**Reviews

Rambling show time

If you want the full run down of revolutionary
rucksacks, marvellous anorak membranes and wondrous walking boots
then you’d best head for over to our slower moving bipedal chums at
OutdoorsMagic.com
but here’s a few interesting* things we found at the Harrogate
Go-Outdoors show this week.

Bald headed saviours Buff were there with
an even more expanded range of cranium caring spandex,
including Polar Buffs with fleecey bits, Baby Buffs for
under-insulated infants and even Bikini Buffs for the sun
lovin’ ladies. With 100’s of uses, if you haven’t got one
you need one, simple as that.

The copious alcohol, popcorn, chilled music and comedy Phat
cruiser had nothing to do with our frequent fly pasts of
course.

Garmin’s
new GPS V gives full global satellite positioning
information as well as downloadable map capability, and
handy route finder selection. Road maps rather than
singletrack spreadsheets make it more of an urban unit at
present though.

Motorola’s
Talkabout radios get slimmer, lighter and cuter for those
who keep getting lost or leaving everyone behind. They’re
rapidly becoming an essential for 24 hour racing as
well.

Platypus have expanded the range of bags
to go with their bombproof plastic bladders. Lots more
features and less basic shapes than last year make them a
worthy challenger to Camelbak’s long undisputed
crown.

Little compass’s on see thru leaf shapes
are the tip of Silva’s
massive magnetic navigation product iceberg. Barometric
watches, altimeters and all sorts of cunning Scandinavian
orienteering devices were on show from them and
Suunto.

We’ve haven’t seen them around for years,
but Ultimate
hydration systems make a welcome return to the UK. With roll
top bladders featuring internal anti slop baffles, and some
excellent bag and harness systems to keep them in, we’re
looking forward to getting some test samples shortly.

*Well OK not actually very interesting but
slightly more invigorating than yet another stand of a thousand
fleeces.