By on May 9, 2015Interests
As I write it’s pouring down outside, less like spring and more like autumn. But it’s only a matter of time before the weather’s good enough for proper outdoor fun, stuff like camping and cycling. Luckily we have a couple of cool discount codes on board to help you enjoy the hopefully-lovely spring and summer to the full.
Camping for beginners – Cheap ‘n’ cheerful
If you haven’t been camping before and this year’s your first go, try to find a local campsite where you can stay one night and test your equipment. Your garden might be big enough to pitch your tent on, in which case that’ll do. The idea is to set everything up, spend a night outdoors and take it all down again, to:
- check you have all the gear you need
- discard items you realise you won’t need after all, so load up your vehicle less next time and save fuel
- find out exactly how to unpack, erect and re-pack everything, so you’re properly prepared for your first bona-fide camping trip. There are few things worse than turning up only to realise you don’t know how to put your tent up, everyone’s watching… and it’s about to start raining
If your old tent has died, your family has expanded or you’re a first-timer, we have a special Amazon discount code on board right now with as much as 40% off tents
As children, my brother and I, mum and dad used to spend six weeks every summer at Barns Ness camp site in East Lothian, on the Scottish coast. We did it for six years running and I have never forgotten it. My folks camped for free because they cleaned the site’s toilets and showers, and delivered the milk around the site via a mini-tractor every morning.
Magical memories. My folks had a little caravan, and my brother Jonty and I each had our own small tent. We loved it. It gave us a sense of responsibility and helped us learn independence. Such fun. If your kids get the same out of their camping trips as we did when we were little, they’ll treasure the memories for the rest of their lives.
Along those lines, I wonder whether you can still get deals like that, where you get free accommodation in return for light campsite duties? It’s worth a look…
Cycling for beginners – Cheap bikes, too!
We also have a generous Amazon discount code offering up to 35% off bikes
All you need is a special rack and you can carry your bikes on the car to use on camping trips. There are an increasing number of safe, beautiful new cycle paths in Britain too, a wonderful way to explore your local area and get fit at the same time.
The smells, the sights, the sounds… the traffic on most roads is terrifying most of the time and even country roads can be scary, but cycle paths let you wander at your leisure without worrying about the dangers of cars, vans and lorries. And they’re particularly good if you’re a cycling novice.
If you’d like to find out more about Britain’s excellent and growing cycle path network, here’s a link to the SUSTRANS National Cycle Network
The best thing about a bike is you get fit without having to make much effort or do anything special. You can just wind gently along while the landscapes and townscapes unfold. It’s much more mellow and laid back than expensive gym membership. And it puts you directly in contact with our gorgeous countryside, which is absolutely free.
