Cath Kidston Cowboy Waterproof Camping Rug

The waterproof Cath Kidston Cowboy Camping rug suits our wet weather whilst remaining stylish. The cowboy print matches the tee pee tent and will keep you dry whatever the British summer throws at us.

£20.00 from Cathkidston

Real Canvas Bell Tent

If you want to sleep stylishly and comfortably the Real Canvas Bell Tent by Pearl and Earl is a gorgeous 100% cotton canvas tent that sleeps up to eight people (or a similar version for up to 6) and yet packs down into a small canvas bag.

It will feel cool on a summers day and warm in winter as the natural cotton breathes yet is water, mould and UV resistant for up to 60 weeks of constant use.

£480 from Notonthenightstreet

Stanley Classic Vacuum Flask

Invented in 1913, the all-steel Stanley Classic Vacuum Flask comes in classic British racing green whilst being iconically American. It will keep your drinks cold as well as warm and do it in some style.

The flask boasts a lifetime guarantee and an unbreakable Char-vac barrier to prevent breakages. It’ll even take ice cubes!

£26 from John Lewis

Concept Safari Picnic Backpack

If you would like to add a splash of real luxury to your next camping trip whilst remaining practical the Concept Safari Picnic Backpack is a lightweight way to carry a four person picnic set. The PVC leak proof liner protects food and the acti-cool lining will keep your delicious food safe.

The backpack contains a full set of plates, cutlery, bowls, win glasses, a table cloth and even a cruet set! Bon appetit!

£95 from John Lewis

Recycled Sailcloth Windbreak

A unique vintage item, The Recycled Sailcloth Windbreak is made from a real sail making each one completely unique! Every Windbreak is hand assembled to order with the ability to personalise your sail with two numbers and the amount of panels you require. With a nod to modernity the windbreak even contains an iPod pocket!

£120 from NotOnTheHighStreet

Kelly Kettle Storm Kettle

The Kelly Kettle Storm Kettle is a fun and stylish way to efficiently boil water when camping. Invented in Ireland around one hundred years ago the Storm Kettle has seen service in World War One, remote beaches, mountains, jungles and camp-sites.

Not only is the Storm Kettle efficient, is a beautiful object that will bring a little military chic to your campsite.

£47 from Amazon.co.uk

Light my Fire Firesteel

Created for the Swedish Army, the Light my Fire Firesteel will create a 3,000°C spark that makes lighting a fire easy in any weather. But most importantly you will look and feel a lot more stylish and vintage than using the petrol station lighter that only works if you shake it first.

£9.98 from Amazon.co.uk

Carry on Camping Tea Towel

Ignore the association with the Carry on the Film, the Carry on Camping tea towel is an altogether more stylish item. Designed by Ruby May in London and available in a fetching purple and green the tea towel is 100% natural cotton. Good for washing the dishes or hanging on the wall!

£7 from NotOnTheHighStreet

Vintage style camping gear is from Campr - Everything Camping

For the last few months we have been extensively testing the Guy Buddy in some extreme weather conditions and on a variety of tents to cover all types of fabric. We have found the Guy Buddy is a must have addition that removes the need to constantly adjust guy line tension and more importantly,  safeguardsyour tent against damage.

The Guy Buddy is a simple yet highly effective little device that clips onto the guy line and once fitted it will constantly maintain the correct line tension no matter what effect the weather has on the tents flysheet.

Expanding flysheets

Depending on the time of day and also the weather, a tents flysheet will expand and contract in relation to the level of moisture in the air, which in turn will have an effect on the line tension of all the guy lines. Moist or wet weather will cause the flysheet to expand or stretch and the guy lines will become loose and ineffective in supporting the tent or maintaining its shape correctly.

At the other end of the scale, when a tent dries out, or in hot weather, the flysheet will shrink or contract and the same guy line can then become over tight resulting in excessive strain being put on the stitching and the tents fabric resulting in possible damage. Then you have the problem of windy conditions when a tents guy lines are fighting to hold the flysheet and tent secure, introduce rain into the equation and you now have lose guy lines due to the expansion of the flysheet and wind causing the lines to snatch at the tents fabric as the slack is taken up by the shifting tent.

