Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2022 i Trail

Flicking through the pages of this magazine before we sent it to the printers reminded me why I love hillwalking so much. It’s because whoever you are – whether you’re young, old, fearless or cautious – there are mountains out there with your name on. I’ve done eight of the 10 routes up Snowdon on page 20, wild camped on Dartmoor (p36), risked my neck on the frankly ludicrous scramble to the top of The Cobbler (p46), and am the cowardly chap you can see hiding from the wind behind Slieve Donard’s summit shelter on page 54. The reason I’m waffling on about myself is that I’ve been lucky enough to climb a lot of different mountains by a lot of different routes while working for this mag, but if…

Green Gable Lake District “This is my wife Carol on the summit of Green Gable in the Lake District at the end of February. We had fabulous views looking down to Ennerdale and over to Buttermere from Green Gable, and it was a milestone for us as it means we have less than 50 Wainwrights to go before completing all 214.” Eddie Caisley Moughton Scar Yorkshire Dales “Did Austwick to Crummackdale Horseshoe with my mate Mick O’Keefe (front) last year. This is us on the spectacular limestone pavement. Not one to miss this!” Mark Pitt Blencathra Lake District “Sadie (12), Minnie (10) and nephew Spencer (12) at the summit of Blencathra, with views of Skiddaw in the background. This is their second season of mountaineering and they have the same…

We have a full range of merchandise available in our online shop, allowing you to show everyone you meet on your hillwalks that you’re a Mountains for the Mind member. Plus, each item we sell raises money for our chosen mental health charities. PIN BADGES Limited edition metal pin badges that are perfect for pinning to your hat, jacket or rucksack. T-SHIRTS Available in two designs. HOODIES & NECK TUBES Keep warm on and off the mountains. HOLOGRAPHIC STICKERS Pop these on your water bottle, rucksack, or anywhere you want to shout about Mountains for the Mind! ORDER NOW FROM mountainsforthemind.co.uk/shop…

It feels like everyone’s climbed Snowdon. Hillwalker or not, grabbing that familiar summit photo on the highest point of England and Wales is a goal that somehow seems to bypass the hobby that should lead you there in the first place. Ask your mates, neighbours, colleagues, or just about any stranger on the street about this mountain and they’ll know it. “Snowdon? Climbed it last summer. A bit wet, really easy.” And it’s this myth that keeps the tourist swarms coming; while sometimes, criminally, putting the mountain aficionados off. If you’ve never climbed Snowdon before – possibly because you’ve been repelled by tales of two-year-olds toddling to the top, or social media videos of queues to reach the trig – our aim over the next four pages is to change…

“I’ve seen horrendous things in the Lake District,” says top dog trainer Ingrid Grayling. “I’ve seen sheep down and bleeding, I’ve seen aborted lambs, I’ve seen deer with their throats ripped out running around. It’s horrendous. And people say, ‘He didn’t really mean it!’ But for God’s sake, he’s just killed something!” It’s every dog owner’s worst nightmare: their dog catching scent or sight of a sheep and taking off, deaf to the owner’s calls or whistles. In the worst scenarios, sheep are killed and dogs shot. By contrast, watching a dog run around the heather, tail and spirits high, can improve a walk a hundredfold. Dogs are pure joy in the hills, perpetual toddlers. They zoom around, eat things no animal should, leap into lakes then clamber out, shake…

[HOW TO] CAMP IN THE RAIN 1 Waterproof your kit. Just as with waterproof clothing, stuffsacks get battered with use, the seams tear and DWR treatment wears away. Fix and reproof when needed and double-bag essentials like your sleeping bag. 2 Take a spare set of dry clothes. Humid air and sweat make even well-protected base layers damp, and that can cool you down drastically. Pack a set of strictly ‘indoor’ base layers and an insulated jacket. 3 Take a tarp. Most tent porches are small and will be even more cramped with all your wet kit in them. A tarp provides extra security and extends your space. 4 Pay attention to the wind and which direction it’s blowing from – this will give you valuable information about where to pitch.…

Us Brits like to think of ourselves as an outdoorsy nation, and not without some justification. After all, thanks to its remarkable geological diversity, Britain has an incredible variety of different landscapes. There’s moor, mountain, fell and dale, not to mention coast, down and heathland. And thanks to our enviable network of paths and long-distance trails, stunning national parks, swathes of access land and some of the best mapping in the world (thanks Ordnance Survey), it’s pretty easy to get out there and enjoy it all. Which is just as well, otherwise Trail magazine probably wouldn’t exist. However, when it comes to an affinity with the outdoors, a few nations probably outdo even the UK. In Europe, various Alpine countries can lay decent claim to the title – particularly Austria,…

