Camping and Outdoors » Camping tips

Sleeping bag buyers guide – pick the right sleeping bag for you

editor — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:31:00 +0000

Picking the right sleeping bag is easy if you follow these logical steps. Lots has been written about this, but we think the decision can be made quite simply within any given price bracket. Sleeping in the wrong bag can be miserable (especially in the cold) so pay attention!

Pick the right season rating. This is the basic guide to tell you the normal ‘comfort’ operating range.
-1 season, summer (down to +5c)
-2 season, summer & spring (down to 0c)
-3 season, spring to autumn (down to -5c)
-4 season, winter (-10c)
-extreme, expedition (-15c)
Remember this is only a guide. In truth, the most important factor to your comfort is your body temperature when you get into the bag. A bag has no inherent warmth, all it does it capture and keep your own body warmth. An insulated sleeping mat is essential to stop the ground sucking out the heat.

Our advice? Play it safe and go warm. You can always undo the zip!

Pick a filling type. Synthetic down is most common and usually cheaper. It provides good insulation (even when damp) and is great for anyone with allergies. The cons of synthetic are greater bulk and weight than the natural down alternatives plus a shorter lifespan.
Natural downs (goose or duck) are great for backpackers due to reduced weight and bulk for a given temperature range. Natural down bags are seen as longer lasting than synthetic but they have the disadvantages of greater cost and loss of insulation when damp (and they take longer to dry).

Our advice? The extra softness of natural down is hard to beat but this decision can come down to budget. Down is a sound choice for a backpacker where weight is critical.
Pick a shape, mummy or rectangular. This is a personal thing as the mummy design can be constricting for some. However the mummy design is thermally very efficienct. The rectangular design is better for the casual camper as it offers more wiggle room and often the ability to zip two together!

Our advice? Solo campers go mummy. Couples go rectangular.
Buy a decent brand to ensure proper fire retardant material

That’s it! Happy camping
Click here to see great reviews and offers on a top range of sleeping bags (then click on the title to see the full article)

Macpac Sanctuary 900 XL sleeping bag

Buying a tent and camping kit for a festival

editor — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 00:33:05 +0000

Festivals are tricky things. You want to be comfortable (and dry) but at the same time you know that you are going to be packed in like sardines – therefore best camping kit need not apply! Here are a few tips to get you through the typical summer festival with the minimum of kit and hassle.

Buy a cheap tent! You want to relax, not worry about drunken revellers falling on your 4 seasons extreme tent. (You may even choose to leave it in the mud and just go home)
We like the Quickpitch style tents for several reasons. Firstly they are unbelievably easy to erect, literally seconds. Next they are self-supporting and will not collapse if you guylines are taken out in the night. Lastly the poles are kept in-situ making them impossible to lose in the mud!
You may not have easy access to your car, so get a tent with enough room to stash essentials like food (but don’t leave anything valuable)
Get something colourful and distinctive – gives you a chance of finding it again!
Buy a brand like Gelert. You paid a lot for your ticket. Don’t spoil the weekend in a rubbish tent. Good brands can sell you a decent tent for surprisingly little money
Seek out one of the complete camping packs so you get tent, sleeping bags and sleeping mats at a discount package price
Don’t forget a basic stove and something to eat with. You will be the envy of everyone if you don’t need to trudge off to get a coffee
Click here for more information on choosing the correct tent

Hydrostatic Head on tents – what does it mean?

editor — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:59:18 +0000

Hydrostatic Head (HH) is just about the most quoted number when looking at tent specifications. At Camping Cooking we thought it worth 5 minutes to explain the term…

Visualise Hydrostatic Head as follows. Stretch your tent material out horizontally and imagine a column of water standing on top of it. The height of the column before the water penetrates the material is the Hydrostatic Head rating (in millimetres). Therefore the higher the HH value, the more waterproof the material.

A general purpose value for ‘waterproof’ is 800mm. However in a tent you should really be thinking about 1500mm as a sensible minimum to withstand the additional pressure of wind-driven rain.

