Oli Reed, LFTO & Trail magazine editor
Oli’s the Group Editor across our outdoor titles, covering both Live for the Outdoors and Trail Magazine. He's a lifelong hiker who's climbed hills and mountains everywhere from the Lakes and the Dales to the Dolomites and Yosemite. He 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 Trail magazine enquires, and anything relating to the Mountains for the Mind campaign.
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 big adventure sports fan, a keen hiker, and says one of his goals is to climb 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!
Ben Weeks, LFTO and Trail magazine 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 on LFTO or in Trail magazine, 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 the job of 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
Fliss Freeborn, LFTO 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.
Follow James on Instagram: @jamesmichaelforrest
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 220Triathlon, 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 be testing kit as she goes.
Follow Kate on Instagram: @katemilsom
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
Chris Williams, gear tester
Chris trained as a journalist in New Zealand and joined Live For The Outdoors since 2021. He spent his childhood doing almost every outdoor sport under the sun, and now he's all grown up he's still a passionate hiker, trail runner, mountain biker, and water skier. Chris likes to spend as little time behind a desk as possible, which is why we regularly send him out testing the latest outdoor gear and finding the best options for fellow hikers and runners.
Jenna Maryniak, Trail magazine deputy editor
Jenna, Trail magazine’s deputy editor, has been in love with the UK mountains since climbing The Old Man of Coniston in a Lake District charity challenge 20 years ago. Since then, she’s been a huge fan of anything mountain-related, from hiking, wild camping, mountain biking, climbing and skiing. Having scared herself silly in the past, she is most content walking and scrambling in the mountains with her dog – and the Lake District is still her favourite place in the world.
Please get in touch with anything relating to magazine feature articles, routes or the latest issue of Trail.
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!
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
