Sponsored post It is well documented that we Blondes are fans of thermal layers for walking. A thin pair of leggings and a long sleeve top underneath your regular clothing makes all the difference when it comes to trapping heat and keeping you comfortable (and even safe) when you’re out hiking the hills. For example, I never go wild camping without my merinos. Which is the best fabric for thermal layers? There are plenty of different types of thermals available. In fact, we’ve spent the last twelve or so years making sure we test a wide range of different fibres and styles to help you (and us ..read more

Years ago, when B1 and I first started doing expedition work with young people, we joked about one day being the ‘right age’ to go on a walking holiday together. There’s a chance we might have reached that age! At the time, you can imagine how tempting the idea of swapping cold tents, porridge pots and a heavy rucksack for warm B&Bs, a full continental and baggage transfer sounded. It still sounds good today. So, despite being busier than ever (B1) and less fit than we used to be (B2), we feel as though the time has come. Next summer we plan to go on our first official walking holiday. Ove ..read more

Sponsored post The usual walking bra advice If you’re thinking about buying a sports bra for walking, there’s plenty of very sensible advice out there. You know the sort of thing: Make sure you get the bra properly fitted Choose the right level of support for your activity Try the bra on underneath the gear you’re going to be wearing And I wouldn’t argue with any of those points but my years of walking with boobs (they refuse to be left at home) have taught me a few more niche tips about walking bras and what really matters. My top walking bra tips When you’re choosing a bra style think ‘ru ..read more

Sponsored post Well! would you know it? It’s turned out to be a sunny September and, after all that August rain, people are still getting sunburn. At least they are down here in Devon. September Cirrus Clouds Devon Sooner or later though we won’t be walking in a heatwave, autumn will make itself known and our outdoor gear thoughts will turn to thermals and how to keep warm. Especially when we are camping. During the colder months, long sleeve tops have obvious advantages over their shorter sleeved counterparts but (because it is still warm) I’m here to tell you why I prefer to wear long slee ..read more

From time to time we Blondes are sent free outdoor products to field test and promote. We will always be honest about our findings, and many products we don’t keep for ourselves find their way into our expedition stores. Not this one though, I’m on a mission to find more trees!   It’s no secret that I love hanging around in my hammock. Not only is hammocking a really relaxing way to spend the afternoon, my camping hammock has also proved to be a really restful alternative to a tent after a long day supervising Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions. It’s also cooler than a tent on hot ..read more

From time to time we Blondes are sent free outdoor products to field test and promote on our blog and social media. We will always be honest about our findings and any products we don’t keep for ourselves find their way into our expedition stores. Great for us, great for you and great for our youngsters!   Non-scientific comment alert warning… Flickr – Laura Beasley Some sheep are better at sweating than others. Well this isn’t exactly true. In warm weather sheep do sweat (as well as pant) to deal with excess body temperature but sheep with open fleeces have more chance of that sweat ha ..read more

Have you ever stayed in a yurt? Ever since ‘glamping’ became a word (apparently 2005) I’ve been fascinated by the possibility of staying in a tent… that isn’t quite a tent. I’ve been even more fascinated by the idea of winter camping in a tent that has a woodburning stove. Mr B2 and I were lucky enough recently to be invited on an autumn visit Strawberry Skies Yurts in Mid-Wales. I wasn’t sure what to expect, let alone what to pack but everything turned out just… well perfect really. I realised even before we reached our yurt that my previous attempts at glamping (for example hanging bunting a ..read more

Walking in the UK isn’t just about mountains and wild places. More and more of us are choosing active travel for our daily commute. It makes sense, why spend time (and money) at the gym when that hill on the way to work could be giving you a daily cardio workout? With our fantastic network of public footpaths and bridleways, it’s even possible to include a few urban greenspaces into our walk-to-work routines. But there’s one problem with that. What do you put on your feet? Which boots are best for active travel? Both B1 and I are big fans of walking boots; they support your ankles, keep your f ..read more

Looking back through the Blonde archives, it’s clear to me that whisky and Scotland have featured in a fair few of our adventures. Walking of course, has featured in almost all of our eleven years of blogging. So it makes sense we should be asked to review a book with the title, ‘Whisky Walks Scotland‘.  There was the time I serendipitously booked a cottage so close to the Glenfiddich distillery Mr B2 and I could taste whisky in the air. There was the time I had a tour of the first Dartmoor Distillery before it even started distilling. And there was the time B1 found herself wading throu ..read more

Access rights in the UK are currently a hot (some might say super-heated) topic. With more and more of us enjoying the outdoors (hooray!) it makes sense that we are interested in where and how we’re legally permitted to visit the places we enjoy. Land access is a complicated issue (as is water access), especially for those trying to balance the needs of landowners, and the imperative to look after protected sites, with the importance of access for all to our green and blue spaces. One thing that is starting to change the access landscape in England is the (rather exciting) England Coast Path ..read more