- Equipment

The hiking gear

CLOTHES

Shoes

I have a few pairs of different shoes/boots but I have two 'go-to' pieces of footwear. The lightweight and thick sole of the Hoka One one Speedgoat 2 trail running shoe makes this my choice for most comfortable over longer distances. I bought these as I had heard people mention them and, at the time, had been walking 100km non-stop distances where my feet would really suffer on the soles. I wore the Hoka straight out of the box and walked from London to Brighton non-stop, bagging my fastest 100 km distance time in the process.

However, I have also been really pleasantly surprised by the Karrimor Cheviot Weathertite Extreme hiking boot. Prior to buying these I had researched many hiking boots and paid crazy prices for lightweight man-made fibrous trail/hiking boots only to be disappointed with performance. I decided to give these Karrimor a go because a hiking buddy had told me of the virtues of having leather boots. A good leather upper will mold to your foot and, if cared for properly, will remain supple and weather tight. I'm on my 2nd pair which I have only had to replace because the sole wore out on the others.

NOTE: Even though I swear by my Karrimors there have been instances where the heel of one of my feet have blistered but I think that could be due to socks and my differing feet size!

If I were to offer advice in this area it would be to find something that works for you. Everyone's feet are slightly different and only you will know what works but don't just look at price or discount any that seem 'cheap'. They could be the very thing for you. Comfort is what you are aiming for.

Karrimor Cheviot WTX

Hoka One one Speedgoat 2

Socks

As stated in the Shoes section - socks play a part in feet comfort. I used to use twin skin socks and still occasionally do but on very long walks your feet will heat up, expand, and rub. The thing to find out for yourself is what foot is bigger than the other (we all have slightly different sized feet) and adapt your sock configuration to suit. For example, the last 100 km walk I did I wore 2 socks on one foot and only 1 sock on the other. This padded my smaller foot out to stop it moving in the boot. The types of socks I use used to be twin skins only but I have been known to use long socks from the likes of next and double them up (creating the 'twin skin") but it is whatever works for you. Don't be afraid to mix things up, do make regular stops/pauses on your walk to restrict how much your feet are heating up, do attend to 'hot spots' on your feet because that hotspot is likely going to turn into a blister and blisters are a show stopper! Removing your boots/socks when you stop for a break is a good idea.

Trousers

NOT JEANS! Anything lightweight like Rohan or Craghoppers. I use Rohan Trailblazers Convertible which are slightly elasticated, have a soft waistband, and have removable lower leg to convert into shorts (beware the ticks if using as shorts!) I don't think they make these anymore but they will do something similar. They seem expensive but they are very rugged and should last a long time and many many miles.

I have waterproof overtrousers made by Paramo which are lightweight, warm, have lots of zips and access panels, and are of course water RESISTANT (not waterproof). They keep a lot of wet weather off and are superb in cold conditions. Like wearing a duvet!

I have what I refer to as my summer waterproof overtrousers made by Berghaus. Lightweight but less quilted than the Paramo overtrousers

Underwear/chafing

Any comfortable boxer shorts but also I swear by lycra shorts for longer treks as chafing for me is a problem. Chafing is a bit like blisters - it can be a show-stopper and not in a good way! On that subject I use powerglide on areas that I know rub to limit the possibility of rubbing.

Tops

Any wicking top is good but I have some t-shirts made by Icebreaker that have served me well although their availability and quality in recent years seems to have declined. You can wear any t-shirt but just know that you will get hot, you will sweat. If that sweat doesn't wick away then your comfort level goes down and you are aiming for optimal comfort when walking.

I use a base layer when going on very long walks. This stops any chafing. Again, chafing is horrible and can ruin a walk.

I have a Rab waterproof shell type jacket which I only use for wet weather and if I do use it I need to wear an absorbent layer underneath since I sweat profusely in it. I also have to slow my pace down when wearing it to limit the sweating.

A paramo lightweight jacket which is weather resistant. I use it more as a windbreaker jacket. If used in conjunction with the Rab waterproof I have a good system that keeps me mostly dry but very warm.

