Camping Gear FAQ
Choosing the right tent is probably the most important decision for regular
short trips or long extended treks alike.
A tent that is overwhelmed by the conditions or is too small for your
needs will make your trip a sleepless, uncomfortable nightmare. top
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But, if you are backpacking, a tent that is bulky and heavy will feel
like a millstone around your neck; so how do you balance these conflicting
demands for space, strength, light weight and low packed volume? top
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1 - 4 Man Tents
The tents in this section range from 1-2 season valley tents for calm
weather use to 3 season backpacking tents; and there are individual differences
in available space, packed size and weight from model to model to suit
your requirements. They are suitable for a broad range of environments
except for severe weather winter use, if you want a bombproof 4 season
refuge look in our expedition tent section. top of page
5 - 8 Man Tents
Tents of this size can be used in environments from Himalayan base camp
to family camping holidays. To choose the right tent for you look at the
use you will be putting it to and go from there. For family car camping
space is by far the most important feature (to store bikes, swingball
and a myriad of other items; not forgetting a separate compartment for
the kids in the tent), but for group backpacking weight is also a very
pressing concern! If your outdoors adventure is likely to take you into
wild weather, such as Scotland in late autumn through to early spring,
have a look in the expedition tent section for a 4-season tent, which
will take the worst the weather can throw at it. top of
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Expedition Tents
Have you ever lay awake in your sleeping bag feeling the wind, rain, sleet
and snow batter and abuse your tent? Hearing the fabric sing and the poles
groan; wondering, waiting, listening intently for the terrible sound of
ripping nylon or the gunshot report of a fracturing pole? Doesn't sound
like the restful experience you need on an expedition after a hard days
trek, whether it is in Tibet or Torridon. These 4 season expedition tents
are designed to take the worst Mother Nature can throw at them and are
armed with a huge range of strengthening features to keep them lightweight
and bombproof. They are a bit more expensive than their fair weather counterparts,
but it is worth every penny to avoid sleepless nights like the one above,
believe me! top of page
Storm Shelters
The idea of an open sided shelter is not new, but it is only
recently become practical for these lightweight and tough refuges to be
manufactured. Anglers the world over swear by them in poor weather (rather
than swear at the weather), and they are perfect as portable sunshades
for children at the beach or garden. I have found them ideal as an open
sided cooking shelter while car camping (you on the inside, the stove
on the outside!) in our usual British summer weather. top
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Wild Combos
Have you just started to get into camping (or off to Glastonbury for the
first time!)? Need a tent and a couple of sleeping bags for your first
outing? These combos are the perfect solution, a tent and two joinable
sleeping bags for a reduced price. With specifications from a 2 man summer
only tent, to a cavernous family home from home, there is something for
everybody . And the price leaves you with enough money for a few little
luxuries, like a lantern to let you see where to go to the loo in the
middle of the night! top of page
Tent Reproofing
All waterproof performance degrades over time and use. So if your tent,
bivi bag or gaiters are over 3 years old you will find a massive improvement
in their weather shedding abilities after reproofing them yourself, and
it is much cheaper than buying a new one!
Be careful to buy the correct type of reproofer, the breathable fabric
of jackets requires a special treatment which specifically states "for
use on breathable fabrics". top of page
Sleeping Bags
As with tents, choosing the right sleeping bag is vital to your enjoyment
of the outdoors. A bag which is too bulky and heavy will make you overheat
at night and is unnecessary weight and bulk in your pack; one which is
too thin will leave you shivering and unable to sleep. The bags here are
suitable for a range of individual uses from summer only bags to 3 season
general purpose models. I always use a liner in my sleeping bag to keep
it clean and add a bit of insulation. top of page
Specialist Sleeping Bags
The difference between a holiday and an ordeal is often as simple as a
good nights sleep, so this is an area it's worth getting right. For a
winter backpacking trip or a high altitude adventure holiday the bags
in this section come into their own. They can deal with extreme temperatures
or provide the warmth of other bags for a lower weight and bulk because
they have a high insulation/volume and weight ratio due to the advanced
fibres and construction techniques used. For hints and tips on choosing
a bag look in my "buying a sleeping bag" section in FAQ's (coming
soon)
A liner is also a good idea as it cuts down the amount of washing the
bag requires (sleeping bags don't like it, especially Down ones) plus
it adds a bit of extra insulation for those frigid nights. top
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Bivi Bags
The ultimate in lightweight backpacking. No bulky tent to carry, just
a bivi bag. Fall asleep under the stars and wake with the dawn to see
a magnificent sunrise, you can't get closer to nature than that! I also
use my bivi bag to protect my sleeping bag in damp huts or bothys plus
as an emergency survival bag while hillwalking or climbing. top
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Junior Sleeping Bags
To make a bag as warm as possible there should be as little empty space
as you can manage in there with you, its just extra air to heat up. That's
why children in adult sleeping bags often feel cold. Junior bags are a
scaled down version of the adult size and every bit as technically advanced,
but for smaller campers! All kids want their own equipment, and because
it's lighter and smaller they can carry it themselves too. So not only
do they get better nights sleep but also you get a more leisurely trek
carrying less gear, truly something for everyone! top of
page
Beds, Mats and Liners
Sleeping bags keep you warm by trapping air, which insulates you and retains
heat within the bag. But the underside gets compressed and so holds no
insulating air and this allows heat to leak from the bag into the ground.
