Tag: Camping essentials

Osprey Daylite Hanging Toiletry Kit

camping, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Mother's Day, National Walking Month, Stocking Fillers, travel

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

I’m a big fan of wash bags with plenty of pockets and compartments because there’s nothing more annoying than rummaging through a dark, messy washbag looking for your toothbrush, when you’re already late for breakfast! The Osprey Daylite Hanging Toiletry Kit is my kind of washbag, offering plenty of storage without turning the whole thing into an unnecessarily complicated piece of luggage.

With a 4-litre capacity, there’s enough room for everything you need for several days away, while the zipped compartments keep your toiletries neatly separated and easy to find. There’s also a washable liner, which is particularly welcome because, sooner or later, something in a wash bag will leak. It’s one of the immutable laws of travel, somewhere between forgetting your phone charger and discovering the hotel hairdryer has the power of a tired mouse.

As soon as I started filling the Osprey Daylite Hanging Toiletry Kit for my holidays, it was obvious that it had been designed by people who actually travel. There are plenty of different sized pockets so that everything has its place, and there’s enough flexibility to accommodate a decent collection of toiletries without having to play Tetris every time you pack.

The hanging loop is one of my favourite features. Bathrooms in hotels, hostels and campsites aren’t always blessed with acres of useful worktop space, so being able to hang the bag from a shower rail, hook or door handle is incredibly handy. It also means you can see everything at a glance rather than balancing your toiletries precariously on the edge of the sink.

There’s a deep zipped pocket at the top, with a smaller zipped mesh pocket in front of it, while the lower section has another large zipped compartment and two open mesh pockets. These are particularly useful for shower gel and shampoo, keeping them easily accessible when the bag is hanging up in a shower cubicle.

This is also a washbag that can take some abuse. I stuffed it to the point where common sense suggested I should probably stop, then subjected it to the sort of aggressive tugging normally reserved for a stubborn tent zip. It coped brilliantly. There was no strain or fraying on the stitching or fabric, while the zips glided smoothly throughout testing.

The Osprey Daylite Hanging Toiletry Kit is a simple piece of kit, but it’s one that gets the important things right. It has plenty of storage, keeps everything organised, takes up relatively little space and can be hung wherever you need it. Whether you’re heading off for a weekend camping, travelling around the country or simply escaping to a hotel for a few days, it’s a very useful addition to your travel kit.

Why we like it

  • Plenty of pockets and compartments without becoming unnecessarily bulky or complicated
  • 4-litre capacity gives you enough room for toiletries for several days
  • Hanging design is perfect when bathroom space is limited
  • Adjustable strap can be looped over hooks, shower rails, doors or drawer handles
  • Washable liner makes cleaning up inevitable leaks considerably less painful
  • Robust construction stood up well to being stuffed and tugged during testing
  • Made using bluesign® APPROVED, 100% recycled materials

Available in Black and Tan Concrete and has a RRP of £30

ZZ Wipes

beauty, camping, Father's Day, Fitness, Gifts for Him, health, Sport, Stocking Fillers, Summer

Disclaimer: We received the wipes for the purpose of this review but all words and opinions are our own.

If you’re seeking a practical and refreshing solution for staying clean while on the move, ZZWipes individually wrapped mint-scented wipes are a true game-changer. Perfect for camping, travelling, or a quick refresh after a kick around with friends, these wipes are an essential companion to keep you feeling fresh and confident all day long.

The individually wrapped packs are small, discreet, and can be easily slipped into a pocket or wallet, making them incredibly convenient to carry around with you. They are especially handy when space is limited, I can already see them being indispensable on my next backpacking and cycling trips.

The wipes have a minty, refreshing fragrance that leaves you feeling revitalised and clean. The scent is subtle yet effective, providing that extra boost of freshness exactly when you need it. The alcohol free wipes are also designed to be gentle on the skin, which is great news for those with sensitive skin. While they obviously don’t replace a shower or bath, they’re an excellent alternative when you don’t have access to one and I was pleasantly surprised by just how effective they are, leaving me feeling fresh and clean after using a single wipe.

The wipes are reasonably thick, strong, and durable enough to wipe away sweat and grime without tearing. I was impressed by how long they stayed damp, and found a single wipe was sufficient for a quick refresh after exercise or a few hours on a train. My skin dried quickly afterward with no sticky residue, and the minty fragrance was quite invigorating.

These wipes are a must-have for any man who values convenience, cleanliness, and a touch of minty freshness on the go. Whether you’re roughing it in the wilderness or navigating the urban jungle, make sure you have some ZZWipes in your pocket!

