A voice recorder is a good option if you want to make notes on the move. The Olympus WS-210S is a device I used.

Features

• Professional-grade digital voice recorder
• Record up to 138 hours of digital audio
• 512 MB of internal flash memory
• Can be used as a USB mass storage device
• Convenient USB 2.0 direct design for fast data transfer

How I used the device

I owned one for taking audio notes in addition to my written diary and filming.

Since writing this article, Airbnb have been in the news because governments have been cracking down the rules about renting out private space (Update 30.10.16). For example in Barcelona, Long read in the Guardian about crackdowns in Ireland, Berlin, New York, London.

This kind of action by government is interesting not just in the context of Airbnb but in general in the ‘idle capacity’ industry enabled by the internet, where people can rent out their personal possessions to others, encroaching on the territory of traditional industries - in the case of Airbnb, the hotel industry.

Hiking shoes. Whats the best brand?

Meindl

Meindl are based in Germany. Their shoes sit at the higher end of the market similar to Lowa. They partner with specialist sectors like the military.

Columbia

Columbia originates from Portland, Oregon. They are run by Gert Boyle who they say has a ‘Tough Mother" persona. Their aim is to keep you warm, dry, cool and protected. They test their kit in the great Pacific Northwest where they are based. The shoes are mid-upper market range.

Grips are an often overlooked but important part of a bike set up and one of the main contact points on a bike. Some of the body weight is distributed onto the hands, palms and wrists. Even more if pedalling out of the saddle. The grips have an affect on the amount of control over the bike.

There are many grip designs available - they can be separated into old school bmx type, tube grips and anatomical moulded grips that are meant to provide more support at pressure point hotspots.

On my quest to find the ultimate all round shoe I felt that the answer might be a trail running shoe. My search however, took a twist, as I decided instead of finding one all rounder was to go specialised instead. This shoe was also a move away from the barefoot style of shoe I have been using - The Merrell Trailglove 3 and the Fivefingers. I was recommended by Al Humphreys the Inov-8 and so I did some research. I found them at a good price and I’ve been using them for about a year. They are now my general purpose shoe for running off-road.

Sealskinz military socks are thick, sturdy and meant to be waterproof. Having previously owned a pair of Sealskinz waterproof socks I was interested to know what the military versions were like. Initially my intention was to use them in my trail running shoes as a waterproof liner.

Tech Spec

• Waterproof & Breathable
• Knee length & Calf Length available
• Merino wool pile lining for warmth and moisture control

The Company

Sealskinz is the need to defy the cold and the wet… “Whatever the weather, whatever the activity, our purpose is to enable you to go further, go longer, leave first and return last.”…we’ve worked in partnership with some of the world’s greatest athletes including mountaineers, explorers, cyclists, skiers, runners, sailors, horse riders.. In 1996, the ORIGINAL close fitting, waterproof sock by Sealskinz… was dreamt up whilst watching TV about John Logie Baird who had poor circulation and so invented a 2 layered sock.

This is a guest post by Lee Firman - an adventurer and entrepreneur who runs a company called Feetus.

The Trek Ascent was released by Vibram FiveFingers in 2015, replacing the massively popular TrekSport.

I remember when Vibram FiveFingers first announced that they were discontinuing the massively popular Trek Sport back in 2014, I put my head in my hands and had that sinking feeling: This was their best trail shoe, their second-biggest seller (behind the KSO, now the KSO EVO), and my personal favourite shoe.

EUROBIKE happens each year in Friedrichshafen, Germany to showcase premieres of new bike kit, the latest trends and ideas. From it’s early beginnings as a purely mountain bike show, there are now approx 1,350 exhibitors from 53 countries and 45,870 trade visitors from 103 countries. One of the most important events to get the latest from the bike world, I unfortunately wasn’t able to make it this year, but here is a round up of some products I felt were interesting from the coverage.

The Surly Ogre’s name perhaps doesn’t give the bike the right image or the image that it needs. Ogres are usually ugly and trudge about swinging clubs and fists with large thick heads and not too clever. However an Ogre can also be strong and wanders about everywhere in the mountains choosing to live alone and be self-sufficient. It is also described as “eats ordinary human beings” on Wikipedia. Ogres are character types from stories of yore harking back to simplier times like that bombproof bike your Gran had that she rode over field and mountain for years on end and never serviced it once and it had those shopper handlebars. In any case the name ‘Ogre’ certainly triggers the imagination :) linktest

Vibram are a company that are known for making high quality rubber soles for all kinds of shoes, but can be found on many kinds of hiking shoes. They also make the Vibram Fivefingers. Vibram have invented a new kind of shoe sole that grips perfectly on wet and dry ice.

Vibram showcased their new sole technology at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. They built a large frozen block of ice and people could try out the ‘Arctic Grip’ shoes.