English Afternoon Tea - the perfect treat.

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Bungee Rope Snaps at Zambezi Bungee Jump.

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How to prevent blisters when out hiking.

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Travel Food Inspiration

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Is the YHA dying?

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Top tips for winter walking.

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Discarded Apple Cores.

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Everest ER - BBC TV.

Ever thought about climbing Everest?

This is a blog post from a long time ago - one that I never published. For some reason. Time now to publish.

Everest - it conjures up the most amazing images in my head, dreams re-awakened of climbing to it's summit, but most of all it's the beauty of the area, the Himalaya, the awe inspiring roof of the world. The one place that won't go away, that won't change in thousands of years - captured in books that line my book shelf. These images, this scene, THAT mountain - Everest.

I've probably climbed it a number of times, beating Kenton Cool in his 4 summit bids, (at time of pubblishing this blog post in June 2011 he has been on the summit of Everest 9 times. Phew!) but, sadly it is always from an armchair - and no doubt once or twice from my sleep. Not quite the same but infinatley safer.

Everest is not a place to be messed with and this was well reflected in the documentary on BBC1 this evening. Everest ER. It was great to see Kenton Cool in it, great to hear about Mountain Madness. The the most amazing thing was the Base Camp hospital - what the programme is all about. There are a number of illnesses that you can get on the mountain and it looks like the Doctors who give up their time to staff this hospital see everything from frost nip to cerebal oedema.

The filming on this documentary is great, the stories of joy, the stories of dissapointment, the sheer bloody mindedness you need to conquer a mountain such as this.

Thinking about what you need to go through to get to the top. The challenges, the misery, the hope, the physical and mental preparedness. I take my hat off to everyone who climbs to the roof of the world and to anyone who climbs their own personal 'Everest'. One day I will, no doubt, be climbing my own.

Beginners Guide to Navigation

Beginners Guide to Navigation.

5 Top Tips to Help with Navigation When Walking.

"Get lost!"  I hear you say, or rather help me not to get lost.

To be honest you don’t really ‘get lost’ when you are out walking. I like to think of it as merely losing my place on the map. Rather like putting your book down, not marking where you are and ‘losing your place’. However, the ramifications of ‘losing your place’ on a map can be quite high.

Here are my five top tips to help with navigation.

Top tip 1: Read the instructions that came with your compass.

Silva, one of the most common makes of compass always put a small instruction manual in with their Silva compasses. They tell you how to use it, following the Silva 1-2-3 system. If you have bought your compass from a retailer ask them for a quick demo on how to use it.

Top Tip 2: Read your map.

A map is full of symbols and if you are a Dan Brown fanatic like me, then you will love reading maps. Symbology at its best. The symbols are translated in the key on the side of the map. Learn as many as you can, especially the ones around the walk you are planning to do. Look out for footpaths, cliffs and anything else that will make your walk interesting, dangerous and show you landmarks.

Top tip 3: Find a place you know and have a practice.

Try setting your map to North. Look for a landmark in the distance and see if you can find it on the map. Set a compass bearing to the landmark using the Silva 1-2-3 system. Work out the route to get there. For example; ‘follow the foot path on such and such a bearing for x km’s. Turn right at the footbridge’. So on and so forth. This is how guide books are often written, but it’s much more fun doing your own.

Top tip 4: Don’t over estimate how quickly you will walk.

How quickly do you walk? Walk a set route that you know the distance of and time it. If you are doing this on the local streets you will walk quicker than in the countryside. In the countryside you will be stopping to admire the view, to check the map, have a drink or snack. Uphill and uneven ground can add time to your walk. Take it easy and enjoy the walk.

Top tip 5: Reward yourself.

Think about what you have just done. You learnt to use a map and compass. You planned a walking route, you walked the route. What do you deserve more than tea and cake in a local cafe or a wonderful roast and a pint in the pub?

Navigation is a vast subject with books dedicated to it. For most simple walks in the local area, knowing the basics is important. If you are doing something more adventurous, learn and practice your navigation before you go.

Time for you to join in!

• What are your top navigation tips?
• What are your thoughts on Navigation?
• Do you use a Garmin GPS or another make?  Will it ever replace a compass... 

Beginners Guide to Walking Gear

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Narrow Fit Walking Boot for Ladies

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What is THE ultimate travel accessory?



THE ultimate travel accessory?

 What do you think is THE ultimate travel accessory?

Dental floss is not just for teeth you know. But is it really the ultimate travel accessory? Girls, listen up, do you take travel hair straighteners with you travelling? How about the humble head torch? A micro fiber travel towel?

These are all travel accessories that you see time and time again in the top 5 travel accessories blog posts. OK, so maybe you don't see head torch that often, but the other three? Rather common place. I was reading a blog post on luxury travel accessories yesterday and they listed a wooden box of Fortnum and Mason tea bags.

