I spent three years in my twenties watching people buy $40 leather-bound journals and expensive fountain pens, only to leave them sitting on a coffee …
Field Notes That Are Worth Reading in Ten Years
The Complete Guide to Staying Safe on the Hill
I once spent four hours in a freezing, sodden hollow on the Cairngorms, trying to coax a group of otherwise sensible people out of a …
Navigating When You Cannot See the Next Feature
I remember standing on a ridge in the Cairngorms three years ago, watching a group of hikers stare blankly at a high-end GPS unit as …
Making a Pair of Boots Last Five Years
I’ve spent twenty-two years watching people treat their boots like disposable fashion statements rather than the vital pieces of survival equipment they actually are. Most …
Camping in Wind Without Losing the Tent
I remember a night on the edge of the Cairngorms back in 2012—I was leading a group of three, and we’d all made the mistake …
Taking a Bearing and Actually Trusting It
I remember a Tuesday in late October, somewhere in the Cairngorms, when the mist didn’t just roll in—it swallowed the world whole. I was leading …
Finding a Bird in Binoculars Before It Leaves
I spent three years in the Cairngorms before I realized that most people treat optics like they’re buying a luxury watch rather than a tool …
The Complete Guide to Winter Hillwalking
I’ve spent two decades watching people walk into the mountains with a brand-new, top-of-the-line kit list they bought straight from a glossy magazine, thinking that …
Boots or Trail Shoes: the Honest Comparison
I was leading a group through a scree slope in the Cairngorms last October when I heard it—the unmistakable, wet thwack of a heavy leather …
Pitching a Tent So It Survives the Night
I once spent four hours in a sodden hollow near the Cairngorms, shivering in a downpour because I’d prioritized finding a flat spot over checking …