Stuff Gadget Guide - UK - Issue 4 (2022-01)

49

ProteGear A* Live

For more serious off-grid escapades,
think safety first – particularly if you’re
going solo. This 130g multi-purpose
live tracker and satellite messenger
is the Swiss Army knife of location
beacons. It offers second-by-second
real-time GPS with full global coverage
and no dead zones, plus global 2-way
comms via email and SMS and 100hr
runtime on a single charge.
€502 / protegear.de

Contigo Ashland Chill

Autospout Water Bottle

There’s not much worse than slurping

pack-warm water when you’ve just

schlepped three hours up a mountain.

This 590ml bottle uses vacuum

insulation to keep your chosen

hydration chilled for 24 hours. Other

handy smarts include one-handed

opening and a lock to avoid spills

should you stash it in your pack.

£25 / amazon.co.uk

Garmin Tactix Delta

The Tactix Delta does everything your
civilian sports watch does... but this
Black Ops bad boy is tooled up for
more serious missions too. You get
military-grade durability, a display
that’s night-vision-compatible and
a stealth mode that stops storing and
sharing your GPS position, disabling
wireless comms. It even has a kill
switch that wipes it clean of data.
£800 / garmin.com

Inov-8 Oroc 270

If your off-road adventures often

switch gears from trekking to trail

running, these crossover shoes

are designed to let you move fast

over tricky terrain in comfort. Their

twin-spiked outsoles are tailored

for orienteering and off-trail running:

they’ll dig into frozen terrain, hold firm

on rock and deliver reliable traction

through mud.

£150 / inov-8.com

Embrace the tech

It’s unwise to venture

into the mountains

without a map,

but phone-based

navigational aids

shouldn’t be totally

shunned. I use my

phone for most of my

nav, if not all of it, along

with a paper map and

compass for backup.

Stick with it

Think trekking poles

are for old people?

Think again. Poles

speed you up on climbs,

save your knees on

long descents, help you

ove r unstable terrain

and can even be used

for a more reliable tent

pitch. Try Komperdell’s

Carbon FXP4s for size.

Give ’em the boot

If you want to hike

lighter, don’t just think

about the weight on

your back – think

about what your

feet are having to

constantly lift as well.

Big clomping leather

hiking boots might

serve you well on

technical routes but

they can be overkill

on well-worn trails,

particularly in warm

and dry conditions.

OUTDOOR FITNESS

OUTDOOR ACCESSORIES

BABY GOT

BACKPACK

Ultimate

Direction SCRAM

This 20-litre pack

caters for ‘skiing,

climbing, running and

more’ – thus the name.

It comes with hooks

for skis, ice axes and

other essentials, and

comes in two sizes.

£94 / alpinetrek.co.uk

Hyperlite

2400 Junction

Ideal for weekend

treks into changeable

weather, this 40-litre

pack is made of 100%

waterproof fabric and

has ample storage for

multi-day hacks.

$310 / hyperlite

mountaingear.com

Adidas Terrex

Agravic Backpack

The compact Agravic

is built for travelling

fast and light. You get

100 % nylon ripstop

for durability and

gear protection, and

it’s compatible with

hydration bladders.

£110 / adidas.co.uk

EXPERT TIPS

Will Renwick

(@willwalkswales),

president of Ramblers

Cymru, points us in

the right direction

for smarter hikes