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The Outdoorsy "Sofa".

keybored said:
How's it holding up now? I'm in the market for a new jacket and am strongly leaning towards a Velez.
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Oh. That was a while ago and it's still in amazing condition. I don't work in the Outdoors anymore though so it doesn't get the pounding it did.

Be aware though it's quite warm for a waterproof. I mean I know nothing is good for a wet summers day, but it's warmer then a lightweight goretex.
 
keybored said:
How's it holding up now? I'm in the market for a new jacket and am strongly leaning towards a Velez.
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Beware a minority of Paramo users have negative experiences with them catastrophically failing. I’ve got a Velez, I love it, mainly because I like pretending I’m in Altern8. I’ve had mine fail, luckily it was in town and not on the fells otherwise hypothermia would have been a real risk.
 
WhyLikeThis said:
Beware a minority of Paramo users have negative experiences with them catastrophically failing. I’ve got a Velez, I love it, mainly because I like pretending I’m in Altern8. I’ve had mine fail, luckily it was in town and not on the fells otherwise hypothermia would have been a real risk.
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I think that goes for all waterproofs no? I've certainly had far more experiance with Gore Tex failing dramatically. Paramo will wet out sooner then a brand new Goretex, but after a number of uses I think it will be performing better. Plus retreating it appears to be more effective.

I think if your in a situation where hypothermia is a real possibility you shouldn't be relying on just your shell. That said I can see why you might with Paramo as its warmer.
 
Smock. I think it was a cheaper (I only buy this kind of thing when it's got a good discount). The big front pocket makes up for side pockets and you can open the side zips if you need to get at pockets underneath. Venting would probably be better with a jacket though.
 
UnderOpenSky said:
Smock.
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That one is heavier and warmer than the jacket, I've gone for the jacket.

kebabking said:
I had a Velez - big paramo fan - but I couldn't get used to it not having hand pockets.
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I'm the type of person who will walk around with hands shoved in pockets, trip on a rock and not be able to free my hands fast enough to stop me faceplanting. No side pockets will be a safety feature.
 
Came across this charity while I was looking for somewhere to donate whatever's useable from the huge pile of old tents and other camping gear I just rescued from one of the barns. You can post them any old/spare outdoor gear that's still in decent nick, and they'll pass it on to someone on benefits or a low income. Thought it was worth a share here.

Welcome to Kitsquad - Donated Adventure Gear

We assist low-income people get into the great outdoors Kitsquad provides secondhand adventure, hiking & camping gear to low-income individuals.
kitsquad.co.uk kitsquad.co.uk
 
Unfortunately this means I now have to match up all the parts and then pitch a load of unfamiliar tents to see which are worth saving :facepalm:

Probably keep one or two here as spares if there's a few decent ones, a couple of campsite guests had theirs fall apart when we got a bit of weather the other week. Though who brings their kids camping in Orkney, in autumn, without even checking the forecast...
 
iona said:
Unfortunately this means I now have to match up all the parts and then pitch a load of unfamiliar tents to see which are worth saving :facepalm:

Probably keep one or two here as spares if there's a few decent ones, a couple of campsite guests had theirs fall apart when we got a bit of weather the other week. Though who brings their kids camping in Orkney, in autumn, without even checking the forecast...
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Jesus. That gives me flashbacks to when a boss bought a shit load of old canvas Vango Force 10s and we spent a week making working ones out of them.
 
iona said:
Unfortunately this means I now have to match up all the parts and then pitch a load of unfamiliar tents to see which are worth saving :facepalm:

Probably keep one or two here as spares if there's a few decent ones, a couple of campsite guests had theirs fall apart when we got a bit of weather the other week. Though who brings their kids camping in Orkney, in autumn, without even checking the forecast...
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Anytime you check the forecast before a Scotland camping trip, it's always bad news. Best close your eyes, grit your teeth and pray :D
 
Idaho said:
Anytime you check the forecast before a Scotland camping trip, it's always bad news. Best close your eyes, grit your teeth and pray :D
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Fair :D but still a good idea to check there's not a massive storm due if your tent can't cope with a bit of wind. One family the other week had to have alternative accommodation sorted and they sent a really pissy complaint email after they'd left.
 
Anyone here done the West Highland Way? Am determined to do a long distance walk next year as was thinking of this as a good first option. I did four days of the coast to coast a few years back but that's the extent of my multi day hikes. I'm just pondering whether I should embrace camping (would mean buying a lot of kit) or if I should accept as a fiftysomething that hotels and hostels would just be so much more pleasant.

If I was going to go down that route though, I think I'd need to start booking soon. And then it looks so much easier to do it via one of the companies that do it all gor you, but at around £1300 for eight night option it's not cheap if I was doing it as a single person (might persuade partner but while he likes walking he prefers leisurely rather than as a challenge).
 
I've done sections of it, and I've done plenty of long distant walking, camping and hostel/hotellingb in the Highlands. One of those package things would be a great way to get your first taste of it.

