Wanderlust

Here's my gear preferences, accumulated from experience on short and long distance walks, Alpine and UK mountains, in all seasons. Plus I ride a motorbike and I sail (not at the same time), so it becomes necessary to learn quickly how to keep warm and dry.

In principle, to keep warm, lots of thin layers are preferably to bulky gear which can also impedes movement. 

Hat

Mostly the adverse weather in this country is rain, so I have over recent years gone for a wide-brimmed waxed job. It also helps to keep the rain off the specs. Fits tight on the head but you can get the ones with a draw string for contrary winds. My spare is a wool hat which converts to a balaclava. I also carry a third balaclava which is wrapped around my head torch at the bottom of the rucksack. One balaclava can be worn under the brimmed hat if necessary.

Scarf

One of the most under-rated essential items of equipment for the winter walker. A wool scarf around the neck will keep the blood flow to the head warm, and prevent cold draughts going down inside of your jacket.

Jacket

Gore-tex or equivalent "breathable" is a must. Mine is a Mountain Equipment, getting on for 15 years old, but good quality lasts. It is lattice lined, so a bit like a string vest inside. Hood with peak. It is short, down to groin length, which is better if you want to attempt any scrambling.

Shirt etc

Never use cotton as it absorbs sweat (or the glow of ladies) and doesn't dry quickly. Even in summer you can still get cold from a clammy cotton tee shirt. Over long years I have settled on a thermal vest, wickable, next to the skin. This has long sleeves, a polo neck and a zip to open the neck down to the chest to regulate heat. I have several of these by North Cape. On top of that, any thin micro fleece-type jacket. Plus a wool - real wool - jumper to go on top or underneath the fleece in extreme conditions.

Gloves

I always travel with my trusty all-wool Dachstein mits in winter. Mits are generally regarded as warmer than gloves. Tie them on in winter like your mother did for you when you were a toddler. And always carry spare gloves in winter - you'd be surprised how many pairs of gloves I have found on the hills, put down and forgotten about.

Trousers

Never walk in jeans. They are made of cotton and soak up water like blotting paper and refuse to dry out. And they chafe like the devil. Sports shorts in summer - whatever doesn't hurt your or your companions' eyes. In the winter, I don't like overtrousers as I don't like the feeling of restriction so I tend to use lightweight, wind-resistant trousers which, if they do get wet, dry quickly. A pair of wickable long johns underneath in sub-zero temperatures. My experience is that legs don't get cold on walks if the body core, head, hands and feet are warm. I've found overtrousers useful for sitting glissades down snow-covered slopes, but a bivvy or other large plastic bag will do equal service. I stay away from cotton underwear in winter, too; they just refuse to dry if they get rained on or if you sit on damp grass etc.

Gaiters

I used to wear them a lot when I lived in the Dark Peak and spent my days bog-trotting across the likes of Kinder, Bleaklow and Black Hill. Now, I don't like the restriction so put up with pebbles in my boot and muddy socks.

Boots and Socks

I can't properly recommend boots as it is very much a personal preference. I have size 12 hooves so finding good boots has always been a challenge. I find that the lightweight, flexible, artificial material, rugged trainer types are good on mostly rocky routes in the summer months; and Gore-tex lined leather, and stiffer soles, for winter walking. Socks are the same - get them to fit the space between foot and boot. Seems obvious, but I've seen people trying to cram feet and thick socks into boots - and pinched toes and blisters result. There is no rule about one or two pairs, I have found, it is whatever you are comfortable with. I always buy wool.

Rucksack

I have three, to suit the length and type of walk. I always line the rucksack with a thick plastic bag. If you are scrambling, don't go for side pockets as they can impede arm movement.

Bottom of the rucksack contents

Emergency bivvy bag, first aid kit including a thermal blanket, head torch and spare battery (always when winter walking), toilet paper,  spare gloves, hat and jumper. Pen and paper. Sun cream and anti-midgie spray. Foam pad for sitting on (and keeping underpants dry).

Glasses etc

Sunglasses to enjoy the summer sun. In winter I carry a spare pair of my spectacles - just in case. Also, I strongly recommend a pair of ski goggles. Driving rain at ground level can turn into painful hail at 2,000 ft, and ski goggles can protect your eyes and make you safer (and a little bit warmer).

Navigation

Silva compass and the requisite OS Map. And the knowledge to know how to use them in extremis. These days I prefer a coated map to a map case. I have a mobile phone cum PDA with GPS and Memory Map OS mapping software on it. Not at all good for gauging the lie of the land, but invaluable for route planning before setting out and, in an emergency, for position finding.

Camera

A full SLR (I use a Canon 350D) plus suitable hi-res compact for those quick shots, both with true optical (ie not digital) zooming.

