Everyone loves a bargain and thats why we regularly hold sales here at Storm Outdoors!
We've got the top ten products all under a tenner each! When these camping bits and pieces have gone thats it! So grab yourself a bargain over at Storm Outdoors camping equipment website.
Tuesday 26 May 2009
10 Quick Tent Tips that work!
One of our customers just came in and helped give out much of his wisdom on tents, putting them and keeping them up, here's just a few of them:
1) Pegs should go into the ground at a 45 degree angle away from the tent. Pretty obvious but the amount of tents we've seen come loose in windy gales has come down to just badly positioned tent pegs.
2) Limit your tent's exposure to Ultra Violet by camping as much as you can in the shade. UV is what kills a tent in time.
3) Keep the plastic lids off any Pringles. Sewn in ground sheets can get pierced and damaged by table and camping chair legs, place the lids underneath them to spread the weight. GREAT TIP!
4) New tent? Add coloured tape to code the tent poles to help working out what goes where next time you put it up.
5) Take your new tent and put it up in the garden (if space). Practise a few times taking it down and putting it up till you are confident, better learning at home than in a gale on a rainy campsite!
6) Try to purchase a tent that pitches outside first, nothing worse than a soaking wet inner.
7) In bad weather really make sure that none of your tent's inner or outer skins are touching, if it is try to find a better spot out of the wind. If thats not possible turn the side of the tent with the largest space gap between the outer and inner into the wind.
8)Remember that camping near a river is lovely but check you're not on a flood plain with a river that can quickly rise and burst its banks.
9)Clean your tent of mud (and other detriment) when you get home and put it out to dry. Storing a damp tent will quickly lead to its early demise.
10) Having the biggest/lightest/most technical tent does not make you a hardcore adventurer. Many tents are available at a great price, don't spend hundreds on a tent if you never intend to take it up a serious mountain, its not worth the price.
1) Pegs should go into the ground at a 45 degree angle away from the tent. Pretty obvious but the amount of tents we've seen come loose in windy gales has come down to just badly positioned tent pegs.
2) Limit your tent's exposure to Ultra Violet by camping as much as you can in the shade. UV is what kills a tent in time.
3) Keep the plastic lids off any Pringles. Sewn in ground sheets can get pierced and damaged by table and camping chair legs, place the lids underneath them to spread the weight. GREAT TIP!
4) New tent? Add coloured tape to code the tent poles to help working out what goes where next time you put it up.
5) Take your new tent and put it up in the garden (if space). Practise a few times taking it down and putting it up till you are confident, better learning at home than in a gale on a rainy campsite!
6) Try to purchase a tent that pitches outside first, nothing worse than a soaking wet inner.
7) In bad weather really make sure that none of your tent's inner or outer skins are touching, if it is try to find a better spot out of the wind. If thats not possible turn the side of the tent with the largest space gap between the outer and inner into the wind.
8)Remember that camping near a river is lovely but check you're not on a flood plain with a river that can quickly rise and burst its banks.
9)Clean your tent of mud (and other detriment) when you get home and put it out to dry. Storing a damp tent will quickly lead to its early demise.
10) Having the biggest/lightest/most technical tent does not make you a hardcore adventurer. Many tents are available at a great price, don't spend hundreds on a tent if you never intend to take it up a serious mountain, its not worth the price.
Camping Stoves continued...
Ok so in our last blog we discussed the types of fuels for camping stoves, which ones offer the best performance etc etc. Today we're going to list the types of camping stoves one might use whilst outdoors. Its not a huge list so it won't take long!
Camp stoves come in several shapes and sizes and can be somewhat categorised into three different types:
Mountain Stoves
Generally considered top of the line camp stoves they provide users with an extremely fast boil. They also have to be lightweight, reliable and strong. This type of camp stove comes at a price though.
You'll find many mountain stoves use liquid fuel as this gives the most efficiency in high altitude mountainous terrain and conditions. A true mountain stove makes use of a detachable fuel source that can be easily carried onwards to your next camp together with a burner that generally sits low to the ground.
You may find gas canister mountain stoves however in our experience they do not work well above 4000 feet (so you may get away with using one in the UK mountains).
Backpacking/Hikers Stoves
The generic of camping stoves, no really. Used for pretty much any outdoor activity they are simple to use and can be carried. They may not be the lightest in your rucksack but they'll be sturdy enough for most. Generally you'll see one of these types of stoves powered by a small gas canister or methlyated spirits. They're pretty good value and if looked after you'll get many years use out of them. Abuse and fail to look after them and you could find it being tossed within a couple of seasons (not very good at all).
Family Camping Stoves
Weight is not considered a major issue with family camping stoves as these types are generally kept back at "basecamp". You will want your stove to be easy to use and safe especially around kids (as much as humanly possible). Most types of this stove generally use gas canisters and come with a "domestic" looking hob and some even complete with a grill. It is not the sort of stove you would want to be carrying around, they can be bulky (which admittedly does give you more room to cook on).
Camp stoves come in several shapes and sizes and can be somewhat categorised into three different types:
Mountain Stoves
Generally considered top of the line camp stoves they provide users with an extremely fast boil. They also have to be lightweight, reliable and strong. This type of camp stove comes at a price though.