DIFFICULTY HARD DISTANCE 20KM TIME 8-10 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 1300M PEAK BAGGER STATS MUNROS 1 TRAIL 100s 1 Slioch, meaning The Spear, is a northern outlier of the Torridon area and is nestled between the popular peaks of Liathach, Beinn Eighe and Beinn Alligin to the south and the Fisherfield Munros to the north, which include An Teallach. It’s a big day out, with a long walk (5-6km) either side of the mountain itself but the rewards are worth it. Owing to the isolated nature of the peak, you’re rewarded with 360° views of one of the most remote and beautiful areas in all of Scotland. Apart from the distance involved (20km and 1300m of ascent), the walk is low stress and the terrain is deceivingly easy and passes through…

DIFFICULTY MEDIUM DISTANCE 28KM TIME 7 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 780M PEAK BAGGER STATS WAINWRIGHTS 5 The decision to flood the Mardale valley to construct Haweswater reservoir in the 1920s caused an outcry at the time, necessitating the evacuation and then inundation of the rural villages of Measand and Mardale Green. As well as concerns around the displacement of local people, many were worried the project – undertaken by Manchester Corporation and completed in the 1940s – would ruin what was considered one of the area’s most picturesque valleys. Today memories of the valley as it was have faded, making it hard for modern visitors to judge if Haweswater reservoir is an improvement or not. However, what is obvious is the air of seclusion and peace in this eastern spoke of…

Officially opened in 1970, the Pembrokeshire Coast Path offers some of the finest walking in Britain; mile after mile of ever-changing natural beauty, where the juxtaposition of land and sea creates a special magic that few long-distance trails can match. Its twisting nature, often presenting a panorama along unbroken lines of cliff, can also tantalisingly conceal the next tiny cove or valley, where each turned corner reveals something new. The majority of the way is along an unspoiled, open coast, and the few towns and villages encountered offer plenty of interest. Even negotiating the shores of Milford Haven, where the path occasionally runs against the perimeter of industry, the coastal strip has largely been left to nature and the intrusion is minimal. At 180 miles (290km), the trail presents a…

TRAIL AWARDS Top-scoring product in comparative Trail tests Best overall package of price and performance in Trail tests Celebrating sustainable and ethical gear releases There’s a lot of very useful info about buying outdoor gear on the internet, but for every reliable article you’ll find about 1000 rubbish ones. Which is why we’re so proud to keep bashing out the Trail Gear Guide every year – 100 pages crammed with advice on the very best kit for hillwalkers of all ages and ability. If you read this magazine regularly you’ll probably recognise a few of the faces on this page, and we’d like to think you’ll trust their opinions too. We’ve been publishing Trail for over 30 years and many of us have been working here for a large chunk…

1 THINK ABOUT END USE Do you want a technical scrambling shoe that is precise, stiff and grippy for small footholds, or is allday comfort more important to you? There is a shoe designed for every type of activity! 2 PRIORITISE PROTECTION For rough ground or scrambling routes, a rubber toe or heel cap (or ‘rand’) will be extremely valuable for both protection and durability. 3 CHOOSE YOUR MATERIAL CAREFULLY Shoes made from suede and mesh materials will often be light, flexible and breathable; whereas leather tends to be more durable and protective. The choice is yours! 4 DO YOU NEED THEM TO BE WATERPROOF? Many trail shoes come with their own waterproof linings, although water can still come over the top of a shoe more easily than with a…

1 FINDING THE RIGHT FABRIC Unlike denim jeans or cotton joggers, hillwalking trousers are made from quick-drying performance fabrics to provide durability, breathability, weatherresistance and comfort. Most are made from tightly-woven nylon or polyester soft shell, often with elastane for stretch. They usually have a durable water repellent (DWR) treatment for added waterresistance. Other outdoor trousers are made from polycotton, which can often be waxed for additional weather protection. 2 CUT, COMFORT & FIT You’ll spend a lot of time and cover a lot of miles in your trousers, so comfort is key. You need a pair that feel good when you first put them on, and also while you’re moving around on steep and rocky terrain. Cut is down to personal preference, but your trousers should offer good freedom…

