CAMPING | Festival Most Wanted Camping Gear of 2018

Whether you’re vising a music festival or you’re just on the look out for some funky new camping gear, read on to see our pick of the very best festival and camping gear for 2018!

Festival Camping Most Wanted 2018

1. Weekender Bell Tent from Boutique Camping

An amazingly lightweight bell tent in funky Aztec print or rainbow, perfect for festivals and incredible value for money.

2. Selk’bag Chewbacca adult sleeping bag

Star Wars sleeping bags in adult and child sizes and aside from the novelty factor, these sleeping bags have a unique, practical design and will keep you warm too.

3. Therm-A-Rest Treo Chair

This chair is tiny and super portable and if it’s muddy at the campsite/festival you’ll be smug as hell being able to rest your weary feet.

4. Biodegradale festival body/face glitter

Glitter is horrible for the environment, but this glitter is biodegradable so go crazy!

5. Braven 105 poertable speaker

A diminutive speaker with great sound for the size, rechargeable too so ideal for tunes back at your tent.

6. Infusion adult rain poncho from Field Candy

This fab, funky rain poncho is available in loads of different styles and is ideal for summer music festivals!

7. Snugpak air mat with built in foot pump

A space saving air mattress for a comfy nights sleep with a built in foot pump to save you on space. Brilliant!

8. Haymax hayfever barrier

Suffering from hayfever is a total bummer and this natural barrier is a must for hayfever suffering campers and festival goers.

9. Joules Women’s Mollywelly

A nice pair of comfy, well-fitting wellies is always a festival must have!

10. Solar Charger Power Bank 10,000mAh

A phone charger is a must at a festival and as this one has a solar panel, you can keep your phone topped up all weekend.

11. Andes folding camp trolley

If you’ve got a big tent and loads of stuff, traipsing back and forth from the car park is far from ideal, a camp trolley is the perfect solution.

12. Korres The Greatest Mini Shower Gel collection

A gorgeous set of mini shower gels that will make you feel less like you’re slumming it.

13. Bramble travel pillow

Getting enough shut eye so you can enjoy a festival to the full is essential and this handy little travel pillow will help you sleep soundly.

14. Dock & Bay Microfibre Beach Towel

A decent wash will make you feel human again, so a good compact travel towel is an absolute camping must-have.

15. Magic Mirror

A multi-functional mirror that is perfect for camping and festivals, seriously, one of the best products we’ve seen in ages!

16. Poler sleeping bag

A sleeping bag that keeps you warm is one thing, but one that also looks funk as hell is a rare find indeed.

17. Easycamp Daylilly festival tent

A fabulous funky tent ideal for festival camping, matching range of accessories also available.

18. Sea Pioneer Portable Camping Chair

A great quality and importantly, lightweight folding chair that’s ideal for festival camping.

19. Summit To Eat Freeze Dried Food

Seriously tasty food that requires no effort to prepare at all, just add boiling water.

20. Unicorn rain poncho

Rain sucks and is pretty much guaranteed at a UK music festival, this handy poncho takes up very little space, also, UNICORNS!

21. Men’s Hunter Wellies

You can’t go wrong with a classic pair of Hunter wellies in black.

22. Field Candy Infusion 1 Tent

A stunning tent that looks beautiful, is fast and easy to put up and is extremely high quality; ideal for festivals and weekend camping trips.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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COMPETITION | Win A Fantastic Outwell Nevada 4 Tent

To celebrate our 4th birthday, we’ve teamed up with Outdoor World Direct to bring you the chance to win a fantastic Outwell Nevada 4 tent. Read on to find out how to enter!

The Prize

The Outwell Nevada 4 is a super weekend tent that is simple to pitch and take down, ideal for couples or small families. The Nevada 4 is a simple tunnel tent, with a front and side door, a sewn-in sealed groundsheet, and a rainsafe door. Perfect for smaller families or couples wanting a weekend tent, which is very easy to erect and set down.

How to Enter

You can enter either on Facebook or here on the Camping with Style blog.

1. Facebook entries: Entrants must like both the Outdoor World Direct and Camping with Style on Facebook and must leave a comment on the competition thread telling us where you’ll take your Outwell Nevada tent if you win.

