2011 TENT SALE, Prices slashed on Vango and Outwell Tents

We have slashed our tent prices!! Thinking about a new tent or can't resist a bargin, now is the time to buy. See our website www.cwtents.co.uk and go to our sale section you won't believe our prices! We are the cheapest around but hurry it is while stocks last.
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New 2011 Tents are Arriving

Our first tent delivery has arrived and it contains the Gelert Atlantis 4.  It is a great 4 berth family tunnel tent which is very easy to pitch. Our Vango delivery is due next week so keep an eye out for updates.  Check out our website for the great introductory offer on the Gelert Atlantis 4 - http://www.cwtents.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_4&products_id=562

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Important not to all Climbers

Important Note to all Climbers - Petzl have recently discovered in China illegal copies of some of there products. Non as yet have been found in the UK but protect yourself by only purchasing your equipment from an offical Petzl retailer like ourselves. For more information check www.petzl.com.

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Taking Your Kids Camping!

Whether your family are hardened regular campers or complete novices it can be a daunting thought to take young children away from home for any length of time. The Outdoor and Camping industry have however created a range of products to make family camping a safe and enjoyable experience for all ages.

Camp sites can be categorised into two main groups. The commercial sites generally provide more facilities and on site services and the more traditional camping sites that don’t necessarily provide as many amenities but do have a more relaxed attitude and are more flexible with tent arrangements (pitch sizes and canopies/shelter). The freedom the less commercial sites provide is often revered by families who like space and flexibility in their camping. The commercial sites are however obviously more popular and do provide the families with some of the home comforts such as toilet/shower blocks and changing facilities. These can be vital especially for novice campers who don’t like the thought of back to basics camping; the facilities can equally produce a more pleasurable experience allowing relaxation and a more comfortable feeling in the camping surroundings. Essentially both types of sites are suited to taking young children away however it is also important to remember that you may need to take more equipment with you on less commercial sites.

The outdoor manufacturers have also been keen to adapt their products to meet the needs of families with young children. With adaptable bedroom/sleeping compartments in tents the parents/carers of the children can change the sleeping arrangements as needs change and the children grow up.

The Outwell brand in particular has been ground breaking in its development of “Outwell Kids”, a range of kid’s products to enhance the camping experience as the children grow up. The range includes items from water bottles, chairs and sleeping bags to specific Kids inner tents which hang inside the tent allowing the children to have their own specific space.

Other brands have also been keen to enhance the camping experience for children and Vango have launched a range of Outdoor games to run alongside their range of children’s and baby sleeping bags which have been successful for a number of years.

When going camping with children it is important to remember some key things to help with a successful trip.

·         Buy a tent with plenty of living area allowing you to have room inside to keep the kids entertained if the weather is not particularly good. Have a contingency plan of local attractions based on all types of weather and take games and fun things to do on the site itself.

·         Choose a tent that you are capable of pitching; there is nothing worse than having a tent which is too hard to put up especially when surrounded by children. A smaller tent is always useful to act as a play tent while you are pitching the main family tent.

·         Have a bedroom configuration which is adaptable to your needs, small children will often need to sleep with parents/carers in the strange surroundings, as the children grow you can give independence with individual rooms or dividing curtains. Think about the next few years not just the present when deciding which is best.

·         Groundsheet footprints protectors for tents as well as carpets can make the tent a warmer more comfortable environment to spend time in and makes the tent easier to clean, maintain and therefore last longer.

·         More than one entrance to a tent and porch areas ensures mud and dirt is prevented from getting into the tent and also means a kid safe entrance can be nominated if, for example, you are cooking outside a doorway.

·         Storage cupboards/cooking stations and baskets all help to keep the tent tidy from clutter and therefore safe and child friendly.

·         Remember camping is about family fun so try and make the experience as positive as possible with colourful child friendly accessories and games.

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Website Sale Bonanza

Look on our website for bargains on 2010 tents, footprints and carpets.  Great savings on Outwell, Robens, Easy Camp and Vango Tents.  Limited stock available so hurry while stocks last.

http://www.cwtents.co.uk/

It's windy and cold but sunny.