A Hydrostatic value of 2000 is a good allround value for a quality tent. Unless you are into weather extremes this would make for a good all-season tent. Some tents will quote a higher value for the groundsheet – sensible as it has to cope with you walking on it and pressing it into the wet ground.

Tent poles – which is best … fibreglass or aluminium (aluminum)?

editor — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:05:53 +0000

Tent poles are often mentioned in tent specifications, but does this mean that the materials used are important? Why are more expensive tents usually equipped with aluminium poles? What thickness should they be? Does it even matter? At Camping Cooking we thought this deserved a quick look…

FIBREGLASS TENT POLES
+ thickness and weight can be tailored by manufacturer to match expected demands
+ poles tend to splinter rather than collapse and can often be patched up in an emergency (carry some duck tape!)
+ replacement poles are cheap and easy to cut to length
- can be become fragile at temperature extremes (we have seen them fail on hot and cold days)
- heavy
- splinters hurt!

ALUMINIUM/ALUMINUM TENT POLES
+ weight is good for a given length and strength
+ retain flexibility at cold temperatures
+ resistant to crushing or twisting damage
- when they break, they break! (and cannot generally be patched up)
- needs to be anodised to avoid corrosion

CARBON FIBRE TENT POLES
+ the ultimate in weight saving
+ stiff
- carbon alone is not that strong so careful material mixing is essential
- expensive!

CONCLUSION
Cost and weight will be your deciding factor here. We feel that as long as you avoid the skinny 6mm fibreglass poles used on bottom of the range tents (see our Gelert Fossa review) then fibreglass is a perfectly fine material for tent poles, particularly for the car based camper where weight saving is not a critical issue.
If you are a frequent camper or perhaps carrying your kit on foot or bike, then aluminium will pay dividends in weight saved and longevity.
We think carbon fibre is overkill for the recreational camper who will be concerned about budget.
Click here for an unbeatable range of tents at great online prices

What is the minimum kit for a successful camping trip?

editor — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:00:11 +0000

Click here to see latest great deals on all your camping tents, cookers and accessories
If you are an experienced camper then you know what you want. If you are a backpacker then you need to spend time getting the right combination of cost, weight and packability. However if you are just planning your first trip then it is important not to get too carried away in your camping store. A few choice purchases should get you up-and-running without breaking the bank.

We have tried to come up with the absolute essentials to help anyone shopping for a first-time camping trip.

A Tent
No-brainer. Take a look at our article about choosing the correct tent

A sleeping bag
Check out here for a great selection. Don’t pay too much for all season capability if you are a fair weather camper doing the odd Summer weekend.

A camping mat
The ground is cold, hard and unforgiving. You will only try it once!Try here for a selection…

A pillow
Roll up a fleece or get a small camping pillow

A camping stove
Infinite variety in cost and design. Take a look here to pick the right one for you

A lighter
Don’t struggle with damp matches. Get a proper lighter

Cooking pot and frying pan
You just need a basic set to start. Look for light weight and packability if you are backpacking (but this will cost more). You can find a great selection of camping cookware here

Plastic plates
Get a picnic set from your local supermarket. Dirt cheap.

Cutlery
Supermarket again (although the camping specific stuff does have that ‘trick’ quality to it)

Washing up bowl
Supermarket yet again.

We think this is the minimum you need. Please post a comment if we forgot anything!
Click here for more information…

Choosing the correct camping stove

editor — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:02:08 +0000

There are several things you need to consider when choosing a new camping stove for your trip.

How many people?
Can you manage with a personal cooking system like the Jetboil PCS, or do you need a double-burner to handle more than one pan at-a-time?

Are you car-based or backpacking?
If you are walking then compactness and weight are critical. If you are car-based then you might as well buy a bigger stove and have spare capacity – after all, the car is doing all the work!

What fuel?
Gas canisters are clean and convenient. Petrol is widely available but smelly. White gas is clean but expensive. Think about how long and where you are travelling. Can you get a refill?

Push-button igniter?Don’t trust them! Don’t rely on matches. Take a decent lighter with you just in case.

Does it come with a bag?
Keeps you and your surroundings clean. Protects your stove from knocks. This is a nice-to-have.

