There are some wonderfully technical men’s waterproof jackets on the market. These are coats built for extreme conditions, whether they are encountered on exposed mountainsides or on stormy seas. I’m not sure if many of the men buying these jackets will ever experience the conditions the coats are designed for. But they are nonetheless impressive for their extreme attributes, even if they only get used on low level walking routes.

Take the Paramo Aspira Mountaineering Jacket for instance. With integral features such as Nikwax Analogy fabric, non-rub reversed zips, fully adjustable hood to fit over helmets, ‘Fast Access’ chest pocket , articulated shoulders and sleeves and upper arm vents, it is a highly technical jacket for harsh environments.

Then there’s the Mountain Equipment Changabang Waterproof Jacket. This state-of-the-art, hard wearing, lightweight jacket has a Gore-Tex 3 Layer Pro Shell with exceptional breathable waterproof properties. This coat also features centralised pockets that won’t get in the way of a harness, and cooling under armpit vents. It has an active cut with articulated sleeves, removable snow skirt and a single arm pocket for a GPS.

The Berghaus Fortitude Jacket has many similar features: Gore-Tex 3 Layer Pro Shell, core body venting, full helmet compatibility and articulated sleeves. But it has the added benefits of ripstop nylon fabric for added tear strength, a smooth weave nylon for abrasion resistance and water shedding and reflective sleeves and hood for high visibility. The Fortitude is a highly durable, technical mountaineering jacket.

All three are serious coats for serious conditions. Yet, despite their hefty price tags I expect I’ll see them worn by some ‘extreme men’ on the local footpaths and walking routes. Oh well, at least they’ll be safe and dry!

The great British weather has been doing its thing and delivered a lot of rain here in Cornwall over the last few weeks. This, together with the fact that we are off hiking in Wales next weekend, has got my my wife worried about being adequately waterproofed. Her raincoat has given her great service but it has lost its waterproofing abilities after eight years, despite a few Nikwax washes. In a recent blog I mentioned that I was going to buy her a new jacket for her birthday. But after reading about some of the products I reviewed in that blog, she has told me that my choice was way too expensive and that I shouldn’t be spending a small fortune on a simple walking jacket. So, she has started perusing ladies waterproof jackets in the local farming shop, Mole Valley Farmers. Amazingly, there is an integrated Regatta fleece and jacket for £21. It all sounds a bit too good to be true, plus I’m not convinced it would cope well with the wear and tear on the shoulders from a backpack. I think though, that she might need something more technical to cope with backpack wearing and the torrential rain we may well experience over the winter. So we’re off to the outdoor shop in Truro for some proper advice. Hopefully we’ll find a good compromise between price and quality, and bring home a waterproof jacket that will keep her dry for years to come.

It’s my girlfriend’s birthday coming up and she’s hinted that she’d like a new walking jacket. Her current jacket is worn out and no longer keeps out the rain during a heavy downpour. It’s time for her to upgrade and get a serious raincoat to keep her dry and warm during the winter months.

Having never purchased a woman’s jacket I didn’t know where to start. But a quick browse through the catalogues and websites of outdoor shops has led me to some stylish, yet technical jackets perfect for coastal walks and mountain treks.

The Mountain Equipment Seraph Jacket is a good looking jacket for walking and scrambling with an active, women’s cut. This one is truly designed to keep the elements out with 3-layer GORE-TEX, water resistant zips ad Stealth Construction hood. But at £200, this one might be a little too expensive.

I also spotted the Rab Latock Alpine Jacket. This is a serious mountaineering jacket for £180. It is made with eVent waterproof, breathable fabric that allows venting of sweat to the outside of the jacket. It’s also lightweight and is designed for full freedom of movement, so is great for scrambling and ice climbing! Maybe it is a bit too hardcore for general walking.

In the end I opted for a Finisterre Humboldt Waterproof Biomimetic Parka. This highly technical jacket is a multi-activity smock, which offers an unparalleled combination of ventilation and protection and comes with a lifetime guarantee. The polyester microfibre shell is water resistant, windproof, durable, breathable and soft. The biomimetic lining keeps the wearer dry by actively moving moisture away from the body. The slim and ergonomic cut means the jacket also looks good. Plus Finisterre is committed to ethical production methods, so you can wear the Humboldt with a clean conscience. It gets my vote. I just need to find the pennies to pay for it now!

Whether you prefer hiking in the buff like Mallory, or covering yourself in seal skins and wool, at some point you might have to become a little more technical and get yourself a decent hiking outfit. For this time of year in the UK, you’ll need to have a bit of extra warmth for hill walking. Layering, layering, layering! I can’t stress enough how important this is. If it’s cold, you can add a layer; if it’s hot, you remove a layer. Today’s hiking clothes come with a variety of layers to suit every climate.

You need to start with a base layer, something to keep the warmth in but also let any sweat escape. New, superior fibres are great as far as wicking and warmth are concerned. If you want to stay natural, merino wool is second to none in warmth and breathability.

