Outdoor Gear Coach/Mike Parson’s visit to OTS  Outdoor Trade Show June 8th 2022 Liverpool exhibition centre, UK.  We successfully published ‘Keeping dry and Staying Warm, last year and have now added a zoom based 9 x1 hr workshop training system. The workshop content is accessible through our  Padlet.com teaching platform for reference and trainee dialogue. I decided that visiting the OTS in Liverpool would be a good catch up after extended lockdowns, so I set off at 6:30 a.m. from Patterdale but didn’t make it until 9:30 a.m., missing my first meeting appointment with Chris Tow ..read more

Pictures are PMRT 60th celebrations, 2 weeks after my talk. Jacquie Freeborn preparing the cake for the cutting ceremony. There were 3 other Lakes area teams present. My talk was entitled Myths, marketing and misunderstandings lasting 50 mins. Here are the notable reactions, feedback and questions.  My recommendation is to use a windshell instead of a waterproof, unless its raining of course!    * My further explanation here; using a windshell means less sweat and less wear on your outer jacket. This has suddenly become much more important because the DWR fin ..read more

Performance layering for the outdoors is a skill and not simply the possession of a number of garments ..read more

Formerly known as ‘Blacks of Greenock’, with a catalogue branded ‘The Good Companions,’ the company was founded in 1863 on Clydeside, Scotland, to make sails during the great days of the British Empire. Blacks Outdoor Retail Ltd. is a retailer headquartered in Bury Lancs, UK, which owns the British outdoor retailers Blacks, Millets, Ultimate Outdoors, George Fisher, Graham Tiso and GO OUTDOORS. Blacks is the largest outdoor retailer in the UK with stores nationwide. Today this UK retail high street store, https://www.blacks.co.uk/a, is owned by JDSports plc, which is 58% owned by Pentland ..read more

Ever wondered where the Harvey Maps 1:40,000 map scale came from and why? This story is by Mike Parsons, formerly owner of Karrimor, who sponsored the map as the KIMM event sponsor, later renamed OMM, Original Mountain Marathon.  A few years ago, Harvey Maps introduced a new map type called the XT40 or the ULTRA MAP, a 1”40,000 scale that folds and fits easily into a pocket. It is a very small format folded into almost a quarter of the normal map size, and its narrow width allows you to keep your thumb on your position, like an orienteering map. In 1976, I was lying safely in my ten ..read more

Layering - is a learning challenge caused by myths and misunderstandings, compounded by differing marketing claims around breathability, MVTR, wicking, beading, waterproofing, water-repellency, showerproofing, and windproofing. The challenges are increasing because everything we know, use, and trust today 2024, will change in the next five years due to sustainability needs and upcoming EU regulations on recycling and repairability. Two important quotes; Mark Twight, author of 'Extreme Alpinism', quote, ‘The layering system as told today by manufacturers is a lie’, and Sandy Alan, IFMG guide a ..read more

The science of garment layering.     Your clothing layers are your mobile environment. Within this mobile environment, there is a microclimate that you, “the active resident, " must control proactively.  To do this, you need to select layers carefully, considering your work rate and the likely weather and wind changes, given your planned route and altitude gain. All this without dials, buttons, physical controls, thermostats, or smartphone apps. Scary?  Garment layers are not and never can be a turnkey solution like buying and using a car.  Cars are governed by ..read more

Outdoor Gear Coach team member Alan Hinkes climbed all 14 of the world's highest summits, all above 8,000m, over 28 expeditions. Unlike many others, he did not sustain frostbite at all due to his acute awareness of circulation, hydration, and layering techniques. Picture left, Summit Helvellyn. Lake District, UK. This is Alan's book buy on Amazon 8000m: Climbing the World's Highest Mountains: All 14 Summits Hardcover – Illustrated, 8 Oct. 2013 Principal editor, team member Marian Parsons. The frostbite photo left is NOT Alan's feet; he took this photo of a friend! In severe c ..read more

So you think it's your waterproof outer jacket ALONE that keeps you dry? Despite what marketing claims imply, the outer garment doesn't do everything for you, and some understanding and action on your part are needed for the best results. It's the right combination of layers that counts, plus an understanding of 'beading' and 'wicking.' It's all about moisture management inwards and outwards through all your layers because sweat must be transported outwards ( wicking) and released by moisture vapour transmission whilst 'beading' prevents water from getting in. This is a complex issu ..read more

Magazines test and review gloves but don't tell you how to keep your hands warm. But we do! See Chapter 3.2 in our book for more information. Buy our book Keeping Dry & Staying Warm. John Traynor quote "The emphasis on context, activity, location and interaction alone sets it apart from others. The detailed content makes it unlikely to be surpassed – ever." click to see a full book review by John Traynor, editor of outdoor trade magazine OUTDOORi Layering for hands is a rarely used expression or practice in the UK. Not so in the northern climes of Scandinavia and N America. People often ..read more