So we here at The MALESTROM recently gave you the lowdown on some of the finest camping spots the green grass of home has to offer. All fine and dandy, you’ve got the location, but what about the kit? Don’t panic, we’ve come up with the goods, or at least some of our good friends have. We’ve curated a list of some essential bits of kit and you could say luxury’s you’ll need in your outdoor life. So for those of you in tent on camping this Summer, this could be your lucky day.
Hi Gear Voyager Elite 6 Family Tent from Go Outdoors – £349.99
Lets start with the one essential bit of kit for a successful camping trip, the tent. Unlike Theresa May’s election campaign slogan this six person dome tent really is strong and stable due to it’s crossover fibreglass poles. It’s a good size as well, it sleeps six but would be very spacious for four travellers. One lovely feature is the two split dark bedrooms (although you can configure for 1-3 spaces) that won’t give you that rude wakeup when the sun blasts you first thing in the morning. Added to that you have a front living room section that allows you to stand up, or have a little dance, swingball might be a stretch though.
Iota Rechargeable Headlamp from Black Diamond – £39.80
Another must have in the kit bag is a quality torch, you can’t rely on moonlight alone for those late night trips to the loo! This impressive piece of kit is powered by a rechargeable lithium ion battery that charges by USB, so no messing about with AAs. It’s nice and bright at 150 lumens and lasts for around three hours on full setting. It’s Powertap technology lets you quickly adjust the brightness to suit you. As a cherry on top it’s protected against splashing water, perfect for a midnight water balloon fight.
The Dancook 9000 fireplace from John Lewis – £175.00
The Danish certainly know how to do things right, especially in the design stakes and this BBQ come firepit is no exception. Apart from looking the business it seriously delivers in the cooking stakes, it’s griddle is made out of chromium plated steel to help distribute that heat evenly so you don’t have half a burnt sausage on your hands. It’s also safer than your average barbie, as it’s edges don’t heat up. Once dinner has been chowed down it handily turns into a firepit so you can throw some logs on and bask in it’s warming glow till the early hours. Just don’t sit on it.
Taylors Eye Witness Ox Horn Pocket Knife from Bakewell Cookshop – £125
A good camper always carries a trusty penknife and this one is quality. If you’re going to craft something resembling a blade it has to be made in Sheffield and this one hails from the steel city. In fact Taylors Eye Witness pocket knives have been handmade by craftsmen in the same factory for the last 150 years. With it’s lifetime guarantee it’s something you’ll be keeping hold of for the rest of your years.
50 Things to Do with a Penknife by Matt Collins – £9.99
So you’ve bought a lovely new penknife, so far so scout, but apart from cutting up your morning apple what other uses do you have for it? Luckily author Matt Collins has exercised his brain to come up with 50 Things to Do with a Penknife to keep you busy round the campfire. He gives step-by-step illustrations on how to make exciting items like a slingshot, a tent peg and even a feather stick for fire starting. There’s plenty here to keep any boredom at bay with a bit of help from your blade.
Hi Gear Snoozzz Sleeping Pod from Go Outdoors – £20
Ever wanted to feel like a caterpillar? If so that’s a bit weird, but hey we’re not here to judge. Get that full cocoon experience with this sleeping pod. They’re soft and comfy and the beauty of these versus the traditional sleeping bag is the width of them meaning much more wriggle room while trying to get your snooze on. They even have a pocket inside to keep items like phones close at hand.
Fjällräven Splitpack dufflebag from Amazon – £99.95
To add a little extra style to your travels get some Fjällräven in your life. This solid feeling dufflepack zips open to reveal two main compartments of the same size. It’s like double the value of a bag with just one compartment! There’s plenty of other pockets for smaller items like torches, squashed ham sandwiches, life or death first aid kits! It’s also comfortable to lug about with generously padded straps and side handles, and with a size of 35 litres, if nothing else it could cart around a lot of booze!
Nebo Big Larry Work Light from Homebase – £10
Illumination is pretty important when your camping, especially if you’re trying to pitch your tent in the pitch black. This battery powered aluminium LED worklight is like holding a section of the sun in your hand. It puts out a whopping 400 lumens of light which you can reduce down and if there’s any trouble you can turn it into an flashing red emergency beacon. A magnet on it’s base is handy for plonking down on your cooled down BBQ for a late game of frisbee.
Regatta Games Table from Amazon – £27.78
When you’ve had your fill of whittling and the last strings broken on the guitar you’ll be in need of another entertainment outlet. This aluminium games table is just that. It has game boards printed on top so you can play chess, draughts, snakes and ladders or any other family classic. You can even do other useful things on it like eat, but remember to clean off that ketchup before you get the cars out, or it’s going to get messy.
SitPack 2.0 from SitPack – £35
When your on a wander out in the wilderness, it’s nice to just take a moment, breathe in that fresh summer air and gaze out into the hazy British countryside. Step forward the SitPack 2.0, an ingenious little seat that fits into a space the size of a beer can (unfortunately beer not included). It telescopically expands to reveal a 13 inch wide seat and a 34.25 inch leg which you can adjust to any height you want. It’s strong, light (368 grams) and can take the weight of a Heavyweight wrestler. It’s available in five stylish colours. We’re going for the camo look, just so you know.
Quest Stick Table from Go Outdoors – £5.99
The MALESTROM always needs a place to rest our drinks and this great bit of kit does the job perfectly. Simply push the steel stick into the ground and voila, you have a perfect mini table to rest that camping cocktail on. Cheers.
