As you may have seen on our main site and across social media, we're running a HUGE tent giveaway and showcase weekend this coming Saturday and Sunday.

We've got over £200 of camping gear to giveaway, as well as numerous tent competitions.

We're open from 9pm until 6pm on Saturday, and 10am until 4pm on Sunday.

We've got new season tents on display, and we'll be showcasing a few other new season products, including:

• New Vango gear and tents
• Cobb BBQ equipment
• Win a Terra Nova Laser 20 backpack
• Lots of lightweight and family tents

The UK government has announced new plans to safeguard the future of our National Parks, and their iconic landscapes.

Image source: familyadventureproject.org

The new Plan for National Parks encourages the engagement of young people throughout their education, including bringing more than 80,000 primary school children to the National Parks, putting National Parks in the curriculum at secondary school, doubling the number of youth volunteers in National Parks as part of the National Citizen Service in their first steps to employment, and doubling apprenticeships in National Parks by 2020.

Around 30 million people in England live within an hour of a National Park, the plans aim to bring more diverse visitors to the National Parks. The aim is to generate 100 million visitors, which in turn will deliver around £440 million to local businesses, adding to the £4 billion already generated by National Parks. Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss, said:

[The] National Parks already welcome over 90 million visitors every year and make a major contribution to our vibrant rural economy - but too many children in our country are not aware of these natural wonders...our beautiful lakes and dales, moors and fells are a symbol of this country, part of our British identity...[and] by instilling a love of nature in our young people and building thriving communities in every National Park, our plan will allow these unique spaces to flourish for generations to come.

For more information, please visit the Plan For National Parks page at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-parks-8-point-plan-for-england-2016-to-2020

Did you know that we are one of the few independent Paramo stockists near London?

Yep, it's true. In fact we are the closest store just outside London to stock Paramo jackets, pull ons, and waterproof trousers.



We are based between Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamsted, around 30 miles and a 45 minute drive from central London.

So if you're based in Luton, Aylesbury, North London, Watford, come and see us for all your Paramo gear. 

Down jackets are great pieces of outdoor clothing. They are ideal for cold and dry days, but are generally not be suitable for wear in heavy rain.

A down filled jacket is insulated with the soft feathers from duck or geese. Down is a fantastic insulator as the down (mix of feathers together) creates loads of tiny air pockets which trap warm air and retain heat, thus keeping the wearer toasty warm.

HOW TO WEAR A DOWN JACKET

This may seem like a silly question to many of you, but the reason for this post is because we've seen some outrageous uses of down jackets over the last few weeks, so we thought we'd help answer the question - how do you wear a down jacket?

Here are a few important down jacket rules to live by:

1) DO NOT Wear In The Rain - Many down jackets will have a water resistant outer layer but the majority are not rain resistant. You may think the jacket is keeping you dry, but in reality all that is happening is that the moisture is seeping through to the down filling. Moisture within the down means the jacket loses its insulation ability. In addition, the down jacket will take a long time to dry out when wet!

2) Don't Store Your Down Jacket Compressed - Down jackets are generally quite lightweight and ideal for travelling as they compress well and pack down small. Down also has a high resilience after being compressed, so once unpacked it will regain its shape quickly. That said, keep it stored compressed and packed means that the down jacket may lose its insulating ability gradually over time.

3) Do Not Use In Abrasive Environments - This may be a weird comment, but what we mean is the outer layer of a typical down jacket is not hard wearing. The fabric shells usually have ripstop technology, but if you brush past a jagged wall or building too quickly, the fabric can rip and you may lose some down filling.

Many people think that down jackets are more functional than fashionable, and they would be right, but a nice dark grey or black down jacket will go with any outfit, whether you're out for a country walk, or if you'e rambling to the pub on a cold Sunday afternoon.

We've got quite a few down jackets in stock - take a peek at the selection of men's and women's below.

MENS DOWN JACKETS

     

WOMENS DOWN JACKETS

     

Do you have any other tips on how to wear a down jacket? If so, let us know in the comments below! :)

Happy New Year everyone!

