Ten Lightweight Packs for Long-Distance Walking

The ULA Catalyst on the Yosemite Valley to Death Valley walk

With the long-distance walking season approaching I’ve gathered together reviews of the best ten lightweight packs I’ve used in recent years. These reviews first appeared in The Great Outdoors. I’ve edited them for this post.

I’ve set 1.5kg as the maximum weight, regardless of capacity, plus a minimum volume to weight ratio of 20. The latter is the volume in litres per 500 grams of weight. The bigger the number the lighter the pack for the capacity.

I’m happy to recommend all these packs. Which is best depends on how well they fit, the weight and bulk you’ll be carrying, and the features you like.

Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60               935 grams                              £280

Capacity                             60 litres, including pockets             

Materials                            100 & 200D Robic nylon        

Closures                              fold-over lid    

Compartments                    1        

Back                                  wire frame, removable foam pad

Sizes                                  3

Hipbelt                               padded, stiffened   

Pockets                             stretch mesh front, 3 side, zipped top, 2 zipped hipbelt, inner

                                         hydration sleeve

Features                            ice axe trekking pole loops, multiple attachment points

Volume to weight ratio         32

Max. recommended load     16kg

www.gossamergear.com

With a big capacity and a supportive harness  the Mariposa is suitable for loads up to 16kg.  For trips where many days food has to be carried or you have extra gear for severe weather or other reason (camera stuff in my case) the extra space and comfort is welcome. 

The support comes from a U-shaped wire frame that locks into the wide, stiffened, and well-padded hipbelt.  This provides excellent weight transfer to the belt. There’s also a thick foam backpad with an eggbox shape to reduce condensation. This pad fits into two stretch mesh sleeves and is easy to remove and replace when the pack is full making it an excellent sitmat. The shoulder straps are quite wide and firm too. 

The Mariposa has an unusual combined roll-top and buckled lid. It took me a little while to get used to this but once it was familiar I really liked it. The zipped pocket on the lid holds a surprising amount. The other pockets hold everything you might need during the day. I like having a long pocket on one side – it’s big enough for a tarp or light solo tent - and two smaller ones on the other. There are plenty of attachment points for other gear including loops for compression cords and D rings on the harness for clipping on items like sunglasses. 

The pack is made from two different weights of Robic nylon and should last well.

With loads of 10-15kg I’ve found the Mariposa comfortable and stable.  I used it on the GR5 Trail Through the Alps and it was fine even with a few more kilos than this.

Six Moons Design Fusion 50        1.2kg     £200  

Capacity                                   50 litres

Materials                                  420/210 nylon Robic

Closures                                   rollover top with two buckles

Compartments                          one

Back                                        adjustable, framesheet with single stay

Sizes                                       2 shoulder yoke, 3 hipbelt

Hipbelt                                     padded, stiffened, detachable

Pockets                                   stretch front, 2 stretch side, 2 hipbelt

Features                                  side straps, lower straps, ice axe loops

Volume to weight ratio               27      

www.sixmoondesigns.com

Unlike most lightweight packs no limit is given for the maximum weight the Fusion 50 can handle. Instead Six Moon Designs says it will ‘comfortably carry whatever the pack will hold’, a bold claim. To this end the Fusion 50 has a back system with a tapered framesheet with a central metal strut. This transfers the weight well to the hipbelt, which I think is key to the carrying comfort. This hipbelt is stiff and wide and very supportive, being more like those found on bigger, heavier packs than most lightweight ones. On a TGO Challenge crossing of the Scottish Highlands I carried 15-18kg and the Fusion 50 handled it well, my hips and shoulders never feeling sore. The pack proved very stable on rough ground too. 

The Fusion 50 is made from  Robic, which is said to be even tougher than Dyneema. The pack design is good for organising gear as it has six pockets. It’s wider at the top than the base too, making it easier to find stuff and keeping the weight higher in the pack, which is better for comfort and stability. On the TGO Challenge I just managed to get all my gear inside plus five days food.  (Then it was called the Fusion 65. Now that names is given to a bigger version). 

As it is the Fusion 50 is one of the best lightweight packs around, especially if you sometimes carry more than 15kg.

    

Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus 55L    $235  

Capacity                                55 litres

Materials                               Dyneema

Closures                                rollover top with three buckles & stud fastening

Compartments                       one

Back                                     plain

Sizes                                     3

Hipbelt                                  padded

Pockets                                mesh front, two mesh side

Features                               side straps, ice axe loops, base volume adjusters, front shockcord

Volume to weight ratio            35        

www.mountainlaureldesigns.com

The Exodus really is an ultralight pack, at 510 grams for the basic model (there are optional add-ons), as it has no frame or back padding. I used it for filming Terry Abraham’s Backpacking In The Lake District With Chris Townsend DVD and it was fine with loads up to 11kg, the maximum recommended by Mountain Laurel Designs.  The pack has roomy pockets, a roll-top that fastens with studs and buckles, and plenty of attachment points for the provided shockcord. Optional hipbelt pockets and a lid are available – these are well worth having.

The pack is only available direct from Mountain Laurel Designs in the USA. If you want a comfortable ultralight pack for loads up to around 12kg it’s an excellent choice.

          

Lightwave Ultrahike 60      1.23kg      £179   

Capacity                            60 litres

Materials                           420d Dynatech nylon/300d micro-ripstop polyester               

Closures                            lid with 2 buckles                

Compartments                   one              

Back                                 pre-curved 7001-T6 aluminium frame/moulded foam                

Sizes                                 2                 

Hipbelt                              padded, stiffened                

Pockets                            1 lid, 2 side stretch mesh                

Features                            taped/welded seams, side shockcord compression, two ice 

                                         axe/trekking pole loops         

Volume to weight ratio         24                 

www.lightwave.uk.com

The Ultrahike has a more traditional look than many lightweight packs due to the standard style lid, the lack of a front pocket and the material, which doesn’t have the grid look of Dyneema or Robic. Lightwave says it’s suitable for loads of 12-15kg, with 30kg as a maximum. I’ve found it handles a little over 20kg quite well. I used it on my Scottish Watershed walk when I sometimes carried over a week’s supplies and it was always comfortable. The stiffened hipbelt is wide and quite thick. The curved frame is rigid vertically but allows sideways twisting, making for good stability.

The Watershed walk showed that the pack is tough with little wear visible at the finish. As parts of that walk were very wet I found the sealed seams very useful. Very little rain ever got in the pack even though the seams between the body and the back panel aren’t sealed. With just small mesh side pockets and a lid pocket the design is fairly minimalist with most of your gear going in the roomy main compartment. The volume was more than adequate for the summer Watershed walk and I can fit everything inside for a two-night winter trip. As 60 litre packs go this is one of the bigger ones!

Osprey Exos 58      1.2kg   £150  

Capacity                        58 litres

Materials                        high-tenacity nylon       

Closures                        detachable lid with two buckles         

Compartments               one         

Back                             curved aluminium hoop, tensioned-mesh panel         

Sizes                            three         

Hipbelt                          mesh, padded          

Pockets                        external & internal lid, 2 stretch mesh side, 1 stretch mesh front, 2

                                    hipbelt, internal hydration          

Features                        top flap for use without lid, trekking pole attachment, side straps, base

                                    strap, ice axe loop          

Volume to weight ratio     24           

www.ospreyeurope.com

The Exos 58 is unusual for a lightweight pack in having an airspace behind the frame and a mesh backband against your back. This makes for excellent ventilation of course and Osprey has enhanced this with open mesh over perforated foam for the shoulder straps and hipbelt. If you hate getting sweaty this pack will keep you drier than most others. The rigid frame transfers the weight to the hipbelt well. The latter is quite thick but not stiffened and the foam is quite soft. It supports loads up to 15kg okay though, which is fine for a pack this size.

I’ve found the Exos 58 comfortable to carry but not quite as stable as a close-fitting pack. I prefer a body-hugging pack but for most backpacking this design shouldn’t be a problem. Only if you’re going scrambling or mountaineering might it be significant.

