Favourite New Gear of 2024

Here's my annual favourite gear of the year roundup following another twelve months testing gear for The Great Outdoors and this blog. Not all the items were new for this year, just tested by me for the first time. As in previous years they don't necessarily replace ones from previous years or old favourites and they're in no particular order. More detailed reviews of some of the items can be found on the TGO website and on this blog - I've given links to these reviews. For other items, a few of which I haven't reviewed yet but most of which appeared in the print magazine but not online, the link is to the company page.

Often the most interesting items are the big ones - tents, packs, sleeping bags, mats. This year though I was most excited by cooking pots and a midge net! 

Fire Maple Petrel & FMC-XK6 Heat Exchanger Pots

After using titanium pots for several decades I changed to aluminium ones with heat exchangers this year. I’d been moving this way since I first used the Jetboil Stash stove system in 2021 (TGO review here). In particular I was impressed by the pot, which speeded up boiling times and reduced fuel consumption. However the Stash pot is only available with the Stash stove, which isn’t the best, especially in wind and cold. The unit is expensive too.

Looking for alternative lightweight standalone heat exchanger pots I came across two low cost Fire Maple ones and both are excellent. The awkwardly named 195g 1-litre FMC-XK6 has been around a while, the smaller 166g 600ml Petrel is new. The latter is ideal for solo use and fits neatly onto the excellent Soto Windmaster Triflex stove. The FMC-XK8 (please give us a memorable name Fire Maple!) is better for two and also for melting snow due to the higher capacity and wider diameter. I described the last in this video.

I wrote a long post about heat exchanger pots including the Fire Maple ones here. The big advantages in my view are reducing fuel consumption and better performance when it’s windy – though the latter does depend on the stove as well. The faster boil time may be a big plus for some people but it’s not significant for me.

FlipFuel Fuel Transfer Device

This should really have been in last year’s favourite gear review as that’s when I first tested it. I’m rectifying the omission now. This really is a useful gadget that has reduced my pile of almost empty gas canisters. Being able to refill canisters is a boon, it saves waste and it saves gas. I described using it and disposing of empty canisters in this post.

Midge Specs

I hate midge nets, they’re claustrophobic, clingy, and restrict vision. I hate midges even more though so I always carry one in the summer. This year a new one appeared that I didn’t mind wearing though. Midge Specs have built-in glasses (goggles really) that give a clear view and hold the net off your face. Brilliant!  

Rab Namche Gore-Tex Jacket

The Namche is the best waterproof jacket I tried in a comparative review for year-round use. It’s made with the new PFC-free ePe membrane and has a recycled polyester shell. It works fine - I can’t tell the difference between ePe and the old environmentally unfriendly ePTFE Gore-Tex. The design is good with an excellent wired hood, voluminous pockets accessible when wearing a hipbelt, and underarm zips. It weighs 450g (men’s large).

FlexTail Zero Pump

Blowing up inflatable mats has always been a bit of a hassle, one that has grown since mats got fatter and required more air. Some have valves that are hard to blow into too. Pump sacks are a way round this, and many mats come with these, but I don’t find them much better. You don’t get breathless but using one in a small tent can be awkward. I tried a few electric pumps but they were all rather slow and heavy, certainly not something I wanted to carry regularly. This year I discovered the FlexTail Zero Pump and that does have a place in my pack., It’s ultralight, tiny, comes with nozzles for different valves, and works quite quickly. I love it! I just have one complaint. 1.2oz is written prominently on it (American of course!). This is misleading though as it's the weight of the unit without battery or nozzle. Add those essentials and it’s 2.2oz (61g). That’s what should be on the side. This is very minor but it does annoy me!

