Lightweight walking boots - part 3. The final reckoning.

Yes, I'm going to keep Meindle Lightweight Walking Boots - they are not destined for eBay!

They were given their full road test the other weekend, or should I say their full bridleway test the other weekend.

A quick yomp across the South Downs from Southwick to Wivelsfield Green following the Sussex Border path broke the boots in well. 15 miles of pure pleasure and I am sure my feet felt that little it lighter going up hill. Only one small complaint was the hotspot on my heel which was soon alleviated with some second skin dressing. To be expected really, they were new and I've got bony heels - prone to blisters from ill fitting boots in formative years.

So, recommended and I know people will say it isn't important - they look good on my feet as well. To me looking good on the hills is still important.

Gareth's five top tips for buying walking boots:

• Always go to a reputable (preferably independent) outdoor store.
• Get your feet measured - they change shape / size as you get older.
• Try on as many pairs of boots in the shop as possible, under the guidance of the qualified and experienced boot fitter.
• Always use a test slope to walk up and down in the shop to make sure you don't slip in the boots.
• Buy your boots later in the day when your feet are hot and slightly swollen from being used all day.
• Take the socks you expect to wear with the boots to ensure optimum fit and comfort.
• Get them home and wear them indoors for as long as possible to make sure they really are a good fit. Climb the stairs in them a few times.

Need any more advice or have any more questions about walking boots? Ping me an email.

Happy buying, happy feet - happy walking, love the adventure.

Carry on Camping - a cheaper alternive holiday.

Carry On Camping

What do I need to go camping?

Camping. It conjures up images of sunny days, green fields, meadows full of flowers. Peace and relaxation. Camping is a wonderful experience, for young and old alike. It is a great experience for children, fresh air, space to run around in and usually lots of friends to be made.

Camping is the green holiday alternative. You’ll be surprised how many great campsites there are within easy driving distance, in beautiful local areas which are well worth exploring. The other great thing about camping is that it doesn’t have to cost the earth. Camping means there is less travel and less use of hotels with all their wastefulness. Once you have bought your kit, it should last you for years. After the initial financial outlay, you will reap the rewards of your purchases for many years, making your holidays cheaper each time you go. You will not only be saving money but will be helping to save the planet too.

Camping can be very simple, you will only need a tent, a sleeping bag and a sleeping mat. There is a huge range of these three simple basics and a huge range of other camping accessories which will make your experience even more comfortable. Let’s talk a little about these three main items of kit you need to go camping:

Tents.

When you are buying a tent there are two main things to consider:

Space – Space is important in your tent if you are living in it for a holiday and equally important if you need a lightweight tent for backpacking. If you are holidaying and living in your tent, think about room to stand up, room to hang out and play cards in if it is raining, especially if you are taking your children, and room in which to store your kit.

Quality – think about what quality tent you want. The better the quality the longer it will last, but the more it will cost. If you are only camping in the summer or locally in the South East of England a basic 2 seasons tent will be fine. If you are going into the mountains or somewhere where you get high winds and heavy rain, you will need a better quality tent, one that is rated at 4 seasons.

Think about what quality and space you require and seek out an expert to help you choose the perfect tent for your holiday. Remember, this will be your home while you are on holiday and it is essential, for your comfort and enjoyment, that you make the right choice.

Sleeping Bags

Choosing a sleeping bag is simpler than choosing the tent. If you are travelling to your campsite by car, then size and weight do not matter. If you are carrying your kit then you need to think about the size and weight. A small, warm, lightweight sleeping bag is more costly, but better to carry. As with tents, the season rating is used with 2,3 and 4 season sleeping bags available.

Sleeping bags will have a temperature rating on them, showing what they will go down to. It is important to remember here, that there is no standard way of measuring this and when a bag states it is comfortable down to -5 degrees, this may be true for a fit and hardy person wearing thermals. The reality for somebody else could be that the bag is only warm down to 10 degrees. Bear this in mind when you are buying your bag and seek an expert opinion.

You can have the choice of a down filled sleeping bag or a synthetic sleeping bag. Down filled bags will last longer and have a much better weight to warmth ratio, but can be costly. A synthetic bag is heavier for the warmth you get, but they are much cheaper and can be carefully washed after use.

Sleeping mats:

These are an essential piece of kit to help keep you warm. Primarily they are designed to stop you getting cold from the ground. If you sleep directly on the ground it will draw the heat from your body quicker than you can go to sleep, leaving you shivering, even in summer. A ground mat can be a simple foam mat, which you can buy for around £5. A self inflating, super comfy, super luxury mat will set you back in the region of £100.

Self inflating mats are regarded as the better option as they will also provide an element of comfort as well as the insulation. They start at around the £25 mark and can be a great investment. A self inflating mat was one of my best buys for camping, many years ago, when I had to spend three months in a tent, pure luxury compared to a standard foam mat.

There you have the three key ingredients for kit to get you out camping. There is a lot more you can learn about camping, but buying the right kit the first time is important. The rest you can learn as you go. Get out there, enjoy the fresh air, sunrises, moon lit nights and have an eco friendly holiday, saving you money and helping save the planet too.

Local Travel

More on the theme of exploring locally...


Love the adventure, love it locally!


