Scottish-based outdoor gear and bivvy bag manufacturer Highlander, the company who produce the popular, low-cost Highlander Hawk bivvy bag, a bag that makes our list of the best bivvy bags, have announced their latest sponsorship deal of Scottish athletes Rebecca and Sophie Ogilvie, two teenage canoe slalom competitors.

The pair, two Scottish teenage twins, are promising competitors in their sport, both being junior members of Team GB and promising prospects for team in the future, with the pair having high hopes for the Olympics.

Rebecca and Sophie are the latest Scottish athletes that Highlander have sponsored in recent months, with the company recently announcing a sponsorship agreement with Robert “The Hammer” Whiteford, the first Scottish competitor in the UFC.… Read more

Aqua Quest, the bivvy bag manufacturer behind the Aqua-Quest ‘The Hoopla’ Bivvy Bag, have released a new poll online to ask consumers to help them choose their new logo.

The company has put together five new logos to pick from, which they’re asking you to rate on a scale of 1 to 5. In reward for your help, Aqua Quest are also running a prize draw for participants, giving you the chance to win a $100 USD gift certificate to use on their online store.

The whole thing takes no more than a minute of your time and will really help the company out in their efforts to revamp their brand over the coming year.

To enter the prize draw you’ll need to do so before Friday, February 5th, and can do so by clicking here.… Read more

Scottish bivvy bag manufacturer Highlander, the same company behind the popular Highlander Hawk Bivvy Bag, have announced a new sponsorship deal with Robert “The Hammer” Whiteford, the first Scot to compete in the UFC.

Robert, who comes from Armadale, West Lothian, has been in the UFC since October 2013, and currently competes in the Featherweight division, where he has so far won 2 of his 4 fights – one by decision against Daniel Pineda, and the other by KO against Paul Redmond.

The company decided to support Robert due to their Scottish roots, taking pride in supporting and celebrating the achievements of fellow Scots, and says that it will be looking to sponsor other Scottish athletes in the future.… Read more

Scottish ministers have approved a number of controversial bylaws that will see camping restricted or banned from some parts of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.

The ban extends to approximately 3.7% of the park, and is aimed primarily at protecting areas around the park’s busiest lochshores to prevent further damage from overuse and anti-social behaviour, something which has been a problem for some time.

Linda McKay, Park convener, said “This is tremendously positive news for all those who, like us, want to protect and enhance some of Scotland’s most precious natural places.

“These carefully considered proposals reflect the views of a wide body of interests and demonstrate the delicate balance that needs to be struck when caring for our national parks.

“We firmly believe the combination of improved camping facilities alongside management of camping pressures on our loch shores will encourage people to enjoy everything that’s great about Scotland outdoors, while protecting … Read more

An entrepreneur saw success on BBC TV show Dragons’ Den recently with a gadget aimed specifically at anglers.

Millions tuned in to watch Spencer Turner demonstrate his unique, all-new gas camping stove, a device that gives anglers the ability to recharge their phones and other mobile devices whilst making tea or cooking meals whilst out fishing from the bank.

The former medical gas engineer put together a typical overnight fishing scene for the entrepreneurs to demonstrate his product, which comes equipped with a hand USB charger.

After he was able to initially impress the Dragons on the BBC show, he had offers from 3 of the 5 – Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones and the latest Drago, Touker Suleyman.

Spencer, who comes from Dorset, decided on an investment from Peter Jones, who had offered £45,000 for a 25% stake in the company, named Tegoloy, which has already begun signing deals with well-know tackle shop chains to … Read more

A mountain rescue team leader has praised two climbers and their actions after finding themselves caught out by a sudden change and deterioration in weather conditions.

The climbers, a pair of students from Liverpool, had completed their climb in the Cairngorms on Wednesday when they were hit by the change in weather during their way down the mountain range.

The pair took shelter in their bivvy bags after the winds strengthened.

Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team, who assisted and led the climbers to safety commented that the pair were “extremely well equipped”.

The conditions were so bad that a coastguard helicopter had to be called off from the search and rescue whilst assisting in the rescue.

Willie Anderson, Cairngorm MRT team leader said that “These young women did incredibly well in appalling conditions.

“They made some very sensible mountaineering decisions and were extremely well equipped not least with a bivvy shelter. These lightweight emergency shelters are … Read more

A huge tackle shop is set to open in the UK, with a total floor space that is twice the size of a football pitch.

The new store, located on the outskirts of Newark, in Notts, will be one of the largest in England once it’s fully constructed, offering over 12,000 sq ft in tackle to anglers to purchase.

The project is the brainchild of Tony Porter, the entrepreneur behind Future Fishing Ltd, who cane up with the idea for a massive expansion after his existing tackle shop was unable to cope and keep up with demand.

Tony Porter told Angling Times that “Our shop is just not big enough to house all the stock and keep up with the amount of custom we have been getting, so we have no choice but to expand.”

The two-storey store will feature a lure demonstration tank, advice desk and a bivvy bag village.

“We want to provide … Read more

Campers often have a hard time finding a good spot to pitch their tents, however for one man, his choice almost cost him his life.

Steven Hill, 42, shattered 122 bones, punctured a lung and suffered sever spinal injuries after plunging 120ft off of the edge of a cliff at Gallanach, near Oban, Argyll, after becoming disorientated when waking up from a nap.

He said that “I’m the luckiest man alive. I had never been in an accident in my life before this. People can’t believe how lucky I was. I was conscious the whole way down until impact.

“I fell asleep on the grass. I woke up ratty and was scrabbling around.

“The next thing I knew I had the sensation of increasing velocity.

“I could feel myself brushing against things.”

He was knocked unconscious by the fall and lay there for approximately four hours before coming to, after which he crawled for 40 … Read more

UK bivvy bag and sleeping bag manufacturer Snugpak have released their revamped Softie sleeping bag range, a revamp that include a number of improvements along with the addition of a mark to show of the company’s proud northern origins.

Snugpak’s Softie sleeping bag range was first introduced back in 1988 and is still manufactured in Silsden, the West Yorkshire town where the products first began being produced.

Snugpak are one of the few manufacturers that still makes their product in the UK, with each of their new, revamped range bearing a “made in Yorkshire” mark.

A host of changes have been made to the all-new Softie sleeping bags, including improved, higher quality insulation material, a better anti-snag zip baffle and the addition of an internal mesh pocket.

Snugpak said that “The updated collection comprises six Softie bags, which are made with top of the range materials, including Softie Premier insulation which is exclusive to Snugpak.… Read more

Officials in California have confirmed that a child camping in Yosemite National Park has contracted plague and was currently in hospital receiving treatment.

California’s Department of Public Health said on Thursday that the family camped at Yosemite’s Crane Flat campground in July, visiting a number of other places throughout the Stanislaus National Forest. It also confirmed that no other family members became sick, and that the child is in the process of recovering.

Rodents, such as squirrels and rats, carry plague and are able to spread with then their fleas move from a dead rodent to a new host.

Heath officials confirm that Plague is not transmitted between humans except in exceptionally rare cases. Plague can also be fatal if it is left untreated.

Symptoms of plague include chills, fever, nausea and swollen lymph nodes.

There have been a total of 42 cases of plague in California since 1970, resulting in 9 deaths.… Read more