Danner Mountain 600 Leaf GTX Boots

The Mountain 600 has been a staple of Danner’s range for many years, a well-proven lightweight hiking boot. The Leaf GTX is much the same as earlier versions with its brown leather upper, hard toebox, and Vibram sole. There are two widths, the wider one fitting me well. In cold, wet, and snowy conditions (in June!) the boots were comfortable and secure. What makes this version different is that it’s what Danner calls ‘recraftable’, which means that as well as being resoled the boots can be rebuilt and reconditioned. Unfortunately this is only available in the USA at present but Danner hopes to be offer it in Europe soon. Other environmentally friendly features are the 100% recycled material used for the inner and collar, the 45% post-consumer recycled material in the Gore-Tex booties, and the 12% plant-derived bio-oil in the footbed.

Montane Cetus Lite Waterproof Jacket

This jacket is made from Montane’s new very breathable  Petrichor Technology material, which is a waterproof, hydrophilic membrane. The breathability is meant to increase the harder you work. This membrane is combined with a recycled nylon shell with a PFC-free DWR. I wore the Cetus Lite on a six day trip on the northern section of the Cape Wrath Trail and it performed very well in heavy rain. (See here for the gear I used and here for an account of the trip). The jacket has a good hood and good pockets. At 330g (men’s L) it’s a bit light for full-on winter conditions but great for three-season use.

Altra Lone Peak 8 Trail Shoes

Lone Peak lightweight and flexible trail shoes have been a favourite for the last eight years and I've worn them on several long-distance walks. This year I wore the latest version on two walks on sections of the Cape Wrath Trail and several shorter trips and they were as comfortable as ever. Lone Peaks have a wide toebox so they fit my wide feet well and a zero drop sole, which I like. The grip is excellent and the cushioning good too.

Rab Cirrus Ultra Insulated Hooded Jacket

I haven’t worn this new insulated jacket from Rab very much yet as it only arrived in the autumn and I haven’t been out in cold enough conditions much since then. My initial impressions are good though. This is a warm comfortable synthetic jacket. It’s filled with new PrimaLoft ThermoPlume, a loose fill insulation contained in baffles like down. This gives the jacket a softer feel than most synthetic filled ones and also means it’s quite compressible.  The shell is recycled Pertex Quantum which is also soft and flexible.

Gomi & Nitecore NB 10000 Gen 3 Power Banks

A power bank for recharging my smartphone and other electronic devices has been an essential part of my kit for well over a decade. During that time I’ve gone through quite a few, as they don’t seem to last long. When the last one failed early in 2024 I searched for lighter weight ones that might prove more durable for outdoor use and came on the Nitecore NB 10000 which weighs just 154g and is water-resistant with a tough carbon fibre shell. There is a 20,000 mAh version but given experience I decided on two of the 10000 ones so if one failed I had a spare. So far they have worked fine and I like the low weight, low bulk, and toughness.

The Nitecore power banks are still essentially disposable when the battery fades. After I’d bought mine I was offered a Gomi Power Bank to test and this is environmentally friendly and sustainable. Made in the UK from repurposed e-bike batteries and recycled plastic and aluminium it can be repaired over and over again. Like the Nitecore it has a 10,000 mAh capacity. However it’s heavier at 244g. Rather than being the usual black slab it comes in a range of swirly colours, which are more cheerful and easier to fine in a dark pack or tent. I’ve been using it for five months now and it’s worked fine.

Samsung Galaxy XCover 7 Rugged Smartphone

Back in 2020 I bought a Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro smartphone, which I chose because it was designed for use on construction sites and so waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof and also because it had a replaceable battery, unlike other rugged phones, so it’s easy to swap batteries when the one in the phone runs out and easy to replace when it no longer holds a charge for long.  The XCover Pro is still going strong but is long discontinued. The current replacement is the XCover 7, which I tested for The Great Outdoors this year. This has the same replaceable battery as the XCover Pro but is even more durable with a tougher screen. When the XCover Pro needs replacing this is what I’ll get, unless an even newer model has appeared.

Petzl Iko Core Headlamp

This curious-looking headlamp has been around for a few years now. I’d wondered about the strange headband but not actually tried it until this year. When I did I was impressed and it’s now my favourite headlamp. Not because of the fairly simple light itself but because of that semi-rigid headband. It’s much more comfortable than any other headband I’ve used, it doesn’t bounce when moving fast or on rough terrain, it doesn’t slip and need constant adjusting, and it doesn’t need adjusting to fit different headwear. Being very thin it’s less sweaty too. Wonderful!

