Blog
Outdoor Gear
The right gear is vital for comfort and safety outdoors, so don’t be surprised if I check your clothing and equipment when you book outdoor activities in Scotland with me 🧐 Check out our gear reviews for tips on our favourite equipment.
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Review: Railblaza C-Tug SandTrakz sea kayak / canoe trolley
The C-tug kanoe and kayak trolley by Railblaza is a gamechanger – especially with the Sandtrax wheels.
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Endura Mens MT500 waterproof trousers review
Endura make excellent cycling clothing, and their mens MT500 waterproof trousers are no exception – check out my review.
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Ski touring kit list
Kit list for ski touring, with tips on gear to pack for different backcountry missions.
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Cab9 Edge sunglasses review
The Edge sunglasses from Cab9 are a great buy if you’re looking for a set of well-priced shades with good coverage and polarised lenses.
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Sea kayak features (inc P&H Scorpio mini-review)
When it comes to choosing a great plastic sea kayak, the P&H Scorpio has all the features you’ll need for proper sea-going adventures.
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Winter mountaineering boots: B1, B2 or B3?
Winter mountaineering boots are usually classified as B2 or B3, with B1 boots more suited to low-angled ‘winter walking’.
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Staying warm on the bike
Keeping warm on the bike, whilst maintaining control, is a challenge when cycling in winter! Check out these tips for MTB, gravel and road.
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Cold feet cycling? Tips for toasty toes
To avoid cold feet when cycling, check out our tips for warm winter riding, based on years of experience leading in the Scottish Highlands!
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Crampon types and fitting advice
Crampons come in many designs including hiking / walking and mountaineering / climbing types, so choose carefully!
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Ice axe: the different types and how to choose one
The ice axe is an essential tool in the winter mountains, and this guide will help you with choosing between the many different types.
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SKS Airchecker 2 review
The SKS Airchecker 2 is the current version of the excellent Air Checker digital guage and makes tuning MTB tyre pressure a breeze.
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What are ski crampons?
Ski crampons are bulky, expensive, fiddly and totally awesome in icy conditions.
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Sea kayak and canoe kit list
Here’s our list of recommended gear to pack for sea kayak and canoe journeys.
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What to wear for hiking
List of recommended clothing to wear for hiking and hill walking activities.
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Mountain biking kit list
Check out my list of must haves for mountain biking, including MTB spares, emergency kit and more.
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Ski touring skins
Ski touring skins are an ingenious invention that allows skiers to ski efficiently uphill. Learn about the features to look for and how to trim, store and clean them.
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Tenacious Tape review: perfect for down jacket repairs
If your trusty down puffy or belay jacket gets holed, follow this guide for a quality, near permanent and invisible fix.
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Birdwatching kit list
Use this kit list to help pack for your birding and wildlife watching activities
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What to wear for ski touring
List of recommended clothing to wear for ski touring and backcountry skiing.
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Winter mountaineering kit list
Basic kit list for single day winter mountaineering / hill walking in non-technical terrain.
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What to wear for winter hiking
List of recommended clothing and gear to wear for winter and cold-weather hiking
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Backcountry boot and binding compatibility
The issue of touring boot and binding compatibility got quite complex for a while. But recent developments have hopefully improved the situation.
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Ski design
This Help article describes basic ski design and how that affects ski performance. In this post, we are mainly focusing on choosing a ski for ski touring. A good ski for ski touring in Scotland (where Arc Guiding is based) is unlikely to work well for backcountry skiing in, say, British Columbia. But the general…
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Choosing mountaineering / ski touring gloves
Ski touring / mountaineering gloves balance warmth, flexibility and waterproofing.
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Ski service 101: learn how to ptex, sharpen and wax
Learning to do your own ski servicing can save money and help you learn about ski construction and tuning.
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Ski touring boots: How to adjust and care for them
Alpine ski touring (AT) boots are specialist items of equipment – and often very expensive! Learn more about their features and how to use them.
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How to adjust binoculars
Adjust your binoculars correctly by setting up their eye relief, width and diopter adjustment.
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Avalanche transceiver: functions and how to use
Understand what an avalanche transceiver (beacon) is and how to use it for companion rescue.
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What is the Layering Principle?
The layering principle will help you design an outdoor clothes system for hiking and other adventure activities.
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Poles for ski touring: choosing your sticks
Choose proper backcountry ski poles to make your ski touring way easier (and safer)
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Anquet OMN review
Check out my review of the Anquet OS digital mapping app. It’s been around for a while and does the basics well, but what does a guide think?
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Set up a new bike: 10 step guide
You’ve got a new MTB and you’re desperate to set it up and go riding. This ten step guide will help you identify how and where to tweak your new bike to perfection. But first, is your new mountainbike currently in a cardboard box? If so, go get a coffee and take your time to…
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Bell Super DH review
Removable chin bar (aka ‘convertible’) MTB helmets provide a lot more options for riding your mountain bike – read on for my Bell Super DH review.
