‘I’d never head out without one’: 10 hiking essentials

From waterproof trousers to a compass, flasks to spare socks, here’s all the kit you need to keep you dry, safe and hydrated

Hiking Cheshire’s Baker Way: the joy of a less-known walking trail

They get less fanfare and footfall than the UK’s famous long-distance paths, but trails such as this – which starts in Chester and saunters through the local countryside – are just as rewarding

A cycling, walking and running break in France’s best area for trails

Bagnoles de l’Orne in Normandy is a traditional spa town reinventing itself with new hiking and cycling routes – and a focus on sustainable tourism

‘Plus-size people face a lot of barriers’: the campaigners helping larger walkers to enjoy the great outdoors

From being properly kitted out to planning a walking route up Mam Tor, our writer finds her feet and her tribe in the Peak District

Be kind, rewind: is backwards walking any better than walking forwards?

It places less strain on the knees and can help with coordination – as long as you do it with structure and purpose, experts say

Scaling the fairytale peaks of Saxon Switzerland in Germany

The dramatic landscape was beloved of Romantic painters and hardcore climbers. But the spa town of Bad Schandau provides a gentler introduction for skinny-calfed explorers

‘Stunning lakes and majestic mountains’: readers’ tips from Europe

Dramatic scenery, gleaming lakes and unspoilt views take the fancy of our adventurous tipsters, from France to Albania

Wild west: a walk on Brittany’s rugged Crozon peninsula

The fishing villages, clifftop paths and sandy coves of the Breton coast provide the perfect backdrop for a five-day hike

Bagging a Munro gets easier as volunteers fund repairs to mountain paths

Scottish Highlands campaign has raised two-thirds of £300,000 target for footpaths on An Teallach. But more is needed to protect people and environment

Outdoor clothing brands still using ‘forever chemicals’ despite health risk

Campaigners find PFAS, which can contaminate the soil and water supply, in more than 80% of 27 companies’ products