The Great British Seaside

Way back when I was a small child I was taken to Worthing on the Sussex Coast to go shopping with my Grandma. I distinctly remember going for elevenses at BHS and going up the escalators to the café, very stylish, very 1970’s décor. Which considering it was the mid 70’s isn’t surprising. The part of the décor that fascinated me the most was the big glass block wall. I still haven’t managed to get one in my house, even though they are now ‘back in fashion’.

Anyway, I digress, I’m not here to talk about interior design, I’m here to talk about Worthing and the Great British Seaside. I was merely setting the scene. I’ve been to Worthing quite a number of times since those childhood jaunts. I’ve been there clubbing, I’ve been there to sit on the beach and I’ve been there to just look about.

Yesterday I was back in Worthing, working in an exhibition, suited and booted, talked to people about the joys of being self employed or having your own business and how they can access the raft of free government support. The exhibition finished and the sun was shining. I got in my car to go home and made it to Findon, when my phone rang and my girlfriend said that she and a couple of friends were heading south from Horsham for a walk along prom and a fish and chip supper. Great. I parked up, was scooped up and we headed back down to the coast.

In all my visits to Worthing I’ve never had a fish and chip supper. It sounded very English, very seaside and the sort of thing old folk did. We parked up, hopped out the car and braced ourselves again the wind for a stroll along the prom. The strolling was met with remises about coming to the pier in our childhoods and playing the shove tuppence games and as we grew older heading to the seedy salubriousness of Rutherford’s nightclub situated at the end of the pier. Strolling onto the pier, taking in the sea air, seeing the fishermen and listening to the crashing waves I felt rejuvenated, like a child once more on a visit to the seaside. The only thing to top it off was the half hour in the amusements plying the machines with 2p’s in the vain hope they would push some off the shelves down into the slot where I can collect my winnings. Needless to say I lost nearly £2. An expensive trip to the amusements.

The Fish and Chip supper was beckoning, I had only a rough old sandwich all day and the sea air was making me more and more peckish. My friends knew of a couple of chip shops so we sought them out. This was our first ‘gem’ of the evening. We stopped at the Blue Ocean Fish and Chip shop for our supper and was welcomed to a place where old meets new. Wonderfully refurbished, very clean with modern tables and chairs and a fancy ceiling with spot lights in it greeted us. The man behind the fryer also greeted us. WE grabbed a seat and ordered our supper. I went the whole hog and had mushy peas, curry sauce, pickled onion and of course a large cod and chips. The food was delicious. All cooked exactly how I like it, chips spot on and the batter not too greasy. The chip shop curry sauce is a thing of its own. Who came up with such a sublime recipe?

Wandering back to the car we walked past Worthing Dome Cinema another memory of my childhood. But I remember it always looking down at heel, a faded piece of English Seaside resort forever doomed to be like this, just waiting for the developers to move in and make it into luxury flats. AS we strolled passed we saw it was open with the latest releases. The old world charm that the cinema now exuded drew us in, and we were welcomed by an old wooden ticked office and a very polite young man who was very enthusiastic about the old cinema. Quite different to people you get working in Cineword, Crawley. He filled us in a little on the history, saying that it was the second oldest cinema in the UK and that the ticket machine still worked, but they couldn’t get hold of the old fashioned tickets anymore. We bought tickets to see 21 at 7.30pm – from the new computer and fancy printer – and wandered in to a magnificent hall. The hall was like a throw back in time, sumptuous red carpet, wood panelled walls and stained glass windows telling us where we could put our cloaks or find refreshments.

The refreshments beckoned as we had some time to wait before the film so we wandered in to the bar, to be greeted by a lovely aroma of the lilies, sitting there in a vase on the bar top. The room was full of old projectors, comfy sofa’s and film set seats with your position in the crew printed on the back, such as Best Grip, giving us much source of amusement. The film was great too. Finished off the evening perfectly. The Worthing Dome Cinema is another gem.

The Great British Seaside, an institution and one full of wonderful things, little gems that you need to experience. Go down there, wander along the front, stroll out to the pier and play on the amusements. Then get your fish and chip supper at the Blue Ocean and top it off with a trip to the purportedly second oldest cinema in the UK for some wonderful old seaside resort charm.

Who is Simon Calder?

Who is Simon Calder?

OK OK, so I've got a business that sell travel related items, I've worked in this industry for quite a number of years - I'm sure you are saying 'You should know who Simon Calder is'.

Well, I didn't - until the other day. His name was just popping up all over the place, I think he was on Radio 4 commentating on local travel (Which I think is extremely important - check out earlier blogs). I got home and promptly forgot about him. Then he popped up in his very easy going, engaging way - not sure what he was talking about this time, but the presenter mentioned him as the foremost commentator on travel in the UK.

So I googled him. Sounds painful when you put it like that. 350,000 results - result!

Turns out he is local to me. From Crawley, West Sussex - and now in London. May get him to open my store, if ever I get one!

Have a read of his website, its interesting. I particularly like the pictures - I wish I could say his writing too, as he is now an important journalist, but you need to buy publications to do this - which I don't mind doing, the Independent Travel Section is quite good. I have even advertised in it, relatively successfully. I'm sure if I went through the google search a little more I will be able to find some of his articles for a read.

Got some great travel tips and fave places on his biog page - best of which is 'Smile' couldn't agree more with him - a smile opens lots of doors and goes a million miles.

Smile, Travel and Love the Adventure.

Till next time...