Wimbledon 2014 - New Chalk Balls Please

Sports fans rejoice! We now have the World Cup to enjoy as well as Wimbledon 2014! Nearly a year on from Andy Murray lifting the title, can he duplicate the same feat all over again? There's a case to be argued that he goes into the tournament with even more pressure on his shoulders than last time out. With England being condemned to an early exit by Costa Rica beating the Italians (but mostly by themselves) he might well be carrying the hopes and dreams of British silverware this Summer! And with new coach Amelie Mauresmo, who knows what he could achieve.

All the hubbub around Wimbledon got us thinking. What if you fancied a game of tennis but didn't have the correct apparel, but you DID have access to some outdoor gear. What could you use to set up a tennis match? We we're thinking maybe a mosquito net along with an ice shovel for racket replacements and a chalk ball as the tennis ball replacement, what do you think?

Marathon Training Secrets

You may remember at the beginning of last month our write up of the GoMakeItHappen charity event held at the Harpenden Halls. The night itself was all about kick starting the charity creating a platform to progress from. Now we've danced into the new year, we're now brainstorming other ideas to keep the charities momentum going.

One idea that caught all of our attention was to give the Great North Run a go this September. Out of the group that organised the charity event, none of us have ever run more than 5km at a time, so not only would it be for a great cause, it'd be a heck of a challenge as well! Realistically if we were to go ahead with it, training would need to start asap, especially when you think about all those extra Christmas pounds we'd need to work off! We'd have to get our names in the ballot fairly sharpish too.

With that in mind, we thought we'd need all the help we could get! So courtesy of Octobers issue of Outdoors Fitness Magazine, here's some marathon tips from Olympic Silver medalist Steve Cram!


Variety - "The big mistake people make is always to run at the same pace. Elite athletes inject real variety into their training. Mix long runs with slow recovery sessions, and put in quicker runs, interval sessions and hill work to develop overall fitness."

Cross-Training - "I've got war wounds from my years as a runner, so I use my mountain bike to avoid niggles that might turn into injuries. It doesn't stress my body but still provides me with a good cardio workout."

Nutrition - "People get too wound up about nutrition. Simply think of it like putting petrol into a car. You wouldn't put the wrong fuel in, nor go for a drive with the tank empty, so why do that when you want your body to perform?"

Planning - "In a good marathon, your first half should be very comfortable and your second half allow you to pick up the pace. Elite runners aim for negative splits, where you get faster during the race. A lot of people don't understand why they crashed in the second half of a marathon. They almost always went off too fast and didn't save enough for the second half."

Run Everywhere - "I travel a lot, and always pack running shoes, it's a great way to see a city. Running is a great stress reliever and even 20 minutes keeps that consistency in my training. It makes a massive difference for me."

Stargazing for Beginners at Ennerdale

We've all been out on the hills during the day and looked up at the vast expanse of sky above us, but have you ever wondered what it looks like at night? Away from the hustle and bustle of urban lights? Well now you can!

Organised by the Friends of the Lake District, "Stargazing for Beginners" is coming to Ennerdale on Monday 17th October. Hosted by Stuart Atkinson from Kendal's Eddington Astronomical Society, the talk is all about what can be seen at night, when it can be seen and how you can see the stars. Stuart will also delve into how light pollution is affecting our ability to see stars that otherwise we should be able to see.


Obviously as our population grows, the need for housing increases which means the expantion of already existing settlements and the creation of new ones, which all adds to the problem of light pollution. In a campaign directed by Protect Rural England (CPRE) it was found that people living with light pollution has increased from 54% in 2007 to 59% in 2011. I think a lot of people accept that it doesn't always neccasarily affect our day to day mindset or routine, but when you actually go out into the country, look up and find yourself able to see everything up there, part of you does wish that the problem of light pollution wasn't so widespread.

If you fancy a fun and informative view of the mysterious sky above the meeting point for the talk is Bowness Car Park at 6.30pm.

Outdoorkit on Google+

We are now officially up and running on Google+. Bare with us mind, like all new things it takes a while to get used to!

Like with our Facebook and Twitter pages, we'll be bringing up to date news on all things Outdoorkit and all things outdoors! Plus we've got reviews and previews from all your favourite outdoor brands.

Helvellyn clear up a huge success

Last week saw 120 volunteers and 50 school children descend on the Helvellyn area to help with a major clear up of the slopes. 10.5km of footpath were cleaned, 25 metres of dry stone wall was rebuilt and school children from Patterdale and Yanwath helped build a red squirrel hide and learned about water and conservation, so fingers crossed the Lake District will be in safe hands in the coming years!



The Event 'Fell Care Day' was organised by the Friend's of the Lake District's 'Flora of the Fells' project and was used to highlight the massive role that volunteers play in helping to conserve and manage the fells. Over 20 other organisations took part and cakes were donated by local cafes and shops to keep the volunteers energies up.