Grub’s Snowline 8.5

I wasn’t sure about these boots when I was offered them to test but having worn them in snow and on frozen ground I’ve decided they’re brilliant. Grub’s calls them ‘field boots’. I think of them as ‘SuperWellies’. They’re very warm and comfortable and excellent for walks in fields, woods, moorland, and gentle hills. They have a 5mm insulating foam inner with a moisture wicking fleece lining, an insulating footbed, a hardened toe, and a Vibram outsole. They’re rated to keep your feet warm down to -40°C.  I can’t confirm that – even in the Cairngorms it doesn’t get anywhere near that cold – but they are warm at -7°C. The fit is quite wide, which is good for wearing thick socks inside and for my wide feet. I love being able to pull them on and go out into the snow without needing to fiddle with gaiters.

Rab Mythic Ultra 120 Modular Down Sleeping Bag

I took this astonishingly light and compact sleeping bag on the Cape Wrath Trail in May and June and found it very comfortable. It only weighs 330g and packs into a tiny ball, which is great for long-distance walking. It’s filled with 900 fill power down in the upper section and round the legs but has no fill on the bottom under the torso as it’s designed to be attached to a mat. I don’t find this arrangement that comfortable so I didn’t use it but still found I could keep the upper wrapped round me. Rab rate it to 0°C when used with a suitable mat. I used it with the Rab Ultrasphere 4.5 mat in temperatures down to 1°C and stayed warm.

Patagonia Nano Air Light Vest

Light compact insulated vests are great for stuffing in the pack just in case extra warmth is needed and I often do this. I rarely actually wear one though, thinking of it more as a back-up item. That has changed with the Nano Air Light as it’s much more breathable than other vests I’ve tried and so more comfortable to wear while walking. It’s wind-resistant enough for breezes, but not strong cold winds – when you’d need something on your arms anyway. At 225g it’s light and it packs down small. The recycled polyester shell fabric is soft and flexible. The polyester fill, which is Patagonia’s own, is 93% recycled.

Granite Gear Blaze 60 Pack

The latest version of the Blaze 60 pack is a big improvement over earlier versions. Whilst I’d always liked the comfortable back system I’d found access to the narrow pack awkward enough to stop me using it much.  Now there’s a long side zip and a buckled lid instead of a big rollover top. These changes make a huge difference to the usability of the pack. At 1.43kg it’s quite light for a 60-litre pack. The pack handles loads up to 20kg well as it has a thick padded hipbelt and a stiff framesheet in the back.

Keen Targhee IV Mid WP Boots

Keen Targhee boots have a wide toebox that fits me well so they’ve been favourites for many years, especially as they’re also quite light and I find them comfortable and durable. The last has been improved in the latest version with a new glue and solvent free fused construction to stop the sole delaminating, not that I’ve ever had a problem with this. I’ve worn the Targhee IV on several cool spring and autumn backpacking trips and they’ve coped with every type of terrain, including snow.

 

 

 

 

The Light Returns, A Walk In The Woods

Old woods, old path

December is ending mild, cloudy, and grey. The last brief snowfall thawed over a week ago. There’ll be more snow of course, perhaps soon. Scottish winters have always been erratic, the snow coming and going. Climate change is making this more so, with more abrupt changes, fiercer storms, and overall warmer temperatures.

There’s often little snow at this time of year anyway though. Many years ago I walked right across the snowless Cairngorms from Glen Feshie to Corgaff in December. This year the month has actually had more snow than in many Decembers.

The path goes on, the woods go on

I was pondering this time of year as I went on what is almost certainly my last walk of any length of the year. There are three days left but I doubt I’ll get out for more than a short stroll. I haven’t done much more than most of the month anyway due to illness, which I’m glad to say is passing. I just need to get fit again.