Lets face it, lying on the ground is just plain uncomfortable. You feel
every bump and stone under you all night then wake up feeling as though
you have been enthusiastically beaten with sticks. That's where mats come
in. they insulate you from the ground and are infinitely more comfortable
than a bed of rocks! top of page
Sleeping bags HATE being washed. It causes the filling to lose some of
its insulation, known as "loft", each time it goes through the
wash cycle. So if you regularly launder that top of the line bag it will
quickly deteriorate and lose performance. top of page
How do I balance maintaining the condition of my bag and still prevent
it smelling like a Yaks armpit? The answer is simple, use a liner! This
prevents the bag becoming dirty (on the inside, from your sweat and body
oils) and also adds insulation. Problem solved, and your girlfriend (or
boyfriend) will still want to know you! top of page
Lanterns & Torches
Locating the toilet block on a campsite or finding that elusive sock in
a tent can be almost impossible tasks when attempted in pitch darkness.
They are guaranteed to take much longer, even though at least one of them
may have an aspect of urgency about it! A good torch or lantern can make
a huge difference to any night spent in a tent; everything suddenly seems
so much easier when you can see what you are doing. Exactly which model
you choose depends on the area to be lit, duration of trip and whether
weight is an issue. A torch is also a vital piece of safety equipment
when hillwalking where it can be used to aid routefinding in failing light
and also to signal for help in the dark if you get into difficulties.
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Cooking Equipment
Imagine you are cold and wet. The tent is up at last at the end of a long
day's trek in the rain, you are tired and a bit dispirited. What is the
first thing you will want once you have changed into some dry clothes?
A hot drink closely followed by a warm, comforting meal: these are the
most important psychological boosts you can give yourself (although you
don't need me to tell you that!). A powerful, reliable stove is a must
on any trip longer than a day walk, but the model you use is very much
a matter of personal choice. top of page
Gas cartridge stoves are the easiest to use and generally the lightest,
although resupply of gas can be a problem outside Europe and North America.
Meths burning stoves, such as the Trangia, are also simple to use, are
excellent all weather performers (a strong wind actually improves their
efficiency) and they have a cookset built in. I have a Trangia that I
use on multi day walks and it has never let me down, even in the foulest
weather. top of page
Coolboxes & Picnic Sets
Are you fed up with warm sandwiches and hot orange juice on picnics? Want
to keep milk and perishables fresh and cool overnight while on a summer
family camping trip? A coolbox can solve both these problems. Simply stick
a picnic in one of these with a special freezer brick and it will stay
cool all day plus milk will stay cold and fresh for your cereal and coffee
in the morning if stored overnight in one. No more treks to the campsite
shop first thing in the morning, you could even have the luxury of breakfast
in your pyjamas! top of page
Furniture
If, while camping, you long for a table and chairs after a couple of days
sitting on the ground, or you want garden furniture for barbecues but
have nowhere to store it, then this could be the solution to your problem.
A foldable table and bench set which could be used for meals, family board
and card games or simply relaxing with friends over a glass of wine. Also,
because they are collapsible, when not in use they can be stored in a
fraction of their unfolded space.
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