The three jackets in the range provide an excellent fit and boast enviable technical spec and attention to detail making them stand out against similar jackets available on the market at these competitive price points. The Karrimor Alpiniste Jacket is the flagship product, retailing at £199.99. The jacket is made from 3 layer eVent waterproof fabric featuring Direct Venting Technology™ (minimum Hydrostatic Head of 20,000mm and breathability of 14,000 g/m2/24hrs) and the unique composition allows millions of tiny pores to breathe at their full potential.  The material allows sweat to vent directly to the outside of the fabric in one easy step, twice as fast as other waterproof/breathable fabrics, ultimately ensuring less overheating for the wearer.  Designed with an active fit, the Alpiniste is an excellent multi-purpose outdoor jacket and features a helmet compatible hood, meaning it’s perfect for climbing and skiing as well as walking.

Alpiniste Features:

• Highly breathable – eVent 3 layer fabric
• DWR finish
• 2 x Torso mesh venting pockets
• 1 x Auxiliary pocket
• Internal hem cord adjustment
• Roll away helmet compatible hood with wired peak
• Internal storm flap with rain gutter
• 2 Way YKK AquaGuard – Water-resistant zips
• 100% nylon

Colour options: Men’s available in black and blue, Women’s available in black and pink

Size: Men’s available in sizes S-XXL, Women’s available in sizes 8-16

Weight: Men’s Weight: Size L is 500g, Women’s Weight: Size 12 is 460g

Providing a lightweight alternative to the Alpiniste, the Karrimor XLite Helium jacket retails at £119.99 and is made with lightweight, packable, 2.5 layer Weathertite Extreme fabric (minimum Hydrostatic Head of 10,000mm and breathability of 10,000 g/m2/24hrs). The fabric used in these jackets is also waterproof and breathable allowing the wearing to stay comfortable in all weather conditions. This jacket is also packed full of features including a roll away helmet compatible hood, 2 torso venting pockets and two chest pockets with YKK Aquaguard Water resistant zips, an internal hem cord adjustment and an internal storm flap with rain gutter.

Helium Features:

• Highly breathable
• Highly waterproof – Weathertite Extreme 2.5 layer fabric
• DWR finish
• 2 x Torso venting pockets
• Internal hem cord adjustment
•  Roll away helmet compatible hood with wired peak
• Internal storm flap with rain gutter
• YKK AquaGuard – Water-resistant zips

Colour options: Men’s available in black, green and blue, Women’s available in black, blue and pink

Size: Men’s available in sizes S-XL, Women’s available in sizes 8-16

Weight: Men’s Weight: Size L is 370g, Women’s Weight: Size 12 is 340g

The third jacket in the range is the soft shell Karrimor Transition jacket, retailing at £79.99. An ideal multipurpose, affordable jacket for outdoor pursuits, the Transition is water resistant, windproof and lightweight and features two low positioned venting chest pockets, two torso pockets with YKK waterproof zips, an internal hem cord adjustment and an internal storm flap.

Transition Features:

• Highly breathable
• DWR (durable Water Repellancy) finish
• Torso venting pockets
• Internal hem cord adjustment
•  Internal storm flap
• YKK zips

Colour options: Men’s available in black, Women’s available in black

Size: Men’s available in sizes S-XL, Women’s available in sizes 8-16

Weight: Men’s Weight: Size L is 530g, Women’s Weight: Size 12 is 450g

All products are available from www.karrimor.com/ 0870 838 7300.

This season Black Diamond launches the Mercury and women’s specific Onyx backpacks to its Access Series, designed for the no-compromise multi-day backpacker who needs a large capacity pack with sleek designs that offer true freedom of movement.

The Mercury and Onyx feature Black Diamond’s new, innovative ergoACTIV XP™ suspension, which uses a 3D ball joint and urethane elastomers in the waistbelt to achieve the ultimate balance of mobility, stability and dynamic load transfer. It also includes the new highly flexible SwingArm™ Shoulder Straps offering incredible comfort where it’s needed most.  Other key design features of the new packs include easy and convenient  access to essential belongings at the top or through a large zippered front panel and internal compartment divider and organizer pockets makes the business of finding all your essentials stashed away incredibly easy.  Essential added waterproof protection comes from taping on the pack’s top and bottom which shields against any unexpected sudden downpour which can frequently occur when high up in the mountains.  Accessory attachment details include a retractable trekking pole/ice axe loop, sleeping pad straps and hydration compatibility.  The Mercury and Onyx are available in three volumes: 55 L, 65 L and 75 L.