The Exos 58 is a pack for those who like multiple features but don’t want the weight that usually goes with them. Eight pockets and numerous attachment points make the pack very versatile. The lid can be removed if not needed. There’s a flap with buckles underneath to cover the load. Base straps can be used for a foam pad. Osprey call them sleeping bag straps but that’s not somewhere I’d want to carry my bag. The fabric  seems quite tough though probably not as durable as Dyneema or Robic.

ULA Catalyst                  1.4kg             £320   

Capacity                           75 litres inc. pockets

Materials                           210 Robic/Cordura/210 Ripstop 

Closures                           rolltop with three buckles       

Compartments                   one       

Back                                 framesheet with twin alloy bars, foam pad  

Sizes                                four back length, five hipbelt   

Hipbelt                              padded  

Pockets                            2 side pockets, 1 front mesh pocket, 2 hipbelt pockets, internal

                                        hydration, internal zipped 

Features                           front shock cord, side straps, 2 ice axe/trekking pole loops, water

                                        bottle holders, handloops

Volume to weight ratio       27                       

www.ula-equipment.com

I’ve had a Catalyst for over 15 years. I used the original model on quite a few long walks including the GR20 in Corsica (a good test for stability) and the TGO Challenge and always found it very comfortable. I used the current version on my Yosemite Valley to Death Valley walk. The pack is made from Robic, which feels a little stiffer and more solid than the Dyneema of the earlier version. The mesh on the pockets feels tougher too and should resist abrasion and tearing better (there are several holes in the mesh on my original Catalyst).

The key to the comfortable carry of the Catalyst lies in the fairly stiff back and the wide, well-padded hipbelt. Together they are very supportive and easily handle 18kg loads (the maximum recommended by ULA). The pack is very stable too, as I found in Corsica.

ULA says the volume is 75 litres. This includes all the pockets and the extension collar however. The main compartment is more like 50 litres (ULA says 42 but I think that’s an underestimate). The pockets are very roomy though and I found the Catalyst suitable for a winter trip in the Cairngorms with fairly bulky gear.

The Catalyst is quite expensive compared to alternatives but it is one of the toughest packs tested and should last well.

Nigor Zero G          1.1kg                  £195 

Capacity                          53 litres

Materials                         Dyneema/nylon ripstop      

Closures                          lid with two buckles       

Compartments                 one      

Back                               padded, wire frame     

Sizes                               2      

Hipbelt                            padded      

Pockets                          external & internal lid, 1 zipped front, 2 stretch mesh side, 2 hipbelt,

                                      internal hydration

Features                         lid & base volume reduction clips, side compression straps, 2 ice axe

                                      loops     

Volume to weight ratio      24                         

www.nigor.eu

The Zero G has a stiff frame and a thick padded hipbelt. The stiff frame transfers the weight to the hipbelt and I’ve found the pack fine with 15kg. It’s close-fitting but not too sweaty as there’s a thick mesh covering the foam back pad that allows some airflow. Stability is excellent.

Rather than a mesh pocket the Zero G has a huge zipped pocket on the rear. This pocket does have drain holes but wet items won’t dry as well as in a mesh pocket. Against that they are better protected. As with any rear pocket I wouldn’t put heavy gear in it as this could pull the pack away from the body making it less comfortable and less stable. I suspect there’s more temptation to put heavier gear in an enclosed zipped pocket than in a mesh one as it looks stronger and more secure. The angled side mesh pockets are roomy enough for litre size water bottles and can be accessed when wearing the pack. The hipbelt pockets are roomy two and have two compartments.

When I tested the original Zero G I had one small complaint, which was that the lid flopped down if the pack wasn’t full and the strap buckles were set so high on the pack that tightening them was impossible. This has been remedied on the current model and the buckles are much lower down.

The capacity is said to be 53 litres for the Large size I tested. I reckon that’s just the main compartment with the pockets adding at least another 5. This is quite a roomy pack.

