In this weekly blog episode, I mainly chat about the National Outdoor Expo, including a fantastic One Hour Outside spent on the Bear Grylls Adventure high ropes course, and share a new powdered oat milk that might be the answer to making good campsite tea in 2024.
Every morning this week, I have found myself caught in quiet tug-of-war between the comfort of my bed (which has somehow been even more comfortable than usual), and the desire to make the most of the day ahead. It’s been a struggle to get going! When I have torn myself from my duvet, the days generally exemplified the routine of life – a full-time job which has stretched the seams of the 9-to-5, chores that wait patiently yet shout very loudly at me, and a handful of far-too-short moments spent outdoors.
Failing to be my usual morning-person self has probably been down to having a bout of the sniffles. I succumbed to a snotty version of the common cold at the start of the week, which I could have caught from anywhere – it seems to have infiltrated everywhere at the moment. I’ve not been incredibly poorly with it, thankfully, but it has sapped my ability to focus, and my desire to move. And who am I to force either?!
With that in mind, this weekly blog episode will primarily be about how I spent my Saturday, when I went up to the NEC in Birmingham for this year’s National Outdoor Expo. It was a really good day out, and deserves some space here. I hope you enjoy reading about it.
On Focus and Quality of Life
First, though, I want to pick up on something I wrote about a few weekly blogs ago – in episode 140, which I subtitled ‘Productivity vs Success’. In that post I mused on the fact that I often (always) find myself relating how productive I have been to how successful I feel.
These two things always go together in my mind, to the point that if I have not been productive on any given day, then that day does not get a ‘success’ mark in my mind. It’s something I continue to work on, knowing that linking these two feelings so closely together, is incredibly unhelpful to my mental health.
Bearing that in mind, I clicked on a video on my YouTube for-you page about productivity earlier this week (this video by Ali Abdaal, in case that kind of thing interests you), and this statement really struck me:
“The quality of my life is directly proportionate to my ability to focus.”
That right there is exactly it. This sentence sums up what I’ve tried to explain. Except what I have mistaken as a need to be productive – wanting to get everything ticked off my long to do list before it is filled up with new or repeat tasks – is actually a need to focus.
When my focus is sharp, the world around me (life, the universe and everything) snaps into clarity. That is, tasks become manageable, goals attainable, and time, a friend rather than a foe. Concentrated attention transforms the mundane into the fulfilling, and fills my life with aspiration.
Conversely, when my focus wanes, so does everything else. My experiences become less vibrant somehow, things become foggy, and my life is filled with half-finished tasks and unseized opportunities. And with that, I feel guilty for not making the most of my time.
I guess, now I see this, I’ll be looking for ways to hone my focus. Any suggestions?!
National Outdoor Expo
I spent Saturday (23 March) at the National Outdoor Expo. Billed as one of the biggest outdoor community meet-ups of the year, and it was certainly the biggest I’ve been to, the Expo is all about bringing together inspirational speakers, outdoor technology, heaps of gear, and some activities to take part in.
I am a volunteer ambassador for the show, something that came about a few years ago when the National Outdoor Expo was brand new to the scene, and was thanks to being an OS Champion. As a thank you for helping to promote the Expo to you, and in the hope I would help out a bit at the event itself, I received a VIP ticket to attend. And a few of you came along thanks to my free ticket code, too.
I’ve said before that while the irony of a massive outdoors-focused event taking place in the concrete and steel jungle that is the NEC in Birmingham is not lost on me, there is something hugely important about bringing all this stuff together in one place. Events like this have to be accessible (in all ways) to the masses, and you can’t deny that the NEC is well placed for transport links. Yes, it would be cool to see something like this take place festival-style, but I don’t subscribe to the view that outdoorsy folks can’t put up with indoor air for a bit in order to reap the benefits of coming together in this way.
The day was crammed full of positive enthusiasm and inspiration for having an outdoor-adventure focused life. The Expo once again filled my bucket, which is mainly down to the people I got to listen to and speak with.
Me and the Strachan
Although I’m generally not a very sociable person, preferring my own company to that of others a lot of the time, one of the highlights of my day was getting to spend some time (and receive a few hugs) from some outdoorsy friends who were also at the show. Meeting and spending time with Megan, Rebecca, Harrison, Lisa, Tom, Dave, Jo, Ian, Sarah, Zoe, Richard, Anita, Yvonne, Nick, Liz, and others, made the Expo for me.
