This month, Craghoppers ambassador and expedition leader, David Love, delves into the adventures he’s taken his Discovery Adventures kit on, and the best kit to take with you dependent on where you’re headed.
When it comes to adventuring, space is always at a premium. Yet having all the right gear with you means you can concentrate on the task in hand and continue to push the boundaries in the knowledge that your kit won’t give up before your legs do. However, there will always be a limit to how much you can carry before you start to compromise safety for speed. So if you intend on packing smart, you’ll need adventure kit that really packs a punch.
For my own adventures, I spend most of my time in the mountains of the UK and European Alps. But I also do a wide range of other adventure activities from desert and jungle treks to sea kayaking expeditions. Buying kit for each activity can become an expensive hobby. So I’m always on the hunt for the most versatile kit out there, which performs well across a wide range of conditions, to make up the core of my packing list.
On my most recent expedition in the Transylvanian Alps, I had the opportunity to push the new Craghoppers Discovery Adventures range to its absolute limits while making a solo winter ascent of the highest mountain in Romania. For three days I was continually battered by 35mph winds in sub-zero temperatures. The extreme snowfall above 2000m had also resulted in a 20-foot snow drift covering the emergency shelter where I had planned to stay, meaning I was left with no other option than to spend several nights in an unplanned snow hole. Due of the remoteness of the mountain range, the kit I had chosen to take with me would quite literally mean the difference between life and death if things went wrong.
Thankfully, Craghoppers have clearly spent a lot of time and effort designing their new technical range and I was surprised at how well it performed in such extreme conditions. The ‘down-like’ filling of the Discovery Adventures Climaplus Jacket far exceeded the performance of any other mid-weight synthetic jacket I have worn to date, as well a number of natural down filled jackets from more technical brands. The synthetic filling also gives the added benefit of remaining warm when wet, unlike down, which is a constant concern when venturing out in temperate European conditions.
Since Romania, I have used the Full Zip Fleece during Scottish Winter climbing trip, winter walking in the Brecon Beacons and a North-South crossing of Dartmoor in the scorching heat. On every occasion, it has surpassed my expectation for what in essence is quite a simple bit of kit. I also wear it around the house a bit too!
I’m certainly looking forward to my next round of adventures with the Craghoppers Discovery Adventures range and pushing it much higher and further than before!
Find out more about David Love here, and don’t forget to hashtag #MyCraghoppers to show us what adventures you’ve taken your kit on recently!