Meindl Burma Lady Pro MFS

Many many years ago I found the best boots in the world.

At the time they set me back the princely sum of £154, well, they should have. I was fortunate enough at the time to be working in a Blacks store whilst at university and with my discount they cost around £120.
Absolutely well worth every penny, I don’t even remember having to wear them in. Straight into my DofE (Duke of Edinburgh Award) Gold expedition and then a few expeditions for other Bronze, Silver and Gold expeditions.
Unfortunately whilst I was doing a Wilderness First Aid Course someone thought they would be helpful and dry my boots out for me after the river rescue session – next to the fire. Right next to the fire. Cue slightly shrunken boots which for my flipper feet is not good (I’m not even a good swimmer!!?)

No matter, thinner socks exist and worked for me beautifully, right up until two friends of mine said “Snowdonia in January, coming?”.

I still have all my toes, it just didn’t feel like it at the time.

So, new boots needed, I saved up to buy my replacements.

But! Alas!

The Burma Pro had been discontinued, replaced by the Meindl Bhutan. And they just didn’t fit me as well and so I resisted buying them – again and again.

Still, I wanted to find my perfect boots again. Meindl assured me that the fit of the Bhutan was exactly the same as the Burma Pro but my feet just wouldn’t believe it.

I tried many different brands and styles, the Salomon Quest 4D GTX for example(I am a serious Salomon supporter); beautifully comfortable, really supportive on the ankle, fully waterproof, but the traction just doesn’t compare. Clambering down a route I have done many many times before – with others who have slipped – the Salomons suddenly slid out from under me and I tumbled. Dusty, breathless and with adrenaline coursing through my veins I was somewhat thankful for the rucksack on my back that both caught my fall and stopped me rolling off the ledge.

The secret to Meindl’s amazing grip? Research, they searched high and low, they spoke to the experts. The experts being Ibex.
The Ibex, sure footed and seemingly able to defy gravity with their ability to not just climb but happily stand on near vertical surfaces. So Meindl included the Ibex “hoof technology” in their Multigrip sole.

underside of Meindl boot with zoomed in sole section — Vibram Multigrip Sole

After having gravity defying grip, it’s hard to tolerate anything else.
But, I found some!! I am the proud owner of a brand spanking new pair of Meindl Burma Pro Lady GTX boots.

February 10, 2018February 11, 2018

Mooncup – Sanitary Product

Ceaseless.

The one word to describe student season as a volunteer coordinator.

Overwhelming is perhaps another. New face after new face, name after name, a barrage of allergy and medical records to remember, months spent wading through risk assessments.

Day after day, month after month, on the road living out of a backpack many miles from civilisation.

Amazing

Exciting

Unforgettable

So many exciting memories and yet the main thing people ask me about…

…(apologies to the squeamish among you reading this)…

…my period.

“How did you last 5/6 months without shopping?! Half of your backpack must have been sanitary towels / tampons?”

“How did you dispose of your *things*?”

“Wasn’t it embarassing sharing accommodation with guys during your period?”

“How did you hide your used *things*? Were there proper bins?”

To sum up, I packed maybe one pack of tampons and pads and gave them all to various volunteers. I always carry tampons in my first aid kit anyway but not for monthly use. I never had anything solid to dispose of and half of the guys I travelled with didn’t know, and the others couldn’t care either way as long as I had access to sugar and thus didn’t attack them…

How was it so easy?

The Mooncup

My most important travel companion. Essentially the mooncup is a medical grade flexible silicone “cup” that you wear internally instead of a tampon.

100% reusable, easy to clean, easy to change, easy to use.

Discreet (takes a bit of thoughtful planning the first time for finger cleaning… undo the water bottle lid first!)

Bizarrely I found I had less cramps as well – it truly is the gift that keeps on giving! Psychosomatic? I did wonder but others I have spoken to found the same to be true for them.

I love the convenience – Have an inkling that your period is going to start – because lets face it who really knows what day!? – Just pop in the cup. If it does start, great you are prepared, if it doesn’t no harm done.
“Why not just use pads for those uncertainty days?” I HATE pads, I find they crinkle up and chafe. Especially in 40+C humid temps, pads and hiking are certainly not friends!

Reusable means you don’t have to keep buying either, so it saves you money in a much shorter time than you would think.

But most importantly.

No landfill.

I know reusable pads are now increasing in popularity, but for me the moon cup is still top of my list.

June 21, 2010October 31, 2018

Superfeet insoles – not just for your feet.

Please people, take better care of your feet!!