Head

My awesome Berghaus wide brimmed hat. Others hate it. I love it. It has been with me from one end of the country to the other and now I'm taking it across the country. Great in most weather conditions. What is not to like?

In the winter I also have a few woolly hats

Clothing Summary

Layer up! Don't fall foul of seeing the expensive gear and opting for that because you've seen a social media post on it. Try things on, see what is comfortable. Work out what you want the piece of clothing to do rather than what it looks like. The clothing should be seen as a utility piece rather than fashion statement. No one cares what you look like on the trail... unless they're Instagramming of course!

Backpacks

It depends what type of walk I am going on as to which backpack I use but essential I have a small, medium, and large backpacks. 

Small

The small backpack I use is a Berghaus 20L Freeflow. I tried to find a replacement for this as mine is coming to end of life after 15 years but I have struggled to find a like-for-like replacement. This video is an overview of it. I use this for any day-hike. It can easily hold my camera equipment, a rain jacket, snacks, etc. This bag does not have a waistband. Well, it does but the bag is not big enough for the waist strap to be worn on the waist. It is more of a tummy band. I never use the waist strap because it rides too high.

Medium

My medium sized bag is an Osprey Stratos 36. I love the Osprey range and used an Osprey for my Lands End to John O'Groats walk. It was fantastic. Very comfortable and just the right size for what I needed. The best thing for me regarding this bag is the little waistband pockets. To have those pockets upfront and center when walking is superb. It is surprising what they can hold. It may seem like a silly detail but it honestly is a vast quality of life improvement over those bags which do not have them. This is my go-to bag for multi-day walks or very long (50km+) walks. If I were going to get one bag it would be this. The only drawback is it creaks! I have no idea why but I have seen other YouTubers with the same issue. It doesn't bother me but can occasionally become an earworm!

Large

The large bag is only slightly larger than the medium. It is the Berghaus 35+8 (freeflow). A good all-rounder with external zip and mesh pockets, a separator inside that can zip closed to create a segregated compartment at the base of the bag. I use this for dirty laundry. The shoulder strap section can be moved to accommodate a wide range of back sizes so whether you are tall or short or anywhere in between I suspect this bag would fit. I would use this if going on holiday for example. The extra external pockets are surprisingly spacious, I just wish it had those little pockets on the waistband.

All backpacks have a H2O system and base pocket for stowing a rain cover. They all have freeflow technology that allows air to circulate between you and the bag. This vastly reduces sweating. They also all have external pockets and loops/velcro to carry poles. 

The camera gear

I'll stick to my YouTubing gear rather than list all photography gear that I might use. These items allow me to record the video footage seen on the accompanying YouTube channel.

Camera

I currently use the GoPro Hero 8 with the media case. The media case allows me to plug in a power source and microphone. Although the media case has built-in front & back facing microphones, I don't rate them. I love the built-in stabiliser that the Hero 8 has although if you move across a panoramic shot quickly it tries to 'catch-up' and the shot can seem to jump. To stop this simply turn the stabilizer off. Simples! The GoPro is good but has a number of temperamental issues which are all resolved by removing the battery. Essentially turning it off and back on again!

Sellotaped to the top is a tiny spirit level to help me keep the camera level 

Microphone

I use the Purple Panda Lavalier microphone. I had issues to begin with when using it with a GoPro because the Purple Panda mic set is a dual mic set so you HAVE to use the short cable that it comes with which allows 3 channel cables to work with the GoPro 2 channel socket. I've been really happy with the external microphone.

Power pack

I have found the Anker PowerCore 20,000 mAh has been superb. It has 2x USB charging ports which allow me to charge my phone and camera on the go. It gives me great piece of mind knowing I can recharge my phone from empty a number of times which is essentially days and days worth of power.

Phone

I'm currently using a Google Pixel 5. I have been really impressed with it although the Pixel 6 offers more in the way of photography if that was what draws you to a phone. Having said that, the Pixel 5 camera is brilliant, it just doesn't have some of the features (magic eraser for example) that the 6 offers.