The New Black's

Just been to get a new rucksack for work (I’m in the SAS so I need a good one honest!) my preferred old one is too knackered and my other too big so I headed across to Blacks. Now I will try not to make this” it were grand in d’ olden days” schtick but blimey Blacks has changed. Times gone camping shops were strangely utilitarian places that smelt of wax, leather and nylon (nurse the screens!). They had enamel cups and Tilly lamps, cagoules only in orange, green or blue, leather walking boots and wellies. The only embellishment may have been a 3d map of the Cairngorms or one of those slowly opening closing Swiss army knife models.

Blacks as you can see now looks like a Gap or a little Miss Selfridge the upstairs is full of cottony performance outdoor wear in pastel shades.
Take the ubiquitous fleece when they first appeared they were a weird form “performance” clothing that you had to wear next to your skin. There were only three types a “tog 24” in green which was sort of lumpy and the pride of Norwegian fishing fleet Helly Hansens daringly in either blue or red (I had red one because our A had Blue one!).

Of course New Blacks et al aren’t aimed at campers or walkers anymore, no they want to attract “independent travellers” who are going “Trekking in Patagonia”. You’ll have seen them a blonde toothy couple in some advert crossing some unblemished wilderness having flown all the way there in diesel guzzling jumbo.... (ahh eco tourism so much to answer for).

Everything is complicated in New Blacks they sell energy bars in all flavours except Kendal mint cake. You can have a titanium cup for £30 quid which will still be red hot when you put tea in it.

The staff were nice though and friendly and my new rucksack is ace. I’m a dyed in the wool Karrimor fan nothing against Berghaus just settled on karrimor young and have never changed. My teenage flirtation with Fjall Raven dwindled (yep the only kids in school to have Norwegian climbing gear instead of Puma, I’m not sure why we weren’t beaten up more often).
Resisted buying a complicated knife or a compass and nothing in world would make buy a “camel back” “look at me I drink a lot of water I do”.

And I already have a stupid beany hat! So a new sac and a tin of boot wax.

Anyway I shall be dubbing me boots this evening and dreaming of having a back packer's breakfast, if only I could head out to Bleaklow this afternoon and go peat hagging and watch the sun go down over Jodrell bank, has any one seen my gaiters.