OS LOCATE £FREE The OS Locate app converts your phone’s location readings to grid references and lat/long, to provide pinpoint location information, including bearing and altitude. Open the app and you’ll see a digital compass with clear data readings or use it in combination with OS maps to see your precise location on the map – no signal required. VERDICT A great free app that (when used with OS maps) turns your phone to a fully-mapped GPS device – but be warned, it’s power hungry. GOAL ZERO GUIDE 12 + NOMAD 5 KIT £90 Propping up on an integrated kickstand, the Nomad 5 solar panel is about the size of a large notebook but weighs only 360g. It connects to the Guide 12 battery pack via a USB-A to C…

TERRA NOVA LASER COMPACT 1 £500 This single-pole, hooped tent has been around (and loved by wild campers) for ages, but it has received an upgrade for 2022. The updated version now has a factory silicone-sealed main seam (you no longer need to use the waterproof cover over the main pole), a new guy line system, and a new style of peg. The flysheet has a 3000mm hydrostatic head, the groundsheet is 7000mm and the all-in weight is 970g. VERDICT A strong yet lightweight tent with premium features. VAUDE TAURUS SUL 1P £520 New for 2022, this solo trekking tent looks to be a great option for tackling long-distance trails, whether hiking or bikepacking. It uses the same tripod design as other tents in Vaude’s range, so it is freestanding…

YOUR ADVENTURE STARTS HERE You could use this line about most mountains, but you really need to gawp up at Slioch with your own eyes to fully appreciate what makes it so great. Because this really is one heck of a lump of rock. When seen across Loch Maree from the many excellent viewpoints along the A832 road, it cuts a profile that – even by the high standards of the north-west Highlands – makes it stand firmly apart from any other peak in Britain. It looks like a castle, or a blunt weapon, or a giant clenched fist of ancient Torridonian sandstone; and the best part is you can walk right to the top of it on fairly basic footpaths. The picture on this page is what the day-trippers…

■ TOM BAILEY Our photographer became the first Trail team member (and so far the only person we know) to climb all 100 peaks on the list when he bagged his final summit on Beinn Dearg Mor in the north-west Highlands last year. ■ JENNA MARYNIAK Trail’s deputy editor has now racked up an impressive 42 peaks on the list, including this overnighter on Lakeland favourite Fairfield on her first ever summit camp in 2017. ■ SHANE COLLINS Production editor Shane is currently marooned on just 1 summit, but scores extra points for doing it the hard way by scrambling Sharp Edge on Blencathra in 2019.…

“Our aim, at Blackdog Outdoors, is to create a welcoming and supportive environment for attendees on every walk. Enjoying time outdoors, with likeminded people, is great for our mental health.”Andy Higson, Blackdog Outdoors director The next Mountains for the Mind group walks with Blackdog Outdoors both take on place on Saturday 21 May, on the underrated peak of Y GARN in Snowdonia and Scotland’s most southerly Munro, BEN LOMOND. These free events are organised by Mountain Leaders and Mental Heath First Aiders from Blackdog Outdoors, and are great places to meet likeminded people at friendly group events. See the full details at mountainsforthemind.co.uk…

■ VICI ROYLE “My husband and our border collie, Alba, are in their element when they’re up mountains. Alba is so relaxed and comfortable that his recall gets fine-tuned while out. He respects us and responds to cues when we tell him not to go for something. ‘Sit at distance’ is a really important command when he drops his recall reflexes. If we think he’ll chase something, he gets back on a long lead which we attach by a strong carabiner to a belt.” ■ PHILIPPA NAPPER “We always take our dogs out in the hills. We use a Ruffwear Webmaster harness, with an attachment on the harness and the collar in case one fails. I saw a Jack Russell chase a sheep off the edge of a rocky outcrop…

DIFFICULTY HARD DISTANCE 11KM TIME 5 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 948M PEAK BAGGER STATS MUNROS 1 TRAIL 100s 1 Ben Hope is the most northerly Munro. With a name and a geography like that it’s hard not to think of it in the most mythical terms. But the name actually means, quite literally, ‘mountain of the inlet or bay’. Most people climb it via the main path which rises up its southern flank, along the edge of the sheer north-western cliffs, returning the same way. But this hill surely deserves better. Something worthy of the quest... The route up its north ridge is just that: starting broad and rocky, turning to an adventurous scramble through grass and loose rock and narrowing to a refined, rocky ridge with glorious views. The only…

DIFFICULTY MEDIUM DISTANCE 10KM TIME 5 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 680M PEAK BAGGER STATS TRAIL 100s 1 Yr Aran is one of Snowdonia’s best viewpoints and this prominent peak is best viewed next to the shores of Llyn Gwynant, from where it rises like a perfect pyramid. The popular Watkin Path provides a straightforward approach, with a wide range of memorable scenery: shady oak woods, crashing cascades and sweeping ridges. From the top, there’s a wonderful panorama over the slopes and crags of Cwm Llan and Cwm Tregalan to the top of Snowdon. There’s also plenty of history with the scars and remnants of the slate quarrying industry. Old inclines, dark adits and a scattering of roofless buildings are reminders of the times when local men spent their working days amidst…

ULTIMATE WEEKEND ▲ 3-DAY ROUTE ROUTE 10 Broughton Mills to Caw ROUTE 11 Caw Fell to Great Gable ROUTE 12 Great Gable to Keswick The Cumbria Traverse is a 52km route from Broughton Mills in the south of Lakeland to Keswick in the north, visiting 21 summits along the way and climbing almost 4000m of ascent. Sixteen of the official summits are Wainwrights, including classics such as The Old Man of Coniston, Crinkle Crags, Great Gable and Cat Bells; three are Wainwright outlying fells – Great Stickle, Stickle Pike and Caw – and, somewhat confusingly, two are the uncategorised tops of White Maiden and Brown Pike. But, putting peak definitions aside, this high-level route is not just about box-ticking. Instead it delivers an intimate, varied and dramatic journey across the…

1 WHY USE POLES? Poles are useful when carrying loads or on steep slopes, reducing wear and fatigue on your knees and hips. Stand on some scales and watch the dial when you rest a pair either side, and you’ll see how drastic this effect can be! They can also offer stability in bad weather, on unstable ground or when crossing water. 2 HANDLE The handle should fit snug in your hand and feel comfortable. On higher-priced poles these are well-padded and may have a forward angle for a more natural grip. 3 WRIST LOOP When used properly, the wrist loop takes most of the load, so you don’t have to grip the handle as tightly. It’s also useful to ensure you don’t drop the pole down the mountainside. Higher-priced…

SHAVEN RASPBERRY REFERENCE CARDS £1.99 Calculating precise route times isn’t always easy when you’ out on the hills with the wind howling in your ears. Using a reference card, though, can make the job quicker, easier and more precise. Shaven Raspberry do several including a Navigators’ Timing card with distances, timings and adjustments for slope, pack weight and time of day. VERDICT A simple, handy tool which saves time and helps ensure precise route timings. SMIDGE HEADNET £5.50 Midges can make even the most spectacular view impossible to enjoy when they’re out in force – unless you have a midge net. This one from Smidge is small enough to keep crammed in your pocket, weighs about as much as a midge and is pale green, so doesn’t obstruct the view…

1 WHAT TIME OF YEAR ARE YOU CAMPING? Sleeping bags tend to be broken into three categories: summer, 3-season and winter. All three types are pretty self-explanatory, with summer bags lighter and less insulated; 3-season bags slightly thicker to keep you warm through spring, summer and autumn; and winter bags bigger and bulkier to cope with serious sub-zero mountain conditions. 2 TEMPERATURE RATINGS EXPLAINED Sleeping bags are commonly graded by the EN/ISO standard, stating temperature ratings as ‘comfort’ (warm enough for the average female), ‘comfort limit’ (warm enough for the average male), and ‘extreme’ (you won’t die, but it’ll be very uncomfortable). To confuse matters, some brands publish their own in-house temperature ratings (eg the ‘Rab Sleep Limit’). 3 WHAT TYPE OF INSULATION DO YOU WANT? This really comes down…

1 WHAT TYPE OF STOVE DO YOU NEED? ■ INTEGRATED, all-in-one, tower-style cooking systems are simple to use, compact, lightweight, fast, and perfect for solo walkers and short trips. The burner screws directly on top of the gas canister, and the whole things packs into its own pot. Many feature a corrugated heat exchanger and a wind shield, both of which help to increase speed and efficiency. ■ INDIVIDUAL CANISTER-TOP BURNERS are the simplest and smallest iteration of a camp stove, screwing directly on top of a gas canister. You’ll need to buy your own cookware, though, so the overall weight depends on the choice you make here. Some stoves also connect to the canister remotely via an insulated hose. 2 FUEL CHOICES Most camping/hiking stoves run on canister gas,…

