Recommendations
Software, services and kit I actually use, most of it for years. Some I still own and some I have since moved on from, and everything here is recommended either way: nothing stays on the list I would not tell a friend to buy. Nothing here is sponsored and nothing made the list for being free. Where a row has a buy link it may earn me a small commission, which has no bearing on what appears here.
Recommendations
99 listedWeb Based / SaaS
5
5
1Password
Shared vaults that survive a team, and the CLI means secrets never get pasted into a terminal.
Cloudflare
DNS, WAF and caching in one place, and the free tier already does most of what a small site needs.
GitHub
Where the packages live and where the review happens. Actions covers the CI without a second service to keep running.
Linear
The only tracker I have used that stays out of the way when the work is actually happening.
Pocket Casts
Playback speed and silence trimming that actually work, and the queue syncs across every device without a fight.
Mac Software
19
19
Amphetamine
Keeps the Mac awake for a long deploy or an import without touching the energy settings.
Dropbox
Sync that has never lost a file in fifteen years, which is the only feature that matters.
Homebrew
Every PHP version side by side, and a new machine is productive in one command rather than an afternoon.
Maccy
Clipboard history that does one thing. The paste you needed is three keystrokes back, always.
Moom
Window layouts saved and recalled, so plugging into a second screen does not mean rearranging everything.
Obsidian
Plain markdown files on disk, so the notes outlive the app that edits them.
OrbStack
Containers that start in seconds and do not eat the battery, which is the whole complaint about Docker Desktop.
Paw
Native API client with environments that make testing an integration against staging and production a two click job.
PhpStorm
Static analysis and refactoring that understands a large Magento codebase, which no editor plugin has matched.
Sequel Ace
Quick MySQL browsing without a licence check. The one I reach for before anything heavier.
SnippetsLab
Where the awkward one liners live: the sed incantation and the SQL you rewrite once a year.
Sublime Text
Opens a 2GB log file instantly and searches it without complaint. Nothing else comes close.
TablePlus
Fast native database client that has never once lost a connection mid-query on a slow tunnel.
Tailscale
Every machine on one private network, with the Mac client quietly handling exit nodes and DNS.
Termic
Terminal driven task and project work that keeps the context of what I am doing between sessions.
Things 3
Task manager quiet enough to stay open. No projects about projects, no dashboards.
Transmit
The SFTP client that survived every other one being abandoned, and it mounts remote servers as drives.
Vinegar
Replaces the YouTube player with a plain HTML5 one. No autoplay, no overlays, no recommendations.
iTerm2
Split panes, searchable scrollback and profiles per project. The terminal I keep coming back to.
iOS Apps
9
9
Bevel
Turns the pile of numbers Apple Health already has into a readable picture of whether the week went well.
CARROT Weather
The forecast data is the good stuff and the jokes are the reason it gets opened rather than glanced at.
Footpath Route Planner
Draw a rough line with a finger and it snaps to the paths, which is far faster than clicking waypoints.
Happy Scale
Smooths daily weight into a trend line, which stops you reacting to noise that was mostly last night's dinner.
Health Auto Export
Scheduled JSON and CSV out of Apple Health, so the data is yours rather than trapped behind a chart.
HealthFit
Gets workouts out of Apple Health and into everything else, in formats other tools will actually read.
PCalc
A calculator that does units, conversions and RPN properly, from a developer who has maintained it for decades.
Things 3 for iOS
The same list as the Mac app, in the pocket, and the one place everything gets written down.
WorkOutDoors
A real vector map on the watch, offline, which is the feature Apple never shipped and the one that matters on a hill.
Hosting
7
7
Amazon Web Services
Not the cheapest and not the simplest, but S3, RDS and CloudFront behave the same on the worst day as the best.
Hetzner
Dedicated hardware at a price that makes overprovisioning cheaper than tuning.
Netlify
Push a static build and it is live, with deploy previews and rollbacks that need no server to look after.
OVHcloud
Bare metal in European data centres at a price that makes a second box for staging an easy decision.
Porkbun
Registrar that charges the renewal price it advertises, with WHOIS privacy and DNS included rather than upsold.
Tailscale
WireGuard without the config file. Machines reach each other across networks and nothing needs to be exposed publicly.
Vito
Self hosted server management, so the deploy pipeline is not renting my infrastructure back to me.
AI
3
3
Claude Code
Agentic coding in the terminal. Worth it for tracing an unfamiliar codebase, not for writing the fix unattended.
Codex
Useful second opinion. Two models disagreeing about a diagnosis is often faster than either being confident.
Whisper
Transcription that runs on the laptop, so a client call never leaves it.
Running
11
11
Garmin Connect
The training load and recovery numbers are the honest ones, even when they disagree with how I feel.
HOKA Bondi 9
Maximum cushioning for recovery runs, which is how the harder sessions stay possible.
HOKA Skyward X
Enough stack to make a long road run boring, which is exactly what a long road run should be.
New Balance Fresh Foam Hierro v8
Trail shoe with enough grip for a wet Peak District descent and enough foam for the road to the trailhead.
New Balance Geroe
Another pair in the rotation, so no single shoe takes every mile of the week
Parkrun
Free timed 5K every Saturday. The results API is the reason this site has a parkrun importer.
Puma Deviate Nitro Elite
Race day plate shoe. Saved for the efforts that justify what a pair costs per mile.
Rab Veil 12 Running Vest
Carries water, food and a jacket over a long day without a single point that rubs.
Runna
Training plans that adapt to the week you actually had rather than the one the plan assumed.
