Standing around the campfire after a long journey to the South Downs, the conversation ultimately landed on the rapid advancement of technology. For a lot of people the changes we are seeing with Artificial intelligence, self-driving cars and political unrest are a cause for concern. “We’ll at least we are all going to learn how to forage our food!” I said with a smile. The satisfaction that you experience from foraging or growing your food is unparalleled. The food tastes better, and as you eat it you will have an immense feeling of satisfaction as you’ll know exactly where it came from and how it got to your plate.
Columbia Sportswear: A River Brand
Columbia invited us to join them for a foraging experience in The South Downs in the UK. Columbia Sportswear is an American brand that was established in 1938. Contrary to what we previously thought the brand gets its name from the Columbia River, which flows through the brand’s hometown of Portland, not Colombia the country. The spelling makes sense now! The brand is known for its “everyone outdoors” approach. Unlike other outdoor brands that position themselves as “mountain brands” Columbia is a “river brand.” A brand that is tailored to the person who measures their outdoor experience in laughs per hour not kilometres per hour. Spending the day enjoying the outdoors and then spending time with friends, enjoying the food you caught, foraged or cooked with a few beers reminiscing about the day outdoors. That is the Columbia way.
Foraging Experience
Following a night spent in canvas tents we sat around the fire with our freshly brewed coffee (not foraged) waiting for the caffeine to cut through the campsite weariness. “Has anyone here done foraging before?” the group was asked. I raised my hand slowly, shocked that I was one of very few to do so, “I’ve picked blackberries before, among other things but that’s about it.”
Over the next few kilometres, our foraging guide showed us a collection of different edible plants. All of the plants that we foraged were growing on the verge of country lanes. With a bit of the knowledge our guide imparted it took very little effort to gather the right plant.
During the masterclass, we learned how to develop an understanding of the families that exist in the plant kingdom and how understanding the common traits of different families can help you identify different species. We learnt the major differences between some of the common edible plants and their toxic cousins, such as the difference between edible cow parsley and toxic hogweed.
We collected as we learnt and when we arrived at the location for our lunch we had amble swag to garnish the delicious filets of rainbow trout that would be the base of our lunch.
Outdoor Eating
Food always tastes better when eaten outdoors. This is something we believe to be true no matter what you are consuming. Perhaps that is the reason dehydrated camp meals are so delicious! However for this trip not only was the food eaten outdoors, it was also prepared outdoors, on an open fire. The intense smokey heat from the fire infused the food with what can only be described as “outdoor flavours”. Food is often seen as a small part of our day, meals are something to be rushed, eaten on-the-go, or consumed in private. On this trip, we ate all of our meals on long tables where reaching over people was a necessity and conversation was a vital ingredient.
The Gear We Wore
This casual, friendly, calm outdoor setting was the perfect setting for the Columbia clothing we were testing. Fun, funky and functional fits made us feel comfortable no matter what the itinerary had on it. There were a few stand-out pieces for us.
The Fleece
In many ways, Columbia is leading the charge regarding funky fleece designs! Many of the outdoor shops in Ireland stock a wide range of Columbia fleece now. They have some awesome designs that range from bright and brilliant to subtle and subdued. We love ours, perfect dog walk and coffee layer for summer mornings!
Familiar Footwear
We wore the brand new Konos™ TRS OutDry™ Hiking Shoe. A familiar feeling shoe with a soft midsole. Coming in at only €120 for a OutDry waterproof hiking shoe this will be a popular walking shoe this summer!
Summer Showers
A light layer for summer showers in Ireland. The Ampli-Dry™ II Waterproof Hiking Shell Jacket is a lightweight, packable, waterproof jacket. It has pit zips, an adjustable hood and a comfortable fit. The Omni-Tech seam-sealed jacket is made from 100% recycled polyester too which makes it a great conscious choice for hikers. The RRP is only €170 which helps it stand out among its competition.
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