Built for the great outdoors
Outdoors
Gear for adventures, pets and travel — durable, packable and ready for whatever's next.
Outdoors products
How to choose outdoors products
Packed size matters more than feature lists
Kit you leave at home because it's awkward to carry is wasted money. A camping chair that folds into its own bag and clips to a rucksack gets used; a bulkier, comfier one stays in the garage. Check folded dimensions and carry weight before you're swayed by extras you'll never touch on a weekend trip.
Weather resistance is the difference between one season and five
British weather is the real durability test. Zinc-alloy bodies and weather-resistant fabrics shrug off rain that destroys untreated alternatives, and rust-resistant hardware keeps moving parts working after a wet winter. If something lives in a boot, a shed or a tent, treat weatherproofing as a requirement rather than a bonus.
Buy for the trip you actually take
Gear for a week-long expedition is overkill for a Saturday walk and a beach afternoon. Be honest about your normal outing: daily dog walks call for a comfortable leash and fast drying afterwards, while campsite trips reward a portable shower and a privacy tent far more than technical gear you'd only need on a mountain.
Outdoors questions, answered
Beyond a tent and sleeping kit, the three things people most often wish they'd packed are somewhere comfortable to sit, a way to wash, and privacy. A folding chair, a rechargeable shower pump and a pop-up privacy tent cover all three and pack down small enough to not dominate the boot.