No adjustments

The guy buddy

The Guy Buddy simply takes up the difference in the guy line due to these changes and also cushions the impact on the flysheet during windy conditions which in turn relieves the stress on the fabric and stitching and also makes for a far more secure and stable tent. However, when the sun comes out and the wind disappears the Guy Buddy allows things to return back to normal without any need for further adjustment. So no more walking around the tent checking and adjusting your guy lines when the weather changes, plus you can sleep without ever having to worry about having to go out in the rain to adjust the line tension in the middle of the night ever again.

Surely the guy buddy does the same job as the old rubber bands commonly seen on frame tents and those well known French tents that cost a small fortune? However, where the Guy Buddy shines is that it is fitted with an adjustable catch strap which stops the bouncing of a guy line in windy conditions by only allowing the shock cord section to expand to a point where it will then hold the tent in the correct position and not allow it to continue past this point.

It is also fitted with a quick pull buckle adjustment, or storm strap, system for when things get really wild so that you can simply pull down the catch strap to form a taught connection to the tents guy line for maximum stability until the winds die down.

Product information

The Guy Buddy will be available in packs of 5 and in various sizes, depending on the weight and size of your tent, for around £6.99 a pack.

Our tests have proved that the Guy Buddy does what it does very well, the makers have a patent registered design and tell us they will soon be releasing other new products for us to test exclusively at Campr in the near future including their 100% water repellent guy lines designed to overcome the most common cause of mildew damage to a tent.

Watch this space !

Testing the Guy Buddy Tension System is from Campr - Everything Camping

If, like me, you have problems getting your flysheet tension correct or you find that your door zips are under too much tension, then it is more than likely due to the fact that you are pitched on a site that is not perfectly flat, and lets face it very few are. However, these Pyramid adjustable tension pegs could well be the answer to your problems as I found them to be on a recent trip to the New Forest.

Tent peg problems

I had played around with the shock cord pegging points on our Bear Lake 6 for the last few trips, trying to get the tension on the panel above each pegging point just about right. Too tight and the panel is pulled downward which results in the Velcro window fastening strips no longer lining up, too loose and the panel sags annoyingly and then ends up flapping in the wind. Then there is the well known door zip problem, fine when your part way through pitching the tent but then when your all finished the door seems to have somehow shrunk and you have to fight with the zip to get it closed which is annoying but more importantly this puts excessive strain on both the zip and the stitching.

I had tried replacing the fixed lengths of shock cord at each of the pegging points around the base of the flysheet with longer sections and then knotting them according to the rise or fall of the pitch. This did seem to do the trick but to do this every time would become a bit of a bore to say the least so when I came accross these adjustable tension pegs, whilst in Towsure, I quickly realised that they would do the job perfectly.

The perfect tent pegs

The Pyramid Tension peg

Armed with 4 packs of pegs I headed back to the site and started by removing the original lengths of shock cord from the flysheet one by one. Then sliding the ball back, which is located on the end of the new pegs shock cord, you simply undo the knot and thread the new cord through the loop on the flysheet, pop the nylon ball back over the cord and finish off by re tying the cord and sliding the ball back over the knot. Now all you have to do is drive the new peg in so that it is at ground level directly below the pegging point and slot the new shock cord through the pegs retention slots, then simply adjust the tension on each peg according to the distance between the ground and the flysheet.

The result is an evenly tensioned flysheet, windows that fit perfectly and door zips that no longer try to burst open the minute I go anywhere near them. I replaced all of the shock cord points on our Bear Lake 6 and it has made a massive difference to how the tent now sits on its pitch and in future I can now adjust each pegging point very simply as I pitch the tent no matter how uneven the ground is.

Pyramid Adjustable Tension Pegs are £25.99 from Amazon.co.uk

Pyramid Adjustable Tension Pegs is from Campr - Everything Camping

Most of us in our time have experienced the BBQ from hell, burnt sausages, burgers so over cooked they would be better off being used at a clay pidgin shoot and the good old chicken drumstick covered in some sticky sauce and cooked within an inch of it going up in flames yet still pink in the middle. The open grill BBQ has got a lot to answer for when it comes to culinary disasters, however, having recently had the opportunity to experience how the professionals do it at a Weber BBQ demonstration, it is amazing what can actually be cooked on a BBQ beyond the good old banger.