Whilst memories of past Decembers came to mind what I was really thinking about was the significance of this time, of the succession of Solstice, Xmas, and New Year. For me these form a whole with the first the most significant. It’s all about the return of the light, the return of the sun. That’s really what is celebrated. The New Year really begins at the Solstice. That's when the world turns.

Larches, birches, and juniper.

That the big festivities take place after the Solstice makes sense. Confirmation that the light is growing, the darkness fading, is needed, the certainty that this is a process that will continue. The long cold nights will not last.

My walk led through birch woods, old and festooned with lichen and moss, mysterious, peaceful. A faint old path threaded a way through the trees. There was no wind, no bird song, no running water, just a deep silence.

The Cromdale Hills

Eventually I came out of the trees and could look across Strathspey to the Cromdale Hills, the summits trailing clouds. Further away thicker clouds blanketed the Cairngorms.

Season's Greetings Everyone!

Best wishes everyone. Thanks to all who have supported my work here and in magazines and books. I am truly grateful. May you all have a wonderful 2025.

My Favourite Camps of 2024 & The Tents I Used

Coire Ardair, Creag Meagaidh, April. Mountain Laurel Designs DuoMid XL.

The winter solstice is when I to start looking back on the year that's ending and at the trips and camps I've done. For the fifth year running I didn't venture beyond the Scottish Highlands. As I said last year, there is so much to do here! Most trips were just two or three days. The longest was eighteen days on the Cape Wrath Trail in the Northwest Highlands in mid-May and early June, the second longest six days also on the Cape Wrath Trail in October. And I still didn't quite complete it! 

Last camp on Cape Wrath Trail near Sandwood Bay, October. Uncomfortable but sheltered from the worst of the wind. Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstars. Tony Hobbs has just lowered his as we packed up in the rain.

I camped at least once every month except for August and December (I don't think I'll manage another trip between now and New Year). Overall I had some great camps and splendid walks. Here's some pictures from each month. As someone usually asks about one or two of the tents this year I've made a few comments about them. I've also given links to my posts about the trips.

Dawn in the Cairngorms, January. Nortent Vern 1 (Version 1).

My first camp was in January in snow on Miadan Creag an Leth-choin in the Cairngorms. The temperature fell to -7C and I needed crampons and ice axe for the walk over the Northern Corries the next day. The Vern 1 is the only tent I had to test this year. I never reviewed it as the design was changed drastically and I never received the new version. 

On the Moine Mhor, Cairngorms, January. Nortent Vern 1 & Hilleberg Nammatj 2.

January saw a second Cairngorms trip, this time two nights with Tony Hobbs. There was less snow than earlier in the month and we pitched on frozen ground.

Down in Glen Feshie, January.

After crossing the Moine Mhor we descended into Glen Feshie for a sheltered camp in the forest as the wind picked up.

Deep in the forest, February. Hilleberg Soulo.

February saw another forest camp in the Cairngorms with Tony, this time in Rothiemurchus Forest. We had intended camping higher but couldn't find a site that was reasonably sheltered from the fierce wind and not sodden from recent rain and snowmelt. Down in the trees I didn't need the Hilleberg Soulo, the strongest most storm-resistant tent I have. A much lighter shelter would have been fine.  The next day we failed to reach a summit due to the wind.

By the Allt Coire Bhlair, Glen Feshie, March. Mountain Laurel Designs DuoMid XL. 

March saw three trips. Early in the month I walked through Glen Feshie and camped where the forest starts to fade away before heading up to snowy Mullach Clach a' Bhlair and back down to the glen. For this trip I took the DuoMid XL pyramid tent, which has been a favourite for a decade. I love the room inside, especially when used with just a groundsheet, as I usually do.

Below Sail Mhor, March. Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar.

Two weeks later I made the first trip of the year away from the Cairngorms when I headed west to An Teallach to join the It's Up To Us path work for a feature in The Great Outdoors. My magazine work finished I walked up the Allt Airdeasaidh glen to camp between An Teallach and Sail Mhor. I climbed the latter from camp on the spring equinox. The superb Trailstar tarp I used has been a favourite for over twelve years and by far my most used shelter in that time as it's been on several long-distance walks including the Scottish Watershed. 