Working flame adjustment?
Check this in any stove review. If you can’t get a nice steady simmer then you can’t cook anything delicate. If you want to avoid everything sticking then you need an adjustment knob.

Any kind of wind protection?
Wind will rob heat and waste fuel. Look for an integrated wind cover (see Jetboil), or fashion some protection when cooking.

Do you need a grill?
If you like toast with your coffee, then you either need a grill or a folding toast rack (we just got hold of one of these and are itching to test it, check back soon).

White gas or petrol in a dual-fuel stove?
Petrol is a lot cheaper than camping white gas as sold in camping shops. People therefore wonder why they should bother with white gas if they have a dual-fuel stove. Well, white gas burns cleanly and lacks the noxious odours of petrol. If you want to cook inside a tent porch this is something to consider.

Camping Cooking’s tips on choosing the correct tent for you

editor — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:18:54 +0000

Your choice of tent can hugely affect your camping experience, so at Camping Cooking we tried to come up with a few factors that you should consider when making your choice. Happy tent hunting!

CLICK HERE TO SEE A MASSIVE RANGE OF TENTS AND TENT REVIEWS

Cheap as chips or buy a brand?
This is a tough call. Recently there have been amazing deals on tents. At Camping Cooking we even have a cheap 2 man dome tent for our own use and we would be happy to use it in kindly conditions or at an event where tent damage was likely. On the other hand, we have experienced sudden pole failure on a cheap Gelert Fossa tent and it is not fun!

Our advice – if you are on a ‘proper’ camping trip then get a brand. Someone like Vango, Coleman or Outwell will not leave you with a collapsed tent in the middle of the night. On the other hand if you are camping at a festival or an event where sleep is optional, then get a cheapo tent and consider it a throwaway.

How big a tent should I buy?
The old advice remains reliable. Buy one ‘man’ size bigger than you need. A two-man tent will generally be very cosy if you try and fit two men in it! A bigger tent will allow you to move things away from the edge at night, reducing condensation and the risk of theft.

Look at the height as well
This is a critical dimension. Less than 1 metre is for backpackers only. Around 140cm is probably ok to sit cross-legged and read a book. You will need more than this if you want to sit on a camping chair and wait out the rain. Think carefully about this. When examining a tent design see how much of the roof actually has the maximum height. Your back will thank you!

Check the tent is fire retardant
If your tent has a porch, then sooner or later you will be tempted to cook in it. You also may use a non-battery lantern to cheer up the dark evenings. Check this link for tips on tent safety when cooking

Check the hydrostatic head rating (hh)
This is the standard rating of ‘water-proofness’. 1500hh sensible minimum. 2000hh on better quality tents. Better tents may be rated higher, but experience says that a properly pitched 2000hh should be fine for UK weather.

Check the size of the bag the tent comes in
If the tent is a tight fit now, then you will never squeeze it back in later! Trying to wrestle a tent into a bag can reduce grown men to tears of rage!

Check the thickness of the poles and the zip-pullers
These are good quality indicators. We have seen 6mm diameter poles and in our opinion this is too thin for fibreglass (they all broke!). Around 8mm fibreglass poles is better. Better tents will have aluminium poles to save weight, but these are not necessary for the ‘normal’ camper.

Look for flysheet first pitching or a tent-inner that can be left attached
You will be very glad the first time it rains. At Camping Cooking we don’t use tents that pitch inner first and allow everything to get wet while the flysheet flaps in the wind.

Consider if you want a porch
We would strongly advise this if your trip is more than a simple stopover. A porch could vary from a few square inches to a whole living room for cooking and eating. Whatever style of tent you choose, the extra living space of a porch will be a huge bonus and at the very least will allow you to store your muddy boots.

Don’t buy a backpacker or mountain tent unless you actually need one
A decent backpacker tent will either be a) expensive or b) compromised to keep the weight down. A mountain tent will be designed for extremes and priced appropriately. Both will be based around a small footprint. Light, strong and cheap is a very rare combination (to steal a quote from Colin Chapman). If you are car-based or fixed camping then buy yourself a bit more space

Don’t go crazy on other kit until you know you love camping
We will soon be publishing an article on the minimum kit needed for credit crunch camping. Don’t be seduced by all those shiny gadgets in the store!