NEMO FILLO ELITE PILLOW £45 Okay, a pillow is a wild camping luxury, not a necessity. But what’s wrong with a little luxury? And when the luxury in question weighs just 87g and packs down to the size of a lemon, it’s not difficult to justify sticking it in your pack. NEMO’s Fillo Elite is way more comfortable than a bundle of clothes, inflates in seconds and has an impossible-to-lose integrated stuffsack. VERDICT Lightweight and super packable, in our opinion this little luxury is well worth investing in for your next wild camping or backpacking adventure. ROBENS MEADOW AL CHAIR £76 What’s better at the end of a long day on the hill than leaning back in your chair, beer in hand, to watch the sunset? Not much. This camping…

Right then, it’s cards on the table time. How many of the 100 magnificent names on our list of the UK’s must-climb mountains have you ticked off so far? In case you need a refresher, the TRAIL 100 is this magazine’s hand-picked collection of the 100 peaks we believe every hillwalker should climb in their lifetime. It isn’t defined by height, or difficulty, or location – every peak on the list is there because we think you’ll love climbing it. Two of the Trail team recently returned from Northern Ireland having both added the elusive Slieve Donard to their collections, so now we want to know how many you’ve bagged. Check out some of the great reader stories below, flick through this special issue for inspiration for your next adventure,…

GET YOUR HIKING BOOTS ON! Tickets are still available for the Inov-8 hiking events at this year’s Keswick Mountain Festival. Choose from three challenges: the 5-mile ‘easy’ Walla Crag Walk; the ‘hard’ 3 Peaks Hike over Catbells, Walla Crag and Latrigg; or the ‘very hard’ 17.6-mile Coledale Hike. Tickets include access to an evening of live music and unlimited festival village activities for one day. The festival village has a live music stage, a bar and a host of exhibitors (including the Trail Charity Gear Sale on Saturday) – and you can have a go at Segways, canoeing, virtual tank driving and paddle-boarding, as well as enjoying a BMX display. WHAT’S INCLUDED: ■ One day access to festival village and multiple live music gigs ■ FREE photograph ■ Digital map…

And the new world record goes to… RUSSELL MOORHOUSE is a longstanding member of our Mountains for the Mind community, who inspired people across the world with his recent challenge to camp out on the summits of all 214 Wainwright fells in the Lake District. While completing the challenge in February he also organised a world record attempt for the most people bivvying in one night. Here’s how it went… “Imagine this,” says Russ. “1387 people all standing up, walking out their doors, leaving their warm homes on a cold February night, and heading off into the wild. Had they gone mad? As darkness descended, they didn’t have a roof over their heads, they didn’t have a tent to sleep in or even have any poles to hold up a…

“Fantastic day and great for my mental health after a tough few weeks. Tough climb [Beinn a’Chrulaiste, Glen Coe) but a good achievement and better than fighting to get out of bed. Thanks for your kind support guys, and I hope the vitamin D will be beneficial to us all.” DAVID ROGERS “I managed to get away for a trip to the Lakes today. Some good climbs, views of a snowcapped Helvellyn and gorgeous sunshine. Much needed, in fact more than I realised. It truly is good for the soul. Managed to bag six Wainwrights too!” TIM ASHBY “Last night’s camp! An hour before I was due to leave, my brain was giving me all the reasons not to go, but I pushed them to one side and had a…

■ WHERE TO GO Almost anywhere you want! Legally, in England and Wales, you can ride down pretty much any right of way except footpaths. Before planning your route, estimate how much mileage you’ll want to do in a day, taking into account daylight hours, load weight and terrain. It can vary wildly. On easy gravel trails you could cover 60 miles, but haul your bike through Peak District bog and you might do less than 15 miles in the same time. Terrain will affect your journey hugely, so plan accordingly. Will the surface be rideable? Will there be streams or rivers to cross? Will you be able to do that with a loaded bike? Take into account gradient both up and downhill. Some classic UK bikepacking routes include the…

DIFFICULTY MEDIUM DISTANCE 9KM TIME 6 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 750M PEAK BAGGER STATS WELSH 3000s 1 TRAIL 100s 1 This is a lovely little alternative to the usual north-east ridge of Y Garn. The route starts off as if you are heading up there, then abruptly leaves the path with a sudden detour, into the quieter valley of Cwm Cywion and up the eastern arm of Foel Goch. The track is a proper little mountain track – easy to lose and exciting, passing high above the Nant Ffrancon. You might find yourself a little distracted by the views though. This is definitely a route to take your time with and enjoy. There’s not a lot of opportunity to find such quiet spots around the Ogwen Valley these days, so make…

