WALK 1000 supplement

#WALK1000MILES2019
YOUR QUESTIONS
What sort of gear is fit for
1000 MILES?
The perfect kit to see you through the
greatest walking challenge on the planet…
I
t’s not about spending a huge amount on a lot
of kit. A few careful purchases will see you right
from Mile 1 to Mile 1000 – and well beyond!
Here are some great examples from oiour partner
brands. All of them are adaptable, reliable, and
approved by CW’s testers…
SCARPA
MISTRAL GTX BOOT ●● £145
Comfortable from the box, beautifully
engineered, tough enough for most of the
terrain you’ll ever meet, and – thanks to
its Gore-Tex membrane – thoroughly
waterproof yet still highly
breathable, this is the allrounder
boot that makes
ten miles fly by, and puts
1000 firmly in your reach.
www.scarpa.co.uk
FUJI X-A20 £299
Apart from the fitness and the feelgood, what you’re going to
want to take away most from this year is precious memories.
A Compact System Camera
brings you a much bigger,
better sensor than a
compact camera or phone,
in a smaller package than a
DSLR. Don’t miss a detail
– fire and don’t forget! (10%
discount on #w1k sign-up.)
shop.fujifilm.co.uk
ROHAN
ASCENT JACKET ●● £189
Dependable and adaptable, the
Ascent uses Rohan’s Barricade
waterproofing technology to keep
out wind and rain, a soft face fabric
to keep you cosy, and mesh interior
lining to manage your body heat
so you never get clammy. A superb
design that looks deceptively
simple. (15% Rohan discount on
#w1k sign-up.) www.rohan.co.uk
ROHAN
FORELAND TROUSERS ●£79
ROAMERS TROUSERS ● £69
These are among the best-selling walking
trousers in Britain, and it’s easy to see why.
They are packed with practical features but
keep most of them hidden in an elegant,
unfussy package that never looks too flashy
or athletic. Their tough, durable fabric holds
out the elements but also allows plenty of
stretch for energetic movement – and there
are handily-sized pockets in all the places
you really need them.
www.rohan.co.uk
BRIDGEDALE
HIKE MIDWEIGHT MERINO
COMFORT SOCKS ●● £18
Simply the best all-round hiking
sock we can recommend: tough,
supportive, breathable but soft, too.
If you need convincing as to the value
of proper walking socks, just wear
these for five miles and you’ll get it.
And thanks to its Lycra structure and
Thermo Fit production, it keeps its
shape for walk after walk after walk.
www.bridgedale.com
DEUTER
AIRLITE RUCKSACK
£68-£78
The perfect ‘daypack’ –
i.e. rucksack for everyday
walks. Carries all the essentials
(including a decent-size snack
box) and distributes the load
beautifully around your hips
and lower back, meaning
you can hardly feel it’s there.
Comes in different sizes: 14,
16, 20, 22, 26 and 28 litres, in
standard and slimline widths.
www.deutergb.co.uk
A FEW
SIMPLE RULES
LAYERING
Even in winter, it’s best not to place
your trust in just a big, warm jacket.
The perfect combination is: Baselayer:
a lightweight polyester or
merino wool shirt (not basic cotton,
which can’t deal with sweat)
to wear next-to-skin. Mid-layer:
a windproof fleece or soft shell
(polyester/polyurethane/elastaneblend
jacket) to keep you warm.
Outer layer: A waterproof or
insulated jacket to fend off
cold and/or wet weather.
LOAD CARRYING
Look for rucksacks that have a
hip-belt and a chest strap. These
will disperse the weight of your
load, while a concave back-system
will keep the load away from your
back, allowing air to circulate. And
don’t feel you need big, heavy
boots just for starting out; a
lightweight fabric pair will be more
flexible over a variety of terrains.
COMFORT
Try before you buy. Especially
when it comes to boots. Even if
you read a review that adores a
particular boot, you should always
try it to make sure it fits you, as
every foot is different. And always
wear your boots around the house
before you take them out. This
‘breaks them in’ and increases your
chances of a refund/exchange
if you discover they don’t quite
fit as well as you hoped.
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