In the end, all of this comes down to personal preference and there are no hard and fast rules. Safety is paramount. Uncomfortable clothes, socks or boots, or a poorly-fitting rucksack, can be both tiring and distracting so don't set off unless you are certain you can complete your walk without blisters, reasonably dry and warm, and with none of your bits chafed away.

This is what I am wearing and carrying at the moment. Some of it has lasted a long time so will be obsolete. There's not a huge seasonal difference. I have not being paid by any manufacturer for the following endorsements nor have I received discount or free gear, nor unfortunately favours of any kind.

Main hat

My ancient and trusty Lowe Alpine Mountain Hat. This sounds a bit much for North Yorkshire but is perfect and much copied. Victoria, my navigator, uses a Berghaus version and is happy with it. The mountain hat is light, won’t blow off, is waterproof, and keeps your ears warm. With one of these you’ll rarely have to put up your coat hood and suffer loss of sound and peripheral vision.

Headband

For hair, for fine control of heat loss.

Sunhats

A cheap lightweight cotton seaside one for days when it’s unlikely that the sun will shine. Otherwise a Tilley Hat. These Canadian jobs are expensive but the biz, wide brimmed, beautifully made and exactly sized. I lost mine recently and its replacement is the model with the widest brim, this is better excepting that it catches the wind and then the brim flexes. So if I did loose my new one then I might revert to my original type. If you’re a photographer brim size is pertinent, mine sometimes presses on camera buttons, have lost a shot or two this way. There's a real pleasure on a very hot day in soaking your sunhat in a stream putting it back on and having a cool head for the next hour or so, unfortunately my Tilley is proofed so no good for this yet.

Balaclava

A very thin one.

Sunglasses

I use my current wrap round cycling ones, they are cool and don’t blow off, though they don’t pack up that small.

Vests

Thin long-sleeved by Berghaus and Lowe Alpine. They are comfy, last forever, can be washed without care and do seem to wick away the sweat from the skin. They make a big difference. For really cold weather Marks and Spencers long-sleeved thermal vests.

Shirts

I have a couple of Lowe Alpine ones for summer that keep out the UV rays and the heat. For autumn and spring have a couple of warmer by, of all firms, Next. And for the winter fleece ones by Regatta.

Fleece Jackets

Most everyday fleeces are too bulky especially around the arms and the neck to be ideal for walking. It’s best to have a snug fit otherwise material rucks up under a top waterproof coat. I don’t use fleeces without full zips. For the summer I have a thin fleece, an ancient Mountain Equipment model. It costs more to tailor a full zip fleece in a thin material so they tend to be expensive. For the rest of the year a SprayWay Windbloc fleece. Windproof fleeces work, lessen the time you have to wear an outer coat. Have tried a Haglöfs jacket in artificial down that, though not thick or bulky, is warmer than a fleece, not as tough though.

Outer Coat

I use a Berghaus Extreme Gore-Tex XCR that is simple and effective. It’s quite short, light and unlined, has minimal pockets/vent slots, a hood with a stiff peak and packs small. A word on fashion, or rather the colour of walking gear. Country folk in retro tweed and Barbour sometimes sneer at poster-coloured walkers. This complaint has some justification, but it is hard to find stuff in subtle shades. Should you suffer this slur then point out that farmers do not buy their tractors all in camouflage colours.

Gloves

Thin fingerless ones for most chilly weather. SealSkinz are good for extreme conditions and not too bulky to make photography impossible. Trekmates are cosy.

Tights

A must in the winter, as with vests artificial materials are better. Mine are black by Lowe Alpine. For below zero Marks and Spencer again, their Long Johns.

Underwear

Indeed.

Walking Trousers

One of my main complaints with the walking clothing industry concerns these. Sure you need them loose around the bum and thighs but they all seem so baggy around the calf and ankles. They flap when you walk, there's excess material to snag or get wet in the long grass, more to stuff in your socks. When I ask a shop assistant why this is they sometimes say it’s so that people can pull them on over their boots, no-one does this. Plus they have a confusion of pockets. So if anyone knows of someone making neater ones please let me know.

Gaiters

For the snow, waxed cotton ones by North Star, or a pair of Trekmates.

Waterproof Over-trousers

Mine are Lowe Alpine, are light flexible and I always carry them. Get them as neat fitting as you can to avoid the rustling rambler effect, long calf zips make it much easier to pull them on over boots. They save wearing thick trousers in winter as if you get cold legs then pull on the over-trousers and the effect is amazing.

