One of the first questions that will always ring in your mind at the mention of camping is where you will spend the night when you have finished your day of adventure. Hammock camping is just the thing to have if you plan to have an activity that will last for days.

Camping hammocks are designed to offer the comfort you could have enjoyed while at home. Apart from the comfort, the ease with which they are set up or taken down is amazing. If you are not familiar with camping hammocks, you will be eager to know how to choose the most suitable one for you and how to use your camping hammock.

Types of camping hammocks

There are mainly two types of camping hammocks. They are:

1. Gathered-end camping hammocks – These type of camping hammocks are asymmetrical with the ends gathering together to form a single bunch. It is suspended between two points forming a flatter position while sleeping.
2. Bridge camping hammocks – These camping hammocks have non-gathered ends. It is reinforced with a gather bar to form a flat design.

How to choose camping hammocks

A camping hammock is not something that you can just walk into a store and pick. There are features that you must consider before making a purchase. Which season have you planned your camping to take place? This is a very important question that must be answered.
Remember that winter camping hammocks have different features as compared to the summer camping hammock. These form the basis of making a good choice. Are you planning to use bug nets? How do you plan to use the hammock? These are important questions that must be answered before choosing a particular camping hammock.

Below are some of the things you should look for in a camping hammock.

Weight

The best hammock should be light enough to minimize the stress of carrying heavy backpacks. The lightweight hammocks are mainly made of polyester, canvas or cotton. Lighter hammocks are easy to suspend.

The best hammock straps become useful when it comes to the suspension of the camping hammocks. Take note that the lightest models will not be very durable. The size of the hammock is also a contributing factor when it comes to the weight.

Comfort

Your comfort at the campsite is very essential. The hammock should be large enough to accommodate you without straining. The hammock should be able to provide the warmth that is within preferred standards.

Most light models are known to be less warm since a lot of effort has been put on the material at the expense of comfort. There are however some isolated cases where lightweight and comfort have been combined to give the best camping hammock.

The water-repellent features are very important especially on extremely cold or rainy seasons. You cannot afford to spend your money on a product that will have your body completely covered with water when you wake up. This will be probably one of the worst camping experiences ever.

To enjoy a bug-free sleep, you can add a net as an accessory. There are however hammock models that have been designed with bug prevention mechanisms for maximum comfort if the camping area is known for bugs.

Ease of setting up

Hammocks are easy to set up if you have the straps or the best carabiner for a hammock. Without any of these, you will find it difficult to suspend the hammock. The carabiners and straps are known to hold the hammock firmly to the trees or rocks so that incidences of you falling are eliminated in totality.

Once you have these materials with you, the hammock will be easy to suspend in any location so long as the distance between the two anchors, be it trees or rocks, is convenient.

Protection

The hammock should have protective features to keep you safe from natural conditions such as wind and rain. Nylon hammocks are known to be the best when it comes to protection against windy conditions. Some camping hammocks have also been specially designed with underquilts to protect against the winds flowing on the downward side of the hammock.

Protection against any falling bugs from the tree and light rains is very essential as well. Some are even fitted with extra pockets that you can use to store some of your gear that you won’t be using at night.

Benefits of Camping Hammocks

You might be asking yourself why you should go for a hammock instead of a tent. There are lots of reasons why hammocks are preferred when it comes to camping. Some of the benefits you are likely to enjoy are:

1. Having your hammock suspended at least 18 inches off the ground helps keep you away from dangerous creeping animals such as snakes and spiders. They will crawl below the hammock, therefore, leaving you safe.
2. You will be comfortable as you will be away from the uneven grounds, rocks and roots that are often associated with most fields. Having the hammock is the best way to keep from such discomfort. Your body will enjoy comfort in its entirety.
3. Muck-free and dry sleep all night. The raising keeps you from floods and debris. You will not need to do any cleaning when you wake up making it even more convenient.
4. The hammocks are easy and quick to set up. Once you have proper straps and carabiners, you will be done with the setup in a few minutes and have enough time to concentrate on other activities.
5. Hammocks are known to endure all kinds of weather making them durable. You will, therefore, use them for many camping activities more than you have thought. The carabiners and straps alike are also made from long-lasting materials.

