Sam visited Mountain Warehouse’s sale to pick up some affordable essentials before a tricky double Munro hike up Bens Vane and Vorlich, starting at Arrochar and Tarbet station and finishing at Ardlui. Here are the results.
Pakka men’s waterproof jacket, £14.99
This item was £14.99 instore, but is £18.99 online (although the extra 20% off discount at the moment makes about the same difference).
Bought alongside the waterproof trousers in the same line, these were a does-what-it-says-on-the-tin buy, and kept me a lot drier than I was the previous weekend in a much more expensive jacket. I should note there is no thickness to them at all – they are just a waterproof layer, nothing more.
Worryingly, the stitching came loose pretty much all over the jacket throughout the day. Nothing looks like it will fall apart just yet, but this might say something about the longevity of these items. Seems like this might be a case of ‘you get what you pay for.’
I thought I’d feel quite silly wearing them as I passed people with expensive gear. When it rained and I was cocooned in my snug waterproof shell, though, all thoughts of fashion disappeared.
Score: 6/10
TL;DR: Did a wonderful job but I worry they will break before long.
Waterproof Backpack Cover, £5.99-£9.99
This was a miracle.
I was a little concerned that I wasn’t buying the right size here (there are four to choose from – I went for the medium) but it worked out in the end. There are four sizes available and the cover actually tightens a considerable amount, so is essentially adjustable anyway.
It was such a relief to not go into my bag to find soggy sandwiches like the previous weekend. The cover was also no hassle at all to take on and off when accessing the bag. It never came off of its own accord while I was walking, and it is even a lovely bright red to make me more visible should I need help.
The only minor downside was that the toggle used to adjust the size of the cover sits near the user’s lower back. It did take a little bit of experimentation to make sure it wasn’t uncomfortably digging into my back, but once that period was over I couldn’t fault this product. Packs up nice and small too.
Score: 9/10
TL;DR: Near-perfect product.
Classic waterproof gloves, £11.99
Again, a waterproof that does the job at hand (hand, gloves, get it?).
The gloves also seemed sturdier than the jacket and trousers. No stitching came loose, perhaps because they are advertised as “ripstop fabric.”
They kept my hands warm and dry as promised, and were a handy (I can’t be stopped) addition to my kit, especially when the heavens opened.
They can also be clipped together. I attached them to the outside of my bag with one of Mountain Warehouse’s little £1.49 karabiners where they remained safely all day.
Given the way the weather turned last weekend when I didn’t have any gloves with me, I certainly won’t be going anywhere without these babies to hand any time soon. (Alright, I’m done with the hand jokes.)
Score: 8/10
TL;DR: Handy addition to any walker’s kit.
Bonus review: compeed blister plasters, £4
Though I didn’t buy them from Mountain Warehouse, these little beauties were the best buy of the trip (and turned out to be very much waterproof).
A couple of days prior I had cut the back of my heel on a metal step at a swimming pool (don’t worry, no blood in the pool). It didn’t bother me until I put my walking boots on for this walk. On my quick shopping trip to pick up supplies for the day, I bought Compeed’s blister plasters.
A touch pricey at £4 a pack, they were fully worth the money. I was dubious that the see through little plaster would remain on my foot through all the chafing of my boot, or that it would be sturdy enough to stop the pain of the boot’s rubbing.
I shouldn’t have worried. Cut to 24 hours later and I had to put a fair bit of effort into peeling the thing off my foot. And during the walk I had completely forgotten about the nasty little cut.
Score: 10/10
TL;DR: Best buy of the day. Will take these everywhere from now on.
Unmanly Stanley 