I might be concentrating on outdoors and adventure story telling this year, but there is one regular feature that is here to stay. My currently loving posts provide me with a fun opportunity to share a bunch of my favourite things, things that are bringing me joy, my top ten things of the moment.
I prepare these posts every couple of months or so (the last one was in October 2022, then I had my gift guide in late November), as an excuse to talk about clothing, shoes (I love shoes…), books, music, food (mmmmm food), experiences I’ve had, places I’ve been, and anything else that takes my fancy. While some things on my list will be new to me, a lot of the time I include long standing favourites, tried and tested for months or years.
It really could be anything… But with one thing always remaining true: my currently loving posts include things that make me smile. And that is why I write it.
This time around I’ve got apparently some nicely categorised bits and bobs to share with you. A couple of bits from my kitchen, some bits from my bedside table, and some new bits of outdoor gear.
Currently Loving | October 2022
01 Rumpl Original Puffy Blanket
I’ve lusted after the Rumpl Original Puffy Blankets for the longest time, which was absolutely confirmed when I had a proper look and feel of them at the National Outdoor Expo last March (are you joining me for it next month?). I was so excited (and surprised) to receive this bright green one for Christmas this year. Happy Zoe!
Mine’s the one person Original Puffy in Forest Fade (also on Wildbounds), which is neon green at the top down to emerald green at the bottom. It’s a packable blanket which looks and feels a bit like a thin synthetic sleeping bag; a ripstop quilted outer shell and insulation made from 100% recycled materials. It’s water resistant and washable, and designed for both outdoor and indoor use.
Honestly, it’s so nice, and a really wonderful addition to my outdoor kit. It feels so well thought out and made, and while it’s certainly a “nice to have” bit of gear rather than an essential, I can see this as being the perfect car camping and in-my-garden accessory.
Okay, so I haven’t used it outdoors quite yet, neither camping nor just by my fire bowl in the garden, but I have used it indoors – it’s been the ideal thing to help me feel all comfy and cosy while I have been experiencing the ills in the early part of 2023. Bring on the camping trips!
02 Grey Kettle
This entry in my currently loving is an “about time” celebration. I’ve been using a broken kettle for several years, not so broken it didn’t work, but broken enough to be a constant mild pain. In the interests of not chucking things out until they are well and truly finished, I’ve just put up with it. That was until the on/off switch became so temperamental I never knew if I was going to get my tea or not, which to be frank, was a very sorry situation.
I replaced it with the Honeycomb Grey Kettle by Russell Hobbs. I had images of buying a fancy-looking smart kettle with all kinds of cool features, but the prices made my eyes water! So, while we didn’t get the cheapest available, we chose this decent enough one for £25 (I got it from Argos because they had the lowest price at the time, also available at Currys).
It can hold 1.7 litres of water, boils super-fast (43 seconds for one cup, quicker than my Jetboil!), is quiet enough, has easy-to-see internal cup markers as well as an external window, pours nicely, and does the job perfectly well.
Our kitchen is grey in the main, hence the colour choice, and I like the textured finish. And yes, I chose a plastic kettle, because metal small kitchen appliances are very hard to keep looking clean. This is one item that gets space on my worktop because I use it so often, so I had to choose one that would look alright!
03 Salt and Pepper Mill Bottoms
I’ve had my Le Creuset salt and pepper mills (these ones) for a good while now, and I really like them. They are just so, well, proper…
But they have one annoying downside. They leave a trail of salt and pepper wherever I put them. You know, the leftover bits from grinding. The crumbs. It can’t be crumbs?!
To solve that problem, I put these silicone lids (well, bottoms…) on my Christmas list, and was very grateful that someone in my family thought such a boring-looking practical kitchen gift was a good idea.
These (also available at Amazon), are round silicone lids which fit on the bottom of the standard Le Creuset mills. Coming as a pair, not only do they stop the salt and pepper crumbs spreading over the worktop and dining table, they stop the mills from sliding around, and also lock in the flavour and mean the contents of the mills last a bit longer.
Such a simple idea, something I’d highly recommend to anyone who has the Le Creuset mills at home. I mean, really the mills should come with these as standard, but then you wouldn’t have to spend any more money!
