Our no.1 Summer essential has to be the waist pack, avoid sweaty backs and keep your shoulders free from backpack straps by carrying all you need on your hips!

The durable, lightweight Deuter pulse 3 has all the room you need to carry your phone, keys, drink, snack and a light layer or shell jacket. It sits really comfortably around the waist and is designed to stay in place with no twisting or bouncing. 

We love it so much that we have dropped the price to £24.95 but hurry as we only have a few of this style left – Click here to get yours! 

No 2 Summer essential has to be a decent pair of socks! We often hear people talking about wanting thinner socks in Summer or asking if they can walk in sandals with no socks. Our advice is clear, thin socks will not make your feet more comfy they are more likely to cause blisters which are more common in hotter weather due to sweat. It may seem counter-intuitive but you need socks with padded heels and layers that reduce friction and wick away sweat.

Be sure to make sure that shorter socks are high enough to prevent heel rub too. We love the pink Lorpen shorties (black also available) which have a great heel tab and supreme fit. For the ultimate performance on longer walks or challenge events we don’t think you can beat this ultimate trail sock which is padded in all high friction areas and fits perfectly with no seams or bunching – find out more and see a video about the socks here 

Finally, apart from water and sunscreen there is only one more essential we would never be without and that’s a tick card. The grass is long, the bracken is full and the ticks are waiting for a lovely warm host to brush past.

Try to avoid bites by covering legs in high risk areas, using a good spray like SMIDGE  ( we love this handy travel size)  and checking regularly. If you do find one, use your tick card to remove it and be vigilant with checking the bite site and your health in general. If you feel unwell or the bite gets a red ring around it, it is advisable to get checked out by a Doctor asap. Lyme Disease which is carried by Ticks is very unpleasant but can be treated is caught early enough so prevent, check and get checked where necessary!

It looks like some real heat is coming our way this week so try to avoid walking in unshaded areas, in the middle of the day or without access to proper hydration. If you are on medication, it’s worth remembering that heat can affect it’s effectiveness too and that its far more sensible to reduce your mileage or go out in the early mornings/ later in the evenings than to not complete a walk for any reason! We have been trying out some amazing cool towels recently and can recommend them as a great way to stay cool whilst walking or to freshen up afterwards. Search ice towels on line to get the right one for you.

Above all …… enjoy the Summer and make sure your poles get out there too!