Weight: 4 lb. 10 oz., estimated (Mercury 65, size M) Mercury & Onyx 75 £199.00, Mercury & Onyx 65 £179.00, Mercury & Onyx 55 £159.00

www.blackdiamondequipment.com 

Stockist information – 01629 580484 

Terratrio 2p (£165) and 3p (£195)

Based on VAUDE’s classic Taurus tent design, the Terratrio tents are simple, quick and easy to erect with just two main poles and simultaneous pitching of the fly and inner sheets. Packed full of excellent technical features and at a competitive price, this tent is ideal for first outdoor adventures. Key features include:

• Two mini poles sewn into the fly sheet at the rear corners – improves stability in windy conditions and also provides extra internal foot space
• Extra large porch design giving more space to store your gear inside
• Fully seam taped rip stop fly sheet for minimal weight and tough waterproof protection
• 2.45kg for 2 person, 2.7kg for 3 person
• Unique tent bag allows the whole tent to be compressed down, minimising pack size

Terraquattro 3p (£270)

The legendary VAUDE Mark II lives on as the Terraquattro. It features the unique external suspension system first launched over 20 years ago, making it one of the quickest pitching tents in the world. An amazingly technical tent at a competitive price! Features include:

• Four footed structure for a full, four-season, all-mountain stability tent in even the strongest of winds
• Roomy porch at each end of the tent so you can store your gear at one end and cook in the other
• Excellent through ventilation in warmer weather
• Lightweight at 3.5kg
• Unique tent bag allows the whole tent to be compressed down, minimising pack size

61 year old Chris Painter injured his knee during a ten day fishing trip and being alone and unable to move, was in desperate need of help. Luckily Mr Painter, who had emigrated to New Zealand from Ilkley, West Yorkshire eight years ago was carrying a PLB, which he had purchased in the UK ten years previously. With no mobile phone signal available he took the decision to activate the device.

The PLB, a Fast Find Plus from leading emergency distress beacon manufacturer McMurdo, alerted the emergency services in Falmouth, 11,000 miles away where the device had been registered, using the global 406 MHz search and rescue satellite communication system, COSPAS SARSAT*. In turn they contacted their rescue colleagues in New Zealand to coordinate Mr Painter’s rescue.

Mr Painter, who is now recovering at his New Zealand home and walking with the aid of crutches, commented “I bought this Fast Find PLB ten years ago and I always carry it whenever I venture in to remote locations. I was extremely grateful to have it with me during my fishing trip in the Kahurangi National Park, where I came into difficulty.

“I would like to thank the rescue services for their amazing help and speed – just one hour and 20 minutes after activating my Fast Find PLB a rescue helicopter landed and I was being attended to by a paramedic.”

The Fast Find PLB can now be used in the UK for outdoor activities. It is recommended that anyone venturing into remote areas where there are limited means of communication carries a PLB, which gives a direct method of alerting the search and rescue authorities, no matter how remote the location. Although PLBs have been used on land in numerous countries around the world for many years, in January 2012 a change of legislation was passed by OFCOM allowing PLBs to be used on land in the UK, in addition to maritime and aviation environments, marking a real breakthrough in the safety of outdoor enthusiasts venturing in to remote areas of the country.

As well as sending out a distress signal by satellite, McMurdo’s Fast Find PLB also transmits a 121.5MHz homing signal, to enable search and rescue teams to home in on the beacon once in the vicinity. The Fast Find 210 PLB has a 50-channel GPS, to give precise location co-ordinates, and make recovery speedier and more efficient. It is also subscription free and does not rely on commercial call centres. The device is rugged, compact, lightweight and easy to carry tucked into a pocket or on a belt. With a simple activation process and emergency signal transmission guaranteed for at least 24 hours via a powerful 5 watt output, the Fast Find is easy and reliable to use.

For further details on McMurdo’s Fast Find range and a list of stockists, visit www.fastfindplb.com.

The Lightweight Guide Glove from extremities is designed to be used as on its own as the weather warms up or as a technical  base layer in a glove system in colder conditions.  The Pittards digital pattern leather palm offers grip and the close fit offers dexterity for handling ropes and climbing gear.  The lightweight Windstopper fabric on the back of the Lightweight Guide Glove offers comfort and protection from the weather and drafts and debris are kept out with a close fit neoprene cuff. When not in use, the gloves can be clipped safely away using the finger loops.

The Wild Country Duolite provides an ideal backpacking and touring tent for two people, with a maximum weight of only 1.2kg per person. The unique pole design means that the inner sits well back from the porch to provide greater protection from wet weather, making this tent more suitable for 3-4 season backpacking use. This pole design, combined with the flysheet and inner ‘pitching as one’, makes it really simple and quick to erect even for the inexperienced user.

Lightweight DAC poles and a semi-geodesic structure add to the tent’s stability, whilst meticulous design of the inner has led to as much functional space as possible being created. The high specification fabrics, which include a hydrostatic head of 4000mm for the flysheet, offer long term protection from the elements and 14 aluminium V angle pegs help hold the tent in place. Packed away the tent measures only 40cm long, a perfect size for a bike or motorbike pannier.

Other models in this tried and tested range of tents include the one person Sololite and a Duolite Tourer which offers the same detail as the Duolite but with addition of a front extension.

All in one pitching, plenty of stability and security, and a price tag of £650. On top of that the Vortex Lite looks seriously good too!

• All in one pitching
• Lightweight at 2.49kg for the strength and stability offered
• 2 entrances and 2 vestibules
• Bright and light interior
• Side pockets
• All guylines and titanium pegs included
• It looks seriously cool!

• Not the easiest or fastest tent to erect
• Slightly low entrances making it a touch difficult for entry/exit for taller people
• Slightly restricted headroom towards sides of tent for taller people

RRP £650

Specification

• All in one pitching
• Protex® 3,000HH SPU ripstop nylon 15D
• 15D 28gsm breathable ripstop inner tent
• 20D ripstop nylon PU 5,000mm groundsheet
• Force Ten UltraLite poles
• Flat Pole Sleeves
• Colour coded poles
• Dyneema guylines
• Pre-angled Poles
• Rain gutter zip covers
• Front and rear access
• O shaped inner door
• Flysheet door can be opened as a vent
• Rain stop flysheet door
• Multiple reflective points
• Flysheet vents with mesh covering
• Full geodesic construction
• Part mesh inner door
• Lightweight stuffsac

Total weight: 2.49kg

Pack size: 46 x 14cm
Pitching time: 15 mins

First thoughts?

The Vortex Lite 200 arrived with us a couple of days ago and today was the first day one of the team had a chance to take a closer look at it.  As usual we couldn’t wait to get the gear in use but as we had no tests planned this Sunday the only option was to give the tent to one of our team to play with near their house!  We wanted some feedback on how easy the tent was to erect, how strong it felt when up and any other comments which might aid buyers.

At 2.49kg this tent is definitely light for a 4 season shelter.  The original Vortex is something of a fortress, however comes with a weight penalty of 4.5kg.  Strong, but at that weight you would expect it to be.  Ultralight poles, dyneema guylines and titanium pegs are used to shed weight whilst still enjoying most of the strength and solidity of the original. As well as the weight saving the Vortex Lite does pack a touch smaller too.

Ok not the best photo … but hopefully you can see how well you can secure this tent to the ground! With titanium pegs and dyneema guylines you are getting plenty of stability in bad weather for only 2.49kg

So how easy was it to pitch?

Well to be honest it wasn’t the easiest of tents to pitch, and the instructions included weren’t the best … certainly some element of pictorial illustration might be of benefit too.  That aside the basics are that two straight poles go diagonally across the zenith of the tent, with two slightly bent poles which curve over the vestibule.  These poles are slid into pole sleeves whilst the tent is laid flat on the floor.  After all the poles are inserted the tent can be erected into its free standing state before being pegged out.  On the first attempt it was certainly a little tricky getting the poles through the sleeves, this proved the hardest task and the poles needed a little bit of persuasion to fully slide into place.  The straight poles were actually the harder of the two poles to insert.  Without pegging the tent out loosely there was significant risk of it catching the wind not least due to the time taken to get the poles in place.  Once this was done and the tent was free standing it was obviously easy to finish off pegging the tent out.  The guyline system appears excellent though and once tightened down the tent felt very solid and secure … of course we will have more on this in the coming weeks and months providing that we can get the weather to play ball!

Our concerns are primarily that erecting the tent isn’t as quick as some other 4 season models and it will be interesting to see if the added time pitching is worth it in terms of stability and steadfast security on the hill.  We get the impression that this actually is a really interesting tent though and the rest of our first impressions were positive.  The inside is bright and airy, there are two entrances and two vestibules for storing kit.  A range of pockets inside (although relatively small) offer storage options for kit and essentials and the tent comes with enough pegs and guylines without the need to buy other items to fully secure the tent.  The interior height towards the edge of the tent is a touch restricted for taller people but the centre of the tent is more than adequate.  The overall quality seems excellent though … and that is reflected in the price tag which is a cool £650.

In Summary

In summary we are really keen to give this tent a thorough workout … the weight to expected performance ratio seems very positive and this could end up being a go to for UK winter wild camping.  This model will be out with us on the hills in the next few weeks so hopefully we will have a bit more to say.

Plenty of room inside the tent for comfort and the two vestibules are a boon for storage and cooking. Interior height in the centre is good but tighter towards the edge of the tent where tall people might feel slightly restricted.

The inside of the Vortex Lite is bright, light and airy. Two entrances and a number of side pockets (albeit small ones) make for a comfortable and pleasant environment to be bunkered down in a storm in.

Getting the poles into the pole sleeves on the 1st attempt proved a little tricky. They had to be eased through carefully and this is probably not something easily done in gloves in sub zero conditions. The guylines are excellent though and there are enough to really secure the tent down.

We would have liked larger internal pockets & a gear loft. Other than that, all is well!

Specifications from MSR

RRP £439.99

We’ve spent a few nights out in the MSR Fury tent recently and wanted to give you some of our first thoughts on this model.

First of all this is designed as a high altitude 4 season mountain tent, but despite its strength and toughness it weights in at 2.84kg.  Not bad for a 4 season two person expedition tent of this quality. At that weight is makes it a viable tent for UK winter camping or any UK hiking use when comfort and protection are of paramount importance to you.  We’ve only had around 5 or 6 nights in this tent so far so it is impossible to give you a long term view at this stage, but so far here are a few of the good points:

• Plenty of additional guy points to make this tent almost bomb proof in winds and storms
• Lightweight for the level of protection offered
• Easy to erect
• Well made with a solid inner tent that could be used without the fly in summer if you wished
• Internal pockets offer plenty of storage options
• Feels spacious despite having a small footprint
• Plenty of internal height for taller people
• Gear loft for drying kit and a split pocket for hanging a headlamp for lighting

And a few of the things we dislike …

• Entrance is too small and low for taller people.  Cooking in the porch is made harder/uncomfortable because of this
• Storage bag is poorly designed
• Used without guys the sides of the tent can get pushed in by strong winds hitting you in the face
• Not enough pegs/guy lines supplied for all the points available
• Floor could potentially benefit from being beefed up

First Summary

Despite a few failings we really like this tent.   We’ve had it out in some pretty poor weather and it’s always performed pretty well.  You do have to fully stake it out of course to get maximum protection but the option is there if required.  Despite reading a few comments from other reviewers about this being hard to erect we certainly didn’t find that to be the case.  It is both easy and quick to put up and despite a slightly unusual construction it’s straightforward from start to finish.  The vestibule/porch area is a little on the small side and because of the design it is difficult to accomodate two bigger packs if they are sat on their bases.  As such they have to be laid down and this takes up valuable floor space.  The main problem is the door, which is low, and makes entry and exit difficult.  On top of this if you are tall then it also creates problems leaning out and cooking in the porch area.  That said a couple of us who are in the 6’3″ category managed it and it was a trade off worth having for bad weather.

The other major benefit with this tent is the price.  At £439.99 it represents excellent value for money but you can find this model for less than the RRP from a number of retailers making it even better value.  We will be back to give you more information on this model shortly but if you are in the market for a sensibly priced 2 man 4 season tent then this is one of the better options.

British explorer Mark Wood, who last month completed a successful solo expedition to the South Pole, may be forced to abandon his world-first polar attempt due to the large bonds required to guarantee his safety on the ice.

An ex fire-fighter and soldier from Coventry, Mark is attempting to become the first person in history to solo ski both poles in the same season.  The expedition is the culmination of three years preparation and has been described by legendary explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes as “the toughest journey on the planet”.

But shortening Arctic seasons and thinning, fragile ice have made polar expeditions increasingly dangerous in recent years. Now the region’s airlines are demanding increasingly large, upfront bonds in case they need to retrieve explorers mid-expedition.

Unless a corporate backer can be found to guarantee the airlines costs in the unlikely case that Mark needs to be picked up before completing his journey, the entire expedition may be cancelled.

“ I knew this expedition would be my toughest yet and operating in such a difficult climate there was always a risk of failure”, explained Mark. “But it’s heart-breaking to think that my journey might be over before I’ve even set foot on Arctic ice.

The support for my journey has been incredible, from the school children I’ve spoken to from the South Pole to the hundreds of people who have been sending me messages of encouragement along the way.

My dream has always been to achieve one of the great polar expeditions of our time and to share that experience with as many people as possible. 

I’m just hoping that there’s a company out there that sees why these expeditions are important and the inspiration they provide, and who is therefore willing to put their weight behind making this dream a reality.”

The Antarctic leg of Mark’s expedition was a huge success; thousands of people followed his progress as he faced extreme isolation, enormous blisters and a diet of freeze-dried spaghetti bolognaise before successfully reaching the pole on the 10 January.

Mark is using his challenge to help raise awareness of the impact of climate change at the poles, an impact that he is now feeling the effects of first hand before the next phase of his journey has even begun.

Not that it makes gear selection any easier of course, and if you’re wanting to be out and about and spending time overnight in the hills or mountains you are going to need that most vital of items – a winter sleeping bag.

For this shoot-out we wanted to look at a small number of good quality down winter bags across a variety of price ranges and then come back to you with some recommendations.

In our list were the:

Alpkit Skyehigh 1000

Marmot Plasma 15

Mammut Ajungilak Sphere Winter

Rab Andes 1000

F10 Endurance 800

The range of bags covers comfort temperatures from -9c to -26c and weights from around 880g to 1.7kg.

It can be difficult trying to decide which features and compromises make the most difference when working on reviews of this nature.  Some people will value price above weight for example, whilst others will not.

For the purposes of this test we have tried to take a general approach, that will hopefully fit most peoples needs.  We have noted details or features that may appeal to some people more than others and have made recommendations based on how we think the bags might be best used.

The cheapest bag within the test is the Alpkit Skyehigh 1000, which comes in with an RRP of £165.  This is a broader bag suitable for bigger built people, and is available in both shorter and longer versions to suit your height.

It’s not the lightest of bags at 1680g, and that is brought about by the lower quality 650 fill power down, and less technical fabrics that have been used.  That said the Skyehigh is still well made, and comfortable to sleep in.  For the price the bag isn’t lacking in features and the hood, zips, draft collar and baffles are all well made and work effectively too, but it lacks the better materials and constructions of some of the more expensive bags within the test.  Rated down to -16c the Skyehigh has performed well on every night we’ve had out in it, and has suffered no visible signs of wear and tear.  Without a doubt this wasn’t only the cheapest bag in our winter sleeping bag test but also the best value.  We can’t see you being disappointed if you bought this for the occasional winter night in the wilds but if you are spending longer outdoors or travelling further then you would probably want a lighter bag than this particular model.

The closest bag in temperature rating to the Skyehigh 1000 is the F10 Endurance 800.  Weighing in at 1550g with 700 fill power down and better construction and materials this is a step up in quality from the Alpkit.  It does come with a step up in price too though with the RRP being £400 on this model.  That said we have seen retailers offering this for £360 so be on the lookout for bargains.

Pretty much every area of this bag showed and improvement over the Alpkit and in reality we found this bag to be warmer than the Alpkit too, despite having a similar temperature rating.  The real question is whether or not the additional features and quality were worth the extra cost.  For us that answer was a no … there are better bags in the £400 price range than the F10 and in reality we would have liked to have seen a lighter bag, using better quality down to have given better value for money.