It’s just so good hearing what adventurous and inspiring things other people are up to. That’s why the talks and panel discussions are so good – an opportunity to hear from a real variety and diversity of people about their adventures.
As I only went for one day instead of two this year, time to sit and listen to talks was limited. I did very much enjoy hearing what Michaela Strachan had to say, though, and even got a photo with her afterwards. I was asked by a fellow ambassador why people were so keen to meet Michaela, and I explained that she is one of the first adventurous woman some of us were exposed to thanks to kid’s television (anyone else remember the Wide Awake Club?!) in the late 80s and early 90s. We talk a lot these days about the importance of seeing yourself represented, and in some ways Michaela did that for me. Anyway, it was cool to meet her.
A special thank you to Dave for the book, Megan for the tea and chat, and to my mum and dad, who came to the show for a mooch, for the Pastel de Nata and for taking a few photos.
Shopping!
By far the biggest thing at the National Outdoor Expo is the opportunity to shop… I guess that’s what pays for the show itself, given that the majority of visitors probably booked using one of the ambassador free ticket codes. It’s cool to see gear, accessories, food and services in person when you don’t live close to decent outdoor shops, and thankfully the salesy-feeling I got last year wasn’t as prevalent this time around.
I mean, you could still buy at least five versions of a changing robe (why am I seeing people wearing those in the supermarket – please, no), and a huge number of roof top tent options. But the balance of different kinds of outdoor activity was decent. In particular, I noticed how many more small businesses were represented at the show this year, which was good to see.
I made an effort to go and see Rebecca from Vampire Outdoors, who does great work advocating for and selling plus-sized outdoor gear – and is where I bought my Kula Cloth from. I also had a really good chat with Dave from Water to Go, who make an incredibly effective water bottle with filter to provide safe drinking water. They’re now making their bottles from sugarcane plant waste rather than plastic – watch this space for more on those in the not-too-distant future.
Goodies
After seeing OGT (One Good Thing) wrapper-less protein bars in my Instagram feed a lot recently, it was good to chat to the team and see what all the fuss was about. These are the world’s first wrapper free snack bars, made with a natural and edible coating made primarily from beeswax. You simply rinse off the bar like you would an apple or pear, and eat the whole thing – genius!
I picked up a couple of samples – the salted caramel and the cherry bakewell – and I can confirm they are delicious. As you know, I’ve recently started making my own date balls for my hiking adventures in an attempt to save money, reduce waste, and eat less processed food. But I do still keep a small stock of snack bars in the cupboard for those just-in-case moments. I will happily swap to these for that purpose, and will be putting an order in when the ones I currently have are gone.
I made time to have a really good mooch, but came away without spending anything this time around. That being said, as well as my VIP ticket, I also received a nice little goody bag when I arrived, which was a lovely gesture from the event team and some of the supporting brands. So, I came home with a few bits and bobs including an Expo branded metal water bottle, some Nikwax tech wash, some Taylor’s coffee bags, a luggage tag from Inghams, and a can of Goat energy drink.
National Outdoor Expo Awards
A late addition to this year’s Expo was the Awards, which took place after the show itself closed on the Saturday. It was great to be invited to stay for these, and celebrate some truly inspiring people and organisations in this way. Another way that the Expo is more about the coming together of those who love to get outside than it is anything else.
Sadly, there was no win for Ordnance Survey’s GetOutside campaign in the Best Outdoor Blog/Podcast/Social Channel category; OS were beaten by the very deserving Love Her Wild. But I happened to be stood with Alex Staniforth at the point they announced that Mind Over Mountains won Charity Imitative of the Year, which was a really fantastic win for him and the team.
You can see all the nominees and winners listed on the show website. I imagine the awards element will be bigger (and have more lead in time) next year. Maybe there will be a place for Splodz Blogz amongst the nominees?! Let’s see how this year goes…
Back to Dreaming
I always come away from events like the National Outdoor Expo with two conflicting thoughts and emotions.
The first is one of total inspiration and motivation – to go and do more and write more in the outdoor adventure space. A positive wave of enthusiasm, filling me with a thirst to make even more of life. As I mentioned in this year’s Bucket List Reset post, I really do want to create something interesting and useful by sharing the real-life benefits of getting outside with those who like to read long-form articles.