Available in Green!

First off you need the right sort of BBQ and whilst the fold out or disposable grill types are handy they are only suitable for basic cooking. The baby of the Weber BBQ family, on the other hand, is the Smokey Joe a compact version of the famous kettle BBQ that Weber make so well. Measuring just 46cm high by 36cm wide and with a cooking area of 1075cm2 the Smokey Joe is still large enough to rustle up a family feast yet compact enough to not take up too much room in the boot. Weber and quality go hand in hand with the main body of the Smokey Joe being made from porcelain enamelled steel which is heat and rust resistant and if looked after will last a lifetime.

BBQ Camping recipes

Camping without a BBQ just wouldn’t be camping but with a little guidance from the online Weber recipe guide we could all be knocking out Michelin worthy grub on our next trip and all we need is the right bit of kit to turn ourselves into Campsite Cuisine Master Chef’s.

Now having left the demonstration with a Smokey Joe under my arm and having fired it up back at camp that evening I can honestly say that it is amazing the difference a quality BBQ can make to even the worlds worst cook. That evening it was out with the sausages and in with Rosemary lamb chops with grill roasted potatoes and green beans, its so simple just check out some of the recipes and so much more fun than a gas stove.

The Weber Smokey Joe is £44.99 from Amazon.co.uk

Weber Smokey Joe Portable BBQ Review is from Campr - Everything Camping

We love gadgets

Some people love to go camping to get back to nature, feel the grass under their feet and experience something of the life our ancestors lead, whilst some people like recreate their living room in a field. Both approaches have their attractions so if you’re a lover of modcons you’ll be pleased to know you don’t need to leave the kitchen sink at home any more. And if your a rustic camper whose tired of squatting in bushes you should really take a look at the Shit Box.

The Folding Kitchen Sink

Folding Kitchen Sink
Fastidious about dirty dishes? The latest in folding camp technology is the pop-up kitchen sink. It’ll hold up to 10 litres of water and won’t spill a drop due to it’s stainless steel stiffening ring. If you don’t fancy taking the domestic chores with you it’ll double up as the world’s smallest bath.

Gelert Solar Shower

Gelert Solar Shower
Probably the worst thing about festivals is that feeling on day three when you roll out of a sticky tent in the clothes you fell asleep in with the only prospect of a wash some kind dirt of bath being ran by Oxfam. Well, feel filthy no more! Simply fill the pocket shower with water and allow to warm in the sun for a few hours. Tie it to a handy tree and you’ll have over 8 minutes of watery bliss.

The Shitbox

The Shit Box
The charmingly named Shit Box or Ploo doesn’t require too much description. It’s a box you can satisfy the call of nature whilst satisfying the call of the wild.

If you follow me.

The Freeloader Pro

Freeloader Pro Solar Charger
After seeing the queues for the Orange phone charging tent at Glastonbury this year there must be a lot of frustrated mobile owners out there. Dodge the queues and save the planet by harnessing the power of sun with the Freeloader Pro Solar Charger. It’ll charge most gadgets in 1.5 hours, enough for 2.5 ciders at least.

The Notebook BBQ

Notebook BBQ
If you want to upgrade your disposable BBQ habit in 2010 the Notebook BBQ is a great way to avoid singing the grass whilst looking stylish. It’s folding ‘notebook’ mechanism makes the Notebook easy to store and carry, perfect for an impromptu chow-down.

5 incredible camping gadgets is from Campr - Everything Camping

2C Solar-Powered Baseball Cap

The 2C Solar Cap

1) The 2C Solar-Powered Baseball Cap has a solar panel on the top that collects sunlight and stores it in a small battery. On the bottom of the cap rim there is a series of LED lights, which provide a light source useful for such things as reading maps at night that is always available as long as the sun is out during the day.

Lightcap 300

The Lightcap 300 Solar Powered Light

2) The Lightcap 300 is an innovative gadget that combines a water bottle with a solar-powered LED lantern. The bottle can be used to store water or sensitive documents in a watertight container that also boasts a powerful light source. This combines two functions in one, making it another green camping must-have.

