The comments below are not intended as proper reviews, I do not have enough experience of alternatives to make comparisons. I find choosing kit difficult and anything that helps me avoid expensive mistakes useful. The below appears in the hope that it may answer a question rather than as endorsement.
Contents:
FOOTWEAR
Walsh PB Ultra
Is there anything that hasn't been said already? Very light, make your ankles do most of the shock absorbing, even the wide fitting are tight.
The upside of all this is an incredible feeling of stability, precision and confidence. I feel like I am flying when I wear them. They are also great on hard packed snow where the pyramidal studs will usually punch a grip.
I have run 12 odd miles in them, but only in sub zero temperatures. 6 - 10 miles is my usual limit. Distance, for me, is limited by squashed toes rather than a general battering of the feet.
Best not to put them in the washing machine. The foam padding has a habit of coming adrift inside the lining and it is tiresome having to relocate it.
More Mile Cheviot
The More Mile Cheviot 'trail' running shoe can be had for around £25 or less depending on the size and style. Everything I have had from More Mile has been of extremely good value and excellent quality. Now shoes are something we all take especially seriously, but given the very low price I thought I would give the Cheviots a try. After all, they would do for riding the bike and the occasional walk if nothing else. I think mine are Cheviot 3s, the 4 looks pretty similar.
They come up a bit small. I bought a half to a full size larger than my 'normal' size. Having said that, the sizing of shoes is so variable these days that I am not really sure what size I am anymore! Advertised as a 'trail' shoe, I think they are more of a fell shoe. They have the most aggressive outsole of any shoe I own and have less padding than I would associate with a trail shoe
They fit my foot closely and I find them very stable. They do feel a little weird on very hard flat surfaces as there is a pronounced camber across the cleats. This means that they 'rock' on the surface. I don't think that this is of any real consequence. I expect the camber helps the shoes 'bite' in other circumstances so I am quite happy to live with it.
The shoes are comfortable and inspire confidence in them, particularly when running downhill. They appear to be reasonably robust and always come up well after being thrown in the washing machine (on rinse). At the price, it is difficult to see how one can go wrong
Kahtoola MICROspikes
I hate reviews that start I haven't used them.., yet this is one. The reason is that it is worth drawing attention to the sizing. I bought a MEDIUM based on the uninsulated boot and shoe guide (for UK 8.5). They fit well on my C-lite 2s, are a little loose on my Swoops and very loose on my Walshes. It would be well to try them on your shoe first if you can. I will update this when they get some use.
Update - Well there have been plenty of opportunities to try these out over the last few months and they perform superbly. These would now be my first choice crampons whenever front points are not needed as the chain construction makes them almost free from balling up.
Six or eight miles running was entirely comfortable, though I must have appeared strange when on a short pavement section as I went out of my way to run on bits that were not cleared. - Worn with La Sportiva C-Lite 2s (fit is about perfect on these shoes)
PHD Ultra Down Pullover
Just about everything one owns has some little niggle, this pullover is the exception. We all know that a sprained ankle can kill in a hostile environment, yet many of us will train solo in such conditions. This pullover weighs less than the average micro fleece yet is good for at least -5C. It packs small and I consider it a vital resource. My most cherished piece of kit.
Ed: It is some years since I first wrote this review. My appreciation continues to grow.
Craft running Shorts
I ran the Lakeland Trails Marathon in these shorts. It tipped it down all day. You can see how wet they got in the photo, left. Despite this I was never aware that I was wearing them, no chafing, no uncomfortable clinging.
The mesh liner is also well specified. Other shorts I have are OK for short races but give you a distinctly au gratin feeling where it isn't good, after 5 or 6 miles. The superior liner makes the Craft great in the summer as I don't have to wear Helly boxers underneath.
Compressport R2 Calf compression sleeves
These compression sleeves run at about £27 just now (Dec 13). Quite why they are a fiver more than they were in May is beyond me (Ed: now around £35!, but can be had from around £16 if you look around (e.g. Bikester). If the two year guarantee is honoured and elasticity is covered the price might be justified*.
Despite gripes about paying twenty seven quid for two short tubes of material, one can pay twice this much for sleeves that are seamed in the length and there is no doubt that the lack of seams is a distinct advantage. I have other sleeves that are seamed, and flatlocked they may be, but they are very uncomfortable after a while. The Compressport do have seams at top and bottom where cuffs are attached. This seam can be felt after a while, I find the sleeves are much more comfortable worn inside out.
Enhanced performance, injury prevention and enhanced recovery are claimed for this product, can I confirm it? Err, no. As I bought this product to support my varicose veins while allowing me the freedom to wear what socks I choose, I am not unduly bothered either.
*Update - I have now had one pair for five years, elasticity does diminish with age to some degree, but the sleeves still have plenty of useful life. No doubt longevity of the elastic component will depend on washing technique. I machine wash at low temperatures and take it easy with conditioner.
Terra Nova Laser Photon Tent
In a nutshell, would I recommend it - yes, do I swear at it - frequently.
First there is that damned pole cover, Trying to thread and tie the laces holding the cover on, with cold/wet fingers, is a nightmare. You will get colder/ wetter which sort of defeats the point of putting the thing up. I tie the pole cover to the fly sheet and leave it there when I pack. This doesn't make putting the pole in any more difficult.
My main complaint is the shoddy construction, many of the stressed stitching points just fell apart the first time I used it. There were two reasons for this. The stitching wasn't finished properly and so came apart (pole cover laces). The ends of webbing wasn't sealed or doubled over and so stitches frayed the ends then pulled out. I find this kind of thing unforgivable in a tent that costs this much. My cheapies from Millets are finished to a much higher standard. Re-stitching and finishing by hand, and sealing the webbing properly, has fixed these problems permanently without any compromise to lightness.
I spent a frightening first night in this tent. The side guys are attached to the pole cover, and the pole cover blew off due to the failed stitching, stability was less than desirable. The fact that the tent stayed up and suffered no structural damage despite this suggests that the core product is a robust little tent. I didn't trust the tiny pegs, but they have never let me down (I do carry four channel pegs for the main guys). They are, however, very easy to lose in grass and marking with ribbon is a good idea.
There is enough space in the "porch" to cook with a low profile stove, and to store wet shoes etc. I have never shared this tent (say ahhh), but it is used by many MM duos. One reviewer I read said that it was sufficient for two as long as one of them was Keira Knightley and that she kept her elbows in.
All in all, once you have fixed the shoddy stitching and pole cover, a robust, practical little tent that weighs less than bivvi tents and can actually be "lived in".
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