I absolutely live by the adage that life is about experiences and not things, but sometimes we need things to make life easier, more comfortable, or even just a little bit nicer. My currently loving features allow me to share a few of my favourite things with you. These are the things I have and the things I do that make me happy, make me feel good, and generally put a smile on my face.
How many times can I say things in one paragraph?!
Because I am who I am, my list always seems to have an outdoorsy, travel or bucket list-ish leaning, with a bit of normal life – food, clothing, everyday items – thrown in for good measure. And my May 2024 list is varied, as usual.
As you will see in the photo, I’ve included my new everyday carry pack, a sweater, some sunshiny yellow trainers, my motorcycle pannier boxes, and a few small bits and bobs covering both indoors and outdoors. Let me tell you about them.
What are you currently loving at the moment? Your favourite things right now? Take a look at my list, and then drop me a note in the comment box below with a few of yours.
Currently Loving | May 2024
01 Bumot Panniers (and Liner Bags)
One of the things I was going to do before I ended up changing motorbikes (read all about that in this weekly blog episode), was to upgrade my panniers to something larger (and nicer looking). So, when I got my new bike, I went all in and purchased a pair of Bumot Defender Evo pannier boxes. I’ll be honest, I wanted the Metal Mule system, but they don’t make it for my bike.
While the Bumot boxes were my second choice, I can’t deny it, I’m very happy with them. And now I’ve used them on a trip, I can definitely include them in my currently loving feature.
In order to keep my bike as narrow as possible, I chose the smallest 35/31 litre set (one side is notched for the exhaust). This means I have something-like 10 litres more packing space than I had with my old panniers, and means my bike is only 1cm wider than my handlebars. I should now be in a position that unless we are camping, I can do any length of trip without needing to strap a bag to my pillion seat. It was easy-peasy for the weekend away we’ve just had – hopefully it will also be for our ride to Italy this summer.
I also bought the liner bags. I didn’t to start with, thinking I might just be able to find a good way to pack into the boxes using things I already owned. But after giving it some thought, it just made sense to get the bags that fit properly,
I got the set from Adventure Bike Shop, who I highly recommend if you are looking for farkles for your adventure motorcycle.
02 Dates
Since returning from Morocco, where I discovered the joy of eating dates (late to the party, I know), I have pretty much always had them in the house. I do like to finish meals with something sweet, and this is one way to do that without being terribly unhealthy. And of course they are also the main ingredient in the energy balls I’ve become addicted to (as seen in my last currently loving feature!).
The box of dates shown in the photo came from Jordan via Tesco; I really must venture into some local grocers to see where else I can get them, but these will do nicely for now.
03 Potato Masher from Pro Cook
Yes, I am including a potato masher in my currently loving article… After at least two years of using a broken potato masher, I finally gave in and bought a new one. It wasn’t exactly a planned purchase, but we were walking past ProCook in Gloucester when I decided it was time.
I chose this chunky one, which was on sale for £5 (this was back in January, RRP is £7, and it’s probably the best masher I’ve had the pleasure of using. That horizontal handle makes it so easy to use. It might be a weird thing to include in a currently loving article, but it really has been a game changer – certainly better than my old one, and has meant mash is very much back on the menu.
04 Overherd Powdered Oat Milk
Gifted item
A couple of months ago, Overherd 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. I already use powdered milk on my adventures, but since receiving this sample to try, I won’t be buying the Tesco skimmed milk powder I’ve been relying on anymore!
As well as being a practical choice – lightweight, doesn’t need a fridge, and doesn’t take up much space – it tastes good. Much nicer than skimmed milk powder, and dissolves more easily, too. I used it on a recent camping trip in my tea, to make my instant porridge creamier, and to make my instant hot chocolate more satisfying – I might even consider warming some up to have with granola. While I shall stick to my milkman-delivered glass bottles of (cow’s) milk at home, I’m currently loving Overherd enough to say it’s what I’ll be using for small adventures from now on.
There’s a more in-depth mini review of Overherd powdered oat milk in weekly blog episode 153, if you want to know more about the product and what I think about it.
05 Water to Go Bottle
Gifted item
After using my new Water-to-Go bottle in Cumbria earlier this month as a means to reduce the weight I was carrying (the big hike we did had a reliable water source mid-way through), I can definitely say I’m currently loving it. It’s just so handy to have the option of refilling water from random sources when out hiking, in my case it was a couple of waterfalls.
I met up with the person behind Water-to-Go in the UK at the National Outdoor Expo, and they were kind enough to send me one afterwards so I could try it out for myself on my hikes and motorcycle road trips. I have the 750ml Active Bottle, which (unlike Water-to-Go’s other bottles), is made from a squeezable material so it can filter water fast enough for you to drink whilst exercising.
The filter in this bottle removes 99.9999% of all microbiological contaminants from any non-saltwater source, making it safe to drink. It’s a very clever bit of kit. Oh, and the lid – which provides a protective cover for the drinking spout – can be opened and closed with one hand.
There’s a more in-depth review of this Water to Go filter bottle in weekly blog episode 154. And if you decide to buy one for yourself, use Splodz15 in the coupon code box at checkout to get 15% off. This is the one I have – the active bottles are the squeezable ones.
06 Yellow Adidas Running Trainers
Gifted item
You know I can’t write a currently loving feature article without including at least one pair of shoes, don’t you?! Well, this time around, these great looking yellow trainers are that pair. These are the Terrex Soulstride Flow trail running shoes by adidas (gifted thanks to the voucher I got for being one of their blogger collaborators again this year), in a beautifully bright yellow and orange.
