Christmas Gift Guide: Slow Adventure

A Swedish steel blade, a botanist's bag and a traditional rub to soothe your muscles after a day out in the wild – take your pick of these curated gifts for adventuring nomads.

1. Swedish Wilderness Knife, Pedal + Tread, £51.95
Hardened Swedish stainless steel blade and birch handle. Perfectly sized wilderness knife.

2. Leather Knife Sheath, The Future Kept, £39
Made in Britain from vegetable tanned leather and hand stitched with Irish linen thread.

3. Mark the Field Bag, Millican, £99
Inspired by the life of the botanist – designed for outdoor journeys. Grey organic cotton canvas with burnt orange interior.

4. Swedish Hunters Liniment, Fforest, £23.95
A soothing muscle rub. Comes in a birch bark pot with a birch and reindeer leather lid.

5. Mountain Guide Candle, Pedlars, £19.50
Notes of white oak, myrtle berry and sweet birch. Reminds you of your adventures in the mountains. 

6. Pedlars Guide to The Great Outdoors, Pedlars, £16.99
A guide for all the family, based on the Gladstones’ experience of 20 years living in the Highlands of Scotland.

7. Explorers Pack, Not Another Bill, £26
Curated adventure hamper featuring a Stanley flask, Field Notes ‘indestructible’ notebook and pencil and membership to NAB’s explorers club.

8. Bedouin Delireis Rolltop Backpack, Kinoko, £290
Robust and comfortable rolltop pack made from waterproof waxed canvas. Handmade in England. 

Christmas Gift Guide: Botanical

Geometric planters, brass misters and minuscule succulents – we've curated the perfect gifts for indoor gardener chums

1. Euclid Triangle Glass Wall Mount, Moonko, £75
Simple yet striking display case for your potted plants and cacti.

2. Leila concrete planter, Concrete Jungles, £20
Geometric concrete planter with a drainage hole - handmade in Norfolk.

3. Mini cacti, In With The Old, £2.95
Teeny weeny cactus that comes in its own little terracotta pot. 

4. Copper and Glass Divider Box, Moonko, £22.95
Plant a trio of cacti in this elegant divider box made from 100% recycled glass.

5. Ionantha Mexico Air Plant, Moonko, £7.20
Perfect for a beginner house gardener or experienced plant keeper. Produces a small purple flower.

6. Brass plant mister, What You Sow, £14.95
Pretty 300ml plant mister, perfect for raising humidity around terrariums, orchids and ferns. 

7. Essence + Alchemy ‘Hibernate’ Botanical Candle, Kindred & Kind, £12
Lemongrass, chamomile, lavender and rosewood candle in amber glass with a wooden wick. 

8. Single Terrarium, Eastern Biological, £12
Glass container idea for one succulent or air plant, or rocks with live moss on top. 

We've curated these gifts from our Directory members: a delectable troupe of independent brands and makers producing thoughtful and well-made things for your everyday adventures. 

Realm & Empire + Imperial War Museum

Contemporary menswear label Realm & Empire launch their pop-up store in London's Seven Dials in a unique collaboration with the Imperial War Museum

So why team up with the Imperial War Museum for this pop-up store?

Every season we create our menswear collections based on original narratives, designs and details we find in IWM’s extensive archives of photos, prints and garments. IWM tells the story of people who have lived, fought and died in conflicts involving Britain and the Commonwealth since the First World War. Their unique collections, made up of the everyday and the exceptional, reveal stories of people, places, ideas and events, and challenge people to look at conflict from different perspectives, enriching their understanding of the causes, course and consequences of war and its impact on people’s lives. The authority of IWM supports everything we do, and ensures that all Realm & Empire apparel is fundamentally inspired by real history.

Tell us a bit more about the pop-up.

It’s a store right in the heart of Covent Garden’s shopping destination Seven Dials, renowned for its diverse menswear. The main focus in store will be on Realm & Empire’s new AW15 Flyers Collection, with influences pulled from RAF Bomber Command, the Battle of Britain and the British airborne divisions, as well as US aircrew finery and even aircraft nose art.  

What R/E products have you got lined up?

Highlights include a bespoke hand-painted A2 leather flying jacket, designs inspired by a vintage Second World War parachute bag and a fresh consignment of British-made knitwear.

Anything from the the IWM?

We've got unique IWM gifts inspired by stories from the archives, such as an enamel mug featuring blueprints of a Spitfire Mk VI, to Bulldog salt and pepper pots inspired by Sir Winston Churchill and Spitfire cufflinks crafted from ‘donor’ metal originating from an excavated Spitfire Mk 1 X4276.

The pop-up store runs until 31 December 2016; Monday to Saturday 10am-7pm; Sunday 12pm-6pm. 5 Earlham Street, London WC2H 9LL

This is a sponsored blog post, created in collaboration with Realm & Empire. 

Meet the makers: Vel-Oh

Zulfi Iqbal and Greta Jankunaite of Vel-Oh tell us about their new Nip Out bag – a funky yet functional musette perfect for a short bike ride, lunch with friends or that last minute dash to the shops

Vel-Oh Nip Out Bag, £60

Vel-Oh Nip Out Bag, £60

Tell us a bit about your new Nip Out bag.

The Nip Out bag is a stylish musette handmade by the Vel-Oh team (Zulfi and Greta) at our studio in London. As the name suggests, it's aimed at the stylish cyclist who's literally just nipping out – to the store, to see friends or a short ride out of the city.

Every part of this bag has been curated to match the wearer’s needs. It can hold your iPad, U-lock, keys, phone, repair kits, waterproof jacket and, of course, your nibbles. 

It’s made from British millerain, leather and industrial-grade webbing. Not only is it one of the most stylish musettes on the market, it also doubles up as a great day bag.

What prompted you to make it?

Our original Commuter bag is great for cycling to work and weekends away, etc, but we wanted to make a bag that we could use to nip out to town, to the park, or to meet friends. The musette is a popular type of bag for most cyclists, so we thought it would be a good starting point. But of course we’ve put our own twist on it and have made sure the contents will be kept dry in the changeable British weather. The musette is comfortable to cycle with, but looks good off the bike, too – the straps adjusts so you can wear it as a satchel or handbag.

Tell us a bit about the design and production process.

The Nip Out starts and ends in our workshop. Zulfi preps, cuts and punches the leather and Greta deals with the fabrics and puts the bag together. We sit alongside each other with our tools, Spotify on in the background, our dog snoozing in between us – and the pile of bags starts to appear! It is so much fun, plus it gives us the opportunity to control the quality and the quantity of what’s made.

What essential kit would you keep in in your musette?

For on the bike – lock, pump, spare inner tube, leavers, wallet, keys, waterproof jacket, maybe a magazine or iPad. Off the bike – make up bag (for Greta) , purse, keys, phone, umbrella, sunglasses, lip balm, gloves, pain killers and headphones.

Anything else exciting in the pipeline for Vel-Oh?

After mastering our manufacturing skills, we suddenly feel this freedom that we could make anything! The next project for us will probably be a pannier bag as we’ve had a lot of enquiries about making one. We’ll be featuring our updated collection at a few cycling shows next year: Spin LDN, Berlin Fahrradschau and a few local bike shop events. We’re also looking to expand and approach the fashion market element next year, as our products are aimed at urban cyclists, but can be used by anyone. Make sure you sign up to our newsletter to keep up to date.

The Nip Out Bag comes in a choice of Moss, Black and Burgundy, £60.

This is a sponsored blog post, created in collaboration with Vel-Oh. Read more about Vel-Oh in the Ernest Journal directory.

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The Terradora: a hybrid hiking shoe for all adventures
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Introducing Loake: 135 years of craftsmanship
Return of the Desert Rats
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The Durand comes to Europe

We caught up with innovative outdoor footwear makers KEEN to talk about their new Durand boot and why this pioneering company believes fervently in the future of local manufacturing

Tell us about the Durand boot…

The KEEN Durand WP is a lightweight, durable and comfortable boot that’s proving a hit with hikers. With super grip and shock absorption, they’re perfect for long hikes in the hills, a pacy trek on mixed terrain or more leisurely low level hikes. 

But can it cope with the British weather? We’ve just started naming storms you know…

Of course! Not only does the boot feature a mesh lined nubuck leather upper, we’ve also used our own KEEN.DRY waterproof membrane, so the Durand will ensure your feet stay comfortable and dry whatever the elements have in store. 

Let’s get technical – what is so special about how these boots are made?

The Durand is a resilient boot with unmatched shock absorption and incredible underfoot support. First off, an integrated heel cushion locks directly into the footbed to support the foot while maximising shock absorption, whilst a dual-compound outsole combines two distinct types of rubber – one around the edges to enhance edging and grip, and another in the centre to maximise durability in high-wear areas. 

One of the core technologies we’ve used is our own unique direct-injection technique, which attaches the nubuck leather and breathable mesh membrane directly to the midsole, using polyurethane. This mechanical bond requires less petroleum-based cements, has no volatile chemicals and also delivers long lasting durability and shock absorption.

Why did you decide to move the production process to Europe?

We understand that buying locally-made products and supporting the European economy is important to our customers, so as of autumn/winter 2015, we’re proud to be moving the production of the Durand Mid and Low WP to Europe along with two other new lines – the Liberty Ridge and Durand Polar. Plus, the new European factory will also double as a learning and test centre, where our R&D team can use modern technology to experiment and create high quality, innovative products.

The Durand Mid WP is £139.99 and the Durand Low WP is £124.99 and are available in men's and women's styles.

This is a sponsored blog post, created in collaboration with KEEN. Read more about KEEN and in the Ernest Journal directory.