It’s shortly bank holiday weekend and the weather forecast looks mixed, but with the right equipment you can still make for a great camping trip. There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad equipment!!
Even though its summer, it does get chilly at night, so why not invest in a camping heater?
The Hi Gear Portable Gas Heater, with a 4 out of 5 star review on Go Outdoors, this is a good priced small heater. Currently £19.99 with a Go Outdoors discount card (rrp £25.00).
Compact and powerful gas powered heater, easily operated, the Hi Gear Portable Gas Heater boasts automatic piezo ignition (no need for matches), this is a handy essential for any cold weather family camping.
(Do check though that you can use the heater in your tent, carbon monoxide poisoning can be fatal, modern tents, especially those with sewn-in groundsheets, aren’t designed to have enough air flow for a gas appliance)
There is nothing worse than being cold at night whilst camping, for added warmth a sleeping bag liner is a good idea, once you get cold it is difficult to warm up.
Lifeventure EX3 Cotton Sleeper – Rectangular, £18.00 (rrp £19.99)
Sleeping directly on the floor of the tent is a bad idea, it is uncomfortable and cold! There are plenty of
camping mats available.
With a saving of 42%, the
Multimat Trekker 75 is an inflatable self inflating camping mat from their All Seasons range with a season rating of 4 meaning it can be used from Spring through to Autumn camping trips.
Now
£42.95, (rrp £73.75) this camping mat has a tough polyester top and a fabric base to prevent slipping. A foam core allows for fast inflation and includes a TPU membrane to ensure it is air tight and won’t leak during the night. Two valves on the sleeping mat allows for fast deflation and a quick get away.
Like with your duvet at home, sleeping bags also vary is season rating to different types of insulation. They also vary is shape, normally square, mummy and sleeping pod.
The Ultralight 600 Lightweight Sleeping Bag, from Vango, is a 2-3 Season sleeping bag that has been designed to provide warmth while maintaining weight efficiency and compactness making it ideal for expeditions and long distance backpacking.
The Ultralite 600 features Omega shaping with a larger layer for better warmth by reducing excessive air spaces. An excellent loft is achieved with the superfine insulation that is highly compressible and extremely durable. Duke of Edinburgh recommended kit, suggested usage: 0 to 20°C, performance: 2-3 Season.
Night time in summer in the UK can often be cold , if you have the room, always take at least a couple of extra blankets just in case, in the past I have taken a spare duvet but this is not always possible with space in the car.
140 x 180cm
Machine washable
If you are not intending to do much camping cooking, a cheap small stove is a good idea for making hot drinks and boiling water for the hot water bottles to keep warm.
The Campingaz Bistro 300 is a best selling table top single burner Campingaz stove which is perfect for using on a weekend away camping with friends and family.
As well as the camping equipment, don’t forget a good section of clothes to layer up, and warm PJ’s or thermals are essential.
Its good to keep putting the layers on before you start feeling the cold.
For a selection of Ladies base layers or thermals,
click here.
For a selection of Men’s base layers or thermals,
click here.