Sweetest Party

While camping and caravanning are gaining in popularity, all to the good I say, there are some individuals who cannot see the attraction and one of the obstacles is “how on earth am I going to feed my family without a fully equipped kitchen?” To be sure, camping has the stereotypical image of people clustered round a gas stove and limited to a can of baked beans or tinned soup or stew – not particularly appetizing. This doesn’t have to be the situation when you have a touring caravan kitchen. The only limitations are your imagination and some basic safety rules.

In general caravans kitchens have a minimum of 2 hobs, a grill and an oven and a number have a microwave as well. You can effortlessly prepare the same menus that you cook at home. Its a splendid extravagance on a beautiful morning to open your caravan door onto the open air and tuck into the magnificence of a full English breakfast whilst viewing nature’s glories. However, here are a few ideas for meals that you would be well advised to leave alone:

• Fish and chips – the smell of fish can settle in your soft furnishings and its generally not a great notion to undertake deep frying. Anyway, you would be wise to take advantage of the great chippies throughout the Britain.
• Any dish that calls for flambéing is a no-go, consider that your touring caravan insurance policy could exclude paying out on any accidents or damage that follow from this.
• Traditional roast lunch with all the extras. Dreadful to contemplate the amount of washing up this would entail and what could be better than a traditional lunch at a picturesque country pub while on your journey.

Bar-B-Qs are justifiably popular and portable equipment is easy to get hold of, but should the unreliable British climate prove to be a wet squib you want quick and easy menus to prepare, with the least labour and washing up and maximum flavour. Here are a few suggestions:

• Provencal style chicken – chicken quarters are marinaded in wine, herbs, garlic. Drain and fry off the chicken and then cook with a mixture of vegetables peppers, onions, mushrooms, carrots and a tin of chopped tomatoes in a medium-high oven in a covered dish for approximately thirty minutes. Just as the chicken is ready, stir in a handful of black olives and it is perfect served with crusty bread, boiled potatoes or couscous with green beans.
• Any curry dish using a jar of packet sauce, accompanied with rice.
• One pot meals for example, bolognese sauce, chilli con carne or Irish stew.
• Small roasts, such as baked ham, chicken (if there is no convenient food market rotisserie) or beef.
• A three course meal, a cold starter, followed by steak, salad and potatoes roasted in the oven for the main course and for pudding, a slice of cake – or anything that takes your fancy.

Whichever way you choose to cook in your touring caravan, remember to make savings by obtaining your caravan insurance via a reputable motorhome insurance comparison site and all that additional money can contribute towards gastronomic fare and Cordon Bleu delights!

Having a camping lantern along on your camping trip can certainly make your entire camping trip more enjoyable as well as safe. If you have to put up a tent in pouring cats and dogs and it is also dark you will certainly thank your lucky stars that you had the mind to bring camping lantern with you. However, if you are using a gas camping lantern you will also need to ensure that the camping lantern is placed in a secure place where chances of accidentally touching the lantern is minimized.

Camping Lantern Stand: Hang It In The Right Place

A good camping lantern stand can solve your problems as you can use the stand to hang your lantern in a central area in the campsite and out of harm’s way as well. If you need a suitable camping lantern stand then why not check out the Firefly Lantern Stand that is an ideal accessory for every outdoor camping requirement. It is also a great item for use in the home and in an RV as well as for emergency situations.

Anything that requires to be hung safely and conveniently or water bags bug zappers as well can be hung on a good camping lantern stand besides hanging the lantern.

Before you choose a camping lantern stand you need to ensure that it is easy to set up. In this regard the Firefly camping lantern stand is a good option. It also comes with nail stakes and it is designed to withstand shock and comprises five different pieces. It can be assembled in a matter of minutes and is easily set up wherever you need to place it.

Another notable feature to the Firefly camping lantern stand is that it is durable and is not too heavy and is in fact made out lightweight steel and comes with a carry bag as well. It stands all of five feet high and can be purchased for a mere twenty dollars or so.