 

Spring snow camp, March. Mountain Laurel Designs DuoMid XL.

My third March trip was back in the Cairngorms on the annual Inverness Backcountry Snowsports Club igloo building trip on the Moine Mhor.  Having helped with the igloos I retired to the quiet of my tent. This was the last camp on snow until the autumn.

Dusk in Coire Ardair, April. Mountain Laurel Designs DuoMid XL.

In April I was joined by Tony Hobbs again for a walk into Coire Ardair below the great cliffs of Creag Meagaidh. From our camp we went over snow-covered Creag Meagaidh. Ice axes were still needed.

Upper Glen Affric, Cape Wrath Trail, May. Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL.

Mid May to early June I was on the Cape Wrath Trail, completing most of it before storms persuaded me to leave the rest for better weather. The first five days were superb with clear blue skies and sunshine. Then it became rainier and windier. I took the SoloMid XL as it's lighter than the DuoMid XL and has a door that can be closed, unlike the Trailstar. I gave it Best Buy in a review of solo tents in The Great Outdoors.

Lovely evening light at Loch Coire Fionnaraich after a wet day, Cape Wrath Trail, May

There was fine light at times though, even if short-lived, and I still had some good camps.

Glen Oykel plantation, Cape Wrath Trail, June. Tony with the Mountain Laurel Designs Grace Tarp.

Tony Hobbs joined me for the last four days of this trip, during which the weather worsened. After one wet and windy day we found a sheltered site in a plantation in Glen Oykel, not a scenic site but a very welcome one. The next morning the sun shone for a short while and we were able to air our damp gear.

Last camp on the Cape Wrath Trail, June.

After crossing a high pass in very strong winds and with a forecast for even stronger ones to come along with heavy rain we had one last camp before I decided to end the walk at Inchnadamph.

Stormy by Loch Eanaich, July. MSR Hubba NX Solo.

July saw just one camp before an operation on my hand put me out of action for a couple of months. Back in the Cairngorms I walked up Gleann Eanaich to camp by Loch Eanaich. The weather was wet and windy and the next day I walked back out the same way, which was no hardship in this beautiful landscape. Forgoing pyramid tents I took the MSR Hubba NX Solo, a good three-season tent I like but for some reason don't use that often. I should take it out more often.

On the Cairngorm Plateau, September. Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL.

August was spent waiting for my hand to heal. By early September I felt ready for an overnight trip so I went up to the Cairngorm Plateau. The weather was hot and dry and after a comfortable camp I wandered up Ben Macdui and then back across the Plateau. 

At Fuaran Diotach, September. Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL.

Ten days later I was out in the Cairngorms again, this time camping on the flanks of Sgor Gaoith before traversing that hill and Sgoran Dubh Mor in mixed weather.

Below Scotland's highest waterfall,  the Eas a' Chual Aluinn, Cape Wrath Trail, October. Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar.

Early October saw a return to the Cape Wrath Trail with Tony Hobbs and a five day walk from Inchnadamph to Sandwood Bay in increasingly stormy weather.

At Lone, Cape Wrath Trail, October.

On this walk I took the Trailstar for the extra room and storm resistance. I didn't need a mesh inner as midge season was over nor a zipped door for privacy on camp sites. I just took a groundsheet and revelled in all the space.

Shelter in the forest, October. Hilleberg Niak.

Later in October I had a camp in Glen Feshie, a place I always visit in the autumn as the colours are wonderful. I used the Hilleberg Niak which had just been returned by Tony Hobbs who'd had it on loan for a year or so. Whilst it's a bit heavy compared with the pyramid shelters it is very roomy and quite stable. The latter was needed on this trip as it was quite windy.

In Strath Nethy. November. Hilleberg Niak.

