Back in March we asked Trek & Mountain magazine readers and website visitors what they would do with £1000 of lightweight camping gear from Exped, the Swiss outdoor equipment company, with a top-notch tent, sleeping bag and sleeping mat up for grabs for the best entry. We received some great entries, however there could only be one winner and we can now announce (drum roll…) that our ‘Exped Adventurer 2020’ is Laura Jacklin from Staffordshire!
So who is Laura, and where does she want to go with her shiny new backpacking set-up? “I work in marketing and communications at the Natural History Museum in London. As I’m currently working from home, I’m living back where I grew up in Staffordshire. I’ve been so grateful for the nature on my doorstep here during lockdown.”
Like many others, Laura has had to scale back her adventure plans this year, keeping as busy as she has been able to, hiking and running, scrambling and climbing. But with her new Exped kit in tow, she is already making plans: “As soon as the kit arrived I went for a weekend in Snowdonia to try it out, although my first night using it was spent in the not-so-wild location of my auntie’s garden on the way to Wales. I’ve got a trip planned to Dumfries and Galloway soon, so I’m super excited to use my new kit for a night under the stars for some stargazing in the Dark Sky Park (fingers crossed for decent weather!).”
Laura has previously trekked to the top of Mount Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa, and is keen to do more overseas trips, especially long-distance hikes in the USA and Europe. In the short term, though, she will be seeking adventure closer to home, and you can read about her adventures with her Exped backpacking gear over the next few months in a new blog she’ll be penning for Trek & Mountain.
In the meantime, check out her blog and her Instagram account for some outdoor inspiration!
For more info on Exped products, go to www.expedint.com