I’ve said before that my currently loving feature isn’t meant to provide in depth reviews of things, and that’s certainly the case here, as so far, I’ve only worn them for day-to-day normalness. But I do love them. They are nicely cushioned, flexible but stable, light and breathable, and very cheerful.
I did buy them for running, though. They are specifically designed for long trail runs, and I chose them because (apart from the fact look great and my other Terrex trail runners are very comfortable) I want to start moving my little jogs off the pavement and onto the trail. Or that’s the hope, anyway, when I find some time and energy to restart my running. In the meantime, I’ll just enjoy wearing them to run errands…!
07 Osprey Arcane Large Bag
This Osprey Arcane 20-litre pack is my new everyday carry pack – the bag I use for commuting to work and the like. I knew this well designed and comfortable pack would be in this currently loving feature as soon as it arrived. And no, not just because of the fantastic colour.
The Arcane is from Osprey’s everyday carry and active commuter range – built using hiking pack technology but designed for day-to-day use. It has a large j-zip opening allowing easy access to the main compartment, which has a bunch of pockets to organise my gear, including a padded laptop sleeve that my 16″ work MacBook fits in perfectly, plus a separate document sleeve.
The mesh water bottle pocket on the side is stretchy enough for my 1-litre water bottle. Accessed from the side rather than the top, it’s quite different to any other water bottle pocket I’ve come across, but works really well. And when it’s not in use, you can’t tell it’s there.
The new world of hybrid working means I seem to carry even more stuff to and from work these days, and this green number carries that weight very well. It’s comfortable on my back, and has space for everything I need. I also like that it looks very smart, with a slim yet utilitarian profile.
I am very happy with my choice, this is a really fantastic bag. And while the RRP is £100 from Osprey’s own website, I got mine for a little over £79 from Amazon.
09 Robens Air Pump
Gifted item
This is my new portable air pump, a Robens Conival 3-in-1 Pump (also at Cotswold Outdoor), which combines the ability to inflate and deflate sleeping mats and similar items with a lamp and power bank. Everyone seems to be using air pumps when camping these days, and I can see why – while it’s easy enough to blow up a sleeping pad manually, it’s not recommended as moisture from your breath gets inside the pad and can cause mould.
The fact this is also a lamp and a power bank is very handy. I always pack a lamp for in my tent as it’s much nicer than relying on my head torch. As such, this new toy replaces something I already take rather than being extra (and this is rechargeable – from the built-in solar panel or via USB). The lamp is decent, easily filling my tent with a soft light. And the power bank offers 4,000mAh battery, which will charge an iPhone at least a couple of times.
Most usefully, and the reason this new bit of kit makes it into my currently loving list, is the pump makes it much easier to deflate my sleeping pad. I’ve always struggled with the Robens valve at pack down time, I can’t seem to work out how to hold the valve open and roll the pad up at the same time. But with this, I could deflate the pad fully (and quickly) using the pump, close the valve, and roll up the pad. Handy.
09 Short Walks Made Easy – Foreword by Zoe Homes!
Gifted item
I had to include this little book in my currently loving post this time, didn’t I? I mean, it’s not every day you write a foreword for a book, is it?! And yes, I marked this as a gifted item – it was – but I don’t think anyone will mind me receiving a free copy of a book I wrote some words for… they even included my photo!
Part of Ordnance Survey’s Short Walks Made Easy series, this little Cotswolds pocket guidebook includes ten walks of between 1.5 and 4.5 miles, with route notes, stories, and nature notes.
Having done a lot of hiking in the Cotswolds (including the Cotswold Way, but also a bunch of short hikes in this beautiful AONB), I can confirm there is some fantastic hiking to be had in these parts. You definitely don’t have to hike far to enjoy what the Cotswolds has to offer.
The book has a detailed route description, loads of photos, notes on what kind of nature and wildlife you might see, information about parking and public transport, where to get refreshments, and notes on how accessible the routes are for people and dogs. The book also includes access to the included routes in OS Maps, which is very handy for on-the-go navigation.
If you are planning a holiday in Great Britain this summer, getting a short walks guidebook would make a perfect pre-holiday gift to yourself.
10 Adidas Sweater
Gifted item
Earlier this year I decided I didn’t like any of my everyday sweaters anymore. The opposite to currently loving, I felt they all looked a bit old and rough, perfect for camping or lounging about at home, but didn’t fill me with any sense of being put together. So, I used some of the voucher adidas gave me as part of my collaboration with them this season to buy a new one.
I chose this brown half-zip sweater from the Essentials collection. It’s not quite a completely basic sweater, but I like how plain and simple it is. It has a comfortable and flattering loose shape, wide arms, a short cut, and a stand-up collar. And I love the colour – this brown seems to go with everything. The problem here is that I now have one sweater I am currently loving, and so it’s been on laundry rotation since I got it… Got any nice casual sweater recommendations for me?!
PS: The map-print picnic blanket under my currently loving flat lay is the Cotswolds PACMAT from Rubbastuff. It has a waterproof backing and packs down super small – very handy for gardens, parks and road trips.
What are you currently loving this month? What do you think of my choices? Tell me in the comments below.
Read all my Currently Loving posts.
For full disclosure, this is not an advertorial or sponsored post, however I have included some gifted items in this currently loving feature – each marked clearly above. None of the brands involved asked to be included in this article, they appear in this list because I am genuinely currently loving them.
There are also affiliate links on this page, the funds from which help me go on the mini adventures that make life interesting. If you buy something from a website after using one of my links, I receive a very small commission. This does not cost you anything. Thank you for supporting my future adventures.
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