Berghaus Lite Hike 45             925 grams                                            £95

 

Capacity                               45 litres              

Materials                              Robic nylon        

Closures                               roll top       

Compartments                      1        

Back                                    alloy frame, mesh/foam backpad

Sizes                                   1

Hipbelt                                 mesh/foam  

Pockets                               1 stretch mesh front, 4 stretch mesh side, 1 stretch hipbelt, 1

                                           zipped hipbelt, 2 stretch mesh shoulder strap, 1 zipped inner

Features                              twin ice axe/trekking pole loops, twin front/side straps, daisy chain

                                           loops

Volume to weight ratio           24  

www.berghaus.com

Berghaus’s first ultralight backpacking pack is functional and comfortable and the price is surprisingly low. It has a wire frame that runs across the top and down the sides of the back and helps transfer weight to the hipbelt. The latter is quite wide though the padding isn’t very thick. There’s a thick back pad in a sleeve with space behind it for a hydration bladder. This foam pad can be removed but it’s not that easy to replace it, especially when the pack is full, so it’s not something to do regularly. The shoulder straps are wider than usual to help spread the load. The back, hipbelt and shoulder straps are covered with an open mesh to minimise condensation build-up. There’s only one back length, 51.5cms, which is a little short for me.

The pack design is excellent. There’s no lid, just a roll top with clip buckles. Inside the main compartment there’s a detachable zipped pocket for valuables and small items. Other than that, it’s just one big compartment. Outside there are enough pockets to hold everything you might need between camps so there’s no need to open the pack during the day. The stretch pockets are all roomy – a wet tent can be carried in the front one. Berghaus gives the capacity of 45 litres. With all the pockets I’d say it was closer to 55-60 litres. There are plenty of attachment points for more gear too, including compression straps that run right round the sides and front , daisy chain loops, and loops for ice axes and trekking poles.

Berghaus doesn’t give a suggested weight limit for the Lite Hike. I found that with 10kg in the suspension system started to sag and the pack didn’t feel as comfortable, so I reckon that’s the absolute maximum. With 8kg it feels fine.

ULA CDT                                   735 grams                                              £170

Capacity                             54 litres              

Materials                             210 Robic nylon        

Closures                              drawcord sleeve    

Compartments                     1        

Back                                   removable foam pad    

Sizes                                  4

Hipbelt                                padded    

Pockets                              front stretch mesh, 2 adjustable side, 2 zipped hipbelt, inner zipped stash,

                                          hydration sleeve

Features                             side compression straps, ice axe/trekking pole loops, hand loops, 

                                          water bottle holsters

Volume to weight ratio          37

Max. recommended load      8.2kg

https://www.ula-equipment.com

The CDT is astonishingly light even for an ultralight pack. Partly that’s because it doesn’t have a frame, just a padded back, partly it’s the simple design, and partly it’s because it’s not quite as big as it might seem. The main pack has a capacity of 34 litres. The 54 litres is when you add on all the pockets. Overall, I’d say it’s a little smaller than the Berghaus Fast Hike. For the loads it’s designed to carry, up to 8kg, the size is fine. It’s made from a tough thick Robic nylon that should prove really durable.

The removable foam back pad is inside the pack and so not one to remove while the pack is loaded. In camp it can be taken out and used as a sitmat as it’s easy to replace. Whilst it helps stop hard objects poking you in the back gear needs to be packed with care or uncomfortable lumps can form. I found using my sleeping pad as extra back cushioning makes packing easier. The pack shouldn’t be jammed tight either or it can form an uncomfortable barrel shape. The hipbelt and shoulder straps aren’t very thick, but they are quite firm and support the load well. They’re covered with mesh for sweat control but the back of the pack is nylon, so a damp back is unavoidable on warm days.

Closure is via a simple drawcord sleeve with a strap over it.  It’s wise to fold the sleeve over a little when it’s wet or rain can enter. The pockets are roomy and can carry all you need during the day. The side ones don’t stretch but have drawcords so they can be pulled in tight around the contents. The huge front pocket easily holds a tent.