Would you take Fortnum and Mason tea bags in  wooden chest travelling or would you pop a few PG tips (insert your own favourite brand here) into a plastic bag?

I've just responded to a quick question posed to me about really strong sticky tape called McNett Tenacious Tape. It is said to aggressively stick to any surface. As far as I know it does. it is lightweight, clear, flexible and will fix a huge amount of things. Perhaps this is THE ultimate travel accessory? Especially if you are backpacking around the world or are adventure travelling.

So tell me: What is THE ultimate travel accessory?

Free roll of Tenacious Tape to the person who I think beats me!

Brighton Climbing Centre

Should Brighton have an indoor climbing facility?

I have been climbing for a number of years now and it has always amazed me that Brighton does not have an indoor climbing facility for the public to use.

I keep hearing people talking about a wall in Brighton -me included -but no one has managed to do anything about it. Until now that is. Cassie and Sean set up a Facebook Group a while back to garner support for the climbing wall. I'll have to admit I haven't really heard anything until today when I received an email from them.

Finally they have found somewhere to house the Brighton Climbing Centre. With a possible 16m high wall (eat your heart out K2). Enough to make me nervous for sure. At the moment it is going through planning permission and they need support from as many people as possible for this climbing wall. Please go to the Brighton Climbing Centre website and use their messaging system to send an email of support for the Brighton Climbing Centre.

This is a copy of the email that I sent:

Please take this email as support for the planning application for the Brighton Climbing Centre. It is sad thing that Brighton does not have a decent in door public climbing wall. Small towns such as Horley and Midhurst all boast such leisure facilities and Brighton is lagging behind in providing people from the city and its surrounding areas with such a facility.



I was climbing at K2 in Crawley on Monday 17th January and the wall was jam packed. By 7.30pm you had to wait to get on a rope and climb, demonstrating the popularity of this sport. A large number of people at the wall were from Brighton University. People often start their climbing while at University and go on to really appreciate the outdoors through climbing, walking and mountaineering. Having a climbing centre in Brighton will give the students there (as well as the other citizens of the city) the opportunity to experience this fantastic sport along with the camaraderie and health benefits that it brings, both now and in the future.


I implore you to look upon this application with favour.


Gareth Sear


www.walkandtravel.com

I look forward to hearing how it progresses. Congratulations are to be given to those involved to get it this far.

Reading maps and navigating - too much detail or too litte?



Silva Expedition 54 Compass

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Wemmi Wipes

Wemmi Wipes

What I hear you say? Wemmi Wipes? What is a Wemmi Wipe? All I can see are two rather large horse pills. Yup, that's right. A Wemmi Wipe looks like a rather large horse pill. A paracetamol for a horse size headache.

I was delighted that to find a small sample card of these wipes stuffed in with my Shewee delivery. No explanation just a sample card with two Wemmi Wipe pill type things attached to it. The slogan on the card - Wet me, Grow Me, Use Me and WOW! They grow before your very eyes, coupled with, Fun, convenient adn really rather good... had some sort of teenage humour to it. These slogans added to the fact the sample came in my Shewee delivery prompted a very humourous comment of;  "what are you supposed to do with it? Pee on it and wipe your bum?". Much laughter sounded.  (For those not in the know a Shewee is a female urinary device to allow you to pee standing up)

 I have just popped one of the pills under a tap. Lo and behold expand it did and yes there was a moment of fun as is expanded into a tightly rolled bandage type thing. After a quick unroll you have a very useful wet cloth to do whatever you like with. Wash dishes, wipe your face and hand and generally use for wipe type things.

I did like this product. It did make me laugh, but for the life of me I can't see a use for it. Why would you want a small dehydrated compressed wipe? Why not just carry a small, scrunched up cloth? They never really take up much space in your bag. It is instantly usable you don't need to find a little water to 'Wet me, Grow me' and well it just does the job.

Fun product, but have to ask myself, Why? Wemmi - if you are are out there listening let me know!

Shewee - fun gift or trekking essential?



The Ubiquitous Pink Shewee.

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Survival Kit for Walkers - Solo or otherwise!

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Kit for Kilimanjaro

Kit for Climbing and Trekking up Kilimanjaro

Are you heading up Kilimanjaro in the not too distant future? This wonderful mountain that rises out of the African plans attracts thousand of visitors each year. Some climbing it for charity, some climbing it for their own personal sense of achievement. No matter your reason, it really is an achievement.


Kilimanjaro is 5893 meters high. The best part of 20,000 ft. That is around 6km, vertical upwards. To me that seems pretty high. Though in Africa the cap still has glaciers and snow on it. It can be cold and there are high risks of health problems associated with going to that height on a mountain. Acute mountain sickness is probably the most likely. Usually solved by simply going back down to a lower level. You can try and avoid this by acclimatising yourself as you go up. At the end of the days walk, climb up a few hundred meters more and then come back down again, getting your body slowly used to the thin levels of oxygen available at this altitude.

