Guest review allegedly by Chris Bonington - Berghaus "the worm" Bag

Allegedly... This is the greatest bag ever invented - A bag that expands from a mere 20 litres to an enormous 400 litres in the shape of a worm (for those fishermen/women amongst you, it works like a keepnet). The Berghaus designers studied worm biomechanics in the development of this bag and it shows. I decided to get together with a couple of old mates,


Doug Scott and Paul Stanley of Kiss to test this bag on my old favourite, Tryfan, in the heart of Snowdonia.



For the first stretch of the hike I used the bag in slightly extended 30 litre mode and it was comfortable, feeling like I had a medium to large sized trout on my back, nice and soft. We stopped for a break for whisky and cake and decided to take it in turns carrying each other in the bag to give it a real test. Neither of the lads can really hold their whisky and were acting the clown so I said I would go first. The the two of them got in and i got it up on my back no bother, being dead strong and all that. After about half an hour it was supposed to be Doug's go but the cheeky feckers had locked themselves in from the inside and were laughing away to themselves so i just stuck with it and took them the rest of the way.

When we finally reached the summit the boys decided to let themselves out, only for me to discover that they had finished off all of the Jamesons and my mums Madeira cake - l was well p*$$ed off so I tied them up and left them there while I went to the pub.

So all in all, a great bag, brilliant for carrying anything from a bottle of Jamesons and cake through to a couple of ageing clowns who call themselves friends.

Thanks for reading, I'll be back soon with more great new products.

Chris

*NB: These are not the views,opinions or actual words for that matter of Christopher Bonington. At no point has Mr. Bonington been contracted by Maher Sports to review products. No Chris Boningtons were harmed in the making of this blog.

Attention Festival Going Folk

Are you hitting the festivals this Summer?

With tents, tepees and ponchos we have everything you need to make the most of them, whatever the weather.

We stock a huge range of tents from cozy 1 person to palatial 6+ person. So whether you are going it alone or traveling with an entourage we have you covered.

Feeling Funky?

What better embodies the spirit of festivals than a Tepee?

This single pole tent is quick and easy to pitch. Its distinctive styling and funky colour scheme make it a pleasure to find when you return to a sea of tents.

It comfortably sleep 3 but in true spirit of festivals you can fit a few more if ye are good friends.

Vango Juno Tepee only €65

If the tepee isn't to your liking we have lots of other styles of tent in stock from only €40.

So... If you are heading to this Summer's festivals check us out for tents, mats, sleeping bags, ponchos and rain wear.

THE GET STARTED KIT

Hi Kieran here,

As you can see from the photo above we in the shop have decided to put a "Starter kit" together for men and women. What we are offering is the following;

-Waterproof jacket

-Waterproof pant

-Trekking pant

-Fleece

-Base layer

The whole kit is available for the fantastic price of only €120!!!

-JACKET

The jacket is waterproof and breathable with a mesh lining for comfort.It's also lightweight and packs away into its pocket and it comes in a variety of colours. A steal at only 50euro

-WATERPROOF PANT

So this piece of the kit is the one 1 really like. One of many reasons for this is because of the good old full side zip. The last thing you want to be doing in the lashing rain is taking off your boots cause the pants won't go over them. This has happened to me in my youth ,not really fun in the Galtys or anywhere else for that matter! So the moral of this story is get pants you can put on over your boots. Oh I nearly forgot they're super lightweight and packable too! A mere 30euro!

-TREKKING PANT

The trekking pant is called the Regatta Geo and its a pant we having been doing for a long time. And it's really versatile. When you feel like its too hot or you just like to show off your legs like me they give you the option of turning them into shorts which is nice !!!!. The handy thing is that Regatta is one of only a handful of companiesthat allow you to choose between a short, regular and long leg. Its handy for the Tall people like me with a 34 leg to not so lanky people like Paul and Brian. So on that note in the words of "ACDC" "WE SALUTE YOU". Again thirty euro. NOTE. We are up to 120 euro now.