So much depends on season. If you want to camp a lot, then the first half of may is the best, before the midges. If you can escape indoors, then later is ok. The whw is midge alley - which when you are walking, or when it's windy (most of the time) you'll be fine. But stick a tent up, sit down and feel the wind drop, and you'll be eaten alive.

With bag transfer and a comfy bed each night it'll be a lovely trip. Do you actually want to camp, or is it to save money? Camping gives you a lot of flexibility, and gives the possibility of some great, delightful, intense and :eek: experiences - but takes a bit to get used to. And yes you need some kit. But there cheaper ways of doing it, and if you get the right kit and you enjoy your experience, it's good to use for many further trips. You can also hire camping kit direct from Rab - which isn't super cheap, but you'll get to use top class kit rather than do your first trip with cheaper stuff.

One more factor with camping over transfers is that you'll have a big heavy bag to lug! Although, again, there are ways to make this less backbreaking, and once you get used to it, the feeling of self sufficiency is something that I really get a kick out of. I love tromping into town after a few days out in the hills, feeling like a feral cat.
 
I did it a few years ago, in early May. We stayed in hostels, a pub and camping pods along the way. I did it over five days which I felt was a bit much (there were a couple of days where we just walked all day then went to sleep). We carried our luggage. That was bad enough to be honest, I wouldn't fancy carrying all the camping gear myself!

I think we only booked our accommodation a month or so in advance.

It's good fun though, you see the same faces along the way. We got a round of applause in Wetherspoon's in Fort William when we arrived :D
 
Idaho said:
I've done sections of it, and I've done plenty of long distant walking, camping and hostel/hotellingb in the Highlands. One of those package things would be a great way to get your first taste of it.

So much depends on season. If you want to camp a lot, then the first half of may is the best, before the midges. If you can escape indoors, then later is ok. The whw is midge alley - which when you are walking, or when it's windy (most of the time) you'll be fine. But stick a tent up, sit down and feel the wind drop, and you'll be eaten alive.

With bag transfer and a comfy bed each night it'll be a lovely trip. Do you actually want to camp, or is it to save money? Camping gives you a lot of flexibility, and gives the possibility of some great, delightful, intense and :eek: experiences - but takes a bit to get used to. And yes you need some kit. But there cheaper ways of doing it, and if you get the right kit and you enjoy your experience, it's good to use for many further trips. You can also hire camping kit direct from Rab - which isn't super cheap, but you'll get to use top class kit rather than do your first trip with cheaper stuff.

One more factor with camping over transfers is that you'll have a big heavy bag to lug! Although, again, there are ways to make this less backbreaking, and once you get used to it, the feeling of self sufficiency is something that I really get a kick out of. I love tromping into town after a few days out in the hills, feeling like a feral cat.
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I like the idea of being self-sufficient and embracing camping. But I guess that if money was completely irrelevent and it didn't seem such a hassle arranging the accommodation, I'd definitely go for the comfortable option. And yeah - when I did some of the coast to coast I carried all the gear, and that did make it feel much more of a slog so I'd like to avoid that as much as possible (I assume the transfer companies will also transfer tents etc? or is that just for people staying in hotels?).

If I was doing it with a mate I'd just book it now with one of the package companies as I can afford the 600-800 it would likely cost. It's the single supplement that makes it just seem a bit out of reach and therefore is making me rethink camping. I guess I could just start trying to book everything individually but I'm mega admin-averse.
 
Morning all

So, I’m quite close to Dartmoor (specifically the Haytor / Hound Tor bit), and want to start getting up there for short circular walks of up to 3 hours during the weekends. Nothing too technical, I was thinking of walking from Hound Tor to Haytor and back again as an example.

I have suitable clothing, and probably footwear (I intend to check this out on a short walk as I have some walking shoes that I think will be fine), but presume I will need the relevant OS, a compass and a map case - GPS is out of budget. Anything else?

Also where should I purchase from - online? Or is it worth trying an outdoor shop, there is a Muppets Millets in town and probably some better options if I go to Exeter
 
lazythursday said:
If I was doing it with a mate I'd just book it now with one of the package companies as I can afford the 600-800 it would likely cost. It's the single supplement that makes it just seem a bit out of reach and therefore is making me rethink camping. I guess I could just start trying to book everything individually but I'm mega admin-averse.
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Here's my itinerary, if it helps:

Day 1 - Milngavie to Balmaha: Welcome to Balmaha Bunkhouse - Balmaha Bunkhouse
Day 2 - Balmaha to Inverarnan: The Drovers Inn, Loch Lomond Hotel, Restaurant and Atmospheric Bar
Day 3 - Inverarnan to Bridge of Orchy: Tyndrum Holiday Park | Highland Holidays

We stayed in the glamping pods. We actually walked to Bridge of Orchy that day, but couldn't get accommodation there so had to get the train back to Tyndrum.

Day 4 - Bridge of Orchy to Kinlochleven: https://blackwaterhostel.co.uk/glamping/

When we got to fort William on day 5 we stayed in an air Bnb. There's plenty of options in Fort William though.

We had to carry sleeping bags due to the glamping pods. I'm sure if you booked now though you could find hostels/ beds along the whole route.
 
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