Where are you dreaming of going in 2024?

Where are you dreaming of going in 2024?

Its that time of year where we start planning our trips for the years. Where are you dreaming of going in 2024? I know here at Above and Beyond we are thinking about new kit  for us to test and just get out and enjoy. When you are having a difficult day or things are not going to plan, where do you dream of going to help you through the day? Why does this place attract you and how does it make you feel? Share your stories with us.  We will publish as many as we can. Send them to support@aboveandbeyondoutdoors.com

Outdoor October is here

Outdoor October is here

We all live busy lives and as such need to plan our leisure time and recreational activities, although this works most of the time, occasionally a spur of the moment decision can lead to some of the most memorable or thrilling adventures. One such occasion happened to me a few years ago. I have always enjoyed sport and being in the outdoors, I was therefore always looking for new and exciting things to try. when you surround yourself with people who love sport and the outdoors, you are lucky enough to often get the chance to try something new with someone who can give go hints and tips. A friend of mine asked if I fancied going rock climbing with him, I had newer tried this before so of course I jumped at the chance. I am not scared of heights and will be on a rope so it cannot be that difficult; I thought.Having arrived at the site for our climb I looked up the cliff face and thought maybe this will be more difficult that I thought. My friend set about setting up the climb, it was to be a top belay climb. I had done a little bouldering before so was aware of the general technique to use. Having spent a while watching my friends climb and studying the route to take, it was finally my turn and I was ready for the challenge.

Find out what happened next in part 2. Check back here in the next few days.

What Jubilant July reminds me of – a rush of adrenaline

What Jubilant July reminds me of – a rush of adrenaline

Anyone who knows me know that I love adrenaline. It’s become an addiction, once you feel the exhilaration of going higher or faster than you have been before it’s hard not to want to push the limits a little bit more. Now, it may be out of season (unless you live in the antipodean countries) but when I think of one of my most memorable, adrenaline fuelled experiences I think back to a time when I was in the Canadian Rockies. If you’ve ever visited the Rockies, you will know how truly awe-inspiring the place is. It is somewhere that will leave you breathless by the magnitude of its beauty. Fortunately, I have been lucky enough to have visited many locations with my snowboard in tow. Although I may not have returned to some locations as much as I would have wanted to, the Rockies have always pulled me back there. On my last visit I was looking for a new challenge, I had heard about a resort called Kicking Horse which had peaked my interest. Kicking Horse has a reputation for some serious runs; jagged edges, rock faces, steep slopes – this I had to try. So after sorting out transport, tickets and the other fiddly bit, my boarding partner and I headed off. The journey took a couple of hours from where we were based and all the way there was a mix of excitement and apprehension. The journey was a typical Canadian drive full of spectacular scenery and a beautiful ruggedness, then before we knew it we were there. That morning we had some runs testing out the bowls and then went for the 10K run. After that it was time for lunch, which I’m not ashamed to say we were ready for. Instead of eating, lunch mainly consisted of pouring over the piste map. Kicking Horse is well known for its double-black diamond runs, some of which we had already done that morning. However, there was one double-black diamond run which, from what we had heard, was the big one. It’s name, CPR ridge. Eventually we had eaten as much as we could and had found the route to CPR ridge. Having gone up the gondola there was then a short hike which we traversed. When we reached the edge I took a peak over the lip and then my stomach turned. The ground fell away at an incline that was greater than either of us had ever attempted. At this my fellow boarder took a peak and his face confirmed what I was thinking. ‘What are we doing?’ A short while went by as we sat considering whether to go for it or not, then we came to the theory of just getting it done before we talked ourselves out of it. I took a deep breath and went over the ledge. I quickly accelerated and recall thinking ‘why am I doing this? I could get seriously hurt’. I knew I had to stay upright and control my board. I became in a zone of total concentration, almost zen like. It sounds like a cliche, but I seemed to become one with my snowboard controlling my speed and direction, avoiding jagged rocks and drops that I was not experienced enough (or crazy enough, depending how you look at it) to try. Behind me I could hear shouts from my friend, suggesting he was feeling the same elation and relief I was feeling. Eventually the slope became a degree of incline more in my comfort zone and it was then my emotions changed. A sense of euphoria poured over me followed by relief. The two of us stopped a little way down and looked up at what we had just descended. A sense utter euphoria came over me, my body was full of adrenaline. We sat looking for a little while at what we had just done, letting our emotions calm and the adrenaline simmer down. I was overwhelmed at what I had accomplished. Having caught our breath and shared our experiences, what did we do next? Well that was simple, we did it again! It is never easy to push yourself outside your comfort zone, but I hope this story illustrates that unless you try you will never achieve greater heights and truly find out what your capable of. Take a look at our range of products here or our Amazon store. we hope to inspire you to get outdoors.  
Honey if forgot the tent