Carefully packed, the CDT handles 8kg fine.

Osprey Levity 45         760 grams                     £220   

Capacity                               45 litres          

Materials                              NanoFly UHMWPE Ripstop x 100D HT Nylon, 30D Siliconised 

                                            Nylon       

Closures                               lid with twin buckles     

Compartments                      1         

Back                                    wire frame, tensioned mesh backband

Sizes                                   3

Hipbelt                                 mesh/foam    

Pockets                               1 outer lid, 1 bellows front, 2 side, inner hydration          

Features                              side compression cords, daisychain loops

Volume to weight ratio           29.5

www.ospreyeurope.com

  

The Levity 45 is in many ways an astonishing design. Ultralight packs at this weight and less have been around for a while but they usually have fairly simple back systems, often with no frame or padding. However the Levity has a curved frame and a tensioned mesh backband, not something I’ve seen in a pack anywhere near this light before.  The frame is quite stiff and supportive too. The shoulder straps are well-padded but the hipbelt is quite thin and the wide sections don’t come far round the hips. I found the pack comfortable with loads up to 10kg. Above that and the weight started to press uncomfortably on my hips. 

The weight of the pack is kept down by the fabrics and the components. The main part of the pack is made from silicone nylon that’s so thin that it’s translucent. This is protected by the pockets and the lid which are made from thicker fabric and which wrap around much of the pack. These pockets are quite roomy but they don’t stretch. The lid has a roomy pocket too. It’s fixed in place and only just covers the pack when it’s really full.

For ultralight backpacking the Levity is a good pack.

The Great Outdoors April issue

The April issue of The Great Outdoors is in the shops now, with a rather summery cover that's not in accord with current wintry conditions! There is snowy stuff inside though.

My reviews cover eleven daypacks, three camera bags and the Tarptent Moment DW while Judy Armstrong compares six women's windshells.

David Lintern climbs and camps on a snowy Streap in the Western Highlands, a feature illustrated with his usual excellent photographs. More fine pictures appear in a piece in which ten landscape photographers name their favourite mountain views.  The magazine opens with a superb picture too - a snow-covered Pen y Fan under a starry sky by Grant Hyatt.

In the rest of the magazine John Manning remembers the late Steve Perry, and Roger Smith pays tribute to the late Adam Watson. TGO Challenge co-ordinators Sue Oxley and Ali Ogden discuss route-planning. Louis Nethercott and Anthony Lambert answer questions on their attempt to make unsupported crossings of the five largest islands - Greenland, Papua New Guinea, Borneo, Madagascar, and Baffin Island - in aid of charity. The venture is called Expedition 5 and they've just Baffin Island left to do.

Jim Perrin's Mountain Portrait is Beinn Sgritheall in the Western Highlands, a superb viewpoint. Vivienne Crowe explores quiet Nidderdale, one of the Yorkshire Dales but not in the national park, while Roger Butler visits the equally quiet hills behind Blencathra. Cameron McNeish pays tribute to the Craigallian Fire, a key part of the traditions of Scottish outdoor life. Far from Scotland, Phoebe Smith walks the Wilderness Trail on Australia's Kangaroo Island. 

Saving Glen Etive: Action Needed Now

Last summer I wrote a post about the threat to beautiful Glen Etive from seven hydro schemes. In that piece I described the glen as "surrounded by fine rugged mountains laced with deep narrow ravines and corries down which tumble fast flowing streams ........ . an area that should be left to become wilder with the pressures of overgrazing and commercial forestry removed not one sacrificed for a tiny smidgeon of energy."

 
Despite being in a Wild Land Area, National Scenic Area and Special Protection Area, last month Highland Council approved the hydro schemes. However due to one concerned councillor,  Andrew Baxter, Highland Council is going to review the decision on the three most damaging schemes at a Special Meeting on March 20th.

A campaign group, Save Glen Etive, has been set up and can be followed on Twitter and Facebook. There's also a petition. Residents of the Highland Council region can write to their ward councillors asking them to attend the Special Meeting and oppose the hydro schemes, as I have done. https://www.highland.gov.uk/councillors. Those from outside the Highlands can write letters to the press, post online, and share posts from Save Glen Etive. Public pressure is needed to save this special place.