It is a common misconception that your waterproof will keep you warm. Unless you wear/zip in a insulating layer your waterproof will only keep you dry and cut out the wind.  Even though a waterproof will act as a windproof as well it will not stop the cold air chilling you down.  So when its cold and windy but its sunny there is no need for a waterproof, what you need is a good insulating layer that will provide you with protection from the wind and the cold.

Fleece is probably the most well known insulator, the fleece traps air which your body heats and therefore keeps you warm.  However a standard fleece is not windproof so you could still be chilly in windy conditions. Fleece can be relatively inexpensive compared to the likes of down and Primaloft and will last forever if you invest in a decent one.

Primaloft has been growing in popularity over the last few years and has been dubbed the next best thing to down.  It is a synthetic product so will still keep you warm when wet, although it does have good hydrophobic properties so will perform well if you get caught out.  It is extremely lightweight and packs down very small making it a great piece to have in you rucksack if it gets cold on the hills.  It is certainly not as warm as down but will give you good protection especially in circumstances where it is cold but not so cold that it can't be wet, which is when down would give you a problem.

Down is most definitely the warmest and most expensive out of the three types of insulation I have mentioned.  But for those winter days and nights when you are inactive and standing around it will certainly give you that all important warmth.  A down jacket will also usually get too warm if you are hiking or doing a fairly strenuous activity in the normal winter British climate. There is also the worry of down becoming wet as all warmth properties are lost which is where primaloft does score when compared to down.

I would say that if you didn't what to spend a lot then fleece would be the insulation of choice, however I would recommend investing in a good one for example using polartec as it will certainly last you along and will look better for longer as well.  Polartec does not bobble/pill which means it will not get that horrible worn bobbled look that cheap fleeces get after the first few times of wearing them.  Primaloft is certainly versatile with its warmth and water resistant properties but not as warm as down.  Down is expensive but it will give you that instant toasty feeling which is great on very cold days.

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Paramo or Goretex

It is the age old question when thinking of buying a new jacket, do you go for Paramo or a membrane jacket.  As with most garments there are advantages and disadvantages to both and it really depends on your needs and the activities you will be using it for.  Below it will be discussed the benefits and draw backs of both types of jackets and hopefully help in the making of your decision.

Paramo was established in 1992 and has been extremely successful in producing a very unique garment.  Paramo works very differently to membrane jackets, mainly due to the fact that there is no membrane.  It uses a unique pump liner which actively moves water away from you creating a very breathable, comfortable jacket, in fact one of the most breathable jackets on the market. Whereas a membrane jacket to breathe efficiently needs a heat gradient, it needs you to be warm and the outside temperature to be cold.  If this gradient doesn't exist for example on a humid day then your membrane jacket will not breath as efficiently, this limitation does not exist with a Paramo jacket the pump liner will move water whatever the temperature gradient.

With Paramo not having a membrane it also means that in the unfortunate event that you damage your jacket all is not lost.  The tag line is you can put a hundred pin pricks into a Paramo garment and it will still be just as waterproof, this is due to the pump liner and its ability to move water.  Above are just some of the advantages of a Paramo jacket, the main down side is that compared to a membrane jacket it will be generally heavier and bulkier, due to the use of the unique pump liner

Membrane jackets can come in a variety of different fabrics like Goretex, Event and Sympatex but most manufactures have there own version covering a wide price point with variations of breathability.  The choices of styles, colours and brands that are available in membrane jackets is vast. You would be hard pushed not to find a garment you like within a certain price point that meets your criteria.  With the amount of choice on the market it can sometimes be difficult to determine the one that fits your needs the best or why there is such a wide range of prices.  One point to look for when buying a membrane jacket is to look at the waterproof taping inside the jacket.  Although the fabric itself is breathable the taping is not, so if the taping is wide and the jacket has a lot of seams the breathable surface area is significantly reduced therefore reducing the jackets breathability.

Membrane jackets unlike Paramo generally will pack down small and can easily fit into the top of your rucksack without adding a huge amount of extra weight.  Membrane jackets tend to be more actively cut enabling large range of movement when you need it the most, meaning they are great for activities like climbing, cycling or anything where range of movement is essential.

As you can see both Paramo and membrane jackets will provide you with extremely good protection from the elements whatever the activity you are enjoying.  The systems are both very different and it will depend on what you want from your jacket as to which you will lean towards.  In store we have a wide range of both products and can talk you through some of the points that we haven't had time to mention above.

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