2. Blog entries: Leave a comment below telling us where you’ll take your Outwell Nevada tent if you win.

Terms & Conditions

• Competition closes 5pm GMT Sunday 15th April 2018
• Entrants must ‘Like’ both Outdoor World Direct and Camping with Style on Facebook and leave a comment saying where you’ll take your Outwell Nevada tent if you win
• No cash alternative offered
• Camping with Style reserve the right to amend or withdraw this competition at any time
• A winner will be chosen based on them having fulfilled all entry criteria, and will be decided between Outdoor World Direct and Camping with Style
• Competition open to UK residents only
• Prize kindly supplied by Outdoor World Direct

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CAMPING | Chowing Down on Summit To Eat Freeze Dried Adventure Food

What is it?

Summit To Eat – freeze dried adventure food
Price £5.50 each
Find out more

Some of the meals available include;

• Chicken Fajita with rice
• Chicken tikka with rice
• Morning oats with raspberry
• Salmon and broccoli pasta

Tasty, hot and hearty are the things I want when it comes to camping food because being outdoors generally means I’m active, which leaves me ravenous. Outdoor adventures are no time to be nibbling on salads or restricting calories in my opinion, so one of the main things I look for in freeze-dried food is their ‘hearty quotient’ or to put it more simply, will they fill me up and give me enough energy to get by until my next meal?

I was due to go on a solo glamping trip recently and with no hob or oven inside the accommodation, it gave me the perfect opportunity to try out some freeze dried meals from Summit To Eat.

The packs are easy to open and the meal is easiest eaten straight from the resealable pouch

How to make the meals

Make sure you follow the instructions as they differ slightly depending on your meal choice, and make sure you remember to remove the oxygen absorbing sachet from inside before pouring in hot water! There are various fill lines on the inside the pouch and each meal has different fill instructions. All you need to do is fill with boiling water to the appropriate fill line, seal and leave to hydrate for 8 minutes, then simply eat right out of the pouch.

The Verdict

The first one I tried was chicken tikka with rice. I love curry, and I make a mean chicken curry but I was frankly amazed by the flavour. There’s no denying that dehydrated meals always look a bit grim, but the taste more than made up for it, in fact, it was so nice that I’ve already ordered myself some more because they are so tasty and handy.

The following morning I tried the oats with raspberry (delicious, warming and filling) and that evening I had the Chicken fajita meal, and again, it was delicious. To say that I’ve been very pleasantly surprised by the taste and quality of Summit To Eat adventure food  would be a understatement, honestly, they’ve wowed me and are meals I’ll definitely be turning to again for future camping trips.

Thank you to Summit To Eat who sent the meals for me to try.

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OUTDOOR GEAR | A Rainy Weekend Wearing The Weird Fish Avesta Waterproof Jacket – Review

What is it?

Avesta Print Lined Fully Waterproof Hooded Jacket in Boysenberry
£75.00
Buy it here

Features

• High collar with zig-zag stitch detail
• Full length zip concealed by a popper-secured storm flap
• A large hood with poppers
• Two welt pockets secured with flaps & poppers below waist line
• Internal bungee cord with toggles to waist and hem

The verdict

I really like the longer length of this jacket, making it ideal for rainy days and since being sent this jacket, boy have there been a lot of rainy days! I see it as a bit of a hybrid coat, technical enough to wear when out walking, but the styling is versatile enough to be worn in urban settings on a day to day basis.

Neck detailing of the Avesta jacket

Once on too, I think it actually looks a lot funkier than it does on the Weird Fish website and I love the coral detailing of the logo, zips and zip pulls against the bright boysenberry purple/pink of the jacket.

 Logo on the left arm of the jacket
  Close up detailing of the zip and zip pull

it’s not a particularly thick coat, so on chilly days you’ll definitely need a fleece or similar underneath it to keep warm, but as a lightweight and easily packable waterproof that also looks really good (I’ve received multiple compliments on my jacket from family and friends), then the Avesta is a really excellent buy.

Weird Fish Avesta jacket  shown here worn on top of the Weird Fish Ajay stripe t-shirt

What I like most

• The colour of the jacket is fantastic!
• The fit of the jacket is great and I love the longer length
• Thin, making it ideal for warmer, rainy weather, but also ideal worn on top of a fleece or jumper in colder wet weather
• Packs away very small

Thank you to Weird Fish who send the jacket to me to test.

The post OUTDOOR GEAR | A Rainy Weekend Wearing The Weird Fish Avesta Waterproof Jacket – Review appeared first on Camping with Style Camping Blog | Activities • Glamping • Travel • Adventure.