A pack of 30 wipes costs £10 and is available from ZZ Wipes

Fieldtrip 10oz Field Cup Set

Birthday Gifts, camping, Christmas, Days Out, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, National Walking Month, Summer, Valentine's Day Gifts

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

May is National Walking month and we’re trying to go for a walk every day, some days it’s just a quick walk after work but at the weekends we are heading further afield and enjoying longer walks in the beautiful countryside.

On our longer walks we always carry a flask of tea or coffee, in winter it’s just what you need to warm you up and there’s nothing better than sitting in the middle of nowhere enjoying a breathtaking view with a brew in your hand.

In the past we’ve just taken a couple of plastic mugs but the arrival of the Field Trip 10oz Field Cup set has certainly upped our game. The double walled stainless steel cups are available in stacks of 4 or 5 and come in a very practical 6oz waxed cotton bag which is hand finished with a stainless steel cord slider.

The insulation is just right for a quick hot drink or even a more leisurely coffee  and most importantly they are really comfortable to hold, unlike the old fashioned metal cups that burnt your hands and lips – most hikers have had at least one bad experience with that style of cup! At 10oz the cup is a good size and is the equivalent to a normal mug that you use at home.

The metal doesn’t hold onto flavours so it can be used for any drink without the flavours being tainted and can also be used as a handy bowl for soup or porridge when camping. The cups are solid, durable, well-made, and a pleasure to drink out of and as they can be stacked in the purpose made bag, they don’t take up much space making them easy to throw in the rucksack or car so we can enjoy a nice brew when we’re out on our adventures.  

We generally only take 2 cups with us so we have found the waxed cotton bag is a great place to store biscuits to enjoy with our brew!

At £59.95 for the 4 cup stack and £67.95 for the 5 cup stack they’re certainly not the cheapest set of cups around but they are made to last and I guarantee you’ll be using these cups for many years to come.

Freshwipes for Summer

Baby, beauty, camping, Children, Days Out, eco friendly, Family Life, Home, Plastic free, Summer

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

As spring is here, I was thinking about what I might need to stock up on now for the summer. Face wipes and antibacterial wipes are essential for my office which has no air conditioning and at our busiest times during the months of May, June and July, we need to keep cool somehow.

Freshwipes are 100% biodegradable wipes and completely plastic free. I abhor plastic in anything so I have always stayed away from any kind of wipes but Freshwipes are in a different league. As a small company, they are s till able to produce disposable wipes that don’t live forever and block up drains and damage wildlife which is why they are still in production even after a ban on all wipes comes into effect.

Freshwipes actually produce a whole range of wipes that are available on the market now. We were sent some of them to test; Antibacterial Mini Wipes, pH Balanced Intimate Wipes and Antibacterial Body Wipes in Coconut, Grapefruit and Unscented versions. All of the wipes are made of viscose, a biodegradable plant-based fabric and are made antibacterial with Chlorohexidine. This means you can have the power of washing with soap (and therefore being antibacterial) but without having to rinse afterwards.

Starting with the Antibacterial Wipes and Intimate Wipes, they measure 20 x 15 centimetres per wipe and come in tamper proof sealed packets of 10.  These are great handbag sized packets which can be taken with you anywhere. The packets seal up again after you use one for either cleaning your hands, cleaning children or even cleaning surfaces if needed. The Intimate Wipes are scent free whilst the Antibacterial Wipes have a slight coconut fragrance to them which in itself is very refreshing.

The Body Wipes are bigger at 20 x 30 centimetres each but also come in tamper proof sealed packets which are resealable. These body wipes are for when you might not be able to get to a shower or bath, like whilst camping, at a festival or if like me you work long hours during the summer. They also refresh your hands and face whilst on a long flight or car journey and the soft texture of the viscose fibre isn’t harsh like a flannel so can be used for taking off suncream after a day at the beach, or excess make up. 

Freshwipes are available in Superdrug, Montain Warehouse and online at Amazon among other places but also have their own store online which includes a starter pack for Freshwipes.

Available for various prices depending on type at: https://www.freshwipes.co.uk/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw3a2iBhCFARIsAD4jQB3CMQ3lZkRxxj9QdPMX9XKp6RZSDxgWUdUavGax9fCTlNNXF7Q9gMoaAoFIEALw_wcB

EcoFlow River 2 Portable Power Station

camping, Days Out, Father's Day, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Summer, Tech

Disclaimer: we received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

We just can’t get away from tech these days, whether it’s a trip to the beach or camping in the Lake District. It seems we can’t do without our gadgets. 

