How do I sit comfortably on a long journey?
Setting the seat up before you set off, moving on a schedule, and the specific things that cause the ache.
beginner15 min4 min read
Travel & Outdoors
Packing, planning and being comfortable outside.
163 guides in Lifestyle
How do I stay warm at night in a tent?
Insulation from the ground rather than more blankets, eating before bed, and the ventilation that stops you waking up damp and cold.
beginner30 min4 min readHow do I use a camping stove safely?
Where to cook, checking connections, canister and liquid fuel differences, and the pan size that overheats a canister.
beginner20 min4 min readHow much time should I leave between connecting flights?
The published minimum connecting time is a floor that assumes everything runs on schedule. What actually consumes the interval, and how much to add for the four things that double it.
beginner12 min3 min readIs my passport too damaged to travel on?
What counts as damage rather than wear, the chip and the photo page as the two things that actually matter, and why the decision is never yours to make.
beginner10 min3 min readWhat should I carry in a day walking rucksack?
The list that covers what actually goes wrong, how to distribute the weight, and the items people leave behind and regret.
beginner20 min4 min readWhat should I do if I have to cross a field with cattle in it?
How to assess a field before you enter it, how to cross calmly, and what to do if cattle start moving towards you — including the counterintuitive rule about dogs.
beginner10 min5 min readWhich fishing knots do I actually need?
Three knots cover almost all coarse and sea fishing — one to a hook or swivel, one to join two lines, one loop — and the wetting and seating that decide whether they hold.
beginner20 min6 min readWhy can I not see anything through my telescope?
A blank or blurred eyepiece is almost always the finder, the focus, the eyepiece choice, or a telescope that has not cooled — checked in that order, in daylight first.
beginner30 min6 min readWhy is my tent leaking, and how do I reproof it?
Telling a genuine leak from condensation and from touch-through, and the three separate treatments — seam sealing, proofing and groundsheet — that fix different faults.
beginner2 hr5 min readHow do I avoid blisters on a long walk?
Friction, moisture and heat as the three ingredients, why taping in advance beats treating afterwards, and dealing with a hot spot immediately.
beginner20 min4 min readHow do I carry a child on a bike safely?
Front seat, rear seat, trailer, tag-along or cargo bike — what each suits, what age each starts at, and the setup details that stop the predictable accidents.
intermediate40 min6 min readHow do I choose a seat on a plane?
What each part of the cabin is actually good for, which seats look good and are not, and when paying to choose is worth it.
beginner15 min3 min readHow do I choose walking boots?
Matching the boot to the terrain, why fit beats every other consideration, and how to try them on properly.
beginner45 min4 min readHow do I clean and lubricate a bike chain?
Why a clean chain matters more than an oiled one, choosing wet or dry lube, and wiping off the excess that collects grit.
beginner30 min4 min readHow do I dry and store a tent so it does not go mouldy?
Why a damp tent is ruined rather than just smelly, drying it properly indoors when the weather will not cooperate, and dealing with mould that has already grown.
beginner1 hr5 min readHow do I lace walking boots so my heel does not lift?
The heel lock and the two-zone lacing that stop heel lift, black toenails and pressure points — all from a boot you already own.
beginner10 min5 min readHow do I pitch a tent in strong wind?
Choosing and orienting the pitch, guy line and peg angles that actually hold, and the order of pegging that stops the tent leaving without you.
intermediate40 min6 min readHow do I take a bearing with a map and compass?
Setting a bearing from the map, adjusting for magnetic variation, and walking it accurately by using intermediate features.
intermediate45 min4 min readHow do I use bike gears properly?
What each shifter does, spinning rather than grinding, changing before the hill, and the cross-chaining to avoid.
beginner25 min4 min readShould I go tubeless on my bike?
What tubeless actually changes, what it costs in faff, and the specific kinds of riding where it is clearly worth it — and where it plainly is not.
intermediate1 hr4 min readWhat are my rights if the tour operator cancels my holiday?
Package holidays carry statutory obligations that a set of separately booked components does not — a refund within a fixed period, an alternative of equivalent quality, and compensation in defined circumstances.
beginner16 min3 min readWhat do I do if the weather turns while I am out walking?
Recognising it early, the decision to descend, navigating in cloud, and what to do if someone is getting cold.
beginner20 min4 min readWhat travel insurance do I need when I am pregnant?
Pregnancy is not usually a declared condition, but complications are underwritten, gestation limits apply, and cover for a baby born abroad is a separate question with an enormous price tag.
beginner12 min3 min read