DIFFICULTY MEDIUM DISTANCE 16KM TIME 5 HOURS TOTAL ASCENT 780M PEAK BAGGER STATS TRAIL 100s 1 It never ceases to surprise how the landscape of the UK can change character within such a short distance. The graceful Howgill Fells, sandwiched between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, are one such example. Where the Dales have limestone escarpments, the Howgills have rolling shoulders. Where the Lakes have lofty crags, they offer gentle hillsides sweeping down to elegant valleys. Another major difference – some might say a bonus – is the relative quietude of this surprisingly extensive range, where walkers can seek a slice of solitude even on the busiest bank holiday weekend. This loop heads up The Calf, the highest summit in the area, before returning via Cautley Spout, which…

ROUTE 10 Carreg Yr Ogof, Garreg Las & Tyle Garw ROUTE 11 Moel Gornach & Foel Fraith ROUTE 12 Bannau Sir Gaer & Fan Brycheiniog It’s easy to forget that the Brecon Beacons National Park stretches west beyond the popular peaks of Pen y Fan and Corn Du. And, as if to prove the point, these tops are actually closer to the Park’s eastern boundary at Abergavenny than they are to Llandeilo, on the western edge. Out here, if you take a deep breath, you can almost sniff the salty air of Pembrokeshire. The western hills, including the unmistakeable profiles of Bannau Sir Gaer and Fan Hir, are collectively called the Black Mountain. This can be a bit confusing since the long heathery ridges above Crickhowell, back over in the…

1 WHEN ARE YOU WALKING? The prime hillwalking seasons run from spring through to autumn, hence the popularity of so-called ‘3-season’ boots. These boots are generally ideal for variable conditions and mixed terrain with the exception of full-on winter hillwalking and mountaineering in snow and ice. For such frozen adventures you’ll need a 4-season boot which will be warmer, more robust and stiffer underfoot, enabling use with a pair of crampons. 2 WHERE ARE YOU WALKING? Well-trodden mountain tracks require different footwear from pathless heather moorland or rocky scree chutes, gullies and ridge scrambles. Different boots are built for different terrain. Some prioritise lightweight flexibility, while others focus on stability and protection. The level of ankle support, traction provided underfoot, and upper construction vary wildly depending on the intended use.…

1 BATTERIES Most modern headtorches use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, while others use AA or AAA batteries. Consider how easy it will be to change the batteries, possibly in the dark with cold/wet hands and away from an electrical supply to recharge them. 2 TILT FUNCTION This will allow you to direct the beam of light – for example to the ground ahead of you, a map, or to the tent guy line you’re adjusting. This needs to be easily adjustable, but not so loose and floppy that it fails to stay in place. 3 LIGHT OUTPUT Light output is measured in lumens – up to 200 lumens is ideal for camping and general walking, 200+ lumens for navigating open hillsides. Higher powers are useful for terrain with few features, and…

1 WHAT KIND OF CAMPER ARE YOU? If you go out in all seasons and all weathers, choose an all-season tent. If you only go out when you don’t expect snow, a 3-season tent will be fine. Make sure the tent will handle all conditions, has enough space for you and your gear, and offers the comfort you want. 2 MATERIALS MATTER Tents with 100% silicone-coated outer fabrics are typically stronger than those with polyurethane-coated ones. Check for the tear strength of the fabrics: the higher the better. For poles, most backpacking tents use aluminium, which offers an excellent balance of high strength and durability, plus low weight. Cheaper tents might use fibreglass poles, while some ultralight tents employ carbon fibre poles, both of which can be more delicate than…

1 WHICH DESIGN? Sleeping mats come in three primary designs. The lowest-priced type is the closed-cell foam mat, which is durable and surprisingly lightweight, but quite bulky to carry and the least comfortable option. Next up the price scale is the self-inflating mat, which has a layer of foam sandwiched between two layers of material; which provide air pockets for more comfort. They’re more compact than closed-cell foam mats, but heavier. Finally, the air mat, which has baffles inside to trap air once inflated. These are very lightweight and compact but tend to be a little bouncy and not generally very warm, unless they have additional insulation inside, which some do (but they cost more). 2 WATCH YOUR WEIGHT The lighter the mat, the lighter your rucksack when backpacking. If…