Camping is one of the most thrilling and exciting activities that you can enjoy. To gain the most out of this outdoor activity needs that you subject it in a more proactive manner. Ensuring that you make your preparations well before the trip means that you will be sure of taking everything along with you that in turn will ensure a safer and more enjoyable experience. It is the little things that can make a big difference; so, makes sure to plan in advance and thoroughly as well.

Good winter tents (or four season tents) are made to effectively protect you from wind, cold and forms of precipitation while providing adequate ventilation.

Before I talk about things to consider before choosing a good winter tent, keep in mind that the usage of a “winter” tent doesn’t need to be limited to winter conditions – it can be used in mild conditions as well. Just remember that although you can use your 4 season tent in the summer, many of them trap heat and don’t have the ventilation to keep you cool (unless it’s a lightweight 4 season tent).

Now, the camping tent you buy should…

• keep out the cold,
• ventilate well,
• stand up to strong winds,
• brush off heavy snow, and
• ward off all forms of precipitation.

If you’ll be backpacking, you want to buy a lightweight tent so you can easily carry it around.

Winter camping tents are designed to withstand extreme temperatures, but here are three factors to look at before you buy your tent…

Size Is Important

Winter campers spend lots of time inside their tents as compared to summer campers. For this reason you definitely want to buy the right size tent. There are tents made for 1 person and others made to sleep 8+. You might even think about buying a tent that is slightly bigger than what you need.

For example, if you need to sleep 3, consider buying a 4 person tent to ensure you’ll have plenty of space.

Strong Frame

The tent poles should be sturdy. The frame should be made of extra strength carbon fiber or aluminum rather than fiberglass or customary aluminum which can easily fracture.

Storage

You want a tent with storage options for your gear. You want to be able to maneuver inside your tent without smashing anything.

If you have two or more rooms, one space can act as your “foyer” for storing wet outerwear, boots, etc.

Storage pockets will also make it easier to locate those handy items when you need them.

Armed with the know-how, the right equipment and a quality winter tent, you’ll be comfortable no matter what the weather decides to dish out.

Terrence Banks operates an online tent store. Shop from a variety of dome tents and 3 season tents

An important element of a fun and enjoyable camping experience is having the right tent. Camping is fun and exciting, but using the wrong tent can dampen the whole experience.

There are some questions that you should answer to ensure that you choose the perfect tent.

First of all, an important question to answer is how many people will be using the tent? This will determine the right size and style for your needs.

You might consider buying a tent slightly bigger than you need. For example, if you need a tent for 8, consider buying a 9 person tent. That way you’ll most likely have plenty of room inside.

What kind of conditions should your tent be able to handle? Will you camp in the summer? Spring and summer? Or are you going to camp year round? You want to purchase a tent that can handle all the conditions that you’re likely to encounter.

There are family camping tents made mostly for fair weather and there are 3 or 4 season tents. How often will the tent be used? You want a sturdy tent if you’re planning on camping frequently. If you’re camping with hyper children, you definitely want a very durable tent!

How much interior space do you want or need? If you really want comfort, you have to take sleeping space and storage into account. Do you want room to stand? Consider buying a dome tent.Will you be backpacking or hiking? You should buy a lightweight tent that you can easily transport.

Shapes And Styles

Family camping tents are available in different shapes and can be small enough for 3 and large enough to hold 10+.

Family Cabin Tents

Cabin tents can be sectioned off to create two or more rooms and usually allow multiple entry and exit points.

Dome Style Family Tents

The rounded shape of a family dome tent adds strength, good wind resistance and good interior space.

A-Frame Style Tents

A-frame tents have a simple, lightweight design. They’re usually freestanding and easy to get set up. There’s good room at the floor but less room up top for standing.

Umbrella Style Tents

Umbrella style tents have spacious head and floor space, can hold many people, and have good ventilation.

Different Season Tents

There are 2, 3 and 4 season family camping tents.

Two season tents are fair weather tents that are usually very inexpensive.

Three season tents are the most popular and are able to handle rain.

Four season tents have heavier construction to fight off wind stress and snow loads. They’re made of higher grade fabrics and contain more poles for added strength.

Four season tents can possibly feel hot and heavy if used in moderate weather.

Shop from a variety of family tents – you’ll find smaller 3 person tents and larger 7+ person tents