Is there any such thing as a windproof jacket? Surely if it’s howling a gale outside, even the most robust materials will not protect you from the chilling wind. Not so according to Ronhill, which produces performance sportswear for runners. Its running jackets are super lightweight with new Windlite™ fabric to prevent the chill factor on the trail. Windproof jackets are especially beneficial to runners and cyclists as they stop their sweaty bodies becoming cold and uncomfortable in the wind. Salomon produces a highly technical Windstopper™ Jacket precisely for this purpose.

But windproof properties are also used in walking jackets for the same reasons. Imagine climbing to the top of a mountain to be penetrated by a biting wind which attacks your core body temperature. It doesn’t bear thinking about. Most manufacturers of hiking jackets will combine waterproofing, breathability and wind proofing to produce multi-functional jacket that protects you from the elements. The Mountain Equipment G2 Alpine Jacket is one such coat – its Windstopper Soft Shell offers ‘total’ protection from the wind. The Mountain Hardwear Escape Jacket offers similar protection due to its Goretex Performance Shell material.

Whether or not they are 100% windproof, there’s no doubt that they substantially eliminate the bite from a bracing breeze. For anyone who walks regularly in the UK, this is a handy piece of kit to have.

Going away overnight on a walking trip takes some planning. It’s that old-age dilemma of what to take on a hiking adventure. Do you travel light and stay in a hotel? I think in the current economic climate that is a bit of a luxury. So do you sleep out in the open? It’s November, so sleeping out will be chilly and a bit damp to say the least. If you’re serious about stepping out on a walking overnighter It would be better to get yourself some protection and take either a lightweight hiking tent or a one man tent.

There’s an amazing amount of choice when it comes to one man tents to go hiking with. Obviously the first consideration is the weight. The aim is to find a tent that weighs in at under 1kg. These are few and far between but if you get a featherweight one man tent it will make hiking trips much more comfortable and appealing. I’ve just discovered a new kind of one man tent from Nemo. The US company has created a line of tents built with its own AirSupported Technology™, which means they have inflatable frames. As there are no poles it is faster and easier to set up, and sturdier and more aerodynamic in high winds. They also pack much smaller and are lighter than traditional tents. Its Gogo one man tent weighs just 860g and is a design masterpiece. It sounds like the perfect overnight hiking tool – a shelter from the elements that’s so light it’s no hassle to carry around. If I had one of these I wouldn’t want to stay in a hotel anyway!

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!

As the first wave of freezing weather starts to wind its way down from the North Pole, it’s time for all serious campers to get themselves into their four-season sleeping bags. If you need to upgrade to a new one, here’s what you should be looking at.

For additional warmth - one good idea is using a vapour barrier inside your sleeping bag. Although they will keep you warm they might also leave you wet and clammy - so maybe the sleeping bag on it’s own and an additional layer of clothing will do instead.

First, decide whether you want down or synthetic fibre sleeping bags. The down bag is always really warm, compresses well so it packs down to a small size and doesn’t weigh much. The downside is that it takes ages to dry out if you get it wet. Synthetic sleeping bags will keep you as warm as down, dry quickly and are easier to care for. The downside is their weight as they don’t pack down as well as the insulation is bulkier. So it’s up to you to decide whether you compromise weight for dryness or vice versa.

The top sleeping bags for extreme cold are Marmot and Rab. Rab are a lot more technical going down to -25° on some of their bags. Marmot have a down bag for £190 called Never Summer, it packs down to 40cmx22cm and weighs a tiny 1.7kg. Rab’s Q600 down bag is a frightening £290 but packs down to 30cmx18cm and weighs only 1.1kg. It also boasts a Pertex inner and outer layer keeping you extra cosy.

On the synthetic side, I found only two sleeping bags that went anywhere near Rab and Marmot’s down bag warmth factor. Marmot has a synthetic fibre bag called Wave IV for £85 which copes with temperatures to -11°. It packs down to 40cmx25cm and weighs 2.03kg. On the other side, we have Mountain Hardwear’s Lamina copes with -12°, compresses to 46cmx22cm and weighs 1.7kg. This bag will set you back £100.

