Friday 18th January was not the ideal day to be visiting anywhere on public transport. With most of the UK blanketed in snow at the moment I winced at the thought of travelling up to London by train but happily, Network South East seemed for once to be in full working order, it was obviously the right type of snow.
I’m not one to post dishonest reviews on events, gear or services on this website; it’s a waste of my time, and yours. If a piece of gear is rubbish I’ll tell you about it, if it’s not worth going somewhere you’ll know about it. So, it’s a shame to say that the Outdoor Show has gone downhill in recent years.
A serious lack of visitors added to an overall glum feel to this years show
It’s always been a bit of a gear fest really so if that floats your boat then you’re laughing, but even in that respect, a lot of big names were missing this year. If you’re a thru-hiker then most of the mainstream manufacturers don’t have much to offer us anyway, the majority of our kit requirements can only be satisfied by the smaller, cottage industry manufacturers like Mountain Laurel Designs, Trail Designs, Tarptent, Zpacks and the like who know what we want because they’ve been out there and done it themselves. If you like your North Face, Mountain Equipment, Patagonia and Osprey kit you’ll be well disappointed because most of them appeared to have stayed away as well. Nikwax, Paramo and Canon were pretty much the only well-known brands I saw. Even Country Walking, Trail and TGO magazines hadn’t put in an appearance for some reason but you could always rely on them in the past for a good natter. The rest of the exhibitors were an uninteresting mix (to me at least) of names offering boating holidays, guided walks, dog rescue organisations, expensive designer foods, glam camping services and companies that arguably shouldn’t even be there – The Royal Air Force?
Sorry? Who did you say you were?
I lasted about 2 hours and if it wasn’t for the guys on the Sawyer stand, a quick stop at the Beer Boutique and a foray into the cycle show (excellent) running alongside I would have tucked up in the corner and taken a snooze. The Boat Show also takes up most of the Excel Centre if that floats your . . .
Sawyer Water Filters were my main reason for visiting anyway. I used a Sawyer Squeeze Filter on my Appalachian Trail trip last year and if any of you haven’t bought, or looked into this unit then you’re seriously missing out. I will be posting a full review soon but suffice to say I believe this device is the device to end all others. It the lightest, simplest and most reliable water treatment unit I have ever had. Tony Male the MD had kindly agreed to offer me sponsorship with a new filter after my old unit’s flow had started to reduce after several months on the AT. This was not the fault of the filter, more a lack of care, attention and infrequent back flushing on my part. However, as it transpires, a bath in boiling water and a generous flush connected to the tap (faucet of you’re over the pond) and it’s working fine. This is perfect for a thru-hike.
Meeting Tony Male from Sawyer Europe
A few other well-known companies peered at me such as the Ramblers Association, OS maps were there as were the British Mountaineering Council and the Met Office. If you’re into climbing up rock faces you would be reasonably well catered for with a larger number of gear suppliers servicing this area and a couple of indoor climbing walls. I couldn’t find any decent guest speakers to note, in recent times Ray Mears, Chris Bonnington and Ffyona Campbell had entertained us but this year, and indeed last year, it was sadly not to be.
OK, so as I said, us thru-hikers are a niche market but The Outdoors Show is getting to the point where it just isn’t worth anyone’s time. If you like rock climbing that’s it, knock yourself out. The Cycling Show was great, if you have an interest in the outdoors and also cycle it could save your day but I’ll be giving some serious thought about visiting next year.
One of only a very few reasons to go see The Outdoor Show this year