I liked using the Niak so much I took it out again in November for a camp in Strath Nethy in the Cairngorms before I went up to The Saddle and back to Glenmore via Ciste Mhearad. 

Early morning, November. Hilleberg Soulo.

My camping in 2024 ended as it had begun with a camp in the snow on Miadan Creag an Leth-choin. This time the temperature fell to -9C. I took the Hilleberg Soulo, which was appropriate up here rather than in the forest, though the weather was less wind

My First Feature, My First Long-Distance Walk

Searching through boxes for an issue of The Great Outdoors with a feature the editor wanted I came across a tatty old magazine that brought back a flood of memories as it contained the first piece I ever wrote for a commercial journal. This was the April 1980 issue of Camping World, which long since ceased publication. It mostly covered car camping but did run the occasional backpacking piece. Like most magazines back then it was black-and-white except for the cover. Unusually it was printed on newsprint and in tabloid newspaper format. The quality was not good!

My feature was about my first really long-distance walk (I had previously walked the Pennine Way), from Land's End to John O'Groats in 1978. That was the walk that triggered my love of long-distance backpacking and effectively set the pattern for the rest of my life. This feature was equally important. I was paid for it! Maybe, I thought, writing could earn me enough to fund more long walks. It has, just about. 

Peter Lumley, who published the article, also gave me some valuable advice - get a decent camera and learn to take photos, you'll find it much easier to get words published if you have good pictures to go with them. On this walk I'd started out with a cheap compact film camera that didn't make it much past Bristol. As I wasn't taking photography seriously I didn't replace it. The three pictures here, all from colour prints, were taken in the first two weeks. I'm pleased to see the one of my first camp as I have no idea where the originals are. 

Following Peter's advice I bought a second-hand Pentax SLR and taught myself photography. As it was a fully manual camera - no auto exposure and no auto focus, which didn't yet exist - I made many mistakes and found it very frustrating. Peter had also said ditch the colour print film and use black-and-white print and colour transparency film, which made learning even harder. I'm glad I persevered. 

Days of Frost & Beauty

Sunset, Friday 13th

The weather is changing. After four days of cold and calm the clouds are thickening, the temperature rising, and the wind starting to blow. The magic of frost and ice and winter sharpness is fading. For now. It will return. It’s still a week to the winter solstice.

Venus, birch, mountains

The first frost came on an evening of serene beauty, the blue sky fading into black, the bright white dot of the planet Venus in the sky, a half-moon rising. The temperature soon fell below freezing. It was to stay there the next three days.

Dawn came with a white world, frost decorating every stem of grass, every twig. Only the conifers escaped, staying mostly dark and sombre.

The Cairngorms

The mountains looked magnificent, shining and bright. I longed to climb up there, into that snowy world, but I couldn’t as I’m recovering from a bad cold and getting used to new medication following an unexpected overnight stay in hospital. Instead I wandered the local woods and fields, admiring the beauty of the frost and crunching over the hard frozen ground.

Silver & gold

The world was not just cold and silver, it was also warm and gold at the same time as the low sun cut across the landscape, lighting the trees and hills with a pale glow. Glorious, just glorious.

Sgor Gaoith & Sgoran Dubh Mor

Feeling a little recovered the day the weather changed, Friday 13, I went up little Tom Mor, a local hill. The temperature was only a touch above freezing but the frost had already gone. The mountains were beginning to sink into clouds, the snow on their flanks already streaked with dark bare ground as the thaw set in.

Cairngorms fading & thawing

A cold wind swept the summit. I sheltered behind the huge cairn – far bigger than on most much higher hills – for a hot drink. The sky turned fiery red and orange, a spectacular sunset.

On Tom Mor

As the colours faded I turned and headed down into the growing darkness. Soon I switched my headlamp on, picking out the patches of ice on the track. All was silent. All was dark, A winter’s night. I love walking by headlamp. Although less than a mile from home as the crow flies it felt remote and wild. Occasionally a distant car’s lights shone briefly. Otherwise I was enveloped in darkness.

Frost in the forest