Skills & Kit
Taking OS Grid References
Along the corridor, then up the stairs: a plain guide to reading four and six-figure National Grid references from a paper map.
3 min readOutdoor Skills and Kit
Map reading, layering, emergency beacons and cold-weather first aid for the hills and the sea. Every guide lists the sources it was checked against; the expedition archive keeps the dispatches first published on this domain.
Skills & Kit
Layering for Cold Weather
Base, mid and shell each do a different job; get them right and adjust as you go, and a cold wet day in the hills stays comfortable.
3 min read
Skills & Kit
PLB vs Satellite Messenger
One is a government-backed distress beacon, the other a subscription texting device with an SOS button; here is how they differ when it matters.
3 min read
Skills & Kit
Hypothermia Signs Outdoors
Shivering, stumbling and confusion can be the first clues; spotting them early and acting calmly gives a cold companion the best chance.
3 min readFrom the expedition archive
All expeditions
Expedition archive
Pacific Odyssey 2001
A two-man attempt to row unsupported across the North Pacific from Japan towards America, ended after 136 days.
Expedition page
Expedition archive
Arctic Quest 1832
The 2004 return to Boothia with a team from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, searching for the remains of the Victory.
15 dispatches
Expedition archive
Kite Quest 200
The 2005 attempt to cross the North Atlantic from Newfoundland in a kite-powered boat, through the hurricane season.
23 dispatchesElsewhere in the magazine
