Easy Like Monday Morning...

Yep, it's Monday and the OUTDOORSmagic in-box is overflowing with fascinating outdoors news snippets, so we've stuck them in one article to help you start with the week with a blend of the crucial and the not so crucial...

Memory Map invites you to meet Sir Chris Bonington on their stand at this month's OS Outdoors Show at midday on Friday 18 March. Sir Chris will be available to personally sign copies of Memory Map's new interactive Navigation Workshop DVD and signed colpies will also be available from the company's stand for the duration of the show.

In addition, for every DVD purchased at £29.95. a tenner will be donated to the John Muir Trust, the charity selected by Chris. The trust was formed in 1983 to protect and conserve wild places and, for example, owns and manages the Ben Nevis Estate.

The DVD also includes a free 90-day trial of Memory Map's digital mapping software.

Supermarket chain Aldi is back with another of its walking wear weeks with bargain-priced outdoor clothing on sale for a week in many of its stores. The date to watch out for is 14 April , 2005. We've tried the Aldi gear - badged 'Crane' - in the past, and it's cheap and cheerful and surprisingly effective as well as being fantastic value for money.

New highlights this time round include a 'Soft Shell Jacket' made from a Schoeller-type stretch fabric and retailing at a crazy £14.95, a Merino Wool Midlayer top made from pure merino wool and costing just £9.99 and a Buff-style head tube thingee. There are also shorts, shirts, gaiters, overtrousers and lots more. More details from the Aldi web site.

Rather nice Scandinavian outdoors brand Haglofs has just announced a sponsorship agreement with Aviemore-based outdoor activity company G2 who offer courses and activity breaks covering pretty much anything from alpine skiiing and telemarkingvia mountain biking to walking, climbing and kayaking.

As a Scandinavian company, Haglofs was particularly drawn to the telemarking element of G2's portfolio, it says here.

Alpkit, up till now known best for their funky climbing tee-shirt designs have expanded their product range to include a head torch retailing at £4.99. The torch is an LED jobby with a two or four LED mode choice and is available, along with the tees, directly from the Alpkit web site or at public fairs including the NEC Show in Birmingham later this month.

We have no idea how good it is, but hey, at a fiver, it looks like a bargain...