Conclusion

Camping is a perfect way to get to relax and enjoy yourself away from the busy daily lives. Your comfort and safety throughout the entire period are very essential. That is why you need to choose the best hammock available as this will be your bed for the entire period. This is the reason why I had to stress on the need for the best and how you can find one.

I hope that you enjoyed reading this article and above all, you managed to learn something new so that the next time you go camping you get the best experience.

If you are thinking of going camping with your boyfriend or girlfriend, you might want to buy a double camping hammock and read these top tips for going camping with your boyfriend.
​Buy Camping Hammocks on Amazon

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Things to Take Camping

Camping Kit List of Things to Take Camping

– Tent
– Mallet
– Stove
– Fuel for the stove (e.g. gas cylinders)
– Tools for connecting fuel to stove
– Fridge or cool box
– Mains electrical hookup (this should have both an Residual Current Detector trip and Breaker switch)
– Groundsheet for the doorway to the tent
– Groundsheet for inside the tent
– Sleeping bags
– Airbeds or carrymats
– Pump for inflating airbeds
– Table for stove
– Table for preparing food
– Kettle
– Toaster
– Light
– Torches
– Spare batteries for torches
– Foldaway picnic table with seats
– Matches
– Picnic mats or rugs for sitting on and for acting as a carpet in the tent
– Duvets
– Pillows
– Blankets
– Folding chairs
– Windbreak
– Portable TV
– Radio
– Heater
– Chopping Board
– Kitchen Cutlery
– Water Containers
– Plates
– Bowls
– Cutlery
– Cups or Mugs
– Saucepans
– Frying Pan
– Ice blocks for coolbox
– Black permanent marker pen for writing your name on the ice blocks (for when you are refreezing them with everyone elses’)
– Kitchen Roll
– Insulated mugs with lids
– Insect Repellent
– Bin Liners
– Washing up Bowl
– Tea Towel
– Towels
– Washing up Liquid
– Clothes Washing Liquid
– Washing Line
– Pegs for washing
– Soap
– Washing up cloths and scourers
– First Aid Kit
– Travel Games
– Portable DVD Player and DVDs, mains lead
– Wellies
– Mobile phone charger
– Hot Water Bottle
– Flask
– Pop Up rubbish Bin
– Pop Up Storage bins
– Swimming Costumes
– Waterproofs
– Coats
– Beach Toys
– Camera
– Mirror
– Hairdryer
– Clothes

This is an excellent list of what things to take camping, but if you can think of anything that has been missed from this family camping kit list, then email Active Outdoors with your suggestion, or post it on Facebook.

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If you want some helpful hints and advice on going camping with your boyfriend or girlfriend, then read our article Camping with your boyfriend or girlfriend.

There is a huge range of affordable tents and camping gear available from Amazon. Have a look and you will find some great offers delivered to your door.

The post Family Camping Kit Checklist appeared first on Active Outdoors.

Take the right things

Make sure you take the right things camping with you. My camping kit checklist has a list of what to take camping with you. You will need a tent that is easy to erect, camp cooking equipment for some lovely meals, and a decent sleeping bag that keeps you cosy and warm.

The most popular things that people buy to take with them camping include:

• Dome or pop up tent. Pop up tents are easy to erect but can be quite entertaining to get back in the bag
• Sleeping bags, or even a double camping hammock. A camping hammock is great fun for couples, especially trying to get in together without falling out
• Portable camping stove. Cooking together on a stove is a good way to get close and share the experience.  Cooking makes things easier if you are not sure of what to talk about.  The focus will be on talking about the food and this makes the experience of camping with your boyfriend so much more relaxed
• Coleman Soft Cooler. A cooler is very useful for keeping the essential food items cool, such as milk, butter and cans of drink
• Insect Repellent. There are lots of critters out there that bite, unless you have some insect repellent.
• A portable outdoor LED lantern or headlamp for camping. You are going to need to see in the dark, and lanterns and headlamps are great for being able to see without having to hold the torch
• Camping chairs. Unless you are happy sitting on the ground, if you can fit one in, take a camping chair.