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CAMPING NEWS | Sleeping Beauties Launch New Kickstarter Campaign To Make Camping Beautiful

We’re big fans of the beautiful sleeping bags made by Sleeping Beauties, and today we’re delighted to tell you about their brand new Kickstarter campaign to make camping beautiful with a new expanded range. Read on to find out more.

It’s been just over a year since Sleeping Beauties Ltd first started trading in the UK with their range of beautifully printed, 100% cotton single and double sleeping bags. Discovering a gap in the market, fashion designer Founder and Director, Leah Nicholls, has re-vamped the humble sleeping bag into something more desirable, luxurious and long-lasting.

With a wide range of camping gear on offer, the sleeping bag can often be an overlooked item, an afterthought with functionality usually being number one in importance. “My experience as a fashion designer has taught me that consumers want expression for personal taste. Why accept average when you can have creative and original?”

Expanding the collection

With the success of the first range, Leah is looking for financial help to improve upon and add to the collection to cater for her expanding customer base. “While I originally focussed on the ‘young female festival-goer’, my target customer has expanded to include couples, campervan owners, students, mums buying for their kids’ sleepovers and outdoorsy men and women of all ages.” With this in mind, Leah is brimming with new ideas for a more inclusive-feeling brand.

“I ran a Kickstarter in November 2016, at concept stage which unfortunately didn’t reach its target. Since then I’ve got fantastic feedback from customers and clients across the UK and beyond. The sleeping bags are available to buy through my website and on Amazon where I’ve racked up considerable sales and really proved there’s demand for this unique product.”

Staycations are more popular than ever

The glamping market continues to expand with more UK staycations being favoured over the expense of travelling abroad, as well as a considerable rise in glamping weddings and other celebrations. Throws, scatter cushions, personalised embroidered eye masks and hand-painted camping mugs are on the agenda for Sleeping Beauties’ new collection, as well as two new sleeping bag designs that are more ‘homeware’ friendly.

Exclusive New Designs Now On Kickstarter

Those who participate and pledge towards the Kickstarter will have their pick of a single sleeping bag from the first range and have the opportunity to be one of the first people to own the new designs, and/or the camping mugs…all at a special price.

With Sleeping Beauties you get to experience the great outdoors without sacrificing style or luxury.

Check out the Sleeping Beauties Kickstarter here.

 

 

 

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COMPETITION | Win A Magic Mirror Full Length Camping Mirror Worth £35

 The Prize

We recently reviewed the brilliant Magic Mirror and are delighted to be able to give one away in our latest competition. It’s an absolute must-have for camping and we’re giving away 1 small Magic Mirror Mini worth £35 in Bahama Island print.

You can check out our Magic Mirror review here.

How to Enter

Entries are via our Facebook page. Simply make sure you’re following Camping with Style on Facebook, and in the comments section of the competition post, tag at least 1 friend who you think would love to know about the Magic Mirror and take a look at the Magic Mirror website and tell us what your favourite design is.

When the competition closes on 28th March, we’ll randomly choose a winner who will be announced on our Facebook page.

Good Luck!

Competition Terms & Conditions

• Competition closes 12 noon GMT on Wednesday 28th March 2018
• Open to UK residents only (sorry!)
• Prize supplied with thanks by Magic Mirror
• Camping with Style reserves the right to amend or withdraw this competition at any time

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CAMPING | 6 Simple Tips For Your Spring Camping Trip

With Spring finally here and longer days upon us, thoughts are rapidly turning to camping and many of us are itching to get out for our first proper camping trip of the year!

Whilst warmer, sunnier days can easily tempt us back under canvas, night time temperatures remain bitterly cold, frequently hovering around and even dropping below 0 degrees. So if you can’t wait any longer to get out camping, we’ve put together some handy tips that will help you enjoy your Spring camping experience.

Can’t wait to wake up to a view like this again? Read our tips for camping in Spring.

1. Be prepared for soft and muddy pitches

Around March and April time the ground is likely to remain waterlogged. This means pitching your tent is likely not only to be a muddy affair, but the ground will still be very soft, making it easy for tent pegs to pull free in high winds.

A decent pair of wellies or walking boots is an absolute must, a footprint ground sheet will stop your tent from getting too muddy and make sure you’re using decent tent pegs too.

