October 9th, 2006
The AlpKit Indigo is a basic and cheap head torch – it sells direct from AlpKit for £5 including delivery.It has 4 LEDs, which can be used on 2 modes – 2 LEDS give 80h of use and 4 give 40h of use. It runs off 3*AAA batteries located in a holder at the back of the strap.
The quality is pretty good, its solid enough and if you tilt the head down full, the on off button cannot be activated, stopping this from accidental turn ons. Nothings broken or worn out, but only a year of abuse will tell the full story. The wieght with batteries is 113g – so its ideal to carry as a backup or just for peace of mind.
Performance is acceptable – not as good as a Petzl Tikka, but enough to walk by and certainly good enough for round camp. I have one in the car now for general use – at this price its a very good deal.
You can only buy this direct from AlpKit – here.
October 5th, 2006
The weather here in the UK is famous in its random nature, and as Autumn / Winter approches the forecast is even more important when planning a day out on the fells.
There are several weather services to use for getting your fix of weather info – here are our favourites:
MWIS
The Mountain Weather Information Service offer quite simply the best forecasts. These are the forecasts you always see in shops and campsite round the lakes, and they focus on the conditions on top of the fells – so wind, temp and visibility is quoted at 750m and they quote maximum values so you know waht you are up against. They are supplied in PDF, and easy to understand, with a detialed forecast for tomorrow issed at 4pm each day, plus shorter forecasts for the following 2 days and a note on the general trends.. Use these if they cover your area:
- The North West Highlands of Scotland
- The West Highlands of Scotland
- Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath
- The Southeastern Highlands of Scotland
- The Southern Uplands of Scotland
- The Cumbrian Fells
- The English Peak District
- The Snowdonia area of Wales
Head on over to MWIS. Please visit the sponsor sites as well, as this service is offered free and has been under threat before.
Metcheck
Metcheck offer a range of excellent forecasts tailored for various outdoor activites via the hobbies button. Mountainering forecasts should be of interest to Fell Walkers – covering areas like Crinke Crags. The forecasts again focus on the weather high up, with peak wind speeds etc etc. They also offer cycling forecasts, with a hand sweat rating and again exellent info on wind levels.
Visit Metcheck
The Beeb
A good fall back is the BBC – offering all the usual forecasts for towns accross the UK. The BBC can be a bit optimistic though – peak temps and average wind, and usually measured in the valleys.
Visit BBC Weather
As ever, drop us a comment if you know better.
October 4th, 2006
I’ve been chatting to one of my mates, and going allong with the walking, biking etc here is a cool website.
You pick somebody you know and challenge them in the space of a year to one in each
of the listed activities. Me thinks i’m going to challange Nige! The question is will he accept???
www.challenge365.net