-FLEECE

In my top 100 items to wear as well as pants and socks is this lovely item. A micro fleece. On any average day like today which is sunny but not very cold it's too heavy to wear a full- on fleece but too cold to wear just a t-shirt, guess what is awesome to wear.....? No, not a cap but a micro fleece! This micro fleece is great value in this offer at 20 euro. We in the shop( the best outdoor shop in cork bar none) have a unreal deal which is .........buy 2 for 30!!!. I kinda think its a steal. SO BUY IT.

-BASE LAYER

The history behind the base layer goes back 100's of years, originally designed and thought of by monks in china I think I saw it some where on the Internet....?? People like Scott, Hillary and me (Kieran) have worn them, so anyway back to more important issue's. It comes in at 20 euro its called the "TRANSCEND TEE" and to be fair when I put it on its lovely to wear and looks good too. Q: What does it do?

A: This technical piece of gear lets your skin stay dry. It takes the sweat from your body and release it further on to other layers. For cold and warm areas its fantastic 'cos the last thing you want is to get a cold anywhere.

SO ALL IN ALL SOMETHING THAT SHOULD COST €160 WE ARE OFFERING FOR A RECESSION BUSTER PRICE OF ONLY €120!!!!!!!!

You Know What Really Grinds Our Gears? pt.1

In this section we will be venting some of the little and not so little things that have been bugging us of late.





This month we have mainly been ranting about the following;

Grossly over indulgent journalistic pieces in some of our home grown magazines. Describing some of our mountainous landscapes as being not dissimilar to the majestic fantasy worlds conjured up by literary genius J.R.R. Tolkien is a bit of an abuse of creative licence. Culprits, you know who you are! No more silliness.

Coffee. Don't get us started!

Andy's bike woes. In summary, Andy may very well be hexed. All the man wants is a bike or two so he can get on with his cycling about the place, is this too much to ask? He has had an incredible streak of bad luck. This bad luck could otherwise be described as utter incompetence on the behalf of certain retailers who shall remain anonymous.

The Weather. Too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry...etc.

People moaning about the weather. Hypocritical we know.

This concludes this ranting session. We feel like there's a weight off our chests now, collectively speaking. Thanks for being there to listen. Till next time folks.

The North Face Wasatch Sleeping Bag

The North Face Wasatch sleeping bag
is a staff camping favourite. It uses TNF's H.O.T. SL synthetic insulation which is great for camping in the damp Irish summers (as synthetic insulation is less affected by moisture than down) and Interailing on the Continent. Boasting a small pack size and weighing in at a very rucksack friendly 1.15 kg, this bag is a great choice for anyone looking to keep toasty this summer with out weighing themselves down. It is available in two sizes, regular and long, so all you 6+ footers are catered for.

We give it a definite two thumbs up!

This top class piece of kit is available now available at a reduced price of only €65.

Photo Contest

Hi everyone,

Just a quick post to remind ye all to keep submitting for our photo contest. We've had lots of great images so far.

Final entries 30th June '09

Categories: Adventure, Ireland, Travel.

Rockclimbing in the Burren

The Burren lies in the northwest region of Co Clare. It is the largest area of karstic Limestone in Europe. It is also home to some of the finest rock climbing to be had in these isles.

I had been hoping to return to the Burren for quite a while as on my previous visits to the area each climb had left a lasting impression. The main climbing crag is Ailladie. The biggest concentration of rock climbs lie on this crag.

We travelled up with a few others from Cork early on a Sunday morning. The weather was fantastic in the south, however when we got to the Burren it was overcast and chilly! Shorts and Tshirt didn't help!

Since there were seven of us, we paired off. I went climbing with Noora and Norman. It was Norman's first time climbing outdoors and only Noora's second time! We started on a climb called Ground Control (VS 4C). This is a popular climb at the crag, and sees many ascents during the year. Its not an easy climb to start with. But Noora and Norman didn't think so, they zipped up it in style!

The next climbs we did where Spitfire(E1 5b), and Ladda(VS 4c). On Ladda one of my cams got stuck and with dubious techniques i got it out, nearly taking my head off in the process!.