CLICK HERE TO SEE A MASSIVE RANGE OF TENTS AND TENT REVIEWS

Essential tips for camping and caravanning in France

editor — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:31:08 +0000

After a six week sojourn that covered most of France and a large number of campsites, we thought we would pass on a few of the things that we observed first hand. We travelled to France with certain preconceptions, so hopefully this article will help to sort the fact from fiction.

Reverse polarity on electric posts
This is not a myth! Several of the sites we visited had the live and neutral wires crossed in their plug sockets. If you haven’t heard of this then it is really quite simple in concept. Old Euro plugs had two pins and could be turned upside down, so switches in Europe are normally double-pole (i.e. they cut the connectivity on both the live and neutral wires when you switch off). This extra protection has made European electricians a bit lazy when it comes to wiring plug sockets. They often don’t seem to care whether the live and neutral wires are switched over.

Now, as a UK traveller, your equipment will probably work fine when you plug it into a reverse polarity socket. The risk is that it will still be ‘live’ even if you turn the wall switch off and it appears to turn off. This is because in the UK we normally use single-pole switches, only cutting the live wire feed (but remember the neutral wire is ‘live’ on a reversed socket).

For example, if you were changing a bulb it would still be sitting in a live lamp fitting – potentially dangerous stuff.

Fortunately the solution is simple. Get a polarity tester and a crossover cable and you are ready for anything. Your local caravan supplier could provide expert advice on this, but the parts are easily bought and self-explanatory in use.

If you are equipped with the necessary skills, then the ultimate solution for a caravan is to get a polarity checker and changeover unit that is simply wired between the inlet socket and your transformer. Amazon have one of these available.

Click here to see a Mains Polarity Changeover Switch

Plug types on campsite electricity towers
You will still find a mix of the older French-style plug (2 pins plus a socket for earth) plus the new-standard 3 pin cable connection as used on most UK sites. Get a 2 pin (plus earth socket) adapter to fit on the end of your standard electricity cable and you will be fine. This was a 50/50 socket split on our travels, so don’t gamble on this!

Click here to see a Continental 2 Pin Conversion Lead that you will need

Pitches are sometimes a long way from the electricity posts
So click here to get a long Mains Connection Lead

Campsite crime
We had put these reports down to urban myth, but sadly our experiences proved that this is very much something to consider. Campers are extremely vulnerable as they have to carry their papers, documents and cash with them. Criminals know this! We stayed at terrific campsites in beautiful rural areas of France and yet during our stay we were around the following incidents at two different sites in two different regions:

car window being smashed and handbag stolen from outside reception in broad daylight mid-afternoon while the campers checked in yards away (great start to holiday)
bag stolen from unlocked car during night
trailer tent slashed during night by thieves rummaging for valuables
four tents slashed open during one night with loss of bags, etc

These thieves are unbelievably bold. They wander into campsites and slice open occupied tents in several places and reach in for bags, car keys, wallets etc. Our advice is keep this stuff inside your sleeping bag or locked in your car! Look out for any spots offering easy intruder access (such as near fences or rivers) and pitch somewhere else.
Click this link for tips of camping and caravanning security

Pitch space
This varied widely across sites, with no direct relationship between pitch cost and size. Research carefully and if you value your space then perhaps pack a windbreak to avoid getting hemmed in (people have different ideas on personal space as you travel around Europe – protect yours!)
Click here to see a great selection of windbreaks

WIFI availability
Most large sites now offer WIFI, but the cost varies hugely. We found independent sites tended to offer it for free or for perhaps a couple of Euros. Our experience with one of the larger chains (Castels) was that they wanted €5 for a WIFI session – outrageous in this day and age. Don’t forget you can get unlimited free WIFI at McDonald’s (and their coffee isn’t bad).