As well as the Save Glen Etive pages there is much detailed information in a series of posts on Parkswatch Scotland.

Sunshine and Storm in the Cairngorms

Loch Avon

One reason I never tire of the Cairngorms is that they're never the same from one day to the next. On this overnight trip the contrast between the two days could not have been greater.

Back in the autumn film maker James Chapman had contacted me to say he'd like to make a film with me as part of his last year's work at college. After a meeting and many emails we finally set out from Coire Cas in early March shortly after the unseasonal February heatwave had faded away and a light dusting of snow covered the hills.

Cloud over Cairn Lochan

Clouds drifted over the mountains and bursts of sunshine lit the snow as we climbed to the Cairngorm Plateau then headed down Coire Raibert. Our destination was Loch Avon, which James was keen to see for the first time, rather than any summits. Coire Raibert is gentle but the slopes above Loch Avon are very steep and the stream in the corrie makes a sudden plunge down a ravine for some three hundred metres. There is a rough path here, on this day with a few patches of snow and icy rocks in places but no real problems.

Loch Avon comes into view

Once by the loch we admired the reflections of the mountains in the calm water and the touches of brightness as the sun cut below clouds far to the west. All was peaceful and serene. Above rose the great cliffs of Carn Etchachan and the Shelter Stone Crag. I pitched my tent on the flat glen floor below them - a favourite site - while James opted for the Shelter Stone itself.

Loch Avon, Carn Etchachan & the Shelter Stone Crag

Night brought a wondrous starry sky and the ethereal beauty of snowy rock peaks in the pale light of night. I felt excited and content at the same time.

Down by the loch the mountains were still reflected in the dark water. The air was sharp and cold.

The calm beauty changed during the night. I woke at 4 a.m. as a gusty wind blew through the open tent door. The sky was overcast, the stars gone. The thermometer read -2C. I checked back - four hours earlier it had been -7.6C. The weather was changing. I zipped the door shut and fell back to sleep. Waking again at dawn I heard a gentle swishing on the tent. Snow. Snow falling steadily in a gusty wind. Clouds swirled round the summits. This was a different place now.

We decided to return by the same route, hoping that the ravine would still be passable safely and that the wind and snow in Coire Raibert wouldn't be too severe. There was much more snow on the rocks now, soft and slippery and treacherous. There were passages we'd descended I wasn't looking forward to ascending. One was a short traverse above a waterfall. The rocks had been wet and greasy. Now they were snow covered. Reaching this section we decided to climb straight up the sides of the gorge instead, using ice axes and hands on the mix of snow, heather and stone. At times I needed to stand on the head of James's ice axe in order for my short legs to reach the next relatively secure footing. I was very glad of the security of my axe thrust into the snow or ground.

Eventually the terrain eased and we could traverse into Coire Raibert and into a blasting wind and horizontal snow. Visibility was minimal - if the rocks and grasses had all been snow-covered we'd have been in a total whiteout. The snow stung the face, the wind knocked the body sideways. Any thought of filming or photography were long gone. I checked our position on my phone a couple of times, pretty sure where we were but feeling it was wise to be certain. The last time was when steep slopes appeared to one side. I was puzzled. The GPS map position showed we'd come further than I'd thought and were almost at the big cairn at the top of the Fiacaill a'Choire Chais, our descent route. A few minutes later and the cairn rose up out of the storm.

The descent was easier than I'd expected, the wind having blasted the snow off the ridge so there was less than there'd been the day before. Soon we were down in the abandoned-feeling Cairngorm ski resort. Ragged snow fencing laced the mountainside. Drag lifts swayed in the wind. James suddenly commented that it wasn't freezing anymore. His frozen camera had come back to life. I noticed that the snow had changed. The fine stinging pellets were gone. Now it was heavy wet flakes that soaked into our clothing. The storm was behind us and it was only when we removed our packs in the shelter of the Coire Cas buildings that we saw they were plastered with snow.