Friends of mine despair at me as they have picked up a bad habit of mine, staring at peoples feet. Please do not think this as being some sort of fetish. Instead it is merely an observation regarding how many people should be wearing corrective insoles in their shoes.

Lots of money is being wasted every year on physiotherapy for problems caused by supination and pronation of the feet (feet that roll outwards or inwards, also known as collapsed arches for pronation).

Ugg boots are a fantastic demonstration of these, how many people do you know who no longer walk on the soles of their boots, but instead are walking on the sides, or half-on half-off and don’t notice? Converse and ballet pumps offer an even clearer view of this. These soft sided shoes allow the foot to assume its ‘natural’ position which is a large cause of pain for many people after prolonged durations of walking/being on their feet.

I love superfeet insoles. I work in retail and have done for many years, this means A LOT of time on my feet. Unlike standard insoles which are just for cushioning, these insoles line up your ankles, knees, hips and as a result your back too.

I find that I stand taller, my hips no longer hurt, I no longer easily twist an ankle and my lower back no longer twinges every time I pick a sock up off the floor.

By slipping a pair into my converse I can even wear them for hours without feeling any aches or pains underfoot.

Low volume for dress shoes/converse, less rigid ones for approach shoes, and deep ones for my walking boots. All of my shoes now contain superfeet. The shoes that I can’t get them to fit properly have left the party. It just is not worth the discomfort.

Is it time you tried?

February 8, 2010October 31, 2018

Gear Review: Mountain Equipment Dreamcatcher 750 Sleeping Bag

Originally published at Where is Mop? But moved here

Friday, 8 January 2010

Gear review : Mountain Equipment Dreamcatcher 750

Whilst there appears to be a deficit in travel at the moment I’m going to turn my spare time toward gear reviews.

So first review is the Dreamcatcher 750 sleeping bag from Mountain Equipment.

3-4 Season
600+ Down filling (Goose)
Pack size- 31 x 20 cm
Length 219cm
Weight- 1350g
EN comfort rating: Comfort: +10 to -12C (women to -5C apparently)
EN extreme rating: -29C
Outer- lightweight ripstop nylon
Inner –

Other features:

TDS – Thermo Dynamic System
Bulls eye foot plug
Sharks toe
Compatible joining zips (left and right sided)

Let me explain the “other features” first of all.
The TDS (Thermo Dynamic System) is perhaps one of the best things about this (and most of the Mountain Equipment Dreamcatcher range) as it takes away one of the main reasons that some people dislike sleeping bags. TDS quite simply provides you with space without compromising on warmth. The elasticated baffles maintain a snug fit to the body without constriction, this helps to maximise thermal efficiency without a body bag feel. If like me you tend to sleep in a position akin to to the recovery position this is the bag for you.

The Bulls eye foot plug is quite simply a complicated way of saying that situated in the foot area of the sleeping bag are many baffles. This acts to cut down the amount of dead space within the bag leaving you less air to heat up. Do not however think that this will mean claustrophobic feet, the baffles are very squishy and not really noticeable.

Also creating happier feet is the sharks toe design. This is the shape of the foot of the bag. The fabric on the upper surface of the bag is longer than the bottom, this allows your feet to rest at a natural angle when sleeping on your back. This differs from other bags in which your feet are held in position with toes pointing to the sky.

The compatible zips mean you can join two bags together to make a double sleeping bag. This is best done with one left and one right hand zip bag although it is possible with two sleeping bags of the same side. When using two similar bags one bag will be flipped so the bag faces downwards.

What do I think of the bag?
So far I’ve only used the bag down to around -6c and I was toasty warm not even a hint of chill coming through the bag – a big culture shock when getting out of the bag that’s for sure. Bear in mind however, that they really are not joking about the upper comfort limit. I am a cold sleeper and using the bag at approx 14c I was sweating buckets! Although I’d imagine that with a little pre-planning and not doing the zip up fully it would be bearable to a higher temperature.

The baffle around the shoulders and along the full length zip is substantial enough to seal in the heat without feeling bulky.

Obviously one downside to this and all down-filled sleeping bags is that when wet they offer you as much warmth as a paper towel, some cheaper down bags have this problem even when it is damp – but the ME Dreamcatcher 750 loses only a little loft when damp. A wet sleeping bag isn’t too much of an issue unless you are sleeping out in the open with neither groundsheet, bivvy or tent – which, lets face it, not many people do. Another limitation of down bags is that they can be awkward to wash as it can be tricky to regain the loft within the down.

I struggle to find a fault with this sleeping bag and other than one night of being too warm (my own fault not the bag) I have never had a bad night in it. Even on the coldest of nights I have readily gone to bed safe in the knowledge that a cosy nights sleep awaits me.