Let’s get something straight right away: you don’t need to grow a beard, sell all your worldly possessions, buy a 300kg adventure bike, and ride around the world for 12 months to have a proper motorcycling adventure. Don’t get me wrong—those long-haul, “Quit my job to find myself” trips are epic. But they’re not the only way to ride adventurously. I’ve got a full-time job, a family, bills to pay, and the same 24 hours in a day as everyone else. And yet, I’ve ridden across the Arctic Circle, blasted through freezing wind stroms, and explored some of the most remote parts of the UK and beyond—all without needing a sabbatical or a divorce lawyer. Myth: You Need a Year Off to Be an Adventurer Reality: You Need a Week. Or Less. Adventure isn’t measured in miles or time off. It’s about mindset. I’ve had more meaningful experiences on a long weekend trip than some people get on a year-long cruise around the planet (and I bet my dinner stops were better, too). Take my 10-day 4,000 mile b...
Surviving the Arctic in Style: My Love Letter to the Keis Heated Body Warmer (And No, They’re Not Paying Me to Say This)
Let me start this article with a bit of bitter honesty: I am not a Keis ambassador. In fact, I applied to be one and was politely turned down. (Their loss, really—I look great in a heated vest.) So rest assured, this isn’t a paid ad. It’s more like a mildly obsessed love letter to a piece of gear that has literally kept me alive. I’m talking, of course, about the Keis Heated Body Warmer. This unassuming bit of kit might not look like much on the hanger, but out on an Arctic ride, it becomes your best friend, your personal sun, and—on particularly miserable mornings—your reason to keep going. I’ve taken it through snowstorms, biting headwinds, and the kind of freezing fog that makes you question every life decision that led to that moment. And the Keis? It just keeps on glowing, keeping my core warm while my brain tries to remember what toes used to feel like. Seriously, before I started using it, I’m not sure how I survived. I think I must’ve just relied on blind optimism and adrenalin...