04 Peak Design Case (and Bike Mount)
This currently loving entry is proof I’m good on my word…
Back when we were at Adventure Bike Rider Festival last summer, we met the Peak Design crew, and had a lengthy gander at the various new mobile phone products they had on display. We had a great conversation with one of the team, and I promised him that I would be buying the phone case and bike mount just as soon as I’d upgraded my phone. I doubt be believed me, but here I am, including said products in my currently loving post.
The Peak Design Everyday Case (also at Amazon, where the price is listed with taxes and shipping included) is a Magsafe-compatible phone case that’s slim, smart and protective. And I really like it as a case – it’s nice to hold (the back is covered in a tactile nylon canvas), and that loop is the textbook amount of reassurance I need when I’ve got my phone in my hand.
The reason I went for this case, though, is that little square hole on the back. It’s a magnetic and mechanical lock called SlimLink, which secures the phone to mounts, chargers, and other accessories (call it a competitor to Quad Lock). I have the RAM mount (not pictured), which is fixed to my motorcycle mirror, and will mean I can use my phone as my satnav when I’m away road tripping.
Given that I’ve not ridden my motorbike since I got the case and mount for Christmas, I’m only including the case in this post – but I’ll be sure to let you know how the mount fairs when I’ve given it a proper test. The case though, that really is fantastic.
05 Peak Design Mobile Stand
This doesn’t look like much in the photo, but honestly, it’s such a nice bit of tech. The Peak Design Wireless Charging Stand (also on Amazon, same advice as above re taxes and shipping costs), is a Magsafe phone charger made from aluminium. Designed for use with the Everyday Case (above), it grabs hold of my phone using the strong magnet, keeping it in place at whatever angle I choose to have the stand at the time.
I bought this myself to go on my bedside table as my primary phone charger. I don’t subscribe to the no phones in the bedroom rule, even though I know it would probably do me good, and so having something nice-looking and technically sound is a real benefit. Not only does this look the part (and it really does), it also works incredibly well. The stand stays put, both on the table and at the angle you set, the phone is easy to put on and take off (with one hand), and I can choose any angle I like or even fold it flat.
At £65 (or there abouts if you order direct), this was a real splurge of a treat. But you know, sometimes you just want tech that’s beautiful. Comparing this to the bog standard Magsafe charger my husband has, I am winning in both style and functionality here.
It’s fair to say I’ve been completely drawn in by Peak Design. Next, I want the Capture Clip and Creator Kit so I can carry my phone within easy reach on my backpack strap when I’m hiking. This might be getting a little out of hand!
06 Lumie Wake-up Light
This one’s an oldie… I wrote a review way back in 2016 after getting this Lumie wake-up light that Christmas. It was something my husband and I asked for after a couple of years being sceptical over whether they work. We were immediate converts, and seven years later, I often hear myself singing the praises of this genius little product.
Wake-up lights are designed to replace noisy alarms by waking you up naturally using sunrise-simulated light. And they work an absolute treat.
I’m genuinely a fan of this body-tricking technology, and would recommend wake-up lights to anyone who struggles with the dark mornings – or indeed anyone who wants to wake up in a calm and natural way. The sunrise simulation of this lamp has worked wonders for my morning routine, and I feel much less stressed out first thing. If you are wondering whether to invest, I say do it.
These days, you also have the option of using Philips Hue bulbs to set up a simulated sunrise, which we have also now done. But the benefit of the alarm clock lamp is that it’s an easy-to-use standalone product (much simpler than setting up Hue – and much cheaper), and you can take it anywhere with you – into the spare room or on holiday.
Lumie don’t make this one anymore, it’s probably equivalent to the Lumie Bodyclock Shine 300 (alarm clock with radio), and you’ll find a bunch of options on the market from Lumie, Philips, and others. If I was buying now, I’d probably get one without a radio, because we have a nice internet radio in the bedroom that has a far better sound and range of stations.
07 Reflective Buff and Orange Beanie Hat
A duo of outdoor kit here in the form of a new beanie hat and buff I received as gifts for Christmas. I don’t think it’s possible to have too much choice when it comes to either, and I’ve been very much enjoying these two keep-me-warm items in the cold weather we’ve had recently. I even posed in them for you…
The lime green Buff is from their Coolnet range (here on Amazon). It’s such a good colour, don’t you think? A happy pop of brightness good for any weather.
I wear a Buff – and carry a spare – pretty much every time I go outside, whether that’s for hiking, motorcycling, kayaking, and even on the commute to work. They are such a handy bit of kit, and have probably become my outdoor comfort blanket over the years. Got my Buff? Then the day will be good!
