Did you know that we are one of the few independent Paramo stockists near London?

Yep, it's true. In fact we are the closest store just outside London to stock Paramo jackets, pull ons, and waterproof trousers.



We are based between Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamsted, around 30 miles and a 45 minute drive from central London.

So if you're based in Luton, Aylesbury, North London, Watford, come and see us for all your Paramo gear. 

Down jackets are great pieces of outdoor clothing. They are ideal for cold and dry days, but are generally not be suitable for wear in heavy rain.

A down filled jacket is insulated with the soft feathers from duck or geese. Down is a fantastic insulator as the down (mix of feathers together) creates loads of tiny air pockets which trap warm air and retain heat, thus keeping the wearer toasty warm.

HOW TO WEAR A DOWN JACKET

This may seem like a silly question to many of you, but the reason for this post is because we've seen some outrageous uses of down jackets over the last few weeks, so we thought we'd help answer the question - how do you wear a down jacket?

Here are a few important down jacket rules to live by:

1) DO NOT Wear In The Rain - Many down jackets will have a water resistant outer layer but the majority are not rain resistant. You may think the jacket is keeping you dry, but in reality all that is happening is that the moisture is seeping through to the down filling. Moisture within the down means the jacket loses its insulation ability. In addition, the down jacket will take a long time to dry out when wet!

2) Don't Store Your Down Jacket Compressed - Down jackets are generally quite lightweight and ideal for travelling as they compress well and pack down small. Down also has a high resilience after being compressed, so once unpacked it will regain its shape quickly. That said, keep it stored compressed and packed means that the down jacket may lose its insulating ability gradually over time.

3) Do Not Use In Abrasive Environments - This may be a weird comment, but what we mean is the outer layer of a typical down jacket is not hard wearing. The fabric shells usually have ripstop technology, but if you brush past a jagged wall or building too quickly, the fabric can rip and you may lose some down filling.

Many people think that down jackets are more functional than fashionable, and they would be right, but a nice dark grey or black down jacket will go with any outfit, whether you're out for a country walk, or if you'e rambling to the pub on a cold Sunday afternoon.

We've got quite a few down jackets in stock - take a peek at the selection of men's and women's below.

MENS DOWN JACKETS

     

WOMENS DOWN JACKETS

     

Do you have any other tips on how to wear a down jacket? If so, let us know in the comments below! :)

Happy New Year everyone!

We hope you had a great Christmas and hope the hangovers are starting to subside on this New Year's Day. To kick start 2016 we've got a bundle of outdoor gear to giveaway. Simply enter using the widget below, or enter using the same widget on our Facebook page.

The prize bundle includes the following items:

The North Face Vault Rucksack, Nalgine wide mouth 1 litre bottle, a classic Buff in cash pink chocolate, and two pairs of Snugpak Coolmax Liner Socks.

The winner will be drawn on Friday 15th January, and the winner announced on Monday 18th January. Good luck!

Complete Outdoors New Year

"Ah, I don't know what to get my boyfriend/girlfriend for Christmas! They are very outdoorsy though, so maybe something along those lines?"

Sound familiar? Fear not. The Complete Outdoors team have rounded up a list of seventeen Christmas gift ideas for outdoorsy men and women, which will, hopefully, bring a smile to their face when they unwrap their present on Christmas Day.

So, here goes nothing - 17 Christmas gifts for outdoor lovers!


1. LifeVenture Body Travel Wallet - £10.99 - A secret pouch to carry around your money, passport and other small valuables. Perfect for those about to travel around the world.

2. Robens Firefly Stove - £24.99 - Is this the world's smallest camping stove? Probably. Does it make an awesome Christmas present for someone that loves lightweight camping kit? Absolutely.

3. UE Boom Wireless Speaker - £139.99 - These awesome speakers are pretty much unbreakable. Smash proof, waterproof, and they kick out a fantastic sound.

4. Exped Cloudburst Waterproof Backpack - £36.99 - It's been a wet December so far, and with no let up, why not treat a friend, family member (or yourself!) to this awesome colourful, waterproof backpack.