Click here to see amazing deals on notebooks and netbooks

and finally…

Toilet paper
Take your own into the shower block…it is often not provided!
Happy camping

Tips to improve your camping and caravanning security

editor — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:56:50 +0000

On a recent trip in France we woke to find that several of our fellow campers had been ’slashed’. Neat holes had been sliced in their tents so that thieves could reach in, with the loss of bags, wallets, car keys, etc. These thieves are unbelievable, even cutting multiple holes in each tent to try and find something of value while the occupants slept.

This happened on two separate sites during our travels, both rather nice sites in lovely rural settings. It shows that crime can never be ignored, no matter how perfect the setting.

We don’t want to spoil anyone’s holiday through worry, but it would make sense to take a few simple precautions. At Camping Cooking we put our heads together and came up with:

select your pitch carefully. Stay away from the edges of the site where outsiders can gain access. Be especially careful of riverbanks. We have heard of thieves wading across at night and also that fisherman’s access rights over riverbanks can offer a good way for the scoundrel to check out your valuables
never leave anything of value in an awning. Even decent camping chairs have been a popular target!
Check out the new beaded cable locks as a means of securing soft luggage like bike bags or surfboard bags. The link below shows one that Amazon stock
If you have a decent rucksack, take a look at some of the specialist rucksack locks from Pacsafe. They offer a simple means to secure your bag and its contents
chain your bicycle well. Rumours are circulating a Calais site at the time of writing that a single campsite lost 100 bicycles in one raid. Save yourself and invest in a really decent bicycle lock with maybe a padlock alarm like the one below

never have anything of value in your tent when it could be locked out of sight in the car (under alarm). Do not leave your car keys within reach of someone slicing open your tent in the night. Put them under your pillow or in a money belt or inexpensive walletsafe!
If you are keeping your documents in your vehicle then seriously consider a car safe. The one below gets good reviews in Amazon…think of the hassle if you lose your passports and credit cards….
Do not leave your car unattended whilst registering on arrival (seriously, we met people who got a brick through their car window in rural France while they were yards away in the office)
For a simple means to secure your documents when camping, check out the newest line in ’soft’ travel safes. These are easy to carry but offer a decent level of protection

and perhaps an off-the-wall idea to further deter these scumbags
get a large dog bowl and leave it in the open right outside your tent. Add a lead and a ground anchor to really get the message across

Have a great trip!

Trying to light a fire with a magnesium fire stick

editor — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:15:47 +0000

Click here for Swedish Army Firesteel in the UK
Hmmm, the magnesium fire starter. You’ve almost certainly seen them advertised on Ebay and the like, offering the promise of the genuine outdoor experience. At Camping Cooking we like to get all primeval now and again so we got hold of a magnesium fire starter to see how well they actually work in the real world.

There are lots of different models out there, but we went for a fairly standard model. A rectangular block of magnesium with an inset steel edge and a striker on a short chain.

Usage is very simple in principal. First scrape shavings of magnesium from the block with the scraper. Make sure the shavings sit amongst in your tinder. Then scrape the striker and get the sparks to ignite the magnesium. Magnesium burns very hot and this promises a quick and easy fire.

In principal.

In reality they’re a number of problems which will drive you dotty and leave you wishing for a good lighter

Scraping shavings from magnesium is actually quite hard work and really annoying
Magnesium shavings invariably blow away before you can light them!
Magnesium flares and burns out in seconds. It may be hot, but it doesn’t last

We think that in the real world, when you want a fire quick n’easy, you would be 100% better off with a decent lighter. These magnesium sticks may appeal to the outdoor hero in you, but really, save yourself the scraped fingers and frustration.

Conclusion
Although this review is somewhat negative, at Camping Cooking we are actually fans of the basic Swedish Army Firesteel, which simply generates good sparks and is perfect as a 100% reliable way to light a stove. We would be very happy to have a Firesteel in our kit. However, we would forget the magnesium firestarters for practical use and simply carry a decent lighter in reserve). A Zippo lighter or the like will just do so much more and you will be happily eating a hot meal while others are trying to stop tiny bits of magnesium blowing all over the campsite.

If you really want a firestarter, then get a Swedish Firesteel for great sparks.