Boots

The boots should suit the likely terrain and the climate. Many continental boots are made for countries where walking usually means walking on tracks, not over wet grass. My current pair are quite old and a model no longer made, namely the Brasher GTX, though in 2007 the firm brought out a replacement that I haven’t checked out yet. The GTX were once voted the product of the year by the members of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild and are just right. First they are leather lined, that means that your feet do not overheat trainer-wise as with the padded artificial material that is used in nearly all boots. They were made of two thin layers of leather with a Gortex waterproof lining sandwiched inbetween. This means that even if the outer layer of polished leather gets sodden it is only a small volume that is wet so the weight doesn’t increase so much. Boots should be stiff enough to protect your feet and ankles from excess damaging movement. When walking in North Yorkshire there is no need for the very stiff soles of an alpine boot, on the other hand you should not walk with a springy on-your-toes style. A word on laces – most boots are sold with round section laces. I much prefer flat ones, they stay tied better and being less bulky can be criss-crossed more often to lock the lace at particular places.

Socks

I wear one pair by Thorlo, some wear two. Either way the total thickness, combined with insoles, should be fine-tuned for boot fit.

Rucksack

A Lowe Alpine or a Karrimor. A capacity 25 or 30 litres is enough. The important measurement is the length of the back of the sack. The weight should be taken significantly by the hip strap that should be padded. The shoulder straps should not be so much load bearing but should ensure that the sack is held as near to your spine as possible. I don’t like the designs that hold the sack away from the back for extra ventilation, it seems to me that off all parts of the body where sweating can be problematic the back is way down the list. One is amused by rucksacks with so many straps and fastenings more appropriate for S&M.

Trekking Poles

I use an aluminium Leki that extends nice and long, it’s strong and comfortable with a canted grip. Poles are so good, there’s the propulsive effect – top mountaineers use them, they don’t signify infirm. They save your knees, they save you slipping onto your bum, and all the time they give security so you don’t have to watch your feet so much, can walk head up. Plus good for bashing nettles and deterring belligerent cattle and dogs.

Maps

The latest editions of the Ordnance Survey Explorer 1:25,000 scale, there is no alternative.

Map case

By Ortleib, flexible, tough, waterproof, not overlarge and persistently clear. It ties on at all four corners and doesn’t have sharp corners so minimising the chance of a poke in the eye.

Compass

A Silva type 4/54. The only time mine malfunctioned was when it was left in a pocket with aspirins or similar that dissolved and glued the dial to the baseplate.

Satellite Navigators - GPS

I carry the simplest I could find, a Gamin Etrex, because only use for getting a Grid Reference. It works fine, but would prefer one pen sized.

Mobile phone

Why not?

Binoculars

The Travelite V by Nikon, 8x25. For the birds. Also saves wasting time and effort in walking half a mile to a gate or stile that turns out to be a fence.

Camera

The popular Canon EOS 350D with just the lens it came with, the EFS 18-55mm. The camera has performed well and despite the warning in the manual doesn’t seem to suffer from regular rain. It’s loaded with a 1GB SanDisk memory stick, hung with a short walking boot lace to replace the bulky carrying strap, and is fitted with a Hoya 58 mm skylight filter to protect the lens and a shallow Canon EW-60C lens hood. The lot rides in minimal Lowepro Topload Zoom1 bag. I don’t carry a tripod but here's a tip should you have a walking companion – train him/her to become a quad-pod using two treking poles.

Other recording equipment

A Sony Microcassette-Corder M-470 tape recorder, with all the irrelevant switches taped over so it’s impossible to erase by mistake, carried in a North Face pouch. Water-proofed paper notebook.

Odds and Ends

Mini LED torch. Small first aid kit. Tissue. Cord. Plastic bags. Voltarol or Ibuprofen gel for tweaked muscles. Whistle. A Sigg alloy water bottle, strong and light. Emergency rations – those bars that are so vile that one wouldn’t bite into unless at death’s door. Stainless steel flask for tea. Suncream, insect repellent…

By George Wilkinson

Wanderlust

December 2007

Reviewed in the Daily Telegraph Weekend section on 17 November, 2007.

4/5.

Price: £299

From: www.satmap.com

Available from: Blacks 0800 665410

The DT described this item as "robust and waterproof" and good enough to signal the death knell of the fold-up map.

Location is shown on digital UK OS and Landranger maps, plus statistics outputs such as route elevation, time, distance and speed.

I have a mapping Satnav but only would use it in the direst emergency. This is because, unlike a map, it is difficult to get a sense of the ground you are walking over - the topography or the lie of the land, call it what you will - through the small map window. And you can get a lot of maps for £299. The review didn't mention how the maps were updated over time and if this meant additional future cost.

Conclusion: great for route planning, knowing exactly where you are, and in emergencies. But keep your usual map and compass by your side - and know how to use them. 

 David