All the sleeping bags mentioned are standard sizes going up to 185cm in length and all are mummy shaped with drawstring hoods. There seems to be quite a bit of difference between all these bags on price, weight and size. It could be quite tricky to decide between sleeping bags. My money is on the down bags. But the rest is up to you – just stay warm!

I wrote about roll mats in a recent blog citing them as a camping essential. It elicited a response from a nice guy at Trailblaze.com who thought that the food, shelter, warmth etc were in fact the real camping essentials. However, while totally agreeing with this guy, his essentials are suited to survival camping. I was thinking of kit to go camping with mates or with the kids for a weekend.

I still think a roll mat is the one of the best things you can take. Whilst travelling through Canada several years ago, the Rockies had an unseasonably cold and wet Summer (sounds familiar?). I had bought a plain, cheap yellow roll mat along for the trip but was actually suffering a bit at night with the cold seeping through the foam, plus it was a bit too thin to cope with some of the ground we were sleeping on. By some bizarre stroke of luck, I got chatting to a girl who was leaving Canada the next day and needed to ditch her thermarest as she didn’t need it for the next stage of her travels. She offered it to me when she heard me complaining of aching kidneys thanks to the cold seeping up from the ground. The thermarest was amazing to go camping with. I was a changed man. After a full nights’ sleep where I was toasty all night (and comfortable) I soon realised what a difference a thermarest can make. My morale was boosted as I wasn’t dreading the next freezing night out. I still have that same roll mat 15 years on. It has a puncture, doesn’t inflate properly and smells a bit, but I can’t bring myself to throw it away. I know that I’ll have to replace it sooner or later. So, to me a roll mat is an essential to go camping with.

To the survivalists out there, you should know too that you need to protect yourself from cold floors – I seem to recall that Ray Mears recommended a bed of pine branches thick with fronds as ‘nature’s roll mat’. Touché!

As the temperatures dip towards freezing, winter gloves become a necessity in protecting your fingers from frostbite, or just keeping them cosy.

Outdoor Designs has the Taku Stretch for £20. They are wind resistant, have a bubble grip palm and dry fast. They look pretty good too, with nice slim fingers. Personally I prefer gloves that aren’t too bulky on the fingers or they feel like splayed sausages after a few hours.

The North Face has come up with a real treat for music lovers who like hiking or skiing – the Etip Glove. These beauties enable you to browse your music on your MP3 player without having to take your gloves off. It’s a bit self-indulgent, but for £22, not overly so. The palms have silicone grippers too.

The Powerstretch glove by Lowe Alpine contains the Polartec Powerstretch fabric, so not only do they offer wind protection, but they also come with pre-curved fingers to help your fingers stay in their naturally flexed position. They also weigh a miniscule 38 grams, ideal for packing light. All this for £20.
Finally, we come to Marmot XT glove for £35. It’s quite a bit pricier in comparison to the others. So what do you get for your money? They are made from stretch nylon which forms a waterproof, breathable vapour barrier. The way the gloves are made guarantees the ultimate in stretch and flex, ideal for fiddling about in a back pack without too much hassle. They have been designed especially for skiing and snow shoeing, but will crossover to general mountain use. A bizarre feature is a nose wipe. I would hope with a feature like that they would cope well enough with laundering. The main thing is that your hands stay warm.

What you should always look for in the composition of your sock are fibres that help absorption and wicking. Like cake and tea, you can’t have one without the other. Sweaty feet are horrible, smell bad and can cause nasty blisters from rubbing. The difference between wicking and absorption is that wicking helps move moisture away from the skin and absorption soaks up the moisture. If you don’t have good absorption, then your socks will end up soggy and clammy. Wool is the absolute best as it can absorb up to 30% of its own weight in moisture. If wool is unavailable, then stick with natural yarns like cotton.