5. Ortileb Waterproof Map Case - £17.99 - A lot of OS maps aren't waterproof. Make sure you keep your maps dry with the simple yet awesome waterproof map case.

6. AGM Flint & Striker set - £5.99 - Perfect for campers who strive for an authentic experience. Waterproof matches? Pfft. Give them a flint and striker set.

7. Bear Grylls Basic Survival Kit - £29.99 - Bear Grylls Survival Kit. That's all you need to say for this outdoorsy gift.

8. Gerber MP400 Compact Multi Tool- £109.99 - The ultimate multi-tool for camping, hiking and travelling. No devout explorer should be without one.

9. Stanley Classic Hip Flask - £19.99 - A great gift addition for Christmas. Strong, sturdy and will hold lots of your favourite tipple.

10. Joby Gorillapod For GoPros - £18.99 - Gorilla Pods are brilliant travel companions when you don't have a human travel companion. Set it up anywhere, attach the GoPro and get filming.

11. TomTom Multisport GPS Watch - £220.07 - One for the sports geeks, this awesome waterproof GPS watch also includes an altimeter and heart rate monitor.

12. BESTEK USB Charging Lantern - £15.99 - Going camping? This lantern not only kicks out a bright light, it also allows you to plug in a USB cable to charge your iPhone or iPad. A great addition to your camping kit!

13. Bolle Bluetooth Audio Ski Helmet - £128.99 - One for your skiing and snowboarding friends. This awesome helmet has Bluetooth speakers built into the padded ears, and connects to your iPhone without fiddly wires, allowing you to cruise the slopes with your favourite tunes blaring.

14. LevinTM Giant+ Solar Panel Charger - £15.99 - When you're really out in the wilderness with no plug socket in sight, this solar charging panel will help give some juice back to your phone battery.

15. Eagle Creek Gear Hauler Black Backpack - £128.99 - This isn't just any old backpack. It has a huge amount of load space, and has a separate laptop / iPad compartment, as well as a huge main zipped pocket.

16. Cocoon Hyperlight Air Pillow - £24.99 - A simple yet brilliant camping gift. Be sure to raise a 'oh I wish I had one of those' sentence from friends and fellow campers with this lightweight air pillow.

17: Parrot Bebop Drone Camera - £359.99 - Not the cheapest gift, but drones are slowly coming into fashion, and not many people have them. So why not splash out and scrub up on your airborne camera skills with this Parrot drone.

There you have it! Got a suggestion for a great Christmas gift for outdoors lovers? Let us know in the comments below!

There has been a buzz of excitement in the Complete Outdoors shop this past few weeks. The weather is getting cooler, the leaves have started to drop and it's time to dig out those warm jackets and comfy wellies.

But how many of you dig out your wellies and remember how cold and uncomfortable they were? If you've never worn a pair of Le Chameau wellies, come down to the shop and try them on. You won't regret it!

The new season of Le Chameau wellies are now in stock, with several styles and country colours for men and women.

As well as the iconic and original Vierzon and Chasseur wellies, Le Chameau have introduced a new spin on the old designs, with sleeker lines and different colours. The new Le Chameau wellies are as follows:

VIERZON JERSEY (MENS) GREEN WELLY - Adjustable wellington boot with tightening strap towards the top of the boot. The iconic design, now with a darker green colour. BUY ONLINE.

VIERZON JERSEY (WOMENS) DARK BLUE WELLY - As above, but in a dark blue colour. BUY ONLINE.




VIERZONORD MENS WELLINGTON BOOT - Le Chameau's best selling men's wellington boot. Much like the Vierzon above, but with a neoprene lining, making them nice and warm even in the snow. BUY ONLINE.

COUNTRY VIBRAM MENS WELLINGTON BOOT - Suitable for all year round wear, this is a great Le Chameau welly for under £100. BUY ONLINE.