The entire clean up produced 14 full bags of rubbish from the area, pointing to the fact that unfortunately there are still walkers that choose to deposit their rubbish in an untoward fashion. It comes down to laziness a lot of the time, with walkers (only a small percentage though I hope) choosing to simply discard what is not needed on the floor rather than take a little bit more time to find a bin or just as easily stick it in their pack and throw away or recycle it at home. But thanks to all the volunteers who took part, the slopes and surrounding area of Helvellyn are clean and gleaming once more!


Days like this are invaluble for conserving some of the most beautiful hills and mountains in the country and without them we just simply wouldn't be able to enjoy places like the Lake District and Peaks like we do.

Yorkshire Dales Walking Festival Proves To Be A Roaring Success

Walkers from across Yorkshire and Lancashire are coming together to participate in the inaugural Yorkshire Dales Walking Festival. It's all going to be kicking off from Settle and the surrounding dales.

The festival is the latest addition to the events calendar of the Jane Tomlinson Appeal which so far has raised over £2.6million for children's and cancer charities.

More than 2,200 places have been sold for the walking festival itself with the event now being confirmed as officially sold out.

Even Northern Rail are helping out by laying on specialist trains for participants going to and from Settle, with proceeds being donated to the appeal. It might be a sell out, but you can still get involved. Organisers are looking for volunteers to assist them at checkpoints along the course and at the start and finish.

If you want to get involved, email volunteer@walkforall.com.

Write a review and you could be quid's in!

Starting this week, if you submit a product review you could be in with a chance of winning a £25 voucher! The more detailed and insightful the review, the more the chance you have of winning!

So if you've already bought something from us and want to give your thoughts on the product, get your reviews in and you might be able to extend your outdoors collection further! All you have to do is find the product of your choice, scroll down to where it says 'Write a review' and it's all systems go!

Top Ten UK Walks

Stuck for somewhere to go or looking for a new challenge? If so, it might be well worth checking out Lonely Planets Top Ten UK Walks!

Extreme Ironing!

A bit of randomness for a Friday morning, have YOU ever tried extreme ironing? I'm thinking this could really take off, the Olympic Commitee will come calling any minute now! It's a test of a steady hand, poise and of course being able to take the heat.

It's certainly not an easy undertaking, but the guys from the Dundee Mountain Club have taken to it like milk to a bowl of cheerios.

The possibilities really are endless when it comes to extreme ironing, as this video shows!

A Jog In The Dark

The ever informative OutdoorsMagic Monday tip! This week it's how to avoid the heat.

I know everyone's different, but I'm certainly more inclined to jog into the evening rather than get up at the crack of dawn. Although in saying that I don't really ever jog outside anymore ever since joining the gym! If there was somewhere nearby and a bit more scenic (like in the picture shown on OutdoorsMagic and below) then I'd definitely get out there, sadly where I'm living at the moment, it's somewhat lacking in areas of natural beauty.

A Sunday Well Spent

I mentioned last week about getting my hands on a Coleman Standard Sling Chair and I must say it was put to pretty good use yesterday afternoon! I'm fairly certain it'll be back in use when I get in from work as well by the looks of this scorching weather!

Theres nothing like sitting in the back garden on a sunday with a decent book, Bill Bryson's "A Walk In The Woods (all about the Appalachian Trail, very apt). Plus I never seem to be without company out there as next door's cat seems to think our garden is his garden, we don't mind though.Enjoy the sunshine!

Deuce

Wahey, Wimbledon is now underway! I'll openly admit I'm one of those people who rarely (never) watches tennis apart from when Wimbledon graces our screen. There's nothing more relaxing than getting in from work and watching a bit of the tennis. I think it's partly because it's one of those events thats continous, so if theres a complete lack of anything on television, there's always Wimbledon to fall back on!


Plus I guess theres a small bit of interest when theres Andy Murray playing on home (ish) soil. Good to see him do well, but you know if he loses the papers instantaneously refer to him as Scottish, but when he wins he's suddenly British! Ah well, all good fun!

That Lisicki vs Li was a gooden last night too, found myself routing for the German after struggling through the past couple of season with an injury, good on her!

On a slightly different note, I've now got myself a Coleman Standard Sling Chair, not really had the weather to make good use of it quite yet, but if the sun decides to stay out, it's going to get plenty of use out on the patio for a BBQ or two! It's pretty damn comfy, plus it has two, yes two drinks holders. Or you can mix and match, have one to put your drink in and use the other, which is perfectly sized, for a tin of jaffa cakes. What more can you ask for!

Coleman Camping Accessories

Now everyone likes to splurge on the big things you need to make the perfect trip, tents, sleeping bags etc. But sometimes it's the smaller things in life that give us that little bit of extra comfort and enjoyment, to make your camping or fishing trip just that much better.

So heres a couple of Coleman accessories that do just that.