Runr Running Hats
Light enough to forget you are wearing it, and it keeps sun out of your eyes and rain off your face all year.
Strava
Where every run and ride ends up, and the API is open enough to pull it all back out.
Hiking
34
34
Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles
Cork grips that stay comfortable when your hands are wet, and they take the sting out of a long descent.
Darn Tough Socks
Merino that survives the wash and a lifetime guarantee that gets honoured, so the cost per mile keeps falling.
Finisterre Stormbird
Properly waterproof and built to be repaired rather than replaced, which is the point of buying one once.
Haglofs Fleece
Warm without bulk and built to outlast the trend it was bought in.
Helinox Speed Stool M
Opens in one motion and weighs nothing, which is the difference between carrying a seat and leaving it at home.
Helinox Sunset Chair (re)
A real backrest and a high seat, so it is the one camp chair you can sit in all evening rather than perch on.
Mammut Aenergy Jacket
Light enough to carry on the chance of needing it, which means it is actually there when you do.
Mammut Sertig II Mid GTX
Mid boot with real ankle support that stays dry through a full day of wet Peak District grass.
Mammut Sertig III Mid GTX
The current version of the boot I have worn out once already, which is the strongest recommendation I can give.
Mammut Ultimate Low Pro GTX
Low cut for dry days and easier ground, where a mid boot is more support than the terrain asks for.
Mountain Weather Information Service
Mountain specific forecasts written by forecasters who go out in it. Says what the wind does at height, not what it does in the valley.
Nebo Big Larry USB-C
Work light and torch in one, magnetic base, and it charges off the same cable as everything else in the bag.
OS Maps
Ordnance Survey mapping on the phone, with the offline downloads that matter once the signal goes.
Passenger Bucket Bag
Big enough for wet kit and a flask, and it does not mind being put down on sand or a wet path.
Passenger Cabin Sherpa Blankets
Lives in the boot for the end of a walk, and turns a cold car park into somewhere worth sitting for a bit.
Passenger Five Season
Waterproof that does not look like technical kit, so it gets worn on the days between the hills as well.
Passenger Rainier Waterproof Parka
Long cut with a proper hood, for the days the rain is set in and a shell that stops at the waist is not enough.
Passenger Waves Changing Robe
Getting warm and dry in a car park is the difference between doing it again next weekend and not.
Patagonia Nano Puff
Packs to nothing and goes on the moment you stop moving, which is when the cold actually finds you.
Patagonia Terravia 28L
The summer day pack. Light frame, quick access to the top pocket and nothing on it that is not needed.
Patagonia Torrentshell 3L
Packs down small enough to carry on a forecast that says it probably will not rain.
Plotaroute
Snaps to paths on OS mapping and gives you the elevation profile before you commit a day to it.
Rab Hydration Bladder 2L
Wide opening so it actually dries out between trips, which is where most bladders quietly go wrong.
Rab Protium 35
Big enough for a winter day with spare layers, and it carries a full load without going shapeless.
Sea to Summit Dry Bags
Keeps the spare layer dry and, just as usefully, keeps the wet one away from everything else.
Silva Explore 5
Light enough to forget you are wearing it, and the red mode saves your night vision at a stop.
The North Face Circadian Fleece
The midlayer that gets worn most, because it breathes on the climb instead of coming straight back off.
The North Face Cragstone Mid Waterproof Boots
The everyday boot: comfortable from the first walk and cheap enough not to baby.
The North Face Stormbreak Tent
Pitches quickly and takes weather it has no business taking for the money.
The North Face Stormgap Power Grid Hooded Jacket
Grid fleece with a hood, which is the warmest thing you can add for the weight you carry.
The North Face Summit Fastpack GORE-TEX Boots
Fast and light underfoot but still waterproof, for the days that are more moving than plodding.
Thermos Ultimate Flask 900ml
Still too hot to drink at lunch after a cold start, which is the only test a flask has to pass.
Yeti Rambler
Heavier than it needs to be and worth it, because it survives being dropped on rock and keeps ice for a day.
gpx.studio
Fixes a route in the browser: trim the drive to the trailhead, merge two files, drag a leg onto the path you meant.
Cycling
3
3
Garmin Edge 1040
Battery that outlasts any ride I am likely to do, and the mapping is good enough to follow a route you have never seen.
Shimano RC3
Stiff enough that the power goes into the pedals, and the dial means you can adjust them mid ride with gloves on.
Topeak Torq Stick Pro 2-10Nm
Carbon parts have a number printed on them for a reason. This is how you hit it instead of guessing.
Smart / Other Hardware
8
8
Amazon Echo Show 15
Wall mounted in the kitchen as a calendar, timer and camera feed, which is more use than a speaker on a shelf.
Eero Mesh Routers
Coverage everywhere and nothing to administer, which is what I want from the network I do not get paid for.
Eufy Security Cameras
Records locally, so the footage is not hostage to a subscription lapsing.
Lefant Robot Vacuum
Does the floors every day without being asked, which beats a better vacuum used once a fortnight.
OMRON Blood Pressure Monitor
Clinically validated, so the numbers are worth taking to a GP rather than worth arguing about.
Ring Floodlight Cam
Light and camera in one fitting, so the dark corner of the garden stops being a dark corner.
Ring Video Doorbell
Answering the door from anywhere is the small feature; the recorded clip when nobody answered is the useful one.
Withings Body Smart
Weighs, syncs and says nothing else. The trend over a month is the only number on it worth looking at.
How this list works
Everything here earns its place by being in use, not by being interesting. Things drop off when I stop reaching for them.
Suggestions
If something here has a better alternative I have missed, tell me. I would rather know.