How long are you going camping for?

If you are planning for being away overnight camping with your boyfriend or girlfriend for the first time, you may be better off taking them camping for just one or two nights to start with. Camping with someone can be quite an intense experience if you don’t know each other that well. Personal habits and preferences become quite obvious, and you want the time to help to develop a great relationship together.

Be patient and understanding. You are both learning about each other as well as how to go camping. If one of you burns dinner, don’t get upset over it or blame each other. These things happen. See if the meal can be salvaged, or go and find a takeaway. Perhaps you may end up sharing the big packet of your favourite biscuits that you remembered to take with you.

Choose where you want to go camping

This is a very important tip. Depending on where you are in your relationship and how your relationship is viewed by your friends, choose where you are going to go camping according to how much privacy you want. If you don’t want your friends to know, you may want to camp in your own backyard. This does have the drawback of having parents around. Then again, it can be a benefit as they can do some of the cooking, and if it rains you can always go indoors.

A public campsite allows you and your boyfriend or girlfriend to get away from everyone you know. There is always the risk of bumping into friends though where ever you decide to camp. You probably don’t want a campsite that has lots of families camping.

You will also need to think about how you and your boyfriend or girlfriend are going to get to the campsite. Is it close enough to hike? If so, how are you going to carry all of your camping kit there? You could arrange for your parents to drop it off while you both walk. Check out whether you can get there by public transport. If all else fails, your parents are bound to give you a lift. You may just have to ignore any awkward questions they may ask about the two of you sleeping overnight together.

You may want to choose a campsite that has proper flushing toilets and shower blocks. It can be a bit too much to deal with if you are trying to look your best for your boyfriend or girlfriend and you only have the woods around you.

How to look like you know all about camping

If you have never been camping before, it is best to practice a few things before you go. Ideally you will want to:

1. Know how to erect your tent
2. Know how to use the stove
3. Know how to cook the basics – beans, boil veg, make a hot drink
4. Know how to keep food fresh and cool

Boys tend to want to show off how well they can erect a tent. So, boys, make sure that you know how to put up a tent before you go. Girls, be supportive of your boyfriend’s attempts to put up the tent! Laughing at him while he struggles to get all of the poles in place is not a helpful way to start your camping trip.

If you are borrowing someone else’s tent, then make sure you practice putting the tent up. Perhaps you might want to practice with your girlfriend. You can then share the learning experience. It all depends on your self confidence.

If you are going to do any cooking, you will definitely want to practice how to use the stove. There are several different types of camping stove available, and each one behaves in a different way. Get used to how quickly they cook food. That way you are less likely to burn things. Always use your stove away from the tent. Tents burn down in seconds, so ensure that you cook away from the tent.

Make sure that you know how to cook the basic things such as beans, and how to make a hot drink. Also, make sure that you take the food with you that both you and your boyfriend or girlfriend like. Be careful during the summer, as food can go off if left in the heat of the day. Dairy products and meat need to be kept cool. Chocolate will usually melt, so be careful.

What to wear camping with your boyfriend

Summer Skater Dresses

One of the easiest things to wear camping is a lightweight floral skater dress.  Very popular in summer and will keep you cool while looking good.  Just be careful if you have to crawl into the tent that you don’t reveal too much.

Warm Knitted Jumpers

When the sun goes down and it gets dark, temperature usually drops quite a lot.  You will need something warm and cosy to wear when camping whilst you snuggle up romantically with your boyfriend.  Your priority is to keep yourself warm.  He is just there to help.  Turtleneck knitted jumpers are lovely and warm.

Jeggings and Leggings

Jeans are a popular things to wear camping, but for additional comfort and figure hugging, a pair of leggings are just the thing.

