+ A highly versatile technical jacket, using Windstopper durable, woven soft-shell materials with reinforcements. The zipped handwarmer pockets are lovely and the interior micro fleece (with a grid backer) feels soft and holds warmth in very effectively.

- The small zips stick a lot and are difficult to use with cold hands.

Verdict: As with all Haglofs gear, the Massif looks great and the Windstopper technology performs typically well in the wet and windy weather.

Review: Justin Cooke

Dr. Gray’s Walking Cure

Europe’s High Points
Carl McKeating and Rachel Crolla, £14.95, www.cicerone.co.uk
Ticked off all the Munroes and Wainwrights and after a new challenge? This book might just fit the bill: it includes facts and figures, maps and walking/climbing instructions for the highest points in every European country — 48 in all. It provides all the information required to inspire a host of highlevel road trips and enough practical tips and advice to lend it weight. Add it to your bookshelf and not only will you probably excel at your next pub quiz, it might just lift your walking horizons to a whole new level too. Richard Granville

A Walk in the Woods
Archie Miles, £25, www.franceslincoln.com
Stunning photos, sharply focused, half fill this book. There are wood anemones, gnarled tree-trunks, enchanting woodland ponds and streams, tree-lined tracks and tree-topped mountains. The text is charged with bright flashes of history — from prehistoric times to today. There’s an abundance of anecdote, too: from the firs of Thetford Forest and Gwent’s Silent Valley to flowery-gladed Gloucestershire and the fern-clad floors of Castle Eden Dene. I like books that inspire exploration of new territory — this is sure to delight many a recipient this Christmas. Eugene Suggett

History round-up

Visiting the Past
Gillian Hovell, £12.99, www.thehistorypress.co.uk
An exceptionally well-written and accessible guide to Britain’s archaeology, explaining in everyday terms not just what to look out for and where, but what archaeology is all about and why it matters. Richly illustrated throughout, there are ideas for places to visit and visual guides to features on the ground, whether at nationally important sites or simply on your own doorstep.

Railway Walks GWR & SR
Jeff Vinter, £14.99, www.thehistorypress.co.uk
This new edition of Vinter’s classic guide to railway paths along the former Great Western and Southern Railways in the south of England features ten top trails, including the Plym Valley Railway Path, Cuckoo Trail, Downs Link and Camel Trail. There’s a wealth of detail about the former lines, as well as information about the walking/cycling options and simple maps.

1066 and Rather More

Huon Mallalieu, £14.99, www.franceslincoln.com

This engrossing account of a 416km/260- mile walk from York to Battle, in Sussex, retraces King Harold’s 12-day forced march from Stamford Bridge, where he had just defeated Harold Hardrada’s Norwegian invaders, to engage the Norman force on the south coast. It’s a thoughtful look at a key moment in history and our changing countryside. Andrew McCloy

£170
✆ 01625 508218
www.mammut.ch

+ Super-warm and very packable, with minimalist construction and excellent insulation. Zipped chest pocket, hand pockets and two-way front zip.

– Unfortunately, there isn’t a women’s cut. But we’d like one!

Verdict: A beautifully made and excellent quality winter jacket.

£130? 01773 601870 www.rab.uk.com Ultra-lightweight, with detailed construction to keep down in place. It stuffs neatly into a small zipped chest pocket and comes in a range of funky colours. There are no zips on the hand pockets and the cuffs are nonadjustable. The shiny ‘shell-suit’ finish may not be to everyone’s taste. Verdict: With its impressive weightto- warmth ratio, this is a modern take on a classic down jacket.

£130
01773 601870
www.rab.uk.com

+ Ultra-lightweight, with detailed construction to keep down in place. It stuffs neatly into a small zipped chest pocket and comes in a range of funky colours.

– There are no zips on the hand pockets and the cuffs are nonadjustable. The shiny ‘shell-suit’ finish may not be to everyone’s taste.

Verdict: With its impressive weight-to-warmth ratio, this is a modern take on a classic down jacket.

+ Full of great features, including reinforced panels on shoulders and arms, interior zip pocket, fleece-lined hand pockets and collar, adjustable Velcro cuffs, water-repellent finish and microfibre rip-stop fabric.

– A two-way zip would be nice.

Verdict: A classic down puffa jacket that’s hard-wearing, incredibly warm and offers a great cut. We love it.

+ A clean-cut design with pockets that fit an OS map. It stuffs into a pocket and has a two-way zip, adjustable cuffs, a neck draw cord and an adjustable wired hood that can be rolled away. British-made.

– The cuffs are loose on the women’s Firefox. The men’s zip is slightly fiddly.

Verdict: A versatile, breathable jacket that’s windproof and water-resistant.

+ Fabulously big inside pockets — perfect for OS maps. It’s ultra-light and packable. The detailed quilted construction keeps down in place, which is fantastically warm. Zips are easy to use even when wearing gloves and the women’s cut is flattering.

– There’s no zipped internal secure pocket and no adjustments at the cuffs either.

Verdict: A super-warm jacket that packs down smaller than any other on test.

+ Lightweight and stuffs easily into a small pocket, with water-repellent treatment both inside and out so it can be worn over a wet shell. It provides some warmth when wet and dries quickly.

– The cuffs are non-adjustable and it’s thinner than most.

Verdict: This is one of the lightest jackets on test so it may be better suited to spring, summer and autumn. A great addition to any hiker’s kit and an excellent alternative to fleece.

+ Inexpensive yet featuring Flylite ripstop fabric, two good-sized lined zipped hand pockets, a lined collar and internal zipped pocket. There’s no stuff-sack or pack-away option and it’s a little bulky in a rucksack.

– There’s no draw-cord adjustment on the hem and the lining in the pockets can snag on rough skin. There’s also no women’s version.

Verdict: No fuss, functional and competitively priced at under £70, this is a good no-nonsense jacket.

+ Stuffs into a mesh pocket that doubles as a soft pillow. It’s superlight but tough, with a windproof and water-resistant rip-stop shell made from 100% recycled material. The detailed construction stabilises the down well.

– The cuffs aren’t adjustable.

Verdict: A smart, very warm jacket that’s of minimal weight and is superbly compressible.