Shop til you drop

Most festivals have shops. Camp Bestival is no exception. While you knew you would be able to buy beer, wine, cocktails, pies and fish and chips did you also know you could buy ice cream, smoothies, pancakes, sweets? pay for fairground ride? Of course you did!

and plasters? suncream? eggs? bacon? spare gas for the stove? camp beds? TENTS?! Camping chairs? Cups? Plates?

OK maybe you guessed those..

But what about clothes, both new and upcycled, what about fancy dress? tails? flower garlands? balloons? toys? Bubbles? more clothes? hats? sunglasses? Books?

By now (should that be Buy now?) you will be staring into the depths of your almost empty wallet in a panic! But do not panic! Many shops take plastic in payment thanks to the wonders of modern wireless technology, and if they don't Camp Bestival has cash machines handily available to enable you to cheerfully spend your last penny! Hurray! (or not...maybe don't tell the children)

Festival Memories

A lazy post today, a bit of a trip down memory lane. A few festival pictures to show you what you've been missing and/or to get you in the mood for festival fun.

Camping Gift Ideas

It's coming up to Christmas. It's cold out and most tent campers have packed the canvas away until spring. (not all of you though I bet! and I STILL have 'camping in deep snow' on my bucket list..) So finding things to blog about is not always easy. Then I realised that gifts for the next season would be a good theme. This is not a sponsored post. And it's based on things I own and love and things I don't own but really deeply desire for camping.

A Top Ten Gift Ideas for the Camper

1. A Storm Kettle. I have a Kelly kettle, though other brands are available. Boil water in moments using sticks and other fuel found around. It seems like an expensive item but it will last for ever (barring bear attack, being trampled by herds of wildebeest, meteor strike etc) and saves money by enabling you to cook without buying fuel. It also makes cooking fun, slightly dangerous, and entertaining. Feel like a proper mountain man, and have a great excuse to send the kids off to collect small sticks and pine cones (instant peace). I have just noticed a hobb attachement is to be made available in 2014 - *adds to wish list* A flashy new addition to the storm kettle idea is the (much more expensive and geeky) Biolite Stove, cook and charge electrical devices at the same time - perfect preparation for the Zombie apocalypse.
2.  A Penknife. I bought a fantastic basic one. I also attached it to a lanyard as I was forever putting it down and losing it. Every camper needs a good penknife. Bottle opener, cheese slicer, cork puller, pointy thing for doing stuff...a penknife is an essential.
3. Duct tape. Duck Tape is a fine brand. Lots of fun colours. Duct tape is perfect when camping for so many things. repairing tents, repairing poles, temporary holding for things, making dens. Perfect multipurpost fixing stuff! No camper should be without a roll or two, or three.
4. A Shmangle. A brilliant wearable waterproof blanket. Genius. You can use it to sit on in the day, shelter under in rain, wear to keep warm in the evening, put it under a sleeping bag for more warmth at night. For festivals there is no better item, you could, at a pinch, survive with a shmangle in place of a tent! I have a red one, DD has a blue one.
5. A loo.  A basic portable toilet. Great for an emergency.  An ideal gift for the long distance traveller too - never be caught short again, and yet not need to carry a bulky toilet around! If the simplicity of a bag is too basic for you - how about a bucket syle?
6. Solar powered Torch. Yes it sounds like a joke. But why not use your day to charge up your night? Nothing worse than running out of light to read by or rationing torch light because you are far from the shops. Now you can be fully charged each evening. And not have to carry a sack of batteries around with you.
7. A Camping toaster. I've tried bigger and supposedly superior types but this little beauty is still my favourite. Toasts a slice at a time a side at a time, fast though! Great for breakfast or camping snacks. Works over most camp stoves, probably over the stormkettle too as long as you are not burnign anything too strong smelling (I might not use it over burning cow dung)
8. Small flexi trug. Multipurpose. Good for storage, washing up, hairwashing, carrying firewood, carting things from the shops...anything really, strong, waterproof (leave one outside full of water as a fire precaution) Would make a nice gift filled with othe small camping bits like food, shampoos, socks etc. Buy them from horse supplies shops, super markets, garden stores or online.
9. Pre Mixed drinks in a can. Not really a camping thing, more a festival thing but a nice gift anyway. Not the cheapest way to buy a drink but no glass to transport so less weight and no risk of breakages. Ditto bags of wine. Oh and on that note - why not combine a wine box with an actual bag to carry the wine in - a sneaky festival essential! Or a spill proof wine class? Finally a sippy cup for grownups.
10. Life Straw. For the really wild camper (or one who is too lazy to carry water very far) try a straw that purifies water as you drink. Never be caught out thirsty on a long hot walk again, now every stream and pond and puddle is a veritable drink of pure clean water.

So there you go. Some fun, some weird, mostly useful ideas for gifts for the camper in your life, or add them to your own wishlist - and point your loved ones here if they are stuck for ideas.

Have a Happy Christmas preparing for your next camping trip.