The bog-standard pegs that most tents come with will pull free quickly in wind when the ground is soft, so investing in sturdy heavy duty tent pegs is always a smart move whatever the weather.

Check out our review of the Kärcher 0C3 portable cleaner, ideal for cleaning off your muddy camping gear.

Good quality sturdy tent pegs will stay put in soggy ground

2. Wet set up and take down is a distinct possibility

It’s not fun setting up camp in the rain, but it’s even less fun having to pack it all down when it’s wet. Soggy, muddy camping gear shoved hurriedly back into the car isn’t the greatest end to a camping trip that I can think of, so bear in mind that at this time of year the weather remains particularly changeable.

Ensure you take an extra tarp with you, or at the very least large bin bags (great for popping sleeping bags into before dashing through the rain to deposit back in the car) and a boot liner is a great investment to protect the inside of your car from mud and water. Don’t forget that if you take your tent down in the rain you’ll need to get it out to dry at home within 48 hours, and this is especially important if you have a canvas tent.

3. Take extra bedding to stay warm and toasty at night

Sleeping outdoors in Spring is cold, and probably far colder than you think it’s going to be! You’ll absolutely need to invest in a top quality 3-4 season sleeping bag for Spring camping in the UK, but don’t stop there. I’d thoroughly recommend ensuring you have thermals to wear in bed, and at least an extra thermal blanket.

When camping in Spring and Autumn I always use a hot water bottle and wear thermals and thick fleece pyjamas, I also sleep in gloves and a hat. For car campers in particular, it’s much better to pop in a few extra blankets that you end up not needing than to find yourself with insufficient bedding and end up freezing.

For more tips on staying warm when camping, check out How to keep warm when camping.

Getting your bedding right makes a huge difference to Spring camping comfort

4. Hot and hearty meals are a must

I love cooking when I’m camping, I enjoy the pared down experience and would never eat processed food at home, so it’s not something I choose to do when camping. Good nutrition in cold weather is more important than ever, so make sure you plan your meals in advance.

I will often slow cook casseroles, hearty soups and curries at home, freeze, then heat up on the camp stove, which means hot. hearty and wholesome meals at the campsite. As well as stews and casseroles, make sure you take hot drinks, and porridge (instant porridge pots are super handy for camping) for the morning. If you don’t fancy cooking there are some increasingly high quality freeze-dried camping meals available in pouches that just require hot water – hot nourishing food really does make all the difference when camping in cold weather.

Hot food is a must when camping in cold weather

5. Plan family entertainment for bad weather

Bad weather can often force a change of plans. I’ve camped countless times and planned grand walks only to have my plans scuppered by driving rain and poor visibility, leading to an impromptu day of local sightseeing or lounging around in the tent.

As someone who these days usually camps alone or as part of a couple, entertainment is a fairly simple matter of ensuring we’ve got a good book with us, and I always take my tablet loaded up with a few films just in case.

For family campers though, bad weather can really put a spanner in the works. Instead of kids running around and playing outside and doing what kids do best, they’ll instead be stuck inside the tent moping around.

Planning for bad weather is big and clever, so make sure you take craft supplies, books and even board games to keep the kids occupied.

Packing extra clothing and footwear is a smart move

6. Take extra footwear and changes of clothes

Let’s face it, a little bit of drizzle really isn’t a big deal and it won’t stop us campers from having a good time, but some simple planning can make life much easier when you’re camping in Spring.

When I’m expecting bad weather I always pack extra clothing, not just for warmth but so I’ve got an additional change of clothes should I get wet through or covered in mud (which has happened to me. Several times), the same applies to footwear.

I always wear walking boots when I’m camping in colder months, and whilst they are waterproof, they will often get very muddy, so it’s a great idea to ensure you have more than one item of footwear with you. Something clean and warm that you can wear on your feet inside the tent too makes sense. My cosy UGG slippers always come camping with me for exactly that reason.

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GLAMPING | Spring Glamping at Wigwam Holidays Clarion Lodge, Otley in Yorkshire

Where did I go?

