In this bumper issue we reveal the Gear of the Year that will elevate the adventure on some of the world’s most epic long-distance treks.
Gear is never more important than on long-distance treks which lead you deeper into your own as-yet-unexplored high places. A pinching hipbelt or socks which turn threadbare too fast can break you on a big walk, becoming the sole focus mile after mile – and you don’t want to be replacing ailing bits of kit on your resupply stops, if you can help it!
So, in this issue dedicated to some epic journeys on foot, we are delighted to also announce the winners and commended brands and bits of kit in The Great Outdoors’ Gear of the Year Awards. It’s always a heart-wrenching moment to have to replace beloved bits of kit, and as we know, the consequences of constant consumerism impact the landscape we love. As always, durability is at the forefront of our hivemind here at TGO HQ. We are confident the winners of our Gear of the Year Awards – new innovations and trusted alike – will last as long as you on the trail.
Main image: Mount Assiniboine, the ‘Queen of the Canadian Rockies’ | Credit: Shutterstock
Highlights of this issue:
- The most experienced gear team in the UK reveals TGO’s Gear of the Year 2024
- John Fleetwood goes on a very English pilgrimage walking the length of the country
- Marek Bidwell explores some unfamiliar island territory on the Original Skye Trail
- Bethany ‘Fidgit’ Hughes of Her Odyssey recalls the seven-year epic across the Americas
- David Myers treks 1000-miles across two deserts of the Jordan River watershed
- Want to make your adventures more sustainable? Alex Roddie advises
- Right to Roam’s Nadia Shaikh asks what our new Labour government can do for nature
- Enjoy a walking weekend in Wales’ outdoor capital with guidance from Phillipa Cherryson
- Our experts map 10 beautiful bothy walks up and down Britain
PLUS: Jim Perrin paints a portrait of Beinn Dearg; honest and trusted reviews of the best trekking poles and sleeping mats; our reviews of new outdoor books to inspire; and encounter the myths, legends and communities of the Highlands thanks to storywalk leader Sarah Hobbs.
Read more:
Gear of the Year 2024: The Great Outdoors Gear Awards for 2024 honour over 30 superb products across 16 categories recognising the best outdoor equipment available, all thoroughly tested by our team of experienced expert gear testers in the hills and wild places from the Scottish Highlands to Dartmoor.
“Each year, our team does hundreds of hours of field testing in all weathers and seasons, across Britain and further afield. From this, we draw up a shortlist, which leads to more discussion and deliberation. Trust is key to the entire process: we only award in categories where we identify a clear candidate, and all our tests are conducted 100% independently. So, without further ado, we present The Great Outdoors pick of the crop for 2024 as well as our Ones to Watch for 2025. Dive into our selection of over 30 superb products in 16 categories across these awards which recognise the best outdoor equipment available, all thoroughly tested by our team of experienced expert gear testers in the hills and wild places from the Scottish Highlands to Dartmoor. We’ve also awarded brands pushing innovation and sustainability, brands that are driving forward the outdoor industry to better and more environmentally friendly products…”
A Very English Pilgrimage: Long distance adventurer John Fleetwood attempts a classic close to home… but with a twist of his own.
“Inland I entered another England, one of gentle, exquisite beauty. I found the Quantock Hills to be the equal of more celebrated places, the wide-open common land interspersed with avenues of ancient woodland, grazed by cattle and wild horses. In contrast, crossing the A38 and M5 was an assault on the senses. As a pedestrian, they appeared simply as alien channels of noise and pollution. The Glastonbury wetlands marked a slight return to tranquillity, forming havens of peace for the legions of birds and their human observers. The iconic town here was a site of pilgrimage long before the world-famous festival. Although there is an abbey, Buddhist centre and goddess temple, it is the tor topped by St. Michael’s Tower that draws the eye and compels a closer acquaintance. Despite the hustle and bustle, I found it a deeply spiritual place for reasons I can’t quite fathom…”
Skye Line: Marek Bidwell is enchanted on the misty Isle, backpacking the original Skye Trail
“I pulled myself onto the col and was rewarded with a small triangle of flat ground big enough to pitch on. A storm surged up the glen after dinner and I reinforced the guy ropes with heavy rocks, plugged my ears and retreated deep into my sleeping bag, feeling exposed as an ant on the east face of Everest. The wind shook the tent with increasing ferocity, its fabric rustling violently as raindrops mazed down the fly sheet. I counted the seconds between gusts, wondering if the next would rip my tent apart. Beneath me, bubbles stared upwards under the groundsheet like globules of trapped frogspawn or disembodied eyes. The transparent groundsheet held the wetness at bay, but not the cold, as my shelter slowly became more of a raft. Thrilled and terrified in equal measure, the constructs of civilisation seemed to peel away as the night wore on. After a long and fitful night, the darkness receded, replaced by a grey diffuse light. Somehow, the tent had held…”
An American Odyssey: Bethany Hughes had a dream to link Patagonia to the Arctic via the longest chain of mountains in the world. Her incredible journey took 7 years and over 18,000 miles
“Lauren and I landed in the capital of Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia, whose motto is ‘The End of the World; The Beginning of Everything.’ Over the ensuing seven years (including a two-year halt for COVID), we hiked, paddled, and bikepacked over 18,000 miles. Our route draped across the Andes and borders of South America, dependent on trail access, visas, natural disasters and socio-political factors. From the 54th parallel south, where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet, churning around the home waters of the Ona and Selk’nam peoples, we traversed the Magallanes Region into the Andes, from below sea level into glacier bound mountains. Our route connected Perrito Moreno Glacier, Fitz Roy and the Torres del Paine massif to Aconcagua and crossed National Parks, Mapuche, ranching and mining lands. After 5,000 miles we ascended through desert onto the Alta Puna via an abandoned rail line, colloquially referred to by the llama herding Cholitas as ‘la via’. It led across open, fenceless land belonging to the Aymara and Quichua peoples, and salt pans so flat and glaringly white that astronauts use them to calibrate sensors on board space stations…”
Between the Lines: In the winter of 2023, David Myers made a 1000-mile solo circuit of the Jordan river watershed. His journey took him through two deserts, three nations and opened his eyes to the human impacts of conflict in the region.
“I squatted next to Mohammad on the floor of his mountain hut, watching as this elderly shepherd etched lines with a stick into the ash covered concrete beneath. Rain hammered down on the tin roof while the room filled with smoke from the rickety wood burner beside us. Slowly, the lines took shape and formed a crude map of the region, centred around the Jordan River. He pointed to a place just west of the river and then tapped his chest. This simple gesture showed me where he was from. Now, I traced the outline of my intended route on the floor. My finger drew a line through Jordan, across into Israel and then through the West Bank. He looked at me wistfully. Despite the unhealthy amount of smoke stinging our eyes, I realised his tears were real. They told me everything that my limited Arabic could not – he longed for his homeland but could never go back…”
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