Camp Stoves

My brother recently announced that he was going to buy a tent, sleeping bags and a camping stove and take the family camping this summer!

I’m sure that with the current economic climate and recent chaos across Europe caused by the volcano in Iceland he won’t be the only man considering a first venture into the world of camping.

Knowing that we regularly go camping he asked for some advice on what to buy, where to go and essentially “What’s camping all about?”

The first piece of advice I gave him was not to rush out and buy loads of camping equipment. The increased popularity of camping holidays over the past few years means that you don’t have to spend a lot to kit yourself out for a camping holiday, but why spend anything at all if you can help it?

I suggested he borrows the camping equipment (including camping stoves) he needs from us or friends for the first trip – plenty of time to buy his own once he knows if it’s something they want to continue.

Next piece of advice he needed was where to go camping and for how long?

A first camping trip is all about getting to grips with pitching your tent, sleeping under canvas & cooking outdoors on a camping stove. You shouldn’t therefore look to run before you can walk and make your first camping holiday 2 weeks rough camping in some remote part of the country.

Select a campsite with a few creature comforts to ease you into everything gently (decent showers / toilets really do make a difference in those early days) and keep the first trip to just a few days – stuck on the camping holiday from hell for a full 2 weeks is something to avoid at all cost.

Also, if at all possible, go on your first trip with experienced campers as this can help you feel much more comfortable about everything if you have someone with you to show you the ropes. Then if you get the camping bug you can be more adventurous on where you stay and for how long.

So with all of that understood my brother's preparing for his first camping trip with us over the summer holidays, fingers crossed all goes well.