With festival season well and truly upon us, we thought it would be a good time to rustle up a list of our top 10 festival essentials. Things you really can't do without, unless of course you plan on wallowing around in the mud for 4 days without any sleep at all.
1. Tent (duh). Without this, you won't have anywhere to sleep. That could be an issue. I guess you could claim squatters rights in a toilet cubicle for the night, but the horrific smell might make that rather unappealing. You will need a cheap, ree-usable tent, nothing too elaborate.
2. Wellies. It's going to be muddy, lets face it. Sure, the weather forecast for the week before has been unbroken sunshine, but in your heart you just know that come festival weekend it's going to be raining cats and dogs. As above, you don't need to spend a fortune, rubber wellies will be perfectly fine.
3. Water Bottle / Carrier. We don't need to bore you with facts, but on this occasion we will anyway. Water makes up 2/3 of our bodyweight, so keeping hydrated is essential. Yes, clever clogs, beer is basically 95% water, but it doesn't hydrate you like water, in fact alcohol will actively dehydrate you. Those 10 pints that you thought were a good idea at the time will result in a net loss of around 1 litre of water from your body. Drinking water throughout the day will keep you hydrated and help avoid a nasty hangover that will confine you to your tent for the entirety of Sunday, missing your favourite headline act.
4. Sleeping Bag. Getting a good night's kip will ensure you wake up as fresh as a daisy, and ready for another day of partying hard! Most UK festivals take place in the summer months, so a 2 season sleeping bag should suffice.
5. Roll Mat. You can't see any stones beneath your tent, and there certainly weren't any when you pitched it - but I can assure you, when you try sleeping, a whole herd (?) of stones will magically appear from out of no where. A roll mat not only offers protection from stones and hard ground, it also offers insulation.
6. Wash Kit. Living care-free for 4 days without washing may sound fun, but in reality by day 3 your hair will be full of mud, beer and other, unconfirmed fluids and feel pretty damn disgusting. The Pits and Bits wash kit is perfect for festivals, with it's rinse free shampoo! It also includes a toothbrush.
7. Toothbrush. Because you don't want your mates to tag your photos on Facebook with the kebab from the previous night that has got stuck in your teeth.
8. Folding Chair. After a long day on your feet, it's nice to return to your tent and relax - you may even make that "Ahhhh" sound that accompanies a well deserved sit down. By all means treat yourself to a folding chair with a drinks holder.
9. Sledge. Bare with me on this one! At certain festivals, the distance between the car park and the festival campsite can be approximately 378 miles, over terrain that you would expect to find during an expedition up Kilimanjaro. Ok, I'm exaggerating, it's a short walk along a tarmac pavement - but with a ton of beer, tents and everything else listed above, you'll want something to help get it safely to the camp site. Obviously making two trips to the car just isn't an option. A cheap sledge does the job perfectly.
10. Ear Plugs. Because your mate in the tent next door snores like a rhino. That, and the fact there's always someone up at 4am walking to the toilet with what sounds like his own personal marching band.
I know I said 10, but this one really is rather important...
10 + 1. Toilet Roll. Don't forget it, just don't. In fact, pack it now whilst you remember.
So there we have it. Everything you need to survive (perhaps even enjoy!) a festival. Obviously there's personal belongings (and your ticket..) you'll probably want to consider as well, such as money for over-priced food (you could take a stove and some tins of beans, wayfayrer meals etc).
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| Festival season is in full swing! |
So, lets begin. I'll list them in order of importance from VERY to, errr... VERY.2. Wellies. It's going to be muddy, lets face it. Sure, the weather forecast for the week before has been unbroken sunshine, but in your heart you just know that come festival weekend it's going to be raining cats and dogs. As above, you don't need to spend a fortune, rubber wellies will be perfectly fine.5. Roll Mat. You can't see any stones beneath your tent, and there certainly weren't any when you pitched it - but I can assure you, when you try sleeping, a whole herd (?) of stones will magically appear from out of no where. A roll mat not only offers protection from stones and hard ground, it also offers insulation.I know I said 10, but this one really is rather important...
So there we have it. Everything you need to survive (perhaps even enjoy!) a festival. Obviously there's personal belongings (and your ticket..) you'll probably want to consider as well, such as money for over-priced food (you could take a stove and some tins of beans, wayfayrer meals etc).
If you're looking for a sleep mat that is suitable for year round use, the Thermarest NeoAir Xtherm R and the Thermarest Prolite Plus R should definitely be on your short list (infact, they may well be all that is on your short list!).
