Kennal Vale is a gorgeous piece of Cornish woodland made even better by a dramatic river running through and deep undergrowth. Throughout the reserve the remains of a granite gunpowder mill can be seen, scattered along the wooded slopes. It’s a really fantastic place to go for a wander and to take some photos, so much so that most of the people that you see at Kennal Vale either have a camera or a dog. On a particularly cold and bitter day, I thought I’d join the tripod carrying clan and take some of my own photographs.
I’d come prepared though as I was wearing my new Trespass Outback Parka Jacket. This parka jacket is ideal for those more harsh conditions and will certainly keep you warm in any temperature England can throw at you!
I really like it for photography walks as it has pockets in abundance: 2 chest pockets, 2 Velcro pockets, 2 side entry pockets, 1 zipped arm pocket and an inner pocket. These are great for popping away your lens caps, filters, phone, snacks, kitchen sink and anything else you might have.
I’ve always been a big fan of parkas just because of their practicality as well as style. The long nature of a parka ensures that more of your body will be kept snug and stops the wind getting in between layers. They also just look great; I like the thick hoods on them and all the distinct features like, chest pockets and fur trim. On the Trespass Outback the fur (not real, thank god!) is removable so you can decide for yourself if you like it or not. I do!
One of the main selling points of the jacket is it is down filled. The down naturally traps warm air and keeps out the cold, this provides extremely effective insulation and kept me very warm all afternoon. With all the frost, rain and threats of snow in Cornwall at the moment it is a very useful coat to have!
I had a great little photo walk around Kennal Vale, switching between my 70-200mm zoom lens to capture wildlife, like this robin, up close to my wider 28mm lens to shoot the fast flowing river and views of the valley. I took my photos of the river with a tripod and a 1/2 second exposure to give them a flowing motion without looking too ‘milky’.
I really like the Trespass Outback, it’s a very warm jacket with a very affordable price tag – perfect for the deep winter.