The next and last climb we did was Gallows Pole (E2 5C). This climb is located on the mighty Aran wall and is the classic E2 of the crag. It consists of two parallel cracks running up the face. There is plenty of protection and the climbing is magnificent! The start is bold with small crimps to gain a good ledge. After that it's into the cracks where i begin to hand jam right to the top. The look on Nooras face was priceless, she thought this climb would be too hard. But again with determination and good technique she climbed the route.

Bringing people to such a superb crag early in their climbing careers is a great experience as the energy that comes from being around people with such enthusiasm is really uplifting. Add to that the amazing setting and climbing and you get the perfect rock day. Well maybe the weather could have been a bit better!

If you are into climbing and have never being to the Burren you are missing one of the classic rock days in Ireland, so this summer pencil the Burren into your climbing calender!

Cork City Marathon 2009

Picture of Sonia with Marguerite and Paul at the Cork City Marathon expo in the City Hall at the weekend.

A great weekend was had by all with everyone in great spirits as the sun shone hard. Well done to all who took part. We hope to be back again next year with even more special offers for runners.

review on vango banshee tent

Hi kieran here,

One of your many experts on tents in here !!!!!!!!!!. This blog which is kinda weird to me and don't get will be on the Vango Banshee. This tent comes in a two or three person size. This is a two pole tent with (al poles) system. The things I like about the Banshee was the space inside it, for a 6'4ft 13.5 stone dude like myself with the 35 ltr pack it was ideal for the night or two on the hills and that was with two people in it !!!. So on that note comfy out.

I've been using Vango tents since my Scouting days from Ireland to Switzerland so the quality is fantastic, second to none. The waterproofing on the Banshee has a hsh (hydro static head) of 3000mm which to be fair is awesome for Ireland and any light- weight travelling." NOW WHAT IS THE PORCH LIKE" ??. I hear the masses shouting from afar. And I say to ye," it is good for cooking out of and storing your gear at night max 45-50 ltr pack". All in all no complaints and at a weight of 2kg for the 200 and 2.5 for the 300 to be fair is unreal for a tent that costs 120euro and 130euro its a steal!

Neeew shoooooes - product reviews

As you may have noticed above, the title rhymes and this will be a theme running through this blog as we discover the power of poetry in every one of us.



For this first blog entry, I will be reviewing 2 new shoes for summer, the Salomon XA Pro 3D XCR (yes, it's a shoe, not a microchip) and the Teva Open Toachi Sandal. Just to save any shoe fetishists writing in, yes we know the Salomon is actually not new shoe at all but we do have some wicked new colours for spring/summer and it's worth a review at any time of year. It is available in Mens and Womens (Oxide red/Black and Light Grey/Lizard green respectively).



Anyway, the first thing that you will notice about the XA Pro is that it has to be one of the most comfortable shoes you will ever put on - Salomon have gone to great lengths to get the fit of their trail running/walking shoes bang on, with a fantastic snug fit in both the heel and midfoot/arch area yet with enough room in the toebox to let your bottom fingers spread out nicely.

With a gore-tex xcr waterproof membrane throughout the shoe, you get a good level of waterproofing and enough breathability for most, even for those long days out.
The sole is stiffened up using Salomons "3D chassis" which is effectively a shaped piece of plastic developed to increase torsional stability to help stop you feet from twisting too much on rough ground. The sole also provides a surprising amount of protection from sharp stones sticking up into your plates of meat.

Overall the XA Pro 3D XCR is an exceptionally comfy shoe with great grip, just the right amount of cushioning and flexibility and has wicked looks to boot.

Teva Open Toachi Sandal.

As with the Salomon, the first thing you notice with these (apart from the cracking looks) is the fit and stability. Teva have long been known for making very durable products and this is no exception. The build quality is obvious just looking over them and they feel solid yet very comfortable. The Toachi has a "Spider Rubber" outsole, which is seriously grippy even on wet rocks, which although the blurb said it would be, surprised me as so often "blurb" is just that.

Another great idea is the "drain frame", a plastic frame built into the sole to increase stabilty and allow water to drain through the sole - this has the added bonus of increasing breathability by a fair whack. Topped off with an anti-microbial protection, this is a sweet pair of sandals/watershoes that will take a good beating, if you like it like that.

And that's it for this issues shoe reviews. goodbye.slan.a bientot.