The second feeling is less motivating. It’s wishing I was younger, fitter, less tired, and a more natural adventurer. Or maybe that’s just the result of this highly sensitive introvert spending all day pretending to be an extrovert so I could make the most of all the conversations I had. Being sociable is fun, but exhausting – and it just makes me want to retreat under a blanket on my sofa.
Still, give me a few days and I’ll be back ready to be sociable again!
Bear Grylls High Ropes Course
One of the highlights of my day at the National Outdoor Expo, you won’t be surprised to read, was getting to have a go on the Bear Grylls Adventure high ropes course. The Expo took over this NEC-based activity for the weekend, providing visitors with free sessions. The event team booked out one of the slots just for ambassadors, and of course I jumped at the opportunity to get in a fun One Hour Outside while I was at the show.
After the obligatory safety briefing, and with everything including my phone safely in a locker (no selfies allowed!), my ring taped to my finger, my Mac in a Sac waterproofs on, and my harness checked and double checked, I was sent up the steps and onto the course.
I’m told it’s the tallest ropes course in Europe, standing at 65 feet (20-ish metres) above the ground… but I always take those claims with a pinch of salt because there’s a course near Cheltenham that claims to be the ‘biggest’ in Europe, and I’m sure Go Ape say they have platforms standing at 25m above the ground. Regardless of the claim, in the wind and rain, it felt tall enough!
Choose Your Own Adventure
Unlike other ropes courses I’ve been on, once you are attached, you have free reign of the whole course without needing to touch a carabiner. There are 36 obstacles over four stories, which can be tackled in any order you like. I liked this about it – it was a choose your own adventure, as I could stand on a platform and decide which of the two or three different obstacles from that point to do next.
It was a lot of fun, the instructors were friendly, and I would definitely go back for a full session (and to try some of the other activities available, too). It normally costs £40 for a one-hour session on the high ropes course.
Apart from the ropes course, there were other activities to try out, too, but this is the only one I took part in this year. There was paddleboarding, kayaking and open water swimming, a climbing and bouldering wall, an ice bath challenge, a stunt drop (which looked like great fun but was full by the time I got to that bit), and test drives of the Ineos Grenadier.
Next year’s National Outdoor Expo has been advertised as 22 and 23 March 2025. Maybe I’ll see you there?
In the Mail
Overherd Powdered Oat Milk
Powdered milk is a tea-lover’s friend on hiking, camping, and long road trips. I’ve often celebrated the virtues of this very handy milk-product, but have always added a caveat – skimmed milk powder, the stuff that’s readily available from the supermarket, is just not that nice!
Overherd recently sent me a bag of their Oat Milk Powder – a just add water vegan oat milk drink good for your morning granola, adding to hot drinks, for use in baking, as a base for smoothies, or to sip as is. Could this be the game changer?
Oat milk is already 90% water, so buying a powdered version and adding water at home makes a lot of sense. This has less packing, takes less fuel to transport (as it’s lighter), and creates less food waste than the liquid version that comes in cartons. It’s not been sweetened and there are no flavours added. Oh, and it’s been fortified with calcium and vitamin B12.
Beyond mixing up a batch to see what it tastes like (which is as simple as putting powder and water into a bottle and shaking it), I’ve not used much of my bag of Overherd yet, so I will leave any review-type words to a future weekly blog episode. I want to give it a real-life adventure-based test first. But I also wanted to let you know that this stuff exists, as it might really interest some of you.
See You Next Time…
What are your plans for this week, including the Easter weekend? Will you have chance to go on an outdoor adventure or two? And will there be Easter eggs…?! I am very happy that there are two four-day working weeks in a row (I love me a bank holiday), and am looking forward to spending some time with family as well as getting my head into some focused writing.
If you’ve not quite finished the cup of tea you made before you sat down to read this weekly blog episode, please do give my Three Short Hikes in Madeira article a gander next. Or, if you are looking for walking ideas in Dorset for a trip you’re planning, here are Two Contrasting Walks on the Dorset Coast. And especially for those of you who like very bloggy listicles, I’ve got my next Currently Loving post coming later in the week.
With that, I’ll wish you a very happy week – and a happy Easter for the weekend – and will see you next time.
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Buy Me a Cuppa?
If you enjoyed this weekly blog episode and fancy supporting me and my mini adventures this year, you can “buy me a coffee” for £3 (well, a cup of tea, if that’s okay?). Head over to Ko-fi to find out more. Thank you.
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