Outdoor Gear Chat

Get in touch! There's innuendo aplenty as Cathy and Wayne talk about tents, poles, fly sheets and pegs, pegs, pegs. Listen in for tips on getting it up in bad weather, what constitutes as fondling with your erection and of course - bell ends. Expect tales of getting wet, how to deal with condensation, pesky moles and even flying tents among such astonishing trivia as why the colour of your te...

Get in touch! "Lakeland Legends" Cathy & Wayne are veterans of a number of Lakeland 50's but why has neither of them stepped up to the Lakeland 100 start line? Sponsored by Montane, this podcast describes the high's and low's of their respective 50 mile trots around the Lakeland fells, their favourite kit and top training tips. Amid all of the technical info you can al...

Get in touch! Cathy & Wayne are joined by Scott Umpleby from The Brathay Trust, event organisers of the fantastic Ambleside Trail 25 & 50k races. Join them as they discuss how this event began, how a full Lakeland breakfast and a frittata were highlights the first year and what delectable comestibles will be on offer this year.... Offering not just breathtaking views, great trails and incr...

Get in touch! Cathy & Wayne are joined by Montane Sponsored Athlete Debbie Martin-Consani, first woman to cross the finish line of The Spine Race 2022. Debbie discusses the highs and lows of completing all 268 miles of The Pennine Way in January; the darkness, the bogginess and how much she enjoyed herself as she carried enough equipment to keep herself alive throughout her non-stop 108 hour c...

Get in touch! Wayne and Cathy are joined by British Mountain Guide Adrian Nelhams who shares his gargantuan knowledge and experience of ice axes. Together they cover why you might need to carry one, when you definitely need one and talk about why an ice axe is only part of your winter safety kit. Covering everything from walking axes to technical tools they also discuss the big question: to leash...

Get in touch! Cathy and Wayne are joined with new Lake District legend and part time Ambleside staff team member James Gibson as he talks about being the first person ever to complete a continuous round of 214 Wainwrights in the winter of 2021. James had wanted full winter conditions - and he definitely got them, with Storm Barra making an appearance too. Listen to his accounts of snow, blizzards,...

Get in touch! Wayne quizzes Cathy on the amazing history surrounding the two shops and learns how they were interlinked from the very start - way before Cathy and her husband Paul became the owners of both. Listen to stories of climbing and fell running royalty, why the shops are pivotal in their local outdoor communities and how Cathy explained to the climbing legend; Mr Joe Brown her ideas for a...

Get in touch! Join Cathy and Wayne as they chat about the wonderful world of insulated clothing. Learn the difference between feather and down, why "fill power" is a good thing to know and understand why most insulated jackets aren't waterproof. There's laughter, there's techy stuff, there's the word "poofiness", there's an explanation of why you need t...

Get in touch! Cathy and Wayne take a light hearted look at the science of headtorches: learning about lumens, marveling at "intelligent" lighting, discovering what exactly an IP rating is along with the revelation of what type of inflatable impresses Cathy!!! If you have a pony tail, wear a helmet or are fed up with getting blinded by your tent mate then this is the podcast for you! Inci...

Get in touch! Join Cathy and Wayne as they talk about rucksacks and load carrying. Learn the importance of your squishy bits when it comes to measuring backsize, why most rucksacks aren't waterproof, why you might want to consider a "rucksack filing system" and how, when it comes to what you put on your back; big may not always be better! Listen ,learn, laugh and if you are able, pl...

Get in touch! Wayne's getting into his climbing and wondering if he needs to buy rock boots. This week's talk with Cathy journeys through rubber, precision placements, flat toes, squished toes, slip lasts, leather and why tear inducingly tight climbing shoes might not always be a good thing. Good footwork, however, most definitely is! Listen ,learn, laugh and if you are able, please cons...

Get in touch! Cathy and Wayne talk stoves and fetishes in this episode - just how many stoves does a person need? Joining them is special guest Stuart Smith whose experience using stoves across the globe in hot, cold and wet environments shines through with descriptions of fire rainbows, sinking stoves and little prickers. Learn the difference between integral canister systems, multi-fuel stoves,...

Get in touch! Join Cathy and Wayne for a second season of science stories and laughter. This episode explains why there are so many boots to choose from, the differences between fabric and leather, how boots should fit, why colour shouldn't matter, the importance of lacing and why the size you were expecting to buy might not be the size you walk out with. There is also mention of saveloy! Lis...

Get in touch! Wayne's getting into trad climbing so he and Cathy are joined by British Mountain Guide, Author and DMM Ambassador Libby Peter to discuss what gear he should select for his first rack and why. Learn about why there are so many different types of nuts, cams, hex's and krabs, when you may want to use an extender, why coloured karabiners are a great idea and how Cathy unintent...

Get in touch! Cathy and Wayne take a light hearted look at the science of gloves: why a tight glove isn't a good thing, why a large glove isn't necessarily a good thing either (!), why you may want to layer, which gloves are easiest to get a wet hand in and out and why choosing one with a nose wipe is a really good idea. All this AND why Wayne conducted the entire podcast in rubber....!!...

Get in touch! Cathy and Wayne take a light hearted look at the science of sleeping bags: why choosing to use a sleeping bag generally gives you a better nights sleep (!), sleeping systems, how to clean a bag at home,  why your choice of zip side is important, the differences between synthetic and down, how to make sense of temperature ratings and why a women's specific bag is a great idea if...

Get in touch! Cathy and Wayne take a light hearted look at the science of socks and how looking after our feet is critical to enjoying our time outdoors. Listen as they get down to the nitty gritty of footcare, foot smell, blisters, dry skin, sweat glands and trench foot. This is NOT a podcast to listen to while eating! Listen ,learn, laugh and if you are able, please consider donating to our chos...

Get in touch! Cathy and Wayne take a light hearted look at the science of layering: why we sweat, why "wicking" is important, how layers keep us cool AND warm, why more and more clothes are being made from plastic bottles and tree fibres, nasty chafing and why, when it comes to technical underwear, going large is good. In fact there is a lot of talk about underwear. Men's and Women&...

Get in touch! Cathy and Wayne take a light hearted look at the science of waterproofs: the history of waterproofs, just how wet you can be in waterproofs, why your need to wash (and tumble dry) your waterproofs much more frequently than you used to and why Wayne is planning on being wet through to his undies, on purpose...... Listen ,learn, laugh and if you are able, please consider donating to ou...