I’m a coffee addict. I’ve tried hard to limit my intake of caffeine, but there are occasions where I just love a full on coffee rush.

If I’m off out walking the hills, I’ve almost certainly got a flask of coffee with me and lately that coffee has been freshly brewed rather than instant. A flask is OK for a day walk, but overnighters would mean taking a cup with a filter. While the coffee will be great, it’s a messy affair and that’s enough for me not to bother.

This is about to change, I recently received some packets of Lyons Coffee from PTC* to try out.  They work just like tea bags where all the messy bits stay in the bag and all the rich flavour permeates the water. As with normal coffee, it takes a wee while to brew, so I’ll be using an insulated cup or brew in a pot over the heat.

I’ll have to keep and eye open for these in the shops and get some more.

I couldn’t resist, and so I thought up a few good excuses to buy myself and my daughter a Sigg Aluminium water bottle each. We’ve been using and reusing plastic water bottles for years, until they start to get “past it”. So here are the excuses:

• BPA - Bisphenol A, a very useful molecule when used in the production of plastics and a  potentially nasty chemical that could interfere with many biological functions. It’s best to avoid this where possible in order to reduce overall exposure. The new internal lining of the SIGG bottles is reported as not containing any BPA, but no one really knows what it does contain.

• We (all of us) produce rather a lot of plastic waste . So any way we can cut this back is a really good thing. Using a SIGG bottle for years will help.

• SIGG bottles are robust and the internal lining will bend and stretch without breaking (to a certain extent).

• SIGG bottles can be used to hold water (obviously), fruit juice and carbonated drinks. I’m also trying to find out if the internal lining can take hot water too. I’d like to use the bottle as a hot water bottle when I’m camping in cold weather.

• SIGG bottles look cool.

True the aluminium bottles are a little heaver than the plastic equivalents, but the extra weight is worth it. I’m also ignoring the possible links between aluminium and Alzheimers.

I’ve been wanting to try out some new kit on some local hills before heading off further afield. I picked up a long Thermarest NeoAir in the winter sales to replace my ancient foam mat and a Vango Tempest 200 to replace my heavy Vango Odyssey 300. Initially, I was a little worried about whether the NeoAir could take my weight or even my weight on sleeping bag zips, but it worked just fine and kept me warm which is more than I can say for my old 3 season bag. The tent wasn’t pushed all that much, the wind was generally light only picking up a little through the night.

The moment I picked up the package I was surprised by how light it was. I'd just expected it to be heavier for some reason.

Like the big kid that I am, I eagerly opened the box and lifted them out - Grivel Air Tech Crampons with the New Classic Binding. They had the appearance of danger with their yellow antibail plates, 12 black steel spikes and the yellow red Grivel embroidered straps.

The literature that comes with these spikes claims that they should be so easy to fit that they almost don't need to provide any instructions. To be honest, I did need the instructions to start with, but once I saw how to adjust the length of the regulation bar and the straps, I'd agree that they are very easy to fit. I'm pleased about this, the last thing you want in the freezing cold is having to take off gloves for an extended period of time to faff about with something fiddly. You end up rushing things, failing to do it properly only to have to do it all over again a few moments later and endure yet more cold.

Unfortunately these crampons are too small to fit my boots as they are. To remedy this I've also ordered a pair of Long Grivel G10/Monta flexible bars which arrived yesterday. These longer bars should allow the crampons to extend the length of my boots, which they did - just.