Another big plus for wool is that it doesn’t pong as much after a hard days hike like synthetics will. It’s more hygienic so you’ll be less likely to develop fungal infestations if you are unable to wash them frequently on a multi-day hike.
An obvious thing to point out is to make sure that you buy socks that fit your feet. If they contain an elastane like Lycra®, this ensures a closer fit. Also, an important factor for women is to buy women’s socks as these are slimmer then men’s and will stop bunching in your hiking shoe (http://www.bizrate.co.uk/camping_hikingequipment/product-type–hiking-boots/products__att294299–464602-.html).For durability, you need to make sure the socks contain nylon as this will make sure your sock stays together. The socks should contain, at the absolute minimum, 10% nylon.

Cushioning and padding are the next things to look at as these will absorb some of the impact in your waterproof hiking boots. You need to look for small loops packed in short and dense on the inside of the sock. These will give you the cushioning that you need. Padding should be found on the heel and toe of the sock. The heavier your boots, the heavy the padding.

If you follow all of the tips above, you’ll have a good pair of socks that will last you for many happy hours of hiking.

There are thousands of technical terms to describe the materials used in outdoor gear. Here are a few of the better known ones:
Polartec® - wind resistant, sun protective fibres. The fabric can also be more durable, waterproof and even odour resistant fabrics. Found in fleeces.
Goretex® - Breathable, waterproof and windproof fabrics that are guaranteed for life. Found mainly in waterproof hiking boots, raincoats and gloves.
Pertex© - A soft, lightweight, durable fabric that has excellent breathable, windproof and moisture resistant qualities. It wicks moisture away from the body. Found in sleeping bags, insulated garments like down jackets, some trekking clothes and windproof shells.
Powerdry® - Designed to keep your skin dry when you sweat. Part of the Polartec® range.
Isofil® - A non-absorbent wicking thermal fibre found in socks.
Hyvent TM – According to The North Face who invented this technology, it is a superior, waterproof, breathable fabric that also has excellent durability. Found in rain jackets.
Paclite® – It does what it says on the tin – packs down to nothing making it the ideal item for short or long hikes. Found mainly in waterproof clothing.
Airflo™ – Another one that is obvious, it allows the air to flow whether you are in a tent or on your back pack harness.
CoolMax® - Provides very good blister protection whilst keeping your feet cool. Found in socks.

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!

It’s the moment I have been waiting for; I am off on holiday tomorrow lunchtime! A week in sunny Portugal. I have been checking the weather report everyday, confident that the country prides itself on boasting of its 340 days of sunshine a year. Except for the week I am going. Of course.

Originally, I was only going to take a small travel backpack, as quite blatantly I would only need flip flops and a bikini, maybe even room for a toothbrush. Now, it seems, I have to rethink the entire packing process as a jumper might be called for.

Turns out, I don’t own a suitcase large enough for a week away, so as its now 6pm, on the eve of my departure I have no alternative other than to make my way to the supermarket giant and all round “going to take over the world” shop that is, of course, Tesco. Bet there is even a Tesco in Portugal … I will let you know!

For under £20 I copped off with a brilliant red case with the nylon exterior, guaranteed to last for this trip and this trip only. It seems to be made of reconstituted paper that a child has coloured in with red paint. Beggars can’t be choosers I suppose and I will be darned if I am going to invest in decent luggage from the conglomerate.

It looks quite spacious and with all the additional filling it’s a good job. Funny how, when you have more room that you anticipated, you end up filling it with items you will no doubt never utilise. Six pairs of shoes line the bottom. Six! Not counting my flip flops or the shoes I will be wearing to get to the airport in the first place. With limited space, you have to be selective, extra space and I seem to have taken on the persona of Imelda Marcos.

I have packed everything for every eventuality – even down to “rolling luggage camping essentials” - and I am acutely aware that I can’t lift it on my own. At least when it’s empty, it’s as light as a feather. I am a little concerned that the sides might give way with the weight and all my unnecessary items of clothing will be strewn over the M25 on the way. I say unnecessary, because in the process of buying the suitcase, I have acquired 3 more bikinis, a hat, a water bottle and an electronic skipping rope. All of which I will use. Possibly. Perhaps I should have taken the travel backpack after all.