The Gore Bike Wear Contest Shorts are the cheapest cycling shorts Gore make and can often be found discounted as they are a long standing product that stays in their range year on year. Compared with lycra shorts from other manufacturers who make less-expensive sub-£20 shorts that look similar, the Gore stand out. However, the Contest shorts are a basic, yet quality product that epitomises what I love about Gore Bike Wear kit.

Every year while racing the Sea Otter Classic bike race at Laguna Seca Speedway in Monterey, California, I spend time between races happily perusing the numerous vendor booths.  As one … Read more

After reviewing Smith’s I/O Goggle, I searched out another product from the brand’s environmentally friendly Evolve line of helmets. During my testings in Colorado at the beginning of the season, I had the unfortunate luck of being able put the Tranport in an extreme situation that helped prove the helmet’s sturdy design.

Faction announced at ISPO in February that they have formed a partnership with Candide Thovex, one of the most talented and successful skiers to come out of France since Jean Claude Killy.

Candide, who won the Freeride World Tour in 2010 with a 1st place finish in Chamonix, has been in dozens of films including Candide Kamera, Candide Kamera 2 and Mind The Gap. Add this to three X-Games gold medals, eight freeride competition medals including Red Bull’s Linecatcher, as well as a gold medal in the Big Air at The Gravity Games, and it seems Faction have pulled off a master-stroke by securing such a name to their ranks.

Every season a series of ‘must get’ products emerge from the looms of the top adventure brands around the world. This winter, Patagonia has placed a major focus on its new line of breathable and waterproof shells, teaming up Gore-Tex to ensure that the quality of their garments stay at the top-end of adventure apparel and manufacturing ethics.

When it comes to eyewear, maximizing performance and style is essential. Based out of California, Electric Visual are a team of innovators, investing in the production of sunglasses and snow goggles. As one of the brands at the forefront of optics design, Electric bring together the latest and greatest high performance technology with unique designs that reflect the youthful and fun spirit of today’s adventurers.

Having spent a considerable number of seasons off-piste and in the park whilst wearing racing boots, my shins were slowly being shot to pieces. Tired of post-ski hobbling, I vowed … Read more

After making the transition from wearing gloves to mittens four years ago I haven’t once looked back. During this season in the US I got hold of a pair of Swany America’s environmentally friendly Eco-Mitt, a mitt that incorporates their Eco-Circle shell and insulation technology. At an affordable $60, the Eco-Mitt to the test to see whether Swany could match the performance credentials of my other mitts with their eco offering.

Smith Optics has become well established as one of the market leaders in mountain accessories. As a number of brands jostle for the leading stake in optic design, Smith have done well not only to develop the features of it’s signature goggles, but also to innovate on the environmental side of manufacturing. Being part of the Evolve range, the I/O is composed of some bio-based Pearlthane and recycled urethane materials including on the environmental side of manufacturing. Beyond these ecological credentials, the Smith I/O makes for a high performance product, so combining the potentials of responsible retail and design.

Püf is the sevem year old creation of Arieh Visocekas, a keen mountaineer who is aspiring to bring a new dimension of avalanche safety to skiing and snowboarding. Originally from Paris, Arieh settled in Chamonix to continue his father’s passion for extreme mountaineering. Unsatisfied with the equipment that was used to protect a rider in the event of an avalanche, Arieh sought the help of the local Piste Control, Mountain Guides, rescue teams, medical staff and the Gendarme to clarify a detailed list of requirements for survival in the event of an avalanche: Flotation; Air Supply; Head, neck and side impact protection; Quick extraction from the avalanche.

Call me a fitness nerd, but I can honestly say that there are few inventions that have impressed me more than the PEAR Training Intelligence System. Sure, revolutionary innovations such … Read more

Since 1947, Obermeyer has endeavored to create the finest gear for the inexhaustible snow adventurer. For women looking to invest in an outer layer that will not only keep up in the harshest of conditions, but function as a lightweight wind barrier on warmer days, the Coco Jacket’s array of versatile features make it a necessary addition to your snow get-up.

The Sea to Summit brand has vested themselves as a company that provides the adventure traveller with useful accessories to make life on the road, and in the water, far easier. Over the last two decades they have produced lightweight and durable products, with the Ultra-Sil Dry Sack being a good example of innovative, amphibious product. This highly recommended outdoor accessory made my adventure experiences far more convenient, keeping water from harming my valuables any longer.

Most of us do our sports during the day, spending evenings to resting or relaxing with friends – usually anything other than getting our heart rates up with some exercise. Word is out that there are countless new nightclubs that few are aware of. It might not be the typical dance scene that you expect it to be. Ladies, gentlemen, and especially those adrenaline-seeking freaks, I bring you the Petzl Myo RXP; a headlamp that will bring light to your darkness, show these new “nightclubs” and unlock these long-hidden nocturnal instincts inside of us all.

Having relied on Salomon products for freestyle skiing because of their reliability and quality, I was curious as to whether their footwear could achieve similar results. Selecting the XA Pro 3D Ultra 2. The trip would take me through a number of different environments, ranging from cities to arid steppe and snow-covered mountains to endless desert – a bunch of conditions that I thought the ‘run-hike’ model would really enjoy.

It would be easy to look at this record-breaking dry winter on the West Coast and fret about Lake Tahoe’s dirt-strewn ski runs, but this weather is the reason why … Read more

The X-Hale TrailBlazes are a trail running specific sock found within Bridgedale’s recently developed ‘Fast and Light’ range. Designed with warm conditions and quick movement in mind, the TrailBlazes were just … Read more

The Columbia Mobex Sprint is a scaled down version of the original Mobex, a forerunner to Columbia’s trail running launch collection. If anything, the smaller nature of the Sprint has further … Read more

Vivio Barefoot and its parent company Terra Plana offer a range of ‘barefoot’ shoes that cover everything from smart office wear to serious athletic shoes. Barefoot footwear bases itself on the idea that the closest experience between the sole of the foot and the ground is the best, supported by Vivo’s guide to barefoot running that takes you from your first bambi-like steps in barefoot shoes to gazelle-like bounding. I’ve been testing the Neo, Vivio’s designated cross-training shoe.

I’m moving towards the core with this review, away from the shell garments discussed in the earlier ‘old favourites’ blogs. The Helly Hansen Lifa Stripe Crew is my favourite baselayer and in twenty years of running, mountaineering, climbing and cycling I’ve tried many alternatives, but none do everything a baselayer needs to do as well as the humble Lifa.