Camping Nightwear

What you wear at night when camping will depend on the time of year and how warm your sleeping bag (and boyfriend) is.  For a spot of fun, onesies are always a laugh, but you will need to gauge what your boyfriend thinks of them first.  Pyjama shorties are one of the best options of things to wear.  Comfortable, roomy and warm.  The set pictured above is the best selling set on Amazon.

Making camping fun with your boyfriend or girlfriend

That’s the essentials covered, now for some ideas of things to do with your boyfriend or girlfriend while camping.

Go exploring

You and your partner can go exploring. If you are hiking to the campsite, stop for lunch on the way and just enjoy the scenery. Take a little something special to eat that you know your boyfriend or girlfriend loves, for example their favourite biscuits or sweets. You may want to take a camera with you to record your adventure. Make sure that you don’t take any photos of your girlfriend in the morning before she has made herself look presentable. If you do she will hate you for it.

If your campsite is near the sea, you have lots of wonderful opportunities for spending time together on the beach. Remember the sunscreen. It is lovely to have the one you love rub sunscreen onto your skin.

Visit a place of interest

Find out about the local area before you go and choose a few places to visit that you might both like. Perhaps you may find a castle to explore, or some romantic walks. Maybe there is an open air concert or other outdoor event that you could visit.

Take a frisbee or ball

Take a frisbee or ball with you to play throw and catch. Great fun in the sun.

Take a pack of cards

A pack of cards or a board game can be a pleasant way to spend time with your boyfriend when you take them camping. Remember you are having fun, so don’t get too competitive.

Take a good book

You will both need a bit of time to yourself now and then. Taking a book with you will allow you to be in your own head for a while. You can read your book while leaning on your snoozing boyfriend in the sun.

Go swimming

Find out if there is a beach or lake near where you are camping so you can go wild swimming. The campsite may even have its own pool.

Go for a romantic picnic with a view

Go for a romantic walk with your girlfriend. Take a picnic, and enjoy some country scenery.

Go horse riding

Check if there are any riding stables near where you are camping. It can be a wonderful shared experience going horse riding together. It is another thing you can talk about later when it gets dark.

Talking the night away

You will find that much of your day is spend whiling away the hours wandering up to the shop for milk, or fetching water. After a fun day of activities in the outdoors, you will most likely spend the evening chilling out and talking. Talking is good. It could be a very good opportunity to get to know each other better.

Stargazing at night

Camping away from the city lights enables you to see the sky much better. Lie down outside your tent with the lights off and do some stargazing. You will be amazed at how bright they are. You may even see satellites or shooting stars while you are camping with your boyfriend or girlfriend.

Lastly, as a word of warning, be very aware that if you have your torch on in your tent at night it will cast your shadow onto the side of the tent for all to see!  That’s not the sort of image you want on Instagram.

What does Everyone Else Want to Know About Now?

These are the top 3 things that everyone else reads next:

• Family Camping Checklist
• Boyfriend and Girlfriend Summer Bucket List
• Fun Things to do With Your Boyfriend or Girlfriend Outdoors

The post Tips For Things to do While Camping With Your Boyfriend or Girlfriend appeared first on Active Outdoors.

LED torches are fantastic inventions. The technology is so good now that you can buy a high powered LED torch that fits into your pocket or handbag and has the power to shine so bright that it looks like daylight. At 200 lumens, the LED Lenser P7 and LED Lenser T7 from Amazon.co.uk are some of the best high power pocket torches that you can buy.
As we move into Autumn and Winter, coming home in the dark can be a real bind. I am not particularly fussed about walking my dog across woods and fields in the dark, but there are times when you need a little bit more light on the situation. Catching the unexpected tree branch or bramble around the face is something best avoided.

Making a Pocket Sized LED Torch

As I am always out and about walking the dog in all weathers, I began to get a bit fed up of not being able to see where I was going due to either a crap beam on a pocket torch, or carrying a 6 D cell Maglite that is huge. You can’t see where you are going. Also, you can’t see where your dog has gone sniffing. You can’t see who may be up ahead. It is very useful to have that peace of mind of having the best LED torch small enough to fit into a pocket or bag that actually provides enough light to see at a distance of over 100m.

