on one occasion. Fine in drizzle but you’ll need waterproofs for heavier stuff. Articulated knees and lots of comfort. A couple of wee negatives… they could do with zipped side vents for coolness, especially when it’s warm in the valleys but cold up top. I’d also like to see reinforced inside lower legs, to protect against crampons.