Oli Reed, group editor
Oli’s the Group Editor across our outdoor brands, covering Live for the Outdoors, Trail Magazine and [Country Walking]{href='http://www.trailmagazine.com' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'}. He's a lifelong hiker who's climbed hills and mountains everywhere from the Lakes and the Dales to the Dolomites and Yosemite.
Oli loves a night in a tent somewhere wild, is rarely seen wearing long trousers, and can often be spotted walking, cycling, or paddling along a trail or river with his two young boys in tow. Which also makes him our go-to tester for family outdoor kit.
Please get in touch with any general LFTO or magazine queries.
Email: oli.reed@bauermedia.co.uk
Rob Slade, LFTO deputy editor
Rob joined the LFTO team in 2024, after previously working as the editor of Adventure Travel magazine and content editor of 220 Triathlon.
Rob's a keen hiker (and runner, cyclist, swimmer, triathlete...), and has his sights set on a climb up Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America. But he's equally happy trudging up Welsh hills in the rain, so he fits in perfectly here!
He's a good person to contact with questions, ideas or pitches for LFTO.
Nick Hallissey, head of content, Country Walking & Trail magazine
Nick has been obsessed with Britain’s wide open spaces since his parents dragged him over the South Downs Way at the age of five and up his first mountain (Catbells) at seven. He’s since climbed quite a lot of hills, and has only twice accidentally climbed the wrong one.
He joined Country Walking magazine in 2007 and was there for the birth of LFTO the following year, and he’s been telling stories about the outdoors ever since.
These days he looks after the beautiful pages of Country Walking and Trail, as well as the Walk1000Miles challenge. He has also become a born-again trail runner and is on a mission to run up a hill in every UK county – possibly as an act of rebellion against living in the Fens.
Ben Weeks, gear editor
Ben is an experienced writer, gear reviewer, photographer, climbing wall instructor and Mountain Leader with a particular fondness for scrambling in pointy rocky places (would move to the Dolomites if his wife would let him).
Please get in touch with anything relating to gear reviews in Trail and Country Walking, new exciting products our readers need to know about. And did he mention he's climbed the Matterhorn? If not, he will soon.
Email: ben.weeks@bauermedia.co.uk
Milo Wilson, LFTO writer and gear tester
After graduating from a London university, Milo took a trip further north and got lost in the wilderness of Cambridgeshire. He eventually stumbled into our office, sat down at a free computer, and began writing LFTO articles to appear as though he worked here. We haven't had the heart to send him away, and most recently took on managing our trail running content.
Milo's a passionate runner, loves a night in a tent, and knows his way around a mountain or two (that's him posing on Stac Pollaidh above). Get in touch with Milo about any new running products you'd like to see reviewed on LFTO.
Email: milo.wilson@bauermedia.co.uk
Evie Nichols, LFTO writer and gear tester
Evie grew up being dragged up various mountains by her parents. While her friends were relaxing on the beach, she was more likely shivering in a tent. For some reason, she now likes nothing more than being outdoors. She studied in Sheffield, and with the Peak District on her doorstep, hasn’t quite found enough reason to leave.
When she’s not hiking, running or cycling her way across the Peaks, Evie can be found planning her next adventure. Her favourite to date is probably solo hiking the ‘toughest trail in Europe’ – the GR20 in Corsica. Evie has a Google Doc named ‘Dreams and plans… But mostly dreams’ , which includes everything from bikepacking in Japan and hiking across the Himalayas, to running England’s coast-to-coast route.
Fliss Freeborn, writer and gear tester
In 2017, Fliss moved to Scotland for university, fell in love with the landscape, and never left. Her feral Cornish childhood of starting fires, building tarpaulin camps, and unofficial coasteering paved the way to the myriad of adventure sports she now enjoys.
From ski touring to trail running, winter scrambling, kayaking, surfing, mountain biking, climbing, snorkelling and foraging, Fliss will do anything that involves a tent, type-one fun and a good hearty meal afterwards. She lives in Glasgow but prefers to be somewhere in the far-flung Northwest of Scotland, cooking a big group dinner on a long summer’s evening.
James Forrest, gear tester
James is a prolific peak bagger, long-distance trail walker, lightweight gear fanatic, and has recently taken up trail running. He's been writing articles and route guides for Trail magazine for years and is one of the most experienced and respected outdoor gear testers in Britain.
He also lives on the edge of the Lake District, so when we aren't hassling him to do work for us he's out walking, camping and running in his local fells.
Between 2017 and 2019, James climbed all 1,001 mountains in the UK and Ireland, camping wild over 100 times in the process.
Follow James on Instagram: @jamesmichaelforrest
Matt Jones, gear tester
As the former editor of Walk magazine and Scouting magazine, Matt is one of the most respected names in the UK outdoor industry. Now a freelance journalist based in the heart of Snowdonia National Park, he’s a vastly experienced gear tester and self-confessed outdoor kit geek.
Matt’s been one of our main gear testers for the last couple of years and is the first person we call with any complicated kit queries that need in-depth and forensic analysis. He’s pretty tall too, so great at testing extra-long sleeping mats and tents!
Follow Matt on Instagram: @mattymountains
Jenny Walters, deputy head of content (print)
Jenny has been writing for Country Walking magazine for almost 20 years. Today she whips up the vast majority of ideas and stories that go into both Country Walking and Trail, and still writes like a ninja for both magazines.
Jenny has tramped in New Zealand, trekked in Peru, hiked in the Alps and walked all over the British Isles, from Cape Wrath to Cape Cornwall, Mount Brandon to Yr Wyddfa. She loves to find curious stories of the countryside and is currently researching the history of Britain’s treacle mines.
Matthew Pike, content creator
Matt is not only the Friendliest Person on Planet Earth (we think that’s official) but also an avid outdoor explorer.
He was part of the original LFTO team back in 2008 and has written countless stories and gear reviews for Country Walking and Trail, as well as working for esteemed organisations such as the Woodland Trust.
Tom Bailey, LFTO and Trail photographer
If you've marveled at a mountain photo on LFTO or in Trail magazine over the past 20+ years, there's a very good chance Tom took it. He's one of the most experienced hillwalkers and wild campers in Britain, has climbed more mountains than most people could dream of, and is an oracle of knowledge on everything from routes and gear to geology and nature.
As well as being an award-winning photographer, Tom's also a regular writer for LFTO and Trail. Because he spends so much time out walking, scrambling, and camping he tests more kit to destruction than anyone else on the team And he’s never shy about sharing an opinion on what makes a good (or bad) bit of gear!
Kate Milsom, gear tester
Kate joined the LFTO team in late 2022 and specialises in trail running content. She's previously worked with industry-leading titles including 220 Triathlon, Cycling Plus, Road.cc and Cyclist.
When she's not off exploring a new trail route in her backyard of the Cotswolds and Bristol, Kate's busy ticking off her adventure list which has seen her cycle across Europe solo, complete 70.3 Ironman triathlons, and dive head-first into the world of ultra running. She's recently taken a career break to head off travelling around the world for 12 months, but she's testing kit as she goes.
Follow Kate on Instagram: @katemilsom
Sarah Ryan, writer and mountain leader
Sarah's been a key part of the LFTO and Trail magazine for around a decade. As a passionate hiker, camper, trail runner, gear tester and qualified mountain leader, she can write with authority on just about anything you'd ever need to know about the outdoors.
She's responsible for all of the monthly skills and advice content in Trail magazine, loves writing an in-depth article about hot topics impacting our natural landscape, and is our chief interviewer of all the big names in the industry.
Follow Sarah on Instagram: @katmakestracks