Clarion Lodge Campsite
West Chevin Road
Menston
Ilkley
Leeds
West Yorkshire
LS29 6BG

www.wigwamholidays.com

Need to know

• £48 per night for 2 people
• Weekly prices from £280 for 2 people sharing
• Arrivals between 2pm and 6pm, departure by 11am
• Cabins all have heating, electricity and a basic kitchen area
• Big Chief cabins sleep up to 5 people and do not include a bathroom
• Bedding is not provided
• Dogs are welcome
• Ideal for exploring Ilkley Moor

The accommodation

On site at Clarion Lodge campsite there are 3 spacious ‘Big Chief’ Wigwams, one of 3 different cabin styles offered by Wigwam Holidays. I arrived late on a chilly Friday night to find the lights on, the key in the door and thankfully, the heater already on inside my cabin.

The cabins are spacious and have a U shaped seating configuration, plus a further sofa opposite the kitchen area. With the addition of sliding wooden boards the main U shaped seating area can be made into an enormous bed, and along with the second sofa made up as a bed, the cabins can sleep up to 5 people. As I was traveling alone, I opted to make up a single bed (bring your own bedding), and then set about unpacking.

My bed set up inside the cabin

Although the kitchen inside the cabin is basic, it includes a kettle, toaster, fridge and a microwave as well as plates and cutlery, so I’d planned my meals accordingly, and handily had some freeze dried camping meals with me, meaning my late dinner was just a case of boiling the kettle. The Chevin Inn pub is very close to the site (a few minutes walk) which looked lovely, but I didn’t get chance to try it out.

Kitchen facilities inside the cabin

The cabin warmed up quickly and I immeditely felt at home, and despite only having a sleeping bag with me, I spent the first of two comfortable nights in the cabin.

The view from Beech cabin

On site

Although this is a small campsite, you’ll find everything you need for a short stay or holiday. The site has good facilities that include toilet and shower blocks and a washing up cabin with sinks and great little area packed full of tourist information leaflets. The friendly site owners too are happy to advise you on the local area and are full of recommendations of things to do and places to see.

There is no shop on site, but it’s right on the edge of the town of Chevin, so shops aren’t far away at all.

The toilet and shower block on the left and the little green washing up cabin beyond

Out and about

The weather forced a last minute change of plans for me, instead of heading out to walk on Ilkley Moor as I had planned, due to pouring rain and poor visibility I decided instead to head to Mother Shipton’s Cave in the beautifully picturesque town of Knaresborough followed by an afternoon in the lovely spa town of Harrogate.

Family friendly woodland walk at Mother Shipton’s Cave

Looking back out towards the petrifying well from Mother Shipton’s Cave

Mother Shipton’s Cave was quirky, informative and fun, and afterwards I took the opportunity to take a good long walk following the River Nidd. After my walk I sought out somewhere to eat lunch and whilst there were plenty of cafes and tea rooms to choose from, I liked the look of The Ugly Ducking Tea Room where I had a delicious meal overlooking the River.

I’d definitely recommend a walk beside the River Nidd in Knaresborugh

The verdict

The campsite is pretty and well kept, and whilst it’s the smallest campsite I’ve stayed at and it was out of season, the cabins were all full – proving what a popular choice the Wigwam Holiday cabins here are, whatever the weather!

I’ve previously stayed  in the ‘Running Water’ style cabin which includes a full kitchen and ensuite shower room and absolutely loved the convenience of having those facilities inside the lodge, however, don’t let the fact that there’s no sink or bathroom facilities inside the ‘Big Chief’ cabin put you off! No matter which of the 3 cabins you’re in here, you are just a few steps away from the toilet and shower block which also has a standpipe outside.

The only changes I would make would be to include optional bedding packs for guests and I do love a good campfire, even a communal area with a firepit would have been lovely, though I suspect this isn’t possible due to the size of the site.

In terms of value for money, particularly for families and small groups who want a warm and comfortable base to explore the region from, you can’t go far wrong choosing Wigwam Holidays Clarion Lodge. At just £48 per night (it’s cheaper still if you book for a whole week), they represent excellent value for money.

Sweeping countryside views

The views from the site over the moors are extensive and the area itself has lots to offer, from amazing walking on Ilkley Moor and at Chevin Forest Park through to great fun family days out at places like Mother Shipton’s Cave in near by Knaresborough.

In my opinion Wigwam Holidays Clarion Lodge is the ideal choice for young families and I thoroughly enjoyed my short stay!

Find out more

• Clarion Lodge Campsite
• The Chevin Inn
• Mother Shipton’s Cave
• Chevin Forest Park
• Ilkley Moor
• Visit Harrogate
• The Ugly Ducking Tea Room
• Bolton Abbey

Thank you to Wigwam Holidays who invited us to stay.

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