The Outdoors Station

It finally happened, 3 years after our first epic 3 course Christmas meal in a storm, in a tent, in Wales my memory faded and I suggested we try and do the same thing again. A Masterchef inspired 3 course Christmas meal in another tent, in another storm but still in Wales. This is part one of a two parter as Andy Howell joins me on my Wild Camp series as we leave late in the day to get going, get...

Well the second Wild Camp adventure is now under my belt. Venturing further from home each time, with the first (No 378) being on my local Malvern Hills, and the second walking away North from the same area on the Worcestershire Way, almost to the half way point, before returning back to base. I'm approaching these Wild Camps from a novice point of view trying to show the typical circumstances you...

The first in the 12 part series, this wild camp takes place virtually on my doorstep on the Malvern Hills. Arriving late, using a bivvy bag and leaving early meets the requirement of keeping wild camping as low impact as possible. I chose to keep the equipment simple and cheap, typical for someone trying it for the first time. With an ex Army bivvy bag and an old 2/3 season sleeping bag on top of...

Almost 10 years of podcasting and 10 years of retailing in the Outdoor Industry I’ve noticed some significant changes in shopping patterns and where and how people research their gear. This podcast looks back at those 10 years and the effect our habits have made in the retail world as we know it. Do you feel happier to be able to talk to a retailer, or do you prefer a bargain, no matter where it’s...

Spoonfest. Ever heard of it? No, neither had I until last month. Its an annual gathering in Edale Derbyshire, where a few hundred people gather together in a field to make wooden spoons. That's it! Not just spoons, but everything associated with this craft. Spoons, scoops, cups, butter knives and virtually anything one could carve from a humble tree branch. It's a whole new world, a revolution and...

Sea to Summit in the UK are probably best know for their range of travel accessories. They are in fact a much, much bigger company with a vast portfolio which dips into may different areas of interest in the camping world. In some case producing some of the more lightweight versions of shelters many have never heard about. This year they were presenting their new range of sleeping mats, which have...

This second podcast from the three part series recorded at the recent Outdoor Show in July 2014 at Friedrichshafen in Germany starts to look in more detail at some innovation and development which I'm sure will be of interest to many fans of the outdoors. Vargo Outdoors are a US brand which have become well known for their sleek and simple designs of products using primarily Titanium. Which is lig...

The big European Outdoor Show took place in July 2014 at Friedrichshafen in Germany and we visited to take a good look around the vast selection of gear on show. Keen to find any new manufacturers, interesting items or fresh developments in the outdoors world, we interviewed a whole series of brands and bring you this 3 part podcast series as a result. In this release, we speak with Tim Butcher fr...

The health of the nation is falling rapidly well below previous years and a new Government report indicates our children and grand children could be doomed unless we encourage regular activity soon. Walking is such a simple past time and in this podcast we celebrate the simple pleasures gained from it within the social environment of the Malvern Hills Walking Festival. Please encourage others to g...

Heather Elston completed the 2014 TGO Challenge and joins us to share her thoughts on the event and the perspective of a solo female walker. Did the vent live up to expectations? Was the crossing demanding? Did she feel vulnerable at any time? Was it a lonely experience or social? All this and more is answered in this interview and I hope it will encourage more to enter this unique event in the fu...

Great to see a new UK manufacturing business designing and making products within our shores for the outdoors enthusiast. Maybe Trakke is an unfamiliar name to most backpackers, however I'm sure the cycling community, who recognise good kit when they see it, are more than aware of this small but passionate business based in Glasgow. I'm sure this could be of interest to numerous travellers too, bo...

Part four with Warren and Esther discussing their 4 year around the world cycle trip, where we look at wild camping laws around the world, technology and the way it has changed traveling life, plus of course security and how they deal with it. This is the downward stretch now, even though there's a few thousand miles to go, they are already thinking of returning home and what to expect or what the...

Hard to believe it was over 2 years ago when I first spoke with Warren and Esther Sanders who at the time were a year into their 4 year around the world cycle trip. Please check out Podcast No 339 and 340. So where are they now, how did they get there and are they fed up with all that pedal pushing? Time to catch up with the emotional ride they have been having as much as the physical. We chat abo...

