Family Camping

As the school holidays come to an end, the family campers go back in to hibernation to make way for the retired couples in motor homes, and the guys without young children. These people will keep us busy until around October when only the hardy campers stick it out! But this September launches me personally into the family camping world as our first child arrives...any time from now really.

So for years I have sold family camping equipment, but rarely used it, sticking more to the lightweight side of things, but you be assured that I will be giving most our kit a good old testing in the years to come! Family camping instantly gives the image of a large camp site, perhaps a tad rowdy, in a huge tent and every starage device available! But some friends of mine actually do wild family camping in the lakes, and that appeals to me... They will take three young children hiking and camp up in the mountains for a few nights, and they love it! Yes they will carry some extra kit, but how much stuff will a child really need? An extra spork and a tiny sleeping bag is surely most of it?

I think hiking and camping with young children can only be great fun, I know I loved it when I was a nipper, though I think I'll hold back on popping a child seat on the mountain bike, that can never end well.

Repel the mozzies not the ladies

Just a short post about a little impromptu experiment I conducted a little while ago in the depths of the Honduras rainforests. A few years ago I found my self in the jungle, it was a planned trip rather than a predator style situation, and I was prepared with my mozzy repellent and Avon skin so soft. I wasn't too keen on using a product with 'soft' and 'skin' on the bottle but this would be a one off use so I bit the bullet. It seemed to work for a couple of days, but then me being daft I forgot to put any on, both the proper repellent and the questionable cream that is. However what I didn't forget was the Lynx Africa roll on, we need to smell fresh in the jungle. Not a single bite at the end of the day, so I decided to give it ago the next day on purpose, same again. With the other stuff applied I got a couple of bites, but the Lynx not only made me irresistible to ladies, but kept me bite, and therefore itch, free! I repeated this test for nearly two weeks with what can only be described as positive results. So a top tip there, can't find your midgey stuff or soft stuff, pop and grab some lynx.