The next layer can be something like a shell or fleece. A shell blocks the wind and can also act as a shower-proof garment. However, fleeces are getting more and more technical and can provide the same level of protection. The main thing is to buy a fleece or shell that will suit the weather conditions. Look out for breathability, wind-proofing, shower-proofing and above all warmth. It’s worth researching fleeces and shells so you get something that can cope with plenty of laundering.

Finally, a good rain coat is essential. For me, I like lightweight coats that can pack down nicely into a day pack. Again, you need to check for good wind-proofing and make sure that the fabric is breathable. Rip-stop fabric is a must for all hardcore trekkers. Another feature that is worth looking out for when you try on the jacket is range of movement in the shoulders so that it’s not a fight to get a backpack on and off. Extra fabric over the shoulder area is also good if you do a lot of back-packing as this will stop it wearing through quickly. Put the hood up when you are trying jackets on to make sure the hood will stop rain entry, and will also have good peripheral vision.

Happy layering!

Last week I went to Wembley Stadium to watch England play Kazakhstan. We had fantastic seats - just 16 rows from the pitch.

The plan was to take almost my entire winter coat collection as I know sat in the stands the wind can whip round and freeze your derriere! Only on the day, I got up and it was absolutely roasting. I knew, this being Great Britain and all, that whilst the sun might have its hat on now, it will most definitely be arctic temperatures when I’m doing the Wembley walk home, so I set about looking for a suitable method of transportation for the coat that I would surely need later.

Reaching into the cupboard above my wardrobe, I fumbled around for the perfect “travel backpack”, a sporty looking number, with all manner of zips and clips and compartments. Perfect I think. I stuff my hideous winter coat into it, along with a bottle of water, and my face paints. Yes people, 89,107 people attended, only one hardcore fan with their face painted – MOI!

As we head up to Wembley I was still in a t-shirt, and no sign yet of the weather changing, so I’m worried that I have lugged all my necessities for no reason.

The ticket gets scanned and we are in. The security spy me and my “travel backpack” and think that I’m a good target to wile away their day and have a good old nosey. Only it took them ages. They went through every compartment secreted in the trusty rucksack and left me standing there with my possessions strewn everywhere having to remember where everything went. Their parting comment was, “great rucksack for travelling love, but you need one with fewer compartments.”

I resisted the urge to shout back, given that I’d paid £60 for my ticket and didn’t want to get thrown out but seriously…. isn’t that the point of a “travel backpack” to assist in the efficiency of space? The best one I have seen is the Karrimor Global 50-70 - it even has a zip off day sac. That would come in very handy for carrying say – A COAT!

As it was ladies and gents, I never did take my coat out of the bag, but hey ho, we won 5-1 so I won’t complain!

Just this summer, we had a particularly ferocious storm that caused quite a bit of damage in Devon and Cornwall; flash floods, power lines down; you get the picture. We were camping on a cliff top so we took a real battering in the night. Luckily, our tent was still standing, but surveying the scene the next day it looked like Armageddon had arrived. The campground was littered with various large tents shredded, collapsed, broken and irreparable. Obviously the poor people whose tents had ripped down in the night were in a bit of state having had no sleep and being forced to scrabble around in the howling wind and rain for car keys and sleeping bags to get themselves some quick shelter.

A quick scan showed that the only tents that came out of the ordeal unscathed were a couple of compact one man tents, plus, surprisingly, some of the big family camping tents. Because it was July, people didn’t seem to have particularly strong or well made tents as they weren’t expecting gale force winds and lashing rain! Touch wood, I have not personally experienced a collapsed tent for a very long time, or even a flooded tent for that matter. It has taught me that a good quality tent is one of those camping essentials that you really can’t skimp on. It pays to buy something that will survive a storm!

Anyone who enjoys hiking in this country will own a rain jacket. As well as waterproof hiking boots, the rain jacket is a standard piece of walking attire. Fair weather walkers may chance their luck in settled conditions, but sooner or later they will come unstuck and end up getting drenched in an unforeseen shower or downpour. So it always pays to play safe and pack a waterproof jacket.

There are all sorts of styles and types of rain jacket but I have been especially impressed with Berghaus new Corrupt Jacket for women. This stylish shell is based on snowboard fashions and constructed with Aquafoil, making it waterproof, windproof and breathable.

Also new this year is the Zeta Jacket by Helly Hansen, which is a two layer, breathable shell perfect for keeping the elements out on long winter hikes. Craghoppers make great waterproof jackets. Their Kiwi Jacket III is an update of their classic shell, made with AquaDry for year-round use. The North Face is eternally popular with mountaineers and trendy urbanites. Its All Terrain Jacket is a breathable, seam-sealed, GoreTex model, which looks pretty stylish too.

With quality rain jackets like these us walkers can stay warm and dry on the trails all winter long.