Honey if forgot the tent

As an experienced camper I like to think I know what i am doing and wont forget anything, how wrong you can be. I have learnt the lesson of turning up on a pitch only to find I have forgotten something so obvious i don’t know how I could have forgot. I now use a detailed checklist and double check this once everything is packed. You can have my copy here for free. If it helps let me know and if you think i have forgotten something please let me know.

Weekend is here get you garden hammock out.

Weekend is here get you garden hammock out.

The weekend is here, where will it take you? Why not get out and see what is round the corner you may have a pleasant surprise. Its a great excuse to get your garden hammock out, either in your garden or why not head off out and see where you can find to hang it. We have great fun always looking for new and unusual places to hang our hammocks. If you find somewhere unusual or interesting why not send us your picture and we will share it on the website. if you don’t have a hammock why not check our our range here, they have all been tested and we are confident they will not let you down.

Camping Hammock Tarp

Camping Hammock Tarp

I was impressed with the feel of this tarp when I first used it. It looks well-made and the eyelets seem very secure. There are 6 eyelets on the tarp which seem strong and so far have not shown signs of wearing.I intend to test the strength further by leaving it out during strong winds to see what it can really do. I do however feel confident that it will be up to the job.
It is supplied to 2 sets of 4 guide ropes of different length so there is plenty to use. The pegs are very small, so you may want to use different ones depending on the environment.
One side of the tarp has a silver surface, I am not sure if this will reflect and heat back. I am also thinking that the tarp could be placed on the ground in my tent to sleep on, the silver side may reflect a little heat back. I will give it a go anyway and let you know if it has any effect. Overall I think this is ideal for hammock camping but can also be used for a variety of outdoor uses.

You can get your hands on one Here

Peter

 

New Product being developed, What is it ?

We have started developing a new product which we do not believe has been developed or sold anywhere before. Keep you eye on our website where we will launch it first once testing have been completed.

Thanks to everyone who had a guess what the product was. Nobody managed to guess although we are not surprised as it is a world exclusive. Please check out our Hammock Pillow in the store.

Anti-Shock Hiking Poles

Anti-Shock Hiking Poles

If you have never walked with poles you should give it a try. it is amazing how much they can help you both in balance but also support you especially when walking up or down hill.
These poles come with several baskets so are useful for a variety of terrains. I will be taking them on my next skiing trip. They were also fully adjustable between 63cm and 135cm so will suite most people.and are lightweight aluminium.

The  poles feel very well made and the slide mechanism feels quality and moves freely. There is a scale on the poles so that you can adjust them to the same length every time. The locking mechanism works very well and feels secure, it used a cam and lever system which is a lot easier than a twisting system used on some poles. Once they are locked off they feel solid.
I like the feel of the handles they are sculptured to fit the hand and with the adjustable the wrist straps, they feel secure to use.
The poles are supplied with 2 baskets (snow and trekking), these are simply screwed on the poles and feel very strong and secure once in place.
Overall I like the feel of these poles they have now been handed to one of our team for them to test, i will update you with his feedback in due course..
You can get your hands on these poles in our store.Click Here

Winner of photo of the month

Winner of photo of the month

Congratulations to Nick Hemstock winner of the March picture of the month photographic competition. Why not send us your photograph for the next competition. Tell us what you love about the outdoors and share your memories. Send you entry to support@aboveandbeyondoutdoors.com

Good Luck

Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker

Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker

When I first handled this speaker I was impressed with the quality of it. You are supposed to be able to connect to a Bluetooth device very easily, I normally find that it is never that easy; however I was surprised to find that it linked to my iPhone straight away and was up and running in minutes. The quality of the sound is very good for such a small device. I was more concerned about it being too loud and disturbing other campers so volume is not a problem.I have used it on many occasions whilst camping and it has not failed me. I did manage to leave it out overnight and it got wet but this did not effect its performance.It is supplied with a USB cable to charge it so can easily be charged it the car or even one of the portable power packs.

As it is small and light it can easily slip into a bag or pocket for your camping trip, perfect for a sing song around the camp fire.

Peter

You can get your hands on one Here