I spend quite a bit of time looking at pocket torches before finding the best one for me. A lot of LED torches use button batteries. The torches are great, but replacing the batteries is expensive. I wanted a small torch with a powerful adjustable beam (spotlight to floodlight) that was water resistant, durable and used AAA batteries.

After looking around at pocket torches for quite a while, I bought myself a LED Lenser P7. The P7 LED torch shines a good 200m on new batteries. The limitation tends to be moisture in the air causing the beam to reflect.

Unlike some other torches such as Maglites, the LED Lenser has a much more intense beam. The LED Lenser P7 and T7 have a handy quick focussing head. All you have to do is slide the LED torch head up and it goes from floodlight to spotlight. It turns on using a push button on the end of the LED torch. Once for high beam, again for low beam, and again to turn the LED torch off.

High Powered LED Torch Battery Life

Another great feature is that it gives you up to 130 hours of light from 4 AAA batteries that come with the torch. Some other torches need button batteries. You will find that these type of high powered LED torches soon use up the batteries. Having a LED torch that uses AAA batteries is very convenient when you need to replace the batteries. Also, having a LED torch that has 4 AAA batteries gives you plenty of hours of light. The P7 LED Lenser torch comes with a pouch that you can use to clip onto a bag or go on your belt. It also has a wrist strap.

A Small High Powered LED Torch for Walking the Dog

I wouldn’t be without my P7 LED torch. Walking the dog at night is much easier. Even though my dog has a high visibility flashing dog collar, you often lose track of him at a distance in the dark. I can see him quite easily with the LED Lenser P7, and it is also very useful to make sure I don’t fall over in the dark, especially when you want to see what you are walking in and if you need to clean up after your dog.

Pocket Torch Also Fits on Your Bike

You can see exactly where it has gone from a long way away. I also bought the LED Lenser bike mount. This means that I can use the LED lenser torch on my mountain bike at night. It is good enough that you can cycle off road in the dark and see far enough ahead to avoid dangerous obstacles and holes. I haven’t used any of my Maglites since.

Another great LED torch is the Surefire. These LED torches are made with just as good quality but are more expensive.

Which LED torch to buy?

I am still using my LED Lenser P7 four years on as the only torch I use. Dog walking, camping, working at night, it is the torch to have. I also use it on my mountain bike for cycling off road in the dark. In the US, you can buy LED Lenser pocket torch from Amazon.com.

The Mini 300 Lumen Q5 Cree pocket torch

You can now get an even smaller high powered LED torch to fit in your pocket. The Mini 300 Lumen CREE LED Torch from Amazon is waterproof, and uses only one AA battery. It is a best seller on Amazon, and has 5 star reviews from nearly 500 people. If you read some of the reviews though, using a 1.5v AA battery will last only two hours. Using the correct 3.7v battery which costs more than the torch itself will be much brighter and last longer. A great stocking filler, but I would rather have a pocket torch that lasted for a long time.

Cheap High Power LED Pocket Torch for under £10

If the LED Lenser is a bit too pricy for you, I have also bought the [amazon_link asins=’B00RCUZ2CC’ template=’AOProductLink’ store=’activoutdo-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’c6b0f1d4-6e30-11e7-91e4-7594b5b30e24′] for only [amazon_link asins=’B00RCUZ2CC’ template=’PriceLink’ store=’activoutdo-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’d3d533dc-6e30-11e7-8087-433e73648fc9′] from Amazon. The quality is great, it only takes three AAA batteries, and the 2000 Lumen beam is brilliant. It has an adjustable focus just like the LED Lenser. The only difference is that I would say that with a lot of rough use, the LED Lenser would definitely last longer. I have bought the Ever Cree LED Torch as a gift for friends, and they always keep it in their handbags or coat pocket. Ideal for those moments in the cinema or concert when you drop stuff on the floor in the dark and can’t find it.

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