Memory is a funny thing. Mine’s very selective, for example, and my clear vivid memories are all of great times. My friend has a highly developed food-related memory; ask him what he and his wife had for dinner on the seventh evening of their trip to South Africa, and he’ll tell you. My wife can remember colours. More than that, she can match them in her head with colours she sees around her. Amazing.
One of my own vivid, happy memories is of a camping holiday in Brittany. My dad was driving an old Triumph Herald convertible, and I remember that the sun shone every day, and we never had the hood up. Now does that seem likely? Not a hint of rain, for two weeks in Brittany? No, it really doesn’t. You can see why the Police term for an unreliable eyewitness is ……..“an eyewitness”!
Leaving memories to one side, the 2011 camping season is well underway. Now, it seems a pity that so much of the stuff you need on a camping trip is essentially not ethically or environmentally friendly. So if you want to commune with nature without destroying it, here are a few ideas for eco-friendly camping equipment. And they do make great eco-gift ideas as well!
How about using the sun’s energy during the day, to heat up your evening shower? A solar shower is about the best idea around, and they really do work! I’ve used one on a yacht, and you see lots of them around the festival campsites, where hot showers are just not available. It doesn’t even need to be a brilliantly sunny day to warm the water up. And there’s a bonus; until you’ve seen the joy of a bunch of children scampering around under a warm shower, in the garden or on the beach, you just haven’t lived!
Also, you’re going to need some plates and mugs when you go camping, or even just for a picnic when the warmer weather gets here. Plastic is best, to avoid breakages. Now the great thing about plastic is that it can be re-cycled, but the disappointing thing is, how seldom you see recycled plastic made into consumer articles. But you can find recycled plastic mugs and plates if you search hard enough!
Finally, you will need something comfy to sleep on… Forget about the lumpy camp mats, why not try one of our roll-up beds? I can vouch I had a great nights sleep last year at a festival on one and I am sure it was down to the mattress making me sleep, rather than the booze… (ahem).
So enjoy your camping this year, and stack up some wonderful memories.
For more ideas on outdoor fun, see the below links:
