As the evenings draw in and we spend more and more of our waking hours in the dark, I found myself digging through the kitchen draw for my torch only to discover that the batteries I left in it last year had died.

Rubber boots, as they were commonly known back in my youth, have changed dramatically from the harsh single-skinned rubber welly to the comfortable and stylish footwear that can command prices of well over £300.

You will wear a pair of shoes hundreds of times during their lives, so it seems only fitting that those shoes reflect you. The Bogs Johnny 5-Eeye Waterproof Boot looks like an old-style work boot, but has all of the modern benefits.

Teufelberger was born in 1790 as the Teufelberger Hemp Ropery at Bad Wimsbach, Austria. 226 years later, they employ just shy of 1000 people and have seven different production sites that make everything from recreational climbing rope to cable car ropes.

The Coleman Twist+ 300 LED Lantern is a multipurpose camping lantern with a light output of 300 lumens when used on its high setting and 50 lumens when used on low. It has a runtime of 5 hours on high capacity, with a whopping 300 hours - that’s 12.5 days of constant use – on its lower setting

The Fyrestorm Stove by Coleman is an ultra-compact backpacking stove designed to withstand the kind of nasty weather we are oh so used to in the UK.

Gas barbecues take all the hassle out of outdoor cooking but you either love them or hate them. Personally, I love them. It’s the fact you can get cooking straight away and how easy it is to adjust the heat to prevent burning your dinner.

The Sevylor Alameda inflatable kayak is ideal for a family day out of paddling along sheltered coastlines or on inland waters. The Alameda features integrated large spray decks at its bow and stern, with bungee cord storage at the bow, moulded handles that double as paddle holders on the sides, a Dry-N-Store carry bag and a repair kit. With adjustable seating, the Alameda will accommodate one adult, two adults or two adults plus one child.

La Sportiva produce some of the best technical footwear on the market, and the Nepal Cube GTX are no exception. These lightweight boots weigh a mere 825g per boot and boast exceptional thermal properties. The sole/midsole uses a Carbon Tech Honeycomb that reduces bulk, which combined with the boot’s mini steel parts allows the Nepal Cube GTX to remain light.

The Blackbird XLC is the big brother version of the Blackbird. It features a choice of suspension, built-in bug netting and a shelf/footbox, just like its counterpart, but with the addition of about 12″ extra space in length.

Its body is roughly 132″x 63″ with an overall length of 111″, which provides you with about 11 inches of tarp overlap at each end of the hammock when using an 11-foot tarp. All this extra space means the XLC is suitable for a user up to height of 7’0″.