The backpackinglight.co.uk offices are situated directly opposite the Society of British Dowsers and we thought it would be an interesting opportunity to meet with them and discuss this past time and maybe learn some skills which could be of interest to outdoors people, anywhere in the world. Also featured are details of our forthcoming lightweight outdoors show taking place in Malvern. Please joi...

Down insulation is a touchy subject as more and more consumers become aware of the poor ethics some manufacturers have been accused of in recent times. Hydrophobic down is also a hot topic, offering new benefits where before it would have failed to insulate when damp. Ben Mainwaring from Rab UK joins us to discuss the practicalities of harvesting 'down', new developments and the long term effects...

A round up explaining some of the behind the scenes news relating to the new 2013 TGO Challenge videos which are now live and interviews at the UK trade show with Care Plus and their Tick Test Kit, ASI relating to forthcoming cool packs from Boreas Gear and the ultimate cooking machine, the Aquaforno. Enjoy :) Please join our newsletter and follow us on our socials > https://linktr.ee/the_outdo...

A visit to the UK trade show in September this year, allowed me to catch up with Sarah at Cicerone and follow the progress of this small UK publishing company and the books and guides they produce for outdoors people everywhere. In particular the new Alan Hinkes release. The extensive tent display took up acres, but there was one new brand everyone was talking about set to get hearts racing. Nigor...

The concluding part of the interview with Jill and Peter Callaghan and their 500 mile walk across Northern Spain on this ancient pilgrimage trial. Some of the characters they met on route, dealing with some 'very' close sleeping arrangements in the hostels and the emotion and elation on arriving at their final destination. Please join our newsletter and follow us on our socials > https://linktr...

We're back! After an enforced break due to various commitments (explained in the podcast) we are please to get back into the saddle with the first of a 2 part interview with Jill and Peter Callaghan who have just completed the Camino De Santiago 500 mile walk in northern Spain. They literally returned a few days ago and are looking refreshed from their adventure. Back to our audio podcast roots, i...

The West Highland Way is a 96 mile established hiking trail in Scotland which takes walkers from the outskirts of Glasgow to the foot of Ben Nevis past the beautiful Loch Lomond and through the Trossachs National Park. It is a trail which many first time long distance hikers cut their teeth on, as although it is remote in places providing that desirable experience of solitude, it is still within r...

A podcast full of snippets of information about The Outdoors Station and why we have been a bit tardy these last few months in producing a more regular stream of information. There's also some information about our recent investment in video production software and how we hope to use Virtual Studios to make the reviews, interviews or presentations of outdoor gear more enjoyable. Please email us wi...

In this podcast Andy Howell meets up with Phil Sorrell for a geeky afternoon discussing social media, and how many outdoors users are becoming involved with his Social Hiking website www.shareyouradventure.com which is specifically designed to allow users to share their outdoor experiences, using photos, tweets, routes and so on. Hear more behind is history and how Phil has integrated all the curr...

The is the final interview in the five part series where I've been discussing the future of ultralight gear with three of the main contributors to the arena in the last 10 years. Ron Moak, Henry Shires and Glen Van Peski. Glen explains more about how a hobby became a cottage business and along the way it becomes clear that it isn't an easy option if you prefer to be out hiking, rather inside desig...

Part 4 of the 5 part series discussing the future of Ultralight Gear with some of the key makers and shakers in the US cottage industry who have been there from the very start. Ron Moak, Henry Shires and in these last 2 interviews Glen Van Peski of Gossamer Gear. There's more to starting a small manufacturing base than you might realise and Glen very honestly talks about some of the key life decis...

The discussion into the future of Ultralight Gear continues this time with Henry Shires of Tarptent.com who starts, as did Ron, by sharing his thoughts on the current state of play from his point of view. Henry Shires sold his first Tarp tent way back in 1999 and has continued producing shelters based on his lightweight principles since then. He with Ron Moak, Glen Van Peski and Brian Frankle have...