Solar Pocket Shower

Solar Pocket Shower

3) The Eco-Friendly Solar Pocket Shower heats up water by using the sun’s energy. It consists of a portable bag with a plastic nozzle that holds up to ten liters of water. All the camper has to do is full it with water, let it sit in the sun for a while, and then hang it over a tree limb and shower. The holding capacity should make for about seven minutes of shower time.

Freeloader Globetrotter Kit

Freeloader Globetrotter Kit

4) The Freeloader Globetrotter Kit is a collection of supplies designed to charge portable electronics. It comes with the Freeloader, which charges a wide range of electronics, from Mp3 players to GPS locators. In addition, the kit comes with the Supercharger, a flexible weatherproof solar panel that can be attached to a backpack or bike rack that makes it easy to use with the Freeloader.

EyeMax Wind Up Solar-Powered Radio

The EyeMax Wind Up Solar-Powered Radio

5) The EyeMax Wind Up Solar-Powered Radio with LED Torch Light combines a radio powered by a wind-up winch and a solar panel, depending on whichever is necessary. Thirty seconds of wind-up gives thirty-five minutes of listening time. In addition, the LED torch light provides a powerful light beam that can provide a powerful light source at the cost of decreased battery life.

So there you go! Five really cool eco-friendly gadgets so that you can enjoy the great outdoors with a touch of style!

This article on outdoor eco gadgets was written by Dan Harrison of EnviroGadget.com. Dan and his team write reviews on all kinds of energy saving gadgets on a daily basis. Other eco-friendly gadgets they have reviewed includes energy saving photo frames, indoor food waste composters, wind-up torches, solar-powered iPod speakers and loads more!

Image credit

Top 5 Eco Gadgets for Green Campers is from Campr - Everything Camping

Everyone brings a few items that make a weekend away from home comforts a little more bearable, so as the 2010 festival season bursts into life we have assembled a list of some essential gadgets that make camping amongst thousands of fellow revellers a little more enjoyable.

Travel John Disposable Urinal

Travel John Disposable Urinal

Toilets are synonymous with festivals and whilst the quality has increased in recent years, (Glastonbury’s long drops are open to the elements but far nicer than portaloos) the thought of a dash through guy ropes at 3am does not appeal.

The Travel John (RRP £4.99) disposable urinal solves this midnight dilemma, each bag is filled with the stuff you find in baby’s nappies and can be thrown away in the morning. Suitable for boys and girls!

Gelert Roll up Water Carrier

Gelert Roll Up Water Carrier

If the Travel John helps you get water *out* of the tent the Gelert Roll Up Water Carrier (RRP £6.75) helps you get it in. Bottled water is expensive at festivals and there is the inevitable fight every morning to fill scavenged plastic containers, sidestep this with the easy to carry and store water carrier.

Sky Lantern

High Flyer Sky Lanterns

Don’t forget festivals are supposed to be about fun and abandonment, a few camping gadgets are great but you don’t want to turn up looking like a boy scout when all your mates are writhing naked in the Stone Circle. The High Flyer Sky Lanterns (£8.99 pack of 10) are a little bit of festival magic you can pre-prepare. A  tea light fills the paper bags with hot air and they gently float into the sky like little pixies.

Coleman Constellation Quad Camping Chair

Coleman Constellation Quad Camping Chair

A chair is something you will curse every second of walk from the car to your pitch but worship over the next three days. Having a chair can score you free drinks and all the rizla you need as your furniture starved mates crave a little sit down. The Coleman Constellation Quad (RRP £16.99) is sturdy enough to last a whole festival and has the vital drinks holder.

Dolphin Windup Torch and Phone Charger

Dolphin Wind-up Torch and Phone Charger

You don’t want to spend half a day queuing to charge your phone and you don’t want to blunder into someone else’s tent (maybe you do) on the way home, kill this two birds with one wind-up shaped stone – the Dolphin Windup Torch and Phone Charger. (RRP £10.99). Crank that wrist to generate enough power to text mum and find the party.

Image credit

Festival Camping Gadgets is from Campr - Everything Camping

But as we become more dependent on our battery powered second limbs, the day or so an average smart phone will last away from civilisation just isn’t enough. The Nexus Powerpack PRO comphrensively solves this problem by acting as a backup charging device for pretty much every gadget you’re likely to own in 2010.