The Cairngorms had shown us calm and storm, beauty and ferocity. Now it was time for Aviemore and the excellent Explorer Cafe.

The Cairngorms in February

What I've Been Reading Online Recently No. 3

Torridon, late February

Here's the third instalment of pieces I've been reading online that I find interesting. This covers the last three weeks.

OUTDOORS 

There are no rules, says mountain bagger extraordinaire Anne Butler

Anne Butler, who has climbed all the Munros (five times), Munro Tops, Corbetts, Grahams, Donalds and Furths (mountains over 3,000' in England, Wales and Ireland), discusses the 'rules' for peak bagging. 

The way we were: 50 years of the Yorkshire Three Peaks Walk

Clive Darley tells the story of this popular and excellent walk in the Yorkshire Dales, which I did back in the 1980s.

Up North Loop: Brand Ambassadors Complete Over 2,600 Miles On New Trail

Two hikers describe a new circular route in the NW USA linking the Idaho Centennial Trail, Oregon Desert Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Pacific Northwest Trail. Sounds wonderful!

Equipment For Ski Touring Adventures In Norway

Paul Kirtley describes the gear needed for ski touring in remote areas. Detailed and good advice.


In Britain, Enraptured by the Wild, Lonely and Remote

Stephen Hiltner explores bothies and bothy culture.

Achadh nan Seileach

A moving refelctive piece by David Lintern about the effects of a trip where someone else disappeared in the same area.

The legal issues with the camping byelaws as they come into effect again today

March 1st sees the controversial anti-camping byelaws in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park come into effect again until the autumn. Nick Kempe discusses what's wrong and what should happen.

Trek back in time 'to the real Nepal'

Kevin Rushby takes a remote hike to a little-visited part of Nepal.

The Social Instinct

James Poulter praises mountain rescue teams and shows how they exemplify what Russian anarchist and geographer called 'mutual aid'. 


 

Rain sweeps across Loch Maree and the regenerating forest of the Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve this February

 

CONSERVATION, NATURE, AND ENVIRONMENT

Magical, Wild, Beautiful Glen Etive - A National Treasure

The future of Glen Etive is in the balance due to the threat of hydro developments. Photographer Michael Stirling-Aird describes its magnificence in words and pictures.

The Long Walk-in

Cameron McNeish considers what could be the future of Cairn Gorm and the ski resort and funicular railway if it was allowed to return to nature.

Adam Watson Obituary

Scotland is poorer for the passing of Dr. Adam Watson but his wonderful writing lives on

Two excellent pieces on the late ecologist, conervationist and mountaineer Adam Watson by Des Thompson and Roger Cox.

Conservation in the 21st Century

Cairngorms National Park CEO Grant Moir considers what conservation means in a time of climate change.

How the Grand Canyon changed from a 'Valueless' Place to a National Park

Grand Canyon National Park was 100 years old in February. Stephen Pyne tells its story.

What is Rewilding?

A look at what 'rewilding' means to different people and in different contexts. Thought-provoking.

Five maps that reveal the world's remaining wilderness

Steve Carver looks at the maps that show wilderness and what they mean.

Winter reflection, a barn owl, fallen from the skies 

In a lovely piece of writing novelist Melissa Harrison contemplates winter mortality

Winds of Change

Farmer and conservationist Derek Gow looks at farming traditions and possible future.

We're conservation scientists - here's why we haven't lost hope for the future

Two scientists explain why they are optimistic about nature in Europe.

Plummeting insect numbers 'threaten collapse of nature'

Damian Carrington looks at analysis that shows insects are disappearing.

'The devastation of human life is in view': what a burning world tells us about climate change 

David Wallace-Wells looks at the effects of climate change now in the future. Potentially devastating but he's optimistic.

America colonisation 'cooled Earth's climate'

A disturbing study shows that the massive reduction in the native population of America after Europeans arrived led to farmed land reverting to forest and reducing the CO2 in the atmosphere.