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1 month ago | 
thegreatoutdoorsmag.com | David Lintern
The Sea to Summit Ultralight is a summer rated air mat that dispenses with the baffles found in many competitors, in favour of a waffle system of semi-independent ‘cells’. For me, this is a summer specialist, and even then, perhaps best paired with a CCF mat for insurance on longer trips.
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1 month ago | 
thegreatoutdoorsmag.com | David Lintern
The Exped R1 is a summer rated air mat with longitudinal baffles that’s proven to be a great size for overall usability and comfort. It’s a good warmer weather all-rounder, especially if you prefer to sleep with your arms at your side.
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1 month ago | 
msn.com | David Lintern
Microsoft Cares About Your PrivacyMicrosoft and our third-party vendors use cookies to store and access information such as unique IDs to deliver, maintain and improve our services and ads. If you agree, MSN and Microsoft Bing will personalise the content and ads that you see. You can select ‘I Accept’ to consent to these uses or click on ‘Manage preferences’ to review your options and exercise your right to object to Legitimate Interest where used.
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1 month ago | 
thegreatoutdoorsmag.com | David Lintern
I have to say I’m impressed by the Exped Dura 5R. I think it’s the first 2 person, all season sleeping mat I’ve used that is also small and light enough to backpack with (providing you are friendly with your adventure partners). This mat is a decent weight for its warmth and comfort, and yet still packs down impressively small.
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1 month ago | 
msn.com | David Lintern
Microsoft Cares About Your PrivacyMicrosoft and our third-party vendors use cookies to store and access information such as unique IDs to deliver, maintain and improve our services and ads. If you agree, MSN and Microsoft Bing will personalise the content and ads that you see. You can select ‘I Accept’ to consent to these uses or click on ‘Manage preferences’ to review your options and exercise your right to object to Legitimate Interest where used.
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1 month ago | 
thegreatoutdoorsmag.com | David Lintern
Main image: Charlie Ramsay at home | Credit: David LinternCharlie Ramsay, perhaps best known for creating the classic 24-hour Scottish mountain marathon which bore his name, died peacefully and at home in February 2025 at the age of 81, after a short illness. Charlie was an all-rounder – a keen time trials cyclist and swimmer who would escape the chlorinated atmosphere of his work at Edinburgh Commonwealth pool by running up Arthur’s Seat in his lunch hour.
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Jan 7, 2025 | 
thegreatoutdoorsmag.com | David Lintern
The new version of the Highlander Munro hardshell has me a little confused – why does some other outdoor gear cost quite so much? The fabric of choice here is a 3-layer PROT3X, which is PFC (fluorocarbon) free and promises a respectable hydrostatic head of 20,000mm. It’s a heavyweight fabric with some stiffness and taped seams all round best suited to colder and harsher weather, but soft to the touch and comfortable to wear. The feature set is frankly bewildering for a jacket at this price point.
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Sep 11, 2024 | 
theguardian.com | David Lintern
I first learned about the Écrins national park in relation to a specific nature reserve within it. The réserve intégrale du Lauvitel was established in 1995 to “monitor the natural dynamics of ecosystems” with all human influence removed. This so-called wilderness area was one of the first of its kind in Europe. A video showed an ecologist rowing across a dazzling, teal-hued lake surrounded by pine-strewn peaks. I was immediately fascinated.
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Jul 29, 2024 | 
thegreatoutdoorsmag.com | David Lintern
Midge Specs are a new, improved version of a product from a few years ago that was quickly discontinued. Photographer and climber Tim Parkin wanted better visibility while doing the things he loves, without being eaten by the bugs in the summer months.
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Jul 29, 2024 | 
thegreatoutdoorsmag.com | David Lintern
Where outdoor ‘gadgets’ are concerned, I favour simplicity and lean towards scepticism, but the Flextail Zero Pump has me second guessing my Luddism. Previous air pumps I’ve tried have been heavy, bulky, energy inefficient or just not that effective. The Zero is small, lightweight, powered by a rechargeable, removable (and replaceable) USB-c battery… and best of all, it works!The flextail Zero is tiny, weighs very little and saves a good deal of effort, especially with higher volume mats.
