With the recent news that June in the UK is set to be a scorcher, it’s little wonder that our attention is drawn to the lure of the outdoors and all the wonder it contains. Camping is a hugely popular past time in the UK with staycations still on the up and up, and for once with weather that won’t see you peeking through the tent flaps to see if its stopped raining, it’s time to pitch up and let the good times roll. But with so much different gear on offer we thought we’d take you by the hand and offer a little advice on the best new releases out there, from the blooming bargains, to the slightly more indulgent offerings, all to make your trip go without a hitch.
Outwell Sleeping Bag from Go Outdoors – £49.99
When you’re roughing it in the great outdoors you need to try and sneak in at least a bit of comfort, and that’s why we’re showcasing this little number from Outwell. This sleeping bag is a godsend after a long day hiking about in the countryside. It’s stuffed with Isofill Premium, so it’s lightweight yet nice and warm, and boasts an extra-wide shape, and here’s the best bit, it has a built-in pillow, so you don’t have to stuff t-shirts under your head in order to get some much needed shut eye. There’s even a zip in the toe end of the bag for ventilation, literally what more do you need.
Collapsable Solar Lantern from Find Me a Gift – £7.49
Coming in at the cheap yet very cheerful end of the spectrum is this clever Collapsible Solar Lantern. It delivers a warm glow after a day left out charging in the sunshine so you can sit next to it in the evening and read over that pamphlet you picked up about a walk through an old mine which you probably won’t actually do. It’s also super easy to pack down so it’s not bulky in your backpack.
Osprey Men’s Atmos Ag 50 Backpack from Amazon – £174.21
Speaking of backpacks, Osprey have long been an outdoor name of quality and their bags are as reliable as Athletico Madrid keeper Jan Oblak. The Atmos Ag 50 is no exception to the Osprey rule, it’s sturdy and durable yet lightweight and in this particular orange hue it’s also well up there in the ever important style stakes. This model is in standard size, yet there’s a host of different ones to fit your needs. Of the choices out there it’s definitely one of the leaders of the packs.
Blackout 4 Festival Dome Tent from Coleman – £179.99
It’s not called a blackout tent because it’s the place where you collapse after ten pints in the beer garden of the local near your campsite, rather because the USP of this great tent is that its BlackOut bedrooms block out 99% of sunlight. Which means you can catch some Zs in the day and recharge those weary bones of yours. Added to that it’s warmer in the night when needed and cooler during the daytime and its fibreglass poles make it lightweight and quick as a flash to pitch in around ten mins.
Merrell MQM Flex GORE-TEX from Go Outdoors – £90
When you’re in the great outdoors you need a pair of shoes you can rely on and these new hybrids from Merrell pack in just about everything you need. The MQM in the names stands for Moving Quickly in the Mountains™, and this shoe is light and flexible to get you flying up any peaks the Lake District can throw at you as well as offering protection on the way down. It’s got better grip than that old fella down your local who you know not to mess with and a secure fitting HyperlockTM heel, which we won’t get into the technicalities of (as we don’t understand them). Merrell have always made great shoes, but this new type that bridges the gap between your hardcore hiking boot and a pair of trail runners seem set to become a must have bit of kit.
Klean Kanteen from Klean Kanteen – £27.95
We’re all about using less plastic waste these days, all to aware of the damage it’s doing to the environment, so it’s a smart move to invest in a re-useable bottle. Klean Kanteen is an insulated stainless steel bottle that can keep a morning coffee piping hot for 20 hours or something a bit colder iced for a staggering 50 hours. It comes in multiple colours each with a powder coat finish making the bottle super durable and resistant to chipping so it’ll stand the test of time and many, many trips away.
BioLite BaseCamp Stove from BioLite – £299.95
Ok so this is a bit of a step up from the usual throw away BBQ you get down Tescos, but if you are going to invest in a bit of tech to upgrade you’re camping kit when it comes to cooking, look no further than this eco beast from Biolite. The BaseCamp stove is an off-grid cooking and energy solution. With a bit of collected firewood the internal fan gets this beauty hot quickly so you can rustle up a delicious wood powered meal and as a Brucie bonus you can even charge your devices in its USB port while you wait. If that wasn’t enough there’s a flexible light attached so you don’t burn those burgers when cooking in the dark. The future of camp side cooking.
Elephas Portable LED Video Projector from Amazon – £64.99
If you’re worried about missing watching a vital World Cup game while off camping then a purchase of this ingenious little projector will lend you a very helpful hand. You can connect it up to any mains power on your camp site or in your car and then plug in your tablet or smartphone to the device and hey presto it’ll project whatever’s on the screen. So you can project the England games you thought you’d have to suffer on a tiny screen onto a bigger screen to suffer them that way.
VARTA Slim Power Bank 6000 from Amazon – £34.99
But what if my phone runs out while we’re watching a projection of the Panama game? Relax, we’ve thought about that too. This sleekly designed power bank delivers enough power to fully charge two phones, and also has a handy USB Type C input and output for speed charging. You can plug in two devices at the same time and you’ll get 2.5 full charges of your iPhone 6s out of this fella, so plenty of juice to keep you going for a trip away. Lets just hope you can get a WiFi signal. 
Denon Envaya Pocket from Denon- £89
So you’ve got full charge on your devices, why not get some tunes going while you stoke up the fire. But being outdoors your going to need a wireless speaker that can handle it. Step forward the Envaya Pocket from Denon, it’s dust proof, which isn’t our prior concern while camping, but more importantly with this country it’s waterproof, and will work even after being submerged in one metre of water for up to 30 minutes (not that that’s probably your plan here). It boasts a long lasting battery life and built-in Siri activation, it’s even got a high quality built-in microphone so you can make hands free calls on your smartphone. A nice bit of kit.
Coleman Deck Chair with Table from Amazon – £47.65
There’s no rules that say you can’t look super stylish while enjoying a camping and this deck chair in khaki from the good people at Coleman wouldn’t look amis if the likes of Carry Grant were lazing in it. It’s attached solid side table and cup holder means you can keep snacks and beverages at a handy distance while you relax beside the fire. Padded arm rests mean a little extra comfort for your buck which when camping never goes unappreciated.
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