The Nexus is a small and light, slightly smaller than an iPhone and comes with connectors to charge all major mobile phones and other popular gadgets like the Nintendo DS, Sony PSP plus any USB powered device.

Almost every phone and gadget can be charged

Charging an iPhone 3GS with the Nexus Pro was as quick as charging it from the mains, and there was enough power left to get a Sony Ericsson mobile phone going. The Nexus includes a charge meter to show remaining power and is sturdily built enough to survive most casual camping trips.

The only problem with could see is the ease with which one of the many adaptors could be lost. But if you leave the excess bits at home this shouldn’t be a problem.

As a bonus the Nexus Pro includes a presentation pouch that will save it from light exposure to the elements.

The Powerpack (RRP £29.99) is available from Mobilefun.co.uk for £19.99

Nexus Powerpack PRO Review is from Campr - Everything Camping

Some old-school campers may baulk at these developments but anything that encourages nights spent under canvas/plastic tent stuff chimes perfectly with our more eco-concious times.

If you’re one of the new breed of campers check out these  gadgets to make camping a little more ‘cool’.

5 Cool Camping Products

Handpresso Wild Outdoor Set

Hanpresso Wild Outdoor Set

If your twin passions in live are camping and good coffee then you may have resigned yourself to the twain never meeting.

Never fear! The Handpresso Wild Outdoor Set solves the dilemma of a good coffee verses the dawn chorus under canvas. A beautiful object itself, the Handpresso makes quality outdoor coffee and comes complete with 4 ‘unbreakable’ espresso cups, 2 travel mats and your very own thermo-insulated flask.

Light my Fire Outdoor Meal kit

Light my Fire Outdoor Meal kit

The Light my Fire Outdoor Meal kit is a perfect for triangle loving campers looking for a practical way to store a complete meal kit.

Available in a range of funky colour sure to match the shade of your canvas, the Outdoor Meal kit boasts everything you need to dine al fresco in relative style including the famous ‘spork’.

Carabiner Mug

Carabiner Mug

Carabiners are somehow inherently cool yet practical, attach them to a mug that can hold tea or the favorite beverage of your choice and you have the ice cold Carabiner mug.

Made of stainless steel, the carabiner will clip to your rucksack and you can jauntily pretend you’re the type who climbs things.

Trekmates Single Expedition Hammock

Trekmates Single Expedition Hammock

Teepees and yurts are so last decade. 2010 is the year of the hammock. The Trekmates Single Expedition Hammock is a great beginners example, it’s lightweight and generously sized.

Twin layered with room for a sleep mat you just need two good strong trees. And a cocktail.

Swedish Army Firesteel

Swedish Army Firesteel

The Swiss have their knives and the Swedes have firesteels. Whilst every second rate scout sports a penknife you won’t find many with a Swedish Army Firesteel.

Its 3,000°C spark makes fire building easy in any conditions and you’re going to look much cooler whipping one of these out than a petrol station lighter.

5 Cool Camping Gadgets is from Campr - Everything Camping

Traditional gas camping cookers tend to have two settings: off and I’ve-burnt-the-beans-again. But if you’ve got electric hook-up, an induction hob could extend your campsite cuisine repertoire.

The Judge portable induction hob measures about a foot square and has just one ring, but is more controllable than your average camping gas stove and has a built-in safety feature: it can’t heat up until a suitable pan is placed on the ring.

The science bit

The Judge Portable Induction Hob

Plugged in, a strong magnetic field is created under the ceramic plate and the resulting induction current generates heat in pans capable of being magnetised. Remove the pan from the hob and the current – and heat – vanish instantly. This means no scorched fingers and spilt food spilt won’t burn onto the surface.

There are ten different heating levels, ranging from 60degC (ideal for simmering) up to 240degC, and it can be altered by simply pressing plus and minus buttons. The digital display shows the temperature and is also a timing feature.

You have to use pans that are capable of being magnetised – if a fridge magnet sticks to the base, it’ll work – so the only drawback could be that you have to fork out for new cookware.

If you do, a steamer would work well with this hob, giving you a tasty, healthy meal that’s a million miles from slightly burnt beans.

Judge Portable Induction Hob Review is from Campr - Everything Camping