The stuff you really ought not to miss at the OS Outdoors Show this weekend and our top secret plan to buy a round for OM members (ssssshhh, don't tell Adam)
If you simply want to know exactly who and what's at this
weekend's OS Outdoors Show at the NEC in Birmingham, take a trip over
to the
official show website for a comprehensive listing.
If on the other hand, you want a quick run through of the ten
things we reckon you shouldn't miss, then here it is - our utterly,
unashamedly, skewed show preview.
Oh, and if you want a nice ticket deal, check
this out. Meanwhile here's our 'don't miss' list...
Gore/Trail Magazine Kit Testing Area
We've already told you about this, but OM site sponsors Gore are
going to be bringing along some of their lab testing equipment, so
you can see what terrible torture Gore-Tex products endure before
they're let loose on us innocent customers.
There's also going to be a Gore rain tower - the device they use
to check waterproofing of finished garments - and the Windstopper
Storm Cube. The Cube's great, with innocent people subjected to
simulated wind while you can study the results on a thermal heat
imager outside. Gotta be worth a look.
Plus you can always corner Trail's gear guru Graham Thompson and
find out what he's got against your favourite walking socks.
Garmin
Geko - 70-quid GPS
Not
a lot of people know this, but Garmin is going to be launching a GPS
that might just be the answer for those of us who want a small,
tough, easy to use, water-resistant unit rather than some 400-quid
techno orgy with more functions than real uses.
The new Geko 101 is going to retail for just £70, half the
price of the Etrex. It's tiny and weighs just 3.5 ounces and it even
looks funky with it. Ideal for people who want an affordable GPS to
use just occasionally. For more details see the Garmin
site.
Try Indoor Adventure Racing
Let's be brutal, watching adventure racing is like
watching paint dry, but without the inherent drama and spectacle.
Doing it, on the other hand, is a whole different matter, especially
when you could be taking home a goody bag stuffed full of brand new
Nike ACG kit. If you want to try it, you'll have to pre-register
through
this
page. A bit more info? See our
earlier
article.
Oh, and if you can't, won't or don't get a place, you can always
laugh your socks off at those poor saps putting themselves through
hell in an attempt to win a few bits of clothing...
Check Out The Berghaus Super Theatre
One of the most popular attractions last year, there's a lot more
this time round and hosted by the nice people at Berghaus. Not
surprisingly, the Berghaus Team crop up a lot including Chris
Bonington, Alan Hinkes and young hot-shot Leo Houlding. Leo's about
to launch a nationwide lecture tour this month and you can see
full
details of his programme on the Berghaus site.
The one not to miss though is Andy Kirkpatrick's 'Walls Of Horror'
on the Sunday between 13.30 and 14.15. We seem to say it every five
minutes, but Andy is quite simply one of the most entertaining
speakers we've ever seen. A unique combination of extreme masochistic
climbing and stand up. Don't miss it. But if you do, you can catch
him later this month in London, see here.
Improve Your Mountain Biking Skills...
You'll be able to test ride mountain bikes from top
manufacturers in the indoor mountain biking arena, but our top tip is
to try and get onto one of the free riding skills development
sessions that the Offroad Training Consultancy is offering every
day.
Dan Cook ,who runs the OTC, combines a huge knowledge of technical
riding techniques with an inate ability to pass on those skills, so
if you're having trouble riding over obstacles or keep falling off at
the first hint of a rock, check them out at the OTC stand (Stand
CY120) or on their web
site.
Get On The Rock
The BMC Festival of Climbing - Climb 2003 - is part of the
show, with the BMC hosting the Mountain Theatre where there's a mix
of practical workshops covering areas like expedition planning and
mountain photography, and even a pair of appearances by the legendary
Cameron McNeish of TGO and TV fame.
Much more fun though should be the chance to have a go yourself on
the various indoor climbing walls that are also being used for the
International Masters Bouldering Championship sponsored by A5. Should
be ideal for shaking the show-induced cobwebs out of your nooks and
crannies...
Leave The Country Now...
Once again Craghoppers is running the Adventure Travel theatre
with a load of presentations with pics from all around the world. Two
we'd look out for are TGO's quiet but determined gear tester Chris
Townsend talking about his solo trek in the High Sierra at noon on
Friday and - for the sheer lunacy of it all - Alun Davies, the editor
and publisher of AT magazine on the joys of Via Ferrata, the chain
and cable protected scrambles in the Alps. Us though, we'd rather go
to Peru and there's a talk every day on that fantastic country... Go
for it.
Last
but not least... Have beer with us
Come along to the pub around lunchtime - 12.30 or so - on
Saturday and not only should you bump into a load of other OM
members, but OUTDOORSmagic editor Jon Doran has rashly undertaken to
try and buy a round on expenses... Sssssshhh, don't tell the
accountants.
