Stacey MacNaught

Stacey’s a hiking enthusiast and mother of 3. She’s obsessed with bagging munros and crossing ridges. She also runs a recreational women’s football team, has been involved in coaching junior football.
female hiker looking at a map in the mountains
Hiking Blog

Hiking Time Calculator using Naismith’s Rule

Here’s a handy little hiking time calculator based on Naismith’s rule! How accurate is it? Well, as ever, these things depend on your own fitness and so forth. But I’ve always found Naismith’s rule to be a handy benchmark to aim for in terms of time for any given route.

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hiker looking at dovestone from above
Active Family Adventures

Hiking at Dovestone – Routes, Paths and Guide

Dovestone is a beautiful place in the Peak District’s Dark peak, nestled amongst the Saddleworth Hills. But there’s far more for hikers here than reservoir walks. Here’s a hiker’s guide to Dovestone Reservoir and the surrounding hills.

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aonach eagach ridge from drone
Hiking Blog

Munros Quiz – Test Your Knowledge of Munro Facts

Fancy yourself quite the brain box when it comes to Munro mountains of Scotland? Put your knowledge to the test in this 20 question Munros Quiz and find a host of other interesting facts and figures about Scotland’s Munros right here.

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views from y garn of tryfan, llyn ogwen and llyn idwal
Hiking Blog

Hiking Around the Ogwen Valley – 5 Amazing Routes

The Ogwen Valley is just something else. Spectacularly beautiful with its rugged, rocky peaks and pristine valley, there are hikes here suitable for all types of hikers and walkers. And here are 5 of the best Ogwen Valley hiking routes in my humble opinion!

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is merrell a good hiking brand
Hiking Blog

Is Merrell a Good Hiking Brand?

I fell in love with Merrell a few years ago when I got a pair of hiking boots I just LOVED. But it’s been all downhill since then unfortunately with consistent quality issues and absolutely awful “waterproofing”. So, is Merrell a good hiking brand? Well, in my opinion, largely not. But let’s talk about it in more detail.

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Steall Falls from distance
Hiking Blog

Steall Falls Hike, Glen Nevis

I took a cold, rainy November day hike out to Steall Falls, Glen Nevis, just a short distance from Fort William. Here’s how this gorgeous short waterfall walk went.

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how to reproof a waterproof jacket
Hiking Blog

How to Reproof Your Waterproof Jacket

Even the best waterproof jacket in the world is going to need reproofing eventually. And if you want to get more life out of your waterproof jacket investment, then reproofing it properly is the key. After 6 years of reproofing jackets (sometimes well, sometimes not) this is now my go to as the best method of reproofing.

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is osprey a good hiking bag brand
Hiking Blog

Is Osprey a Good Brand for Hiking Bags?

Osprey hiking bags are certainly are the higher end of the price scale when compared with other options on the market. But are they worth it? And is Osprey a good hiking brand? Here’s my honest take after just about 3 years of hiking exclusively with Osprey bags.

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crib goch snowdonia
Hiking Blog

Welsh 3000s List and Route

I’m planning the Welsh 3000s in 24 hours challenge for next summer. Having done most of them individually, I already know how tough a challenge this will be. Here’s the list and the route I’ll be taking

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Sunset from Yr Elen 2
Hiking Blog

Cloud Inversion Forecasting – How to Predict a Cloud Inversion

There’s something utterly magical about a cloud inversion from a pretty mountain summit. But how do you increase your chances of getting one? Well, I’m no meteorologist, that’s for sure. But I’ve spent plenty of time trying to figure it out and I’ve had a lot of success over the last year. So here’s what I’ve learned about forecasting cloud inversions.

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sunrise winnats pass
Hiking Blog

Sunrise Hiking on Winnat’s Pass, Peak District

With a pretty positive forecast suggesting the possibility of cloud inversions in the Hope Valley at the weekend, I set a 5am alarm and headed off in the hope that I could enjoy my morning coffee on Winnat’s Pass with beautiful skies and cloud inversions. I was NOT disappointed.

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Looking back towards Conival in the snow
Hiking Blog

Hypothermia when Hiking Mountains in the UK: What You Need to Know

Hypothermia kills hikers in the UK’s mountains every single year. That’s just a fact. Despite our relatively mild climate, the cold combined with the wet here means people are at risk of hypothermia when hiking mountains if not properly equipped. In this guide, we talk about what hypothermia is, how it happens, how to prevent it and how to spot the signs when hiking in the UK’s mountains.

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Hiking Blog

Top Tips for Hiking with Kids

Hiking with your kids can be so incredibly rewarding for both them and you. It’s so wonderful when you can both share a passion. But as hiking can be mentally and physically challenging, it’s not always the easiest thing to get your children involved in. And of course, their enjoyment is paramount. So here are some top tips learned from hiking hundreds of miles with my children.

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winter hiking jacket
Hiking Blog

Winter Jackets: Synthetic Insulation vs Down – What’s Best?

So you’re shopping for a new winter hiking jacket? Chances are you’ve got 101 different decisions to make (brand, colour, style, size, breathability, pack-away-a-bility… the list goes on). And one such decision is going to be about whether to go for a synthetic insultation jacket or a down jacket. So just what is best? Let’s take a look at the facts.

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black diamond crag gloves (1)
Hiking Blog

The Best Gloves for Scrambling and Climbing

Cold hands do NOT make for good scrambling hands. But how do you keep those fingers comfortable with winter scrambling without sacrificing on grip and mobility? And even in summer, sometimes a pair of gloves is essential to stop your hands being torn to pieces. So let’s take a look at the best scrambling gloves.

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Proud Sponsors

We're delighted to sponsor the playing kit for the Saddleworth 3Ds U9s Whites who'll be playing in the East Manchester Junior Football League in the 2023/24 season.
portable power banks for charging while hiking
Hiking Blog
Stacey MacNaught

Best Portable Charging Banks for Hiking in 2025

Traditionalists may not like it! But personally, I don’t like to risk being stuck on a hill or mountain with a dead phone or head torch battery. So I like to carry a portable charging device (or 2, or 3) with me. Here are the best portable charging banks for hiking that I’ve used. (And I’ve used a lot, by the way).

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