You'll find many mountain stoves use liquid fuel as this gives the most efficiency in high altitude mountainous terrain and conditions. A true mountain stove makes use of a detachable fuel source that can be easily carried onwards to your next camp together with a burner that generally sits low to the ground.
You may find gas canister mountain stoves however in our experience they do not work well above 4000 feet (so you may get away with using one in the UK mountains).
Backpacking/Hikers Stoves
The generic of camping stoves, no really. Used for pretty much any outdoor activity they are simple to use and can be carried. They may not be the lightest in your rucksack but they'll be sturdy enough for most. Generally you'll see one of these types of stoves powered by a small gas canister or methlyated spirits. They're pretty good value and if looked after you'll get many years use out of them. Abuse and fail to look after them and you could find it being tossed within a couple of seasons (not very good at all).
Family Camping Stoves
Weight is not considered a major issue with family camping stoves as these types are generally kept back at "basecamp". You will want your stove to be easy to use and safe especially around kids (as much as humanly possible). Most types of this stove generally use gas canisters and come with a "domestic" looking hob and some even complete with a grill. It is not the sort of stove you would want to be carrying around, they can be bulky (which admittedly does give you more room to cook on).
Wednesday 20 May 2009
Camping Stoves - Which fuel to use?
Types of Camp Stoves and Fuel Available
With such a bewildering array of different stoves you can use when camping the decision on which type of camping stove and its associated fuel suits you best just gets harder and harder.
So let us help you – down below is a detailed breakdown on the most suitable types of fuel and stoves for your needs, whether its high mountain walking or just chilling out with the family under canvas.
From experience we always ask customers what type of fuel they would prefer to use (i.e. to create a flame or generate heat) with their camp stove.
The most common fuel types are:
Gas Canister Stoves
Gas canisters are extremely easy to use providing a decent level of performance though they can perform poorly at high altitude or in very cold weather conditions (they affect the pressure inside the canister reducing performance). To light a gas camping stove is very simple, you switch on the stove, light it and that’s pretty much it.
Downsides to using this type of fuel are having to dispose of the empty canister (when it runs out) and they can be quite expensive to buy, particularly at campsites (in our experience).
Petroleum Liquid Fuel Stoves
Stoves like these need a method of pressurising the fuel commonly via the integral pump and then need priming to pre-heat the petroleum fuel and convert it to a gas state to burn efficiently. Liquid fuel stoves can take extra effort to light but once you are used to it you’ll never really look back.
Camping stoves using liquid fuel tend to cost less to run and perform better in a wider range of weather and atmospheric conditions, using fuel more economically so you can carry less (important if you are backpacking).
Methylated Spirits (“Meths”) Stoves
Generally considered safer, meths based camping stoves tend to not be as explosive when starting and burn at a lower temperature (which make cooking times longer). Traditionally these types of stoves rely on the methylated spirits to be poured into a small container that allows the meths to emit vapour which is then burnt to heat up your pots and pans.
A common type of stove that uses meths is the Trangia stove which is particularly popular amongst youth groups such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and the Air Cadets.
Solid Fuel Stoves
These are usually very simple stoves which fold out allowing you to burn a tablet or gel to generate heat. Solid fuel is considered safe, lightweight and cheap but they have a serious downside in that they offer very poor adjustability in temperature.
Our next post will be about the types of stove best suited for your planned activity.
With such a bewildering array of different stoves you can use when camping the decision on which type of camping stove and its associated fuel suits you best just gets harder and harder.
So let us help you – down below is a detailed breakdown on the most suitable types of fuel and stoves for your needs, whether its high mountain walking or just chilling out with the family under canvas.
From experience we always ask customers what type of fuel they would prefer to use (i.e. to create a flame or generate heat) with their camp stove.
The most common fuel types are:
Gas Canister Stoves
Gas canisters are extremely easy to use providing a decent level of performance though they can perform poorly at high altitude or in very cold weather conditions (they affect the pressure inside the canister reducing performance). To light a gas camping stove is very simple, you switch on the stove, light it and that’s pretty much it.
Downsides to using this type of fuel are having to dispose of the empty canister (when it runs out) and they can be quite expensive to buy, particularly at campsites (in our experience).
Petroleum Liquid Fuel Stoves
Stoves like these need a method of pressurising the fuel commonly via the integral pump and then need priming to pre-heat the petroleum fuel and convert it to a gas state to burn efficiently. Liquid fuel stoves can take extra effort to light but once you are used to it you’ll never really look back.
Camping stoves using liquid fuel tend to cost less to run and perform better in a wider range of weather and atmospheric conditions, using fuel more economically so you can carry less (important if you are backpacking).
Methylated Spirits (“Meths”) Stoves
Generally considered safer, meths based camping stoves tend to not be as explosive when starting and burn at a lower temperature (which make cooking times longer). Traditionally these types of stoves rely on the methylated spirits to be poured into a small container that allows the meths to emit vapour which is then burnt to heat up your pots and pans.
A common type of stove that uses meths is the Trangia stove which is particularly popular amongst youth groups such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and the Air Cadets.
Solid Fuel Stoves
These are usually very simple stoves which fold out allowing you to burn a tablet or gel to generate heat. Solid fuel is considered safe, lightweight and cheap but they have a serious downside in that they offer very poor adjustability in temperature.
Our next post will be about the types of stove best suited for your planned activity.
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