This booty was made for walking

Ella Foote heads to the hills with Every Body Outdoors and realises how having the right kit can completely change your enjoyment in the great outdoors

The best outdoor swim spots are those that require a bit of a walk first. Any swim spot that is close to public transport, a public car park, or not too far from one, tends to be swamped in fair weather and, sadly, often ruined by anti-social behaviour. If you want to find somewhere remote and quiet for a wild swim, a walk will come first.

One of my first experiences of hiking and swimming was with SwimTrek in the Lake District in the early 2000s. I wasn’t much of a walker, and I didn’t really have the kit. I went with my Dad and after day one, my feet were in tatters with blisters. Despite wearing decent shoes, I didn’t have decent socks! I can still remember my dad walking into Grasmere the evening after our first day on the hills and coming back with a pair of proper hiking socks. The difference they made was incredible and got me through the rest of the weekend.

While I spent much of my childhood outdoors, on beaches and leisurely walks, we were not really hikers. I never owned a pair of walking boots and a decent backpack was unheard of. While my family liked the outdoors, we were more townies! It was only when I started swimming more and more outdoors that I released there was a whole world of outdoor kit that could aid, support and make outdoor environments more comfortable. There is a huge assumption when you grow up in the outdoors that everyone owns a pair of walking boots, a decent waterproof and a backpack, but the reality is very different.

Outdoor kit is important

We have all seen headlines over the years about people getting into difficulty on the hills or in challenging outdoor spaces and it is so easy to roll your eyes and mock them. How silly to walk up a hill in a pair of plimsoles and a light-t-shirt, do they not know anything? But the truth is, unless someone has shown you in some way – either through doing it with you as a family member, a friend or through paid guiding – why would you know? With outdoor swimming becoming more and more popular more people will want to seek special places to swim. It is up to us to show them the way safely as well as educate them on respecting outdoor environments too.

I now own a couple of pairs of decent walking boots/shoes and have some super socks to ensure my feet are warm, dry and blister free. But for years I have still struggled to find decent kit. One of the biggest issues is that I am a big woman. Most outdoor brands only offer clothing up to a UK 16 and as for things like backpacks, well I never knew how well they should fit until I was shown by an expert just last month!

For the past 20 years I didn’t know that a backpack waist strap offered extra pockets or how if fitted properly it could distribute theme weight of the pack so perfectly it was like I wasn’t wearing it. If you can walk into any shop and find a pair of walking trousers, a decent waterproof or a well-fitting pack you might not even think there is an issue, but there are a growing number of men and women who simply head into the outdoors with kit “that will just have to do”.

All this time I have worn leggings and a waterproof from Marks & Spencer’s when heading into outdoor spaces. Thanks to some brilliant brands in swimwear, I have been able to always have a decent swimsuit but other technical kit I have had to make do. That was until a group of women – Steph Wetherell, Emily Williams, Kumbi Kariwo, Sara Huws and Rebecca Dawson – set up Every Body Outdoors, a community fighting for clothing, gear and representation for larger bodies in the outdoors.

The simple joy of a well-fitted backpack

Last month I joined Every Body Outdoors on one of their walking weekends and I was able to dip into their kit pool, swap kit with others and try it all out on the hills in the Peak District. It was a revelation. Our Mountain Leader, Cat Forster, fitted my backpack which I was wearing too low and I was able to try out a Gortex waterproof on a particular wet day in the hills. It made the entire weekend a completely different experience to other weekends where I have had to grin and bear it when I was soaked to my knickers, wearing a jacket that didn’t do up and suffering with back ache. On top of this I was with like-minded folk who were happy to go at a decent leisure pace with multiple breaks.

This summer, for the first time in 20 years of enjoying the great outdoors, I will be walking and enjoying my swims with a well-fitted backpack, a decent pair of walking trousers and a waterproof that will actually keep me dry! Outdoor brands take note – if you make it, we will buy it!