So, what are the major differences between these two mattresses? Well, other than the fact they're both 4 season mattresses, they don't really have a lot in common. The Prolite Plus has the obvious advantage of being self-inflating, which can be a great benefit if you don't fancy busting a lung blowing up your bed, once you've erected your tent, all after a long day out on the hills.
If weight and pack size are your major concerns, you can't really beat the NeoAir Xtherm R. It packs down to 20 x 9cm (compared to 25 x 13cm of the Prolite Plus R), and weighs a measly 430g (the Prolite Plus isn't exactly back-breaking at only 620g, but for ultra-light backpackers, every gram counts - and shaving off almost 200g is an opportunity not to be missed).
Another specification worth taking into consideration is the R-Value of these sleep mats. Although both are classed as 4 season mattresses, the NeoAir Xtherm offers far greater insulation from the ground (an R-Value of 5.7, in comparison to 3.8 for the Prolite Plus), this is due to fact the NeoAir Xtherm offers a sleeping height of 2.5 inches from the ground and utilises a "Triangular Core Matrix" construction, providing more than 10x the amount of individual air chambers compared to a traditional air mattress.
Lastly we come to the price. Well, luckily for you - we offer both of these mattresses for well below the SRP. The Thermarest Prolite Plus R comes in at £74.99 (SRP: £99.99) and the NeoAir Xtherm follows at £123.99 (SRP: £150.00).
So, if you're looking for a comfortable, insulating, lightweight and extremely packable mattress, both of these will certainly do the trick. For those looking for the advantage of a self-inflating mattress, the Prolite Plus R is the one to go for. If you're into lightweight backpacking and would rather inflate your mattress in the evening than carry the extra 200g all day, there really is no better option than the Thermarest Neoair Xtherm mattress.
View the entire Thermarest Fast and Light range.
So, what are the major differences between these two mattresses? Well, other than the fact they're both 4 season mattresses, they don't really have a lot in common. The Prolite Plus has the obvious advantage of being self-inflating, which can be a great benefit if you don't fancy busting a lung blowing up your bed, once you've erected your tent, all after a long day out on the hills.
If weight and pack size are your major concerns, you can't really beat the NeoAir Xtherm R. It packs down to 20 x 9cm (compared to 25 x 13cm of the Prolite Plus R), and weighs a measly 430g (the Prolite Plus isn't exactly back-breaking at only 620g, but for ultra-light backpackers, every gram counts - and shaving off almost 200g is an opportunity not to be missed).
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| Thermarest NeoAir XTherm Mattress |
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| Thermarest Prolite Plus Mattress |
So, if you're looking for a comfortable, insulating, lightweight and extremely packable mattress, both of these will certainly do the trick. For those looking for the advantage of a self-inflating mattress, the Prolite Plus R is the one to go for. If you're into lightweight backpacking and would rather inflate your mattress in the evening than carry the extra 200g all day, there really is no better option than the Thermarest Neoair Xtherm mattress.
View the entire Thermarest Fast and Light range.
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Tilley Hats have been around for donkeys years. That doesn't mean to say they're old fashioned, on the contrary in fact. We've just had the New Tilley Outback Hat arrive with us, and it's a beautiful specimen, wouldn't you agree?
Let's take a more in depth look. This particular Tilley Hat (the Outback TWC6) features a modern waxed cotton finish, making it incredibly tough and hard wearing. Over time the wax coating will develop a leather-like appearance, that will add a certain vintage style to it's appeal.
Oh, and then there's Tilley's guarantee - You just don't see a guarantee like this on goods nowadays. In fact, it's so rare, I've photographed it as proof!
Let's take a more in depth look. This particular Tilley Hat (the Outback TWC6) features a modern waxed cotton finish, making it incredibly tough and hard wearing. Over time the wax coating will develop a leather-like appearance, that will add a certain vintage style to it's appeal.
Oh, and then there's Tilley's guarantee - You just don't see a guarantee like this on goods nowadays. In fact, it's so rare, I've photographed it as proof!
I think you can make it out from the photo, but if not I'll spell it out:- Insured against loss
- Guaranteed for life
- Replaced for FREE if it ever wears out
- It also floats, ties on, repels rain, blocks UV rays (UPF 50+ on this bad boy!) and it won't shrink.
We've just taken delivery of our new range of Mammut sleeping bags. Mammut (also known as Ajungilak) offer a wide range of sleeping bags, covering even the harshest conditions. From ultralight bags, to expedition bags - there's something in the new Mammut range to suit everyone's needs.
