I’ve spent twenty-two years watching people make the same mistake: they walk into a shop, see a shiny new shell with a high-tech Gore-Tex rating, …
The Complete Guide to Buying Outdoor Gear
Keeping a Phone Alive for Four Days
I remember sitting in a damp tent in the Cairngorms three years ago, watching a group of hikers stare despondently at a dead GPS unit …
Fires: Where They Are Allowed and How to Do It Properly
I remember a night in the Cairngorms, about ten years ago, where the wind wasn’t just blowing; it was screaming through the heather. I was …
Approaching Wildlife From the Water
I remember sitting in a low-profile kayak on a glass-calm loch three years ago, watching an osprey dive just twenty yards away. The silence was …
The Complete Guide to Maintaining Your Kit
I remember standing on a ridge in the Cairngorms three years ago, watching a client realize their “waterproof” shell was actually acting like a sponge. …
Why Your Estimated Time Is Always Optimistic
I once spent four hours in a freezing, sodden hollow on the edge of the Lake District, watching a group of very bright, very capable …
Reading a Gear Review and Spotting What Is Missing
I once watched a group of hikers freeze on a ridge in the Cairngorms because they’d bought a “top-rated” hardshell that was essentially just a …
Campsite Etiquette Nobody Writes Down
I remember standing in a sodden, wind-whipped glen in the Cairngorms three years ago, trying to pitch a tent while a group of hikers twenty …
Planning a Route Digitally Then Checking It on Paper
I remember standing on a ridge in the Cairngorms back in 2014, watching a group of otherwise capable hikers stare blankly at their phones because …
The Complete Guide to Photographing the Outdoors
I’ve spent more hours than I care to admit standing on a sodden ridge, shivering in a gale, waiting for a peregrine to break cover, …