The Tent Commandments

And so the lord shone down and laid ouf the TENT COMMANDMENTS Thou shalt have the right sleeping bag? Thou shalt 10 Now that your wonderful meal has had time to settle and you feel sleepy, time for bed! Choose a sleeping bag appropriate for the temperature you are sleeping in. Choose a bag too thin for the conditions and you will become a lovely ice sculpture, too thick and you will burst into flames.. Ok, that's not true! :-) BUT you would get REALLY hot! 'Pltch BEFORE Play' One of the most important rules of camping! Pitch first, Play later. There is nothing worse then returning to the campsite too tired to walk let alone pitch a tent!! Now repeat after me "Pitch BEFORE Play. .... Good, let's move on. Thou shalt FEED ME! 8. Even though the burger and chips at the pub last night were great, sometimes the need to cook on a campsite is overwhelming! BBQS are a great way to cook on a campsite. From small gas stoves, to twin burner stoves, all the way to charcoal grills there are many ways to keep men occupied while the ladies can sit back and improve their tan! Thou shalt Dress to impress (mother nature and all her fury!!) Lets face it, you are camping in the UK. Weather is unpredictable! Be prepared and wrap up warm for the (entirely possible) bliz- zards in the middle of summer! And for the odd times we get glorious sunshine, sun cream! Lots and lots of sun cream! Thou shalt boot up! Thou shalt not get lost If you decide to go for a wander to enjoy the beautiful views the English countryside has to offer, try not to get lost. Let the site know where you are going and what time you are going to be back. If you have a GPS great but the safest and most reliable form of If you are out and about on our glorious countryside, make sure you have a good pair of boots to bring you home in one piece. Boots give you extra ankle support to stop you from getting over eager and causing yourself damage. Remember to look for a boot with a good waterproof membrane for all those puddles you will be jumping in! 6. Remember! Survival kit needs to fit in navigation is the good old low-tech map and compass! your pocket. If it's in you rucksack it's USELESS as the whole point in this kit is for if you lose your rucksack! Thou shalt survive! If you are like me and do not have Ray Mears or an ex-SAS serviceman in your side pocket then the next best thing is a survival kit. Thou shalt Keep Clean! • METAL CONTAINER – To store everything SMALL LENGTH OF DUCT TAPE - Duct tape holds the world together • EMERGENCY (SPACE) BLANKET - makes you all warm and shiny • CANDLE STUB - man, make. fire. • BAND-AIDS - or plasters to the rest of us • CHOCOLATE SQUARE, HERBAL TEA BAG, OXO CUBE - the one time chocolate is good for you! • WATERPROOFED MATCHES – man. make. fire. Part 2 • LARGE SAFETY PIN OR FISH HOOK - catch the Lock Ness Monster! • SMALL SAFETY PINS - helpful little prick • PIECE OF CRAYON – Remember rule 6. HUG A TREE! • ANTISEPTIC WIPES - Because bark just doesn't clean wounds as well as you had hoped • FIRST AID GAUZE - very very big plaster • TINFOIL - Mirror, signal, maneuver • SMALL JACKKNIFE - everyone loves a knife • FISHING LINE OR DENTAL FLOSS - just because you are fighting for survival doesn't mean your teeth cant be clean. • PURIFICATION TABLETS - tastes like a swimming pool but at least you wont be dead The horror stories of the ages past about campsite washing facilities are a distant memory. Hot power showers tend to be the order of the day, and lets face it after a long days hike (to the pub and back) a wam shower to come back to is a massive thumbs up remember a towel, and don't drop the soap! in anyone's books. Just Thou shalt keep the kids entertained 2 Remember children will probably find that the most exciting part of the trip is the novelty of sleeping in a tent, cooking outside and exploring the campsite. Make the most of it, as you don't necessarily have to cram their days full with other activities to keep them amused. OUTDOOR WORLD HAPPY 1 Thou shalt relax and have fun If you need an explanation of this rule then you clearly need to have a holiday! DIRECT CAMPING Happy Camping! www.outdoorworlddirect.co.uk