Get organised!

Whether you are out for an after-work run, or planning your next Artic expedition, you will probably be taking at least a few bits and pieces of gear with you. A little bit of organisation can go a long way to making an excursion hassle free.

Probably the gold standard in organisation is Eagle Creek, with its Pack-It Cube system; small fabric cubes in a variety of sizes that are ideal for storing things in. The Quarter Cube is great for items like electronics cables, or small clothing like socks. The Medium is the all-rounder, ideal for T-shirts or a couple of pairs of trousers. The full sized Cube is perfect for larger items like thick jumpers, or to store some of the smaller Cubes inside. Eagle Creek Cubes are available in two versions. The Original Cubes have more structure, making them easier to fill, plus a double zip. The Specter versions are in a lighter weight fabric, and are more water resistant. All are available in a wide range of colours so you can colour code each one and find items easily.

The other mainstay of organisation is the Exped Dry Bag. These come in a variety of sizes, from 1 litre up to 40 litres, so can store anything from a wallet right up to lining an entire day sack. Each size is colour coded, waterproof and sealable, so ideal for storing items in your pack on a wet day.

On any walk we advise people to take a head torch, just in case you get caught out at the end of the day. The one nuisance can be that the headband wraps itself round every item in your pack, so extracting it feels like some sort of ludicrous puzzle. Petzl now provides a small head torch case called the Poche, which is ideal to keep a Tikka or Zipka head torch packed away until needed. It can also be clipped on to a belt or strap if you want to access it quickly.

If you are going away on a short trip, it can often be a pain carrying large containers of sun cream or other creams, lotions, pastes etc. For this we stock the GoToob from Human Gear. These are small, squeezable tubes which are ideal for small amounts of anything, from cosmetics to ketchup! To ensure you don’t end up cleansing your face with mayonnaise, there is a space on each bottle to label the contents, and they are available in a range of colours and sizes.

The final item that I will mention, you can’t exactly buy from us! We have our own George Fisher ‘Map Cases’, which are simple, robust, see-through bags with a sealable opening. They can be used for maps, but really they are ideal for keeping any paperwork dry and protected.

We don’t actually have a price on them, but if you are buying something from us please just ask and we can normally throw one in with your purchase. If you are desperate for one but haven’t been tempted to buy anything in store, a handful of change in one of our Mountain Rescue collection boxes should secure you a bag.

These aren’t the only products we sell to help you organise your gear. Cases for phones, cameras, GPS devices, map, books and a whole host of other items are in store, so please visit the website or pop in if you want some advice.