Kayak Shelters: Camp Minima Review

Rich    Kayaking Gear, kayakingholidays     Camp Minima Tent, kayaking gear, kayaking holidays, Kayaking Trips, review

I’ve tried a few kayak shelters but recently got my hands on a Camp minima tent to review and use when I’m on the water, and I’m quite impressed!

Camp Minima: Technical but tight tunnel design

With aluminium poles that are about half the standard length, the tent packs down to an almost unbelievable size. And weighing in at just under 1.5Kg, it’s ideal for kayaking, but also for mountain walking and cycling.

It’s a double-hooped tunnel-type tent, with hoops at each end and pegged out around the outside with aluminium pegs. Its mesh flysheet inner ensures breathability and helps it dry easily.

So let’s check out the details

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O’Shea Stealth 5/4/3 wetsuit review: Winter Wonder

Tez Plavenieks    Windsurfing Gear, windsurfingholidays     O'Shea Stealth 5/4/3/ wetsuit, O’Shea Stealth 5/4/3 wetsuit review, review, Windsurfing equipment, windsurfing gear, windsurfing holidays, Windsurfing Trips

Farrel O’Shea was one of the 80s most radical wave sailors, but lately he’s more involved with speed and helming a successful watersports company.

The O'Shea Stealth 5/4/3 wetsuit.

O’Shea International manufacture the O’Shea Stealth 5/4/3/ wetsuit – which we’ll review – as well as clothing, surfboards, SUPs. It also imports/distributes Simmer windsurf gear, making the company an all-round brand catering for a broad range of participants.

With this in mind, the O’Shea wetsuit range has to serve a variety of different needs. The wants of surfers are very different to the needs of windsurfers so we were keen to get hold of one of their flagship winter wetsuits, the Stealth, and put it through its paces.

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Snowboarding Jacket Review: Trew Cosmic

Luke    Snowboarding Gear, snowboardingholidays     review, Snowboarding, snowboarding gear, snowboarding holidays, Snowboarding Jacket, snowboarding jackets, Trew, Trew Cosmic

Normally, when I look out the window in the morning and see strong winds and heavy almost horizontal rain, I am disappointed. But for once I was excited as it would be a chance to test my new Trew Cosmic snowboarding jacket.

Trew Cosmic 2013

Testing a snowboarding jacket while walking the South Downs in heavy rain might not seem like the traditional method of reviewing winter sport clothing…. but the Trew Cosmic is a shell jacket (meaning no insulation) aimed at boarders who will be going backcountry and hiking uphill.

With this in mind, the key aspects to test are its protection from the elements, suitability for hiking, and of course how good it looks! I also gave it a week’s worth of snowboarding to be sure it did the job.

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Kona Process Test and Winter Workout

Sam Bowell    mountainbikingholidays, MTB Gear     Kona Process, Kona Process Test, Mountain biking holidays, Mountain Biking Trip, MTB, MTB gear, review

OK so lets get something straight from the off: I’m proud to be one of those riders who is more than happy for gravity to do most of the hard work for me.

Kona Process, agile and precise.

That’s not to say I’m lazy or am adverse to a bit of pedaling, but I’m not going to win any XC trophies any time this decade.

So when I set out on a gentle ride this morning, I wasn’t exactly expecting to complete the 25-mile loop which I had fleetingly toyed with over breakfast.

Fortunately I had a very generously loaned out Kona Process to test, rather than the lumbering big-rig I would normally be piloting, and my punishing loop became little more than a (heavily frosted) piece of cake.

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Starboard 11.2ft WindSUP review – show up and blow up!

Tez Plavenieks    Windsurfing Gear, windsurfingholidays     review, Starboard, Starboard 11.2ft WindSUP, WindSUP, Windsurf Holidays, Windsurfing equipment, windsurfing gear

First inflatable SUPs… and now the ever-inventive Starboard have produced the Inflatable 11.2ft x 32’ Blend windsurfing board (or WindSUP as they’re referred to). What the hell is a WindSUP I hear you ask?

Starboard WindSUP in action.

Think windsurfing as it used to be back in the day during the glory years. Cruising around in light winds, throwing down the odd freestyle trick or going for a cruise along the coast. The choice is yours.

After windsurfing shot itself in its proverbial elitist foot, this is the next attempt at renaissance for the sport. But how does this inflatable stack up?

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Loco 9.5ft surf SUP review

Tez Plavenieks    ash     Loco, Loco 9.5ft surf SUP, Loco SUP, review, Stand Up Paddle board, Stand up Paddle boarding, SUP, Surfing, UK

Loco are new kids on the block but they’re home grown and pushing the manufacturing side in the UK – which is no bad thing. Based out of the North East, Loco offer an impressive line of wave riding machines with plans to expand into the flat water/race sector – watch this space on that one.

9’5” Loco SUP, one board for all conditions. Image: Loco SUP

Offering a full quiver line up of varying sizes for your wave shredding antics, Loco will have a wave toy that is your perfect fit.

Here the 9.5ft is reviewed, being the brands ‘one board for all conditions’ option. Beach, reef or point – you choose.

First look

With its colourful, bright eggshell blue and white livery, the Loco 9.5ft was the talk of the beach when it was unsheathed from its bag. Bold graphics seem to be Loco’s thing at the moment and you’ll be sure to stand out from the crowd with one of their sticks underfoot.

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Mistral M1 Inflatable Race Board Reviewed

Tez Plavenieks    ash     Inflatable, Inflatable Race Boards, Inflatable SUP, Inflatable SUPs, iSUPs, M1, M1 iSUP, Mistral, Mistral M1, Mistral M1 One Design 14”, review, SUP

Inflatable SUPs (or iSUPs for short) are not new and various brands have been beavering away producing their own versions for the last few years – I’ve just had my hands on the latest incarnation of these, the Mistral M1 Inflatable Race Board and reviewed it here.

Mistral introduces the first ever race inflatable SUP Boards.

Many companies are starting to build iSUPs that have more performance characteristics and are aimed at higher level paddlers. Gone are the days of boards such as these being referred to as ‘rubber ducks’.

With constant tweaking and advancements with materials and ideas, iSUPs are now a perfect choice for all riders.

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