We can all pretty much manage for a day without a charger but if we’re away for longer, then we’re going to need power. Now, a small battery pack will charge a phone but what about bigger devices that require a mains supply?

The River 2 from EcoFlow is a really compact portable power station, the smallest in the EcoFlow range, with a 256Wh capacity and 300W output. The size of a shoe box, it only weighs 3.5kg so is really easy to include when packing for a weekend away or trip in the car.

It is well built, with a flat top so it is easy to pack when travelling. The handle is mounted on the rear of the device which helpfully leaves room for any cables coming out of the back.

Included in the box are two charging leads, a mains charging lead (no adapter required) which takes only an hour to fully recharge the battery, and a car adapter that plugs into the solar connector on the back. Optionally it can be changed through the USB-C connector or for a truly portable option a solar panel can be connected too.

We enjoy going away in our motorhome and much prefer the more remote sites, often with no mains hookup. The sites are peaceful and quiet, but we do sometimes miss a main supply. We do a lot of cycling when we’re away and depending on how far we have ridden my e-bike will need charging, but up until now I have had no way to charge the bike with only a 12v supply. The battery on my bike is 250Ah so using the fully charged River 2 to charge the bike means I can do more cycling when we are on sites with no mains power. I’ve used it to charge my bike a couple of times and founds it only changed up to 90%, I’m not sure why but to be honest 90% is certainly good enough and means I can get another couple of days cycling in when we are away.

A while ago we bought an electric cool box which is great for keeping food and drinks cool when going out with the family. The only problem is whilst I can plug it in when driving, once we’re there we just have to hope it stays cool, with the EcoFlow River 2 I can now leave it plugged in (when set on low (20w) you get 7 hours of use) meaning the drinks are still cold when we get back to the car after a day out.

The EcoFlow River 2 can also be used as a UPS, it has a 30ms switchover so most devices will not notice a power cut and whilst it might not run a PC for too long, it will at least give you time to save your work before shutting down.

I’m going on Scout camp in a few weeks and the EcoFlow River 2 is definitely coming with me, lighting is usually a mixture of small headtorches and large gas lamps but it will be much easier to use a 240v LED flood light. If it works well, I might look at getting the optional solar panel for a daytime recharge whilst we are on camp.

It’s a great device once you know its limits. You’ll not be able to run anything that draws more power such as a cooking device, heater or kettle but for all your tech and low powered devices it’s great. There is a good selection of outputs too, in addition to the 240v socket there are 2 USB-A, 1 USB-C and a 12v “cigarette lighter” too.

I’m really impressed with the EcoFlow River 2, although it is the smallest model in the range, it has a real quality feel and doesn’t lack features. It is controllable with the mobile app using bluetooth or wifi, can be charged in 4 different ways and by using Lithium Iron Phosphate technology, the battery can be discharged 3000 times and should provide years of use.

RRP £269 available here

Fabsil Tent Care Kit

camping, Summer

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

30 years ago, I bought a lightweight hike tent, a Phoenix Phreak. I’ve looked after it and it’s still in great condition but when I used it earlier this year, I noticed that the water was not shedding from the surface like it should. Camping with a soaking wet tent is no fun at all and whilst the tent is old there’s plenty of life left in it – all it needed was a spot of TLC in the form of the Tent Care Kit from Fabsil.

As the tent was a bit grubby, I first used the Tent and Gear Cleaner in a bucket of water to give it a good clean. Simply mix it up, rub the fabric with a sponge and wash off.

Once dry, I moved onto the waterproofing. This needs 6 hours to dry and with the weather as it is at the moment, I decided to pitch the tent in the Scout Hut. Reading the instructions, it seemed quite simple, pitch the tent then brush or spray onto the fabric, following on with a clean cloth to wipe it down. I set to with a 4” paintbrush and starting at the front, worked around the tent. The liquid went on really easily, the instructions warn about maintaining a wet edge, but this was not a problem. 10 minutes later I was done.

I left the tent pitched overnight and brought it home the next morning. I couldn’t help but pitch it in the garden to see if it had worked. I didn’t have to wait long for some rain and was really pleased at the difference it had made. Instead of water soaking into the fabric, it now beads and runs off.

This paint-on liquid replicates the original water-repellent finish found on all kinds of outdoor gear and equipment and guarantees to keep you dry even in the wettest conditions. As well as waterproofing it also adds UV protection so if we do ever see the sun again this summer I know my tent is protected from the elements.

With no end to the rain in sight I’m now ready for my next adventure knowing that my tent will keep me dry.