COUNTRY FOUREE WOMENS WELLINGTON BOOT - A darker welly with a 100% wool lining, these Le Chameau wellies not only look the part, but they are warm and comfy too. BUY ONLINE.


CHASSEUR CUIR MENS WELLINGTON BOOT - This is the top of the range Le Chameau men's welly. With a zip all the way down the side, and a leather lining, it's no wonder this wellington boots brings world wide acclaim. BUY ONLINE.


Enjoy browsing and feel free to pop into the shop to try them on!
More men's Le Chameau wellies and women's Le Chameau wellies.

The team at Complete Outdoors go hiking a lot. We appreciate that waterproof kit can make or break your outdoor trip, and that starts with your backpack.


We stock many rucksacks that have a built-in waterproof cover, but for the avid rucksack fan, a proper waterproof backpack takes the hassle out of taking off your pack, getting out the cover and generally getting more wet than you need to.

As such, we wanted to share our top ten waterproof rucksacks with you. We've split the list into two sections: backpacks under 35 litres, and backpacks over 35 litres.

WATERPROOF BACKPACKS UNDER 35 LITRES

Handy for day packs and even commuting, these small waterproof rucksacks are perfect for keeping everything dry.


1. SealLine Small Urban Backpack - £98.99 - BUY ONLINE

Available in orange, grey, red or green, these 17 litre RF-welded backpacks offer seamless all-weather commuter protection courtesy of a watertight roll-down closure, keeping everything inside snug and dry.

2. Exped Cloudburst 25l Drypack - £34.99 - BUY ONLINE

A popular seller, the Exped Cloudburst is a lightweight and waterproof pack that can be used for all kinds of outdoor activities. With a fold and roll closure, the Cloudburst is perfect for backpacking.

3. Ortlieb 20L Velocity Backpack - £67.99 - BUY ONLINE

Ortileb are one of the leading providers of waterproof backpacks, and appear several times in our list. This 20 litre drypack is perfect for cyclists and messengers. This long life rucksack has a padded foam back, anatomically shaped shoulder, as well as waist and chest straps, and is available in a range of colours.

4. SealLine Shoulder Bag - £98.99 - BUY ONLINE

OK, we know this technically isn't a rucksack, but we wanted to show you that everyday waterproof bags are also available. SealLine do this fantastic shoulder bag, perfect for work, school or commuting.

5. Over-Board Classic 30L Waterproof Backpack - £49.99 - BUY ONLINE

Whilst we don't stock Over-Board backpacks, they are well worth a mention. They always pop up in waterproof backpack lists, and are competitively priced. Available in yellow or black, they will even float if dropped in water...

WATERPROOF BACKPACKS OVER 35 LITRES

For longer backpacking trips and expeditions, larger packs are required. Here's our top 5 waterproof backpacks over 35 litres:


6. SealLine Large Urban Backpack - £112.99 - BUY ONLINE

The bigger brother of the urban backpack listed above, the large version comes in the same colours, but with a 37 litre capacity. If you want to go even larger, SealLine do a 70L and 115L version.

7. Ortlieb Transporter Rucksack (49L) - £99.99 - BUY ONLINE

Designed for carrying bulky goods, the Transporter backpack has an adjustable lid and reinforced base, perfect for tough environments.

8. Ortlieb 50L Travel Bag - £116.99 - BUY ONLINE

Ortlieb make another appearance, this time with a durable holdall. Great for sports, weekend trips or other heavy duty use.

9. Over-Board 60L Tube Backpack - £54.99 - BUY ONLINE

Well priced for a high capacity backpack, Over-Board offer this 100% waterproof 'dry tube' that protects against water, sand, dirt and dust and comes complete with the popular fold seal system.

10. Musto Evolution 40L Backpack - £109.00 - BUY ONLINE

Another not stocked by Complete Outdoors, but for those looking for more of a premium brand label on their waterproof rucksacks, then this is the one for you. The Evolution also has an internal organiser and padded laptop section, as well as a handy outer pocket with splash proof protection.