You also need to get in some training - it's a long hike. Uphill. But perhaps worse (for me at any rate) is the long walk down hill. This kills my knees and I need to really get in the practice and build up my quads and hamstrings before attempting a hike like Kilimanjaro. I simply try to get in as much walking as I can on the hills, which is usually the South Downs for where I live. I top this up with some gym work, walking on the running machine at it's steepest incline at around 6.5 kph for 30-40 minutes 3 times a week, whilst being plugged into my iPod or reading the latest Dan Brown offering. This is closely followed up with weights work for the quads and hamstrings.

Fitness is important as well as having the right gear. There is quite a lot of kit you need for Kilimanjaro and below is a response to an email from a customer who wanted to know about a few things to take with him:

Great to hear from you Mike and great to hear that you are embarking on an expedition to climb the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free standing mountain in the world. Exciting stuff.

Many thanks for looking at Walk and Travel, hopefully I'll be able to help you out with a few things. Can certainly help you out with most of the things that you have put on the list so here goes:

Soft Kit Bag - Something like the Tatonka Barrel Kit Bag should do it. I've used them a lot when I go on trips, they are very tough bags with shoulder straps for lugging about between places.

Small backpack - A selection here, probably look at the Vaude Ultralight 35 or the Vaude Triset 35. They both come with a rain cover.

Sleeping bag. Unless you are going to use this again, I would say hire one out there, but take a silk sleeping bag liner to give extra warmth and comfort. I do sell a range of sleeping bags that would be suitable for you, probably the Snugpak Softie Winter as you are not carrying it. I don't do fleece liners at the moment but can get them, they are around £20.

Water Bottles - small range here as well, but you may also want to consider the hydration systems. I don't have any insulated sleeves for the hydration systems but again, can get you one in. I think they are around £10. The best way to stop it freezing is to keep sipping water from it! The Sigg water bottles are in there as well. If it is going to be really cold I would skip the Sigg bottle as it has a metal top on it which isn't too nice to drink from, you may even get your lips stuck to it. I would recommend a Nalgene bottle made from Lexan or any other bottle made from Lexan (which is an unbreakable plastic).

Sleeping mats - I'm guessing it is going to be cold when you are going (February) with the risk of sleeping on snow or ice. There are inflatable sleeping mats and thin foam ones. If they recommend both, it is to really get some insulation between you and the ground. The ground is the place where you will lose most of your body heat due to conduction. The thin
foam sleeping mat, which will be a 5 season foam mat will really bolster the insulation. These are bulky, but not heavy and perhaps would be best if you hired / bought one out there. I've got an inflating sleeping mat on special offer that would be good, but isn't the lightest. If you want something lighter then try the Multimat Adventure Superlight Inflating Sleeping Mat. Again, if you are not going to use these things again, you may want to consider hiring them.

Head torch - Go for one with an LED bulb, then you won't need to take a replacement bulb (in fact you can't replace the bulb/led). The batteries will last much longer with an LED head torch. Something like the Silva L4 Headtorch would be perfect.

Lightweight, quick drying trvael towel - Pink or Blue? Great to take, but not that great to use. To be honest I take a face flannel to dry myself with and this will dry out on your back back during the day as it is small and therefore quick drying... probably both makes sense, especially if you need to spare your blushes at any point.

As you said I don't do clothing, just the accessories. Plenty of places that can sort you out with clothing, such as Blacks and Millets. Craghoppers is a good quality value for money brand...

OMM Rucksacks and lightweight outdoor gear.

OMM Rucksacks and Lightweight outdoor gear.

Two months away fro the blog - what is happening? Time does indeed fly quickly - apologies for the missing two months, I hope to pick things up again...

Inspired tonight by Dee Blick from the Marketing Gym who gave a talk to local businesses in Horsham on newsletters and blogging. I'm also inspired by these great new rucksacks I am stocking and thinking about why I didn't stock them before.

The great new products are OMM Rucksacks. OMM stands for Original Mountain Marathon and I think this is why I have shied away from the for I am no mountain marathoner. I have friends who are, but I can't even imagine myself walking a marathon let along running one over mountains. They are a special breed.

But, OMM Rucksacks are amazing, lightweight and tough. They can be made lighter by stripping out everything you don't think you need, the parts that make is comfortable, because, lets face it, if you are tough enough to do a mountain marathon then you don't need to worry too much about comfort.

I've just been playing with an OMM Villain 45 and now desperately want to go out on a weekend trek and try it out. The OMM Villain 45 only weighs around 1100g. I'm going to set myself a challenge and see how light I can make a rucksack fully packed for an overnight expedition. (using my own clothing as I don't sell any yet!).

Check back in a couple of weeks and I'll let you know how I have gotten on. Do you have a piece of lightweight outdoor gear that you recommend?

Trail Magazine Review

Trail Magazine

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