We hope you had a great Christmas and hope the hangovers are starting to subside on this New Year's Day. To kick start 2016 we've got a bundle of outdoor gear to giveaway. Simply enter using the widget below, or enter using the same widget on our Facebook page.

The prize bundle includes the following items:

The North Face Vault Rucksack, Nalgine wide mouth 1 litre bottle, a classic Buff in cash pink chocolate, and two pairs of Snugpak Coolmax Liner Socks.

The winner will be drawn on Friday 15th January, and the winner announced on Monday 18th January. Good luck!

Complete Outdoors New Year

"Ah, I don't know what to get my boyfriend/girlfriend for Christmas! They are very outdoorsy though, so maybe something along those lines?"

Sound familiar? Fear not. The Complete Outdoors team have rounded up a list of seventeen Christmas gift ideas for outdoorsy men and women, which will, hopefully, bring a smile to their face when they unwrap their present on Christmas Day.

So, here goes nothing - 17 Christmas gifts for outdoor lovers!


1. LifeVenture Body Travel Wallet - £10.99 - A secret pouch to carry around your money, passport and other small valuables. Perfect for those about to travel around the world.

2. Robens Firefly Stove - £24.99 - Is this the world's smallest camping stove? Probably. Does it make an awesome Christmas present for someone that loves lightweight camping kit? Absolutely.

3. UE Boom Wireless Speaker - £139.99 - These awesome speakers are pretty much unbreakable. Smash proof, waterproof, and they kick out a fantastic sound.

4. Exped Cloudburst Waterproof Backpack - £36.99 - It's been a wet December so far, and with no let up, why not treat a friend, family member (or yourself!) to this awesome colourful, waterproof backpack.

5. Ortileb Waterproof Map Case - £17.99 - A lot of OS maps aren't waterproof. Make sure you keep your maps dry with the simple yet awesome waterproof map case.

6. AGM Flint & Striker set - £5.99 - Perfect for campers who strive for an authentic experience. Waterproof matches? Pfft. Give them a flint and striker set.

7. Bear Grylls Basic Survival Kit - £29.99 - Bear Grylls Survival Kit. That's all you need to say for this outdoorsy gift.

8. Gerber MP400 Compact Multi Tool- £109.99 - The ultimate multi-tool for camping, hiking and travelling. No devout explorer should be without one.

9. Stanley Classic Hip Flask - £19.99 - A great gift addition for Christmas. Strong, sturdy and will hold lots of your favourite tipple.

10. Joby Gorillapod For GoPros - £18.99 - Gorilla Pods are brilliant travel companions when you don't have a human travel companion. Set it up anywhere, attach the GoPro and get filming.

11. TomTom Multisport GPS Watch - £220.07 - One for the sports geeks, this awesome waterproof GPS watch also includes an altimeter and heart rate monitor.

12. BESTEK USB Charging Lantern - £15.99 - Going camping? This lantern not only kicks out a bright light, it also allows you to plug in a USB cable to charge your iPhone or iPad. A great addition to your camping kit!

13. Bolle Bluetooth Audio Ski Helmet - £128.99 - One for your skiing and snowboarding friends. This awesome helmet has Bluetooth speakers built into the padded ears, and connects to your iPhone without fiddly wires, allowing you to cruise the slopes with your favourite tunes blaring.

14. LevinTM Giant+ Solar Panel Charger - £15.99 - When you're really out in the wilderness with no plug socket in sight, this solar charging panel will help give some juice back to your phone battery.

15. Eagle Creek Gear Hauler Black Backpack - £128.99 - This isn't just any old backpack. It has a huge amount of load space, and has a separate laptop / iPad compartment, as well as a huge main zipped pocket.

16. Cocoon Hyperlight Air Pillow - £24.99 - A simple yet brilliant camping gift. Be sure to raise a 'oh I wish I had one of those' sentence from friends and fellow campers with this lightweight air pillow.

17: Parrot Bebop Drone Camera - £359.99 - Not the cheapest gift, but drones are slowly coming into fashion, and not many people have them. So why not splash out and scrub up on your airborne camera skills with this Parrot drone.

There you have it! Got a suggestion for a great Christmas gift for outdoors lovers? Let us know in the comments below!