There’s no doubt that we have always been comfortable and warm within the Endurance 800 and the DWR treatment and 125g of Aero synthetic insulation are great for damp conditions but for the average person it is difficult to justify the extra expense over the other bags within this test.  If you are on expeditions outside of the UK and you’ve got someone to help carry your kit then you will probably be quite happy with these additional features but for most UK winter use, you would probably be better off saving the £235 and buying the Alpkit model.  The F10 just doesn’t offer enough added value for us.

On the subject of foreign expeditions the big boy within this test is the Rab Andes 1000 which is a kick ass high altitude bag rated down to -26c.  Employing 800 fill power down, and weighing 1645g this is really a high altitude bag that will double up for really bad Scottish winters.

We’ve struggled to get temperatures low enough to really push this bag in the UK this year but a recent cold spell and a few nights in Scotland did give us the chance to put a couple of our cold sleeping female testers in it and for once they weren’t cold!  (Miracles do happen)^Ed 

The feature set on the bag is excellent and the materials and construction are also of a high order.  There’s enough room inside the bag for a big bloke to sleep relatively comfortably and lots of room if you are on the slim side.   The hood and draft color were excellent and the side baffle was the best on test. This isn’t the top of the range in the RAB bags, but for most high altitude work this monster bag will do the job.  It’s a bit overkill for UK winters unless you really do feel the cold or are planning on practically living on the summits of some of Scotland’s coldest mountains!

Next on our list is the Mammut Ajungilak Sphere Winter.  Weighing in at 1050g this is far lighter than the other bags we have mentioned so far yet still has a lower temperature rating of -11c.  There are a number of factors in the lower weight, one of which is the high quality 850 fill power down which has been used as well as better materials.

The other big factor is the slim fit on this model, which makes it unsuitable for bigger people.  Despite doing a longer version to accommodate taller people it wasn’t possible to fit any of our broader testers into this bag.  Though it is difficult to gauge based on body shape etc we would suggest that this bag would be suitable for people with a maximum chest size of 44” … but that tighter fit made this a great option for slim athletic females.  The footbox was also a feature of note on this model with a couple of testers picking up the warmth and construction of the feet area.  It packs down nice and small and temperature wise has proven to be true to its rating.  The RRP of this model is £384 however we have seen this much lower and at that price is represents excellent value.

It would be good to see Mammut do a slightly wider version of this bag because the feature set and quality of the bag are excellent.  We haven’t been able to get a couple of the guys to give this a back to back against the other bags simply because of the size issue but all in all we would give this a recommended rating.

The final model in our winter sleeping bag test is the Marmot Plasma 15.  This is the lightest bag in the test and the least warm bag in the test too.  It employs 900 fill power down, and weighs in at 880g including the stuff sack making this a very lightweight option.

Some sites would class this as a 3 season bag but in reality this is just about warm enough to deal with most UK winter temperatures and during our testing we were able to take it beyond it’s comfort rating for women on a number of occasions with no reports of testers being cold.  Part of that comes from the excellent draft color and hood which both work well to seal in trapped air.  The materials and construction are excellent and it packs down small too making it ideal for longer winter use when extra weight starts to become a real burden.  Pretty much everyone who has been out in this bag has loved it and it’s certainly been one of those products that people have fought over or asked, begged and stole to get their hands on for a couple of nights out in the hills.  Let’s put it this way it hasn’t really ever been in the kit cupboard for long!

The fit isn’t overly generous but there was still enough space within the bag to fit a larger person into albeit with a little bit of a squeeze, and the vertical baffles did seem to make the bag more comfortable during the night.  The hood and footbox were one of the best in test too and it’s easy to find complimentary things to say about it.

With a RRP of £400 this isn’t a cheap bag but in our opinion the quality of the construction, the materials used, the comfort and weight offered by the Marmot Plasma 15 make this good value.  If you look around on the market at the moment there aren’t many bags with this spec full stop let alone many bags which offer all of this and are cheaper.  It was without a doubt the best bag on test for general UK winter use for most people and with that in mind we were happy to give it our Editors Choice Award!

EDITORS CHOICE AWARD

Marmot Plasma 15

BEST BUY AWARD

Alpkit Skyehigh 1000