Tilley TH5 hemp hat
£65
A vital accessory for days spent out in the summer sun, the Tilley TH5 is the archetypal traveller's hat. With a broad brim and classic styling, this is a ‘proper’ hat which means it will last a long time, fit well and should be comfortable – not least because you order based on your specific head measurements. The hard-wearing hemp gives a linen-like feel and breathes well.
tilley.com
Vaude Terraquattro 3p tent
£340
If you’re heading off backpacking or trekking this summer then it’s worth checking out this update of the classic Mark series of tents from Vaude. The external pole design makes the tent quick and easy to pitch – about 10 minutes in all. The interior has two vestibules for gear and a roomy interior, ideal for two people, and you could squeeze three in at a push. Packed down size is pretty compact at 59x24cm and weight is fairly normal for a tent of this size at 3.95kg.
vaude.com
Vango Aluminium cookset
£30
Lightweight, packable and reasonably priced, what more could you ask for? The Vango aluminium cookset contains a 3L pot, 2L pot, 1.5L pot, kettle and a non-stick frying pan all in a 20x10cm package that weighs just under a kilo. This arrangement should suit anyone from a couple of microadventurers to a family of four off camping for the week in Devon.
vango.co.uk
Exped Downmat Light L sleeping mat
£100
The Downmat Light sleeping mat is a nifty piece of kit weighing in at just 700g for the complete package. It has a down insulation fill that gives an R-Value of 4.10, for those uninitiated to thermal sleeping mats this will reduce heat loss through the ground on cold nights. The large version that we have on test is big enough for a six footer and certainly comfortable enough for multiple nights. The nifty little pump inflates the mat in a few minutes and packs up to virtually nothing to fit into the stuff sack.
exped.com
Petzl Tikka XP headtorch
£35
Petzl have long been the go-to brand for headtorches for anything from camping with the family to running ultramarathons. The Tikka XP outputs a whopping 180 lumens in boost mode and has a wide and focussed beam option depending on the need. The light feels secure enough on the head for running or cycling and the headband is washable after those times when it starts to feel more like a sweatband than a headtorch. The constant lighting feature gives you full brightness right up until the moment that the batteries drain, it then automatically switches to reserve mode and then to red lighting when the batteries are almost empty.
petzl.com
Vaude Ice Peak 400 sleeping bag
£295
The Vaude Ice Peak 400 is a technical 3-season mummy sleeping bag with a comfort rating of 1 degrees. Fill is 400 grams of premium 90/10 duck down so the bag has excellent thermal properties although if it gets damp it doesn’t dry as quickly as a synthetic-fill bag would. The Ice Peak 400 weighs a kilo and packs down into a pretty small and highly durable stuff sack. The inner material feels great next to the skin and it’s reassuring to have the option of cinching the hood tight and attaching the thermal collar to provide vital extra warmth on particularly cold nights.
vaude.com
Leatherman Juice CS4 multi-tool
£90
With everything from scissors, to screwdrivers, a savagely sharp 2.27in knife, vicious toothed saw, pliers, a can opener and bottle opener, this 159g Leatherman multi-tool is designed to provide all those things you normally forget to pack in one tool that you probably won’t. Built with Leatherman’s reliably high attention to detail and quality, this tool should be providing you with practical companionship for years – and if, against all odds, it does let you down, then there’s always Leatherman’s 25-year warranty.
leatherman.co.uk
Soulra Rukus Xtreme bluetooth speaker
£121.99
The Soulra Rukus Xtreme is a solar powered Bluetooth speaker as well as a charging device for your phones and tablets.
It’s outdoor proof, with an IPX4 splashproof rating and a chunky drop-proof construction - it can certainly take knocks and bangs, but watch out for damaging the photovoltaic cells that adorn the top of the device. It’s possible to use the Rukus Xtreme on a regular basis and for long periods of time without ever having to plug it in to the wall making it truly portable and very useful for camping trips.
It doesn’t quite compete with Sonos or Bose in terms of sound quality but then the Rukus Xtreme can be picked up for less money than the cheapest of both and has the massive benefit of being solar powered and tough.
soulracorp.com
Katadyn Gravity Camp 6L
£90
Carrying heavy and bulky drinking water is always a problem if camping somewhere off the grid. The alternative is boiling stream or lake water to purify it – but this still means lugging extra fuel. The option is to filter water. Whereas most filters rely on pumping water through a micro filter, you just fill the Katadyn Gravity Camp at the water source, hang it up, and help yourself to drinking water underneath. Filter lifetime is 1,500 litres, and flow rate 2 litres/min. It even has a shower adaptor.
Alpkit Hunka bivvy bag
£30
A bivvy bag is the must-have accessory for wild-camping, tent-shunning micro-adventurers and minimalist expedition leaders, as it converts your sleeping bag into a kip-anywhere shelter. Compact and lightweight at just 400g, the Hunka is small enough to be taken on any trip as an emergency survival bag but also tough enough to withstand roughing it off the beaten track.
Made with taped seams from waterproof 2.5 layer ripstop nylon, the Hunka will stop rain, dew and damp from coming in. It will also let some of the moisture generated by you out, as the fabric is fairly breathable. There is a stuff sack built into the foot of the bag, and dual draw cords which let you cinch the opening down to hole the size of your mouth.
alpkit.com