This particular one is lightweight, made from recycled fabric, and has reflective details which is a nice safety feature.
The orange beanie hat is one of The North Face’s Salty Dog beanies (here on Amazon) – I already have a dark green one, but felt the need for an alternative colour choice. It’s a classic beanie design with a chunky knit, has a warm jersey lining, can go in the washing machine when needed, and is a great colour (yes, it just about matches my new day pack… but definitely clashes with my puffy coat!).
It’s easy to wear and isn’t massively oversized like some. I generally prefer beanies without bobbles as they are more flexible in terms wearing them with hoods and when sleeping. I wonder if I also need a teal one?!
08 Osprey Tempest 24l Day Back
By the end of 2022, my fabulously wonderful and very trusted green Osprey Tempest 20l day pack had too many holes in it to be useful anymore. After some thought on whether I should replace it with the exact same pack, get the slightly bigger 24l version with its extra features, or change allegiance and go for something completely different, I decided on the middle option – and got this Osprey Tempest 24l pack for Christmas. In bright orange.
It has all the features I liked about my old pack, with a little bit extra internal space and in a very slightly different design. It’s lightweight, has an adjustable moulded back with a vented panel, stretchy side pockets for bottles, a couple of hip belt pockets, space for a water bladder (outside the main compartment), a couple of useful zipped pockets for bits and bobs, a stretchy front pocket, and various attachments for walking poles, an ice axe, or whatever else you want to carry. The key difference is the way it opens – it has a bucket style top with double zip, which open fully so you can easily access everything inside the bag.
This isn’t a full-on review, I’ve only used it a handful of times and on short hikes for two or three hours each, but so far I’m a fan. I mean, it’s not even dirty yet! But if nothing else right now, it’s rather good to have a day pack through which I don’t risk losing its contents as I walk.
I got mine in the XS/S back size from Cotswold Outdoor in their Black Friday sale for £91, and it’s still available at that price now.
09 Green Hiking Top
I love my new green hiking top, bought with a gift voucher last autumn as a replacement for the blue Trespass Stalk merino top I did every hike in since 2017, that was even more holey and threadbare than the day back I mentioned above.
I spent quite some time at Cotswold Outdoor trying on a bunch of similar tops because, while they all look similar on the internet, they are all very different when it comes to fit and cut. The joys of shopping for clothes. I chose the Mountain Equipment Women’s Lumiko Zip T Fleece, which has very quickly become a firm favourite, and there was no doubt about it being in my currently loving feature.
It’s a lightweight, fast drying, nicely fitting fleece layer which works excellently as my midlayer over a merino tee when hiking. Made from recycled polyester, the stretchy fabric has a texture to it, and I really love the bright green colour.
It has a high and close-fitting collar which is great to keep the cold out, but the zip is nice and long, so the top opens out when you want to cool down a bit. There’s also a pocket on the chest which I’m yet to use – what would you put in there? I’ve no idea!
It’s definitely warm, worked an absolute treat when hiking Red Pike in winter conditions at the end of last year, and I’m hoping will be the obvious “only take one midlayer” when I’m hiking long distance in spring and summer this year.
10 Book from Jolabokaflod
Jolabokaflod is the Icelandic tradition of giving books on Christmas Eve and then going to bed and reading them. It’s now the third time I’ve taken part in this wholesome ritual courtesy of my Comms Unplugged friends, and this fat paperback was this year’s gift.
I received Wild Women and their Amazing Adventures over Land, Sea and Air, edited by Marianne Frostrup (along with a couple of bars of chocolate, which are long gone!).
It’s an adventure compilation, bringing together a bunch of short stories featuring bad-ass adventuring women from the 1700s through to today. I’m about a third of the way through so far, and have already come across some names I recognise, and some I don’t.
Each chapter is an excerpt from the adventurers’ own book, and I’ve already added a couple of the original texts to my to-read list. It was the perfect choice for me – an opportunity to learn about and be inspired by women who’ve had big adventures of all kinds. Thanks to my mystery Jolabokaflod elf!!
What are you currently loving this month? What do you think of my choices? Tell me in the comments below.
Want to see all my currently loving posts? This link should help.
All of the items featured in my Currently Loving post this time were either purchased by me or for me as gifts – there are no PR gifts in this list. There are affiliate links on this page, the funds from which help me go on the mini adventures that make life interesting. Thank you.