The mercury may be plummeting, but the old saying about it never being bad weather, you just don’t have the right kit, is as true today as it’s always been. So with Christmas on the horizon here are some potential stocking fillers that have been road-tested by Scottish Field editor Richard Bath over the past couple of months.
Chanos Fleece Gloves (£40): These high pile fleece glove are built using 100% recycled Thermo 300 Eco fleece, and are extremely cosy yet at 70g very light. The other bit of good news is that they dry out very quickly, although the faux leather palms take a bit of getting used to.
www.montane.com/products/montane-chonos-fleece-gloves
Chanos Fleece Gloves.
Contigo mug with tea infuser (£37.90): If an army marches on tea, then this is the perfect Christmas stocking filler. This 47cl stainless steel flask is 100% leakproof lid, and thanks to its innoivative autoseal technology it keeps drinks warm for five hours and cold for 12 hours. But most important, is the only flask I’ve seen that comes with a tea infuser.
Brew beanie (£30): Regular readers know that I adore Montane kit, and this 80g beanie is a classic example of why: it’s just so well made, fits snugly, is light, comfortable and warm, and doesn’t lose its shape. Not sure about the orange colour, but with this is a case of comfort over aesthetics and this merino beanie (50% merino wool / 50% acrylic wool)gets the balance right.
www.montane.com/products/montane-brew-beanie-hat
HJ Hall light hike pro-trek socks (£16.50): These are excellent winter walking socks, made by HJ Hall for extreme conditions. They are fully conditioned, retain heat and are reinforced on the heel and toe. They have been treated to inhibit the growth of bacteria and reduce odours, and have an unconditional six-month guarantee.
www.hj.co.uk/hj702-mountain-climb-protrek
Insect resistant clothing (Machu trousers £79.95; t-shirt £29.95; hiker socks £19.95): Keela have produced a lightweight range that not only combats bugs like ticks, ants, flies and midges and offers protection against UPF, is also quick drying. The trousers are stretch with two zipped hip pockets and a zipped back pocket, while the t-shirt works well as an under layer for trekking. The socks are lightweight but cushioned.
www.keelaoutdoors.com/product-category/mens/collection/insect-shield/
Machu Trousers.
Storm Shelter 400 (£50): If you’re going into the wilderness, even if you’re going on a day hike, this watertight storm shelter, which is capable of housing four people, is an essential bit of kit that is recommended by the Duke of Edinburgh scheme and is a potential life-saver. Pitchable in one minute, it is bright orange in case search parties are looking for you.
www.vango.co.uk/gb/camping-equipment/617-storm-shelter-400.html
Trekmates Scafell GTX overmitts (£55): I love these goretex mitts, which fold up small but can slip over the top of my usual gloves when it gets properly chilly. They are windproof, almost completely waterproof, breathable and made from recycled polyamide. They come with their own little bag, elasticated wrist cuff and tether to keep them together.
https://www.trekmates.co.uk/products/scafell-gtx-overmitt
Radiate DLX chair (£155): When sitting around a campfire, this padded and heated chair from Vango is as good as it gets. It is, however, too heavy to carry long distances so is basically for camping from your car or camper van. You can power it from your power bank and it comes with four heat settings depending on the severity of the evening chill.
www.vango.co.uk/gb/camping-equipment/796-radiate-dlx-chair.html
X Moon Insulated 500ml Bottle (£25): This silver stainless steel bottle from Montane is made from double-walled vacuum technology, is completely leak proof, will keep your water cold for 24 hours and your coffee hot for 12 hours.
www.montane.com/products/montane-insulated-500ml-bottle
Volt Headtorch (£22): This is an ingenious bit of kit from Vango which is noteworthy on several fronts. The first is that it produces an incredible 100 lumens of light on the high setting which is enough to see 75 metres, and 40 on low setting, giving you less harsh light but visibility up to 42 metres. The second great feature is the fact that the light unclips so that as well as being a headtorch it can also be used to light a tent or clipped to bicycle handlebars (it also has a setting for flashing light which is perfect for this). As well as coming with batteries, it is water resistant and weighs just 866g.
www.vango.co.uk/gb/camping-equipment/977-volt.html
Jack Wolfskin Ziegspitz Shorts (£95): These stretchy softshell shorts are ideally for when it’s a nice day, so perhaps not for a November trek in the Highlands. That said, they are breathable, windproof and water repellent, with the fabric made largely from recycled materials. My one bugbear is the integral canvas belt, but it’s easily replaced with one of your own. On the plus side, they are supremely comfortable, and with five pockets there’s plenty of places to store keys, cash and cards.
Radiate DLX chair.
www.jack-wolfskin.co.uk/ziegspitz-shorts-m/1508071_6350_048.html
Apex Hydro 10 rucksack (£42): Even in the winter it’s important to remember rehydration when out for a walk for the day, and this excellently priced daypack hits the mark. It comes with a two-litre hydration pack, two zipped pockets with enough space for your layers and lunch, an ergonomic hip belt (with zipped pocket) and Vango’s airmesh system which ensures air is allowed to circulate on your back and shoulders, reducing sweating.
www.vango.co.uk/gb/rucksack-range/2944-apex-hydro-10.html
Read more on Scottish Field’s News pages.
Plus, don’t miss the December issue of Scottish Field magazine.
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