The Coleman Sling Chair isn't just any old chair, no...it's an Ergonomically Designed chair. (Definitely didn't steal that line from a well known advertising campaign by a company that might or might not rhyme with flarks % hencers). It's inclined position helps to support the back and neck, which is always welcome if sitting down for a prolonged period of time. The Sling has been made with 600D Polyester Oxford material so you can be assured of its durability. It's curved armrests match the contours of your body, which again just gives that extra bit of comfort we're al looking for. It's pretty much ideal for any camping trip and especially fishing expeditions.The second item in our delve into Coleman accessories is the Mini Camp Table. Coleman's description is spot on. "Perfect for the ultimate dinner for two at the campsite, this compact table is multi-featured for convenience, it includes a mesh stow shelf for essentials, in addition to adjustable height legs for uneven terrain. This durable aluminium frame table packs down compactly for transportation." It features adjustable legs, a mesh storage shelf underneath and carry handles. Sorted.
And who can resist a good pillow? Sit back and rest your head on the Coleman Fold 'N' Go Pillow. It's name says it all really, it can go wherever you go, on the campsite, in the car or in the back garden. It's a large, incredibly comfortable pillow that conveniently packs into itself for compact storage.

Reverse Running

We've just spotted an amazing sport to get involved in, Reverse Running anyone?

Looks like theres plenty of events to sign up for, we might have to give it a try one day, although I dare say at least one of us would end up splat on their behind!

Aparently there are benefits to going backwards as the website points out...

"Reverse running is the sport of running backwards and is also known around the world as Retro Running and Backward Running. It is a 'Super Exercise' with innumerable benefits to the body and mind, such as reducing the risk of injury & creating a stronger more balanced lower body. If running forwards isn’t your forte, maybe going backwards is.Our ethos at Reverse Running is to popularise the sport in the UK, get people enjoying exercise and improving their health and well-being."

Earphones that don't fall out...Yes please!

A set of earphones that lock into your ears? Intriquing Mr Bond, very intriquing indeed...

Intriquing yes and very much real, as this article Gear Junkie shows! I've never been able to run while listening to music, just because the constant up and doing movements dislodge the earphones every 5 seconds, very annoying and you miss half of the music! So a set of earphones that actually 'lock' and squeeze into your ears could be the perfect solution. Only downer in my opinion is that they cost $49.99, which is still around £30! I can't say I've ever spend over a tenner on headphones/earphones simply because they never last, or I loose them too easily. Perhaps if I tried shelling out a bit more I might see and feel the benefits?

Anyway, those 'Yurbuds' are certainly worth a mulling over (although I can't find them stocked anyway in the U.K. at the moment). But when and if they are, they might finally let me bring a bit of melody to my running!

NASA And The Big Bite Valve

Now this really is awesome. Camelbak's very own Big Bite Valve has been integrated into the drinks bags of NASA's spacesuits!


I've had my own Camelbak Better Bottle for over 2 months now and I can totally understand why NASA have plumped for the Big Bite Valve technology. It's self sealed, so it doesn't just randomly leak when your not looking, plus it seems virtually indestructable. I've used mine every day since I bought it and there's no teeth marks or sign of wear whatsoever!

Football and BBQ's - The Perfect Match

Today is the day when virtually the entire city of Manchester decamps for a visit to the capital and more importantly Wembley. So obviously today would be the day the M1 closes between junction 1-4 going both ways. Hopefully it'll be all sorted by tomorrow, when the London Marathon takes centre stage.

As for the 'big' match. I'll go for a 2-0 win for United, although it doesn't matter either way to be honest, as I'll be giving all my attention to the much bigger match in the Blue Square Premier as Luton take on Mansfield at Field Mill.

Anyway, off the topic of football. We've had another replenishment of Coleman and Campingaz Camping gear in this week, with a few new additions to the range! If your a BBQ fan, then it's definitely worth your time checking out the Campingaz 3-In-1 Grill and the Chef Plus Cooker!

Bits and Bobs

We do currently have some very nifty Suunto Compasses in stock, we're not stocking their watches at this particular moment in time, but we can never say never. Still, have a look at the Suunto 'Everest' Watch, it's one heck of a time keeper, and much, much more!

In other news, a certain Ms Scarlett Johansson has been spotted wearing Vibram Fivefinger Bikila's, the only downer is that we don't stock that eccentric pink colour, we do however have one more pair in stock in Silver/Green, and we're due in Sky Blue/Grey in the next couple of weeks!
And a closer (ish) look at those Bikila's...


You know Barefooting's taking off when 'A' list celebs start wearing them. Not sure I'd be too bothered if say, Duncan from Blue started wearing them...But good luck in Eurovision lads...ahem.

Craghoppers NosiLife!

If your planning an exotic trip and are slightly concerned about being attacked by those nasty Mosquito's, it's well worth your while checking out Craghoppers NosiLife range of clothing.



But don't let me convince you about NosiLife's performance, here's Craghoppers themselves...

"We've found a way to permanently lock our insect repellent treatment into fabrics that can be built into our versatile Craghoppers outdoor clothing. Our NosiLife range is antibacterial, permanently protective and crucially lightweight.

NosiLife by Craghoppers has an extensive variety of styles and a fresh palette of colours that you will love. Now you can cover up in any climate and know it's fit to last a lifetime of wear.

Protect yourself in NosiLife by Craghoppers, our built-in insect-repellent treatment is in our tops and shirts, trousers, jackets and a range of accessories that includes socks, scarves and hats."

I'm convinced!