Author: Kevin

Top Tips To Stay Warm When You’re Camping

Top Tips To Stay Warm When You’re Camping

Posted on by Kevin

Despite the icy weather of late, you may well be dreaming of warmer times ahead when you can head off on holiday, pitch your tent and enjoy staying close to nature.

But even in the summer, the weather can be changeable and there’s nothing worse than getting cold when you’re camping, so what can you do to stay warm?

Out and About Live has recently offered some advice to campers on how to keep warm when you’re under canvas – especially if you’re brave and are planning to go camping out of season.

The first rule is to be prepared for colder weather. Make sure you have a four-seasons sleeping bag, as well as some extra fleece blankets and possibly even a duvet (depending on how badly you feel the cold). Hot water bottles, bed socks and even a hat to wear in bed can all come in handy too.

Take extra clothes and layer up to help you regulate your temperature more effectively. It’s also worth doing some research on things like the closest pub – if you can find a campsite near one with an open fire then that’s a definite bonus.

In cold weather, it may also be worth paying for a pitch with an electric hook up as this will mean you can use small heaters in your tent – a great way to warm the space up before you go to bed.

If this has got you thinking about planning a camping adventure, you may want to look into one of the more extreme places to camp in the UK. The Independent recently highlighted the option of camping on a cliff edge in Dorset – a more adrenaline-fuelled way to spend a night than regular camping

Looking for new camping equipment in Kent? Contact us to see what we’ve got in stock and make sure you’re prepared for spending a few nights under canvas.

Top Places To Explore By Bike In The UK

Top Places To Explore By Bike In The UK

Posted on by Kevin

If you enjoy cycling, chances are that when you pack up your motorhome for a break in the UK that you also load up your bike carriers in Kent and head off with two wheels in tow as well.

An article in Cyclist magazine recently offered some advice on where to go if you’re looking for a break in the UK where you can get out and explore on two wheels.

Top of the list is the Isle of Wight, with the variety of trails and routes one of the big draws here. According to the publication, there are plenty of road-only bike rides to follow, as well as gravel riding. It notes that a “mixed-terrain route” is the best way to explore the Isle of Wight and enjoy the stunning views it offers.

If you’re looking for a challenging place to go cycling then the Black Mountains in Wales are a great choice. As you’d expect, there are lots of hill climbs here, with the magazine advising you to “pack kit and clothing for all four seasons in one ride” in your motorhome.

Head north of the border into Scotland for some time on your bike and you should ensure that Ullapool on the country’s west coast is on your itinerary.

“Traffic-free roads and stunning views await anyone who ventures to the far-west of the Scottish Highlands for a ride on the roads north of Ullapool,” the publication states.

Meanwhile, Premier Inn recently revealed the UK’s ten most instagrammed spots by cyclists, pulling data from thousands of posts to compile their list. It featured the Yorkshire Dales, Dartmoor, the South Downs and Fort William, Coach Mag reported.

First Time Caravanning Tips

First Time Caravanning Tips

Posted on by Kevin

Going camping for the first time can be an exciting experience for everybody involved, but one of the biggest hurdles to your first trip will be getting hold of the correct equipment to ensure your holiday goes smoothly.

Follow these tips and you will have a great time.

  1. Make a list

Packing lists are essential for any type of holiday but they are particularly important for caravanning trips, where you may not be able to pick up essential replacements.

If you are starting out it may be too expensive to buy everything you want in one go, but essential caravanning items include a fire extinguisher, wheel chocks, caravan jack, sway control device, towing mirrors, extra coolant and oil, a spare fan belt, and insulation tape.

  1. Test drive

Towing a caravan is not easy. The morning you set off on a journey may not be the best time to get around to trying it out for the first time. Test drive it, preferably with someone a bit more experienced. This is also a good time to figure out if you have everything you need for your journey and that all your equipment works.

  1. Check your car

There’s no point investing in caravanning equipment if your car isn’t up to the job, so make sure your car has been serviced, types are the correct pressure and your fuel is topped up. It could be a long journey after all.

And don’t forget the camping extension leads the first time you go camping.

Find out more from the Caravan Club.

Post-Brexit Anxiety Making Brits Holiday At Home

Post-Brexit Anxiety Making Brits Holiday At Home

Posted on by Kevin

Brexit has had a positive impact on domestic UK tourism, according to new research. Sky News recently highlighted the findings of Dr Shelia Malone of Lancaster University, who is a tourism and marketing expert.

She told the news provider that anxiety about spending among British consumers has been triggered by the UK’s vote to leave the EU. As a result, more of us are choosing to stay in the UK for our holidays – an assertion that’s supported by Visit Britain’s figures from 2017, which showed a four per cent rise in breaks taken by Brits in our own country.

The Camping and Caravanning Club also revealed that they are positive about bookings in 2018, and have reported a ten per cent increase in bookings across their 106 campsites for the coming 12 months.

It could also mean that more of us are investing in camping supplies in the UK to ensure we can have breaks on the cheap more often. After all, if you buy quality equipment and look after it, then it can last for years.

Camping isn’t your only option though, you can also tour the UK in a motorhome – which means you typically get a few more creature comforts. And there are some wonderful places to explore on this kind of holiday.

According to Visit Britain, some of the best natural wonders the country offers include the Jurassic Coast that spans Dorset and Devon, Cheddar Gorge in Somerset, and the Trotternish Peninsula on the Isle of Skye in Scotland.

More Brits Set To Staycation In 2018

More Brits Set To Staycation In 2018

Posted on by Kevin

It seems that a growing number of us are planning to spend at least some of our precious holiday time exploring the UK in 2018.

Out & About Live recently highlighted figures released by ABTA, the travel trade association, which showed that 66 per cent of Brits plan to holiday in the UK in the coming 12 months. In addition, 63 per cent of people are intending to head to Europe.

Both of these destinations are ideal for campervan or camping holidays, so if this is the kind of break you’re organising, make sure you have everything you need, including motorhome awnings for use in the UK – you never know when we might get a shower, or you may just want some shade from the sun.

This comes after figures from last year showed that more of us holidayed in the UK than in 2016. On average, Brits took 2.1 holidays in their home country in 2017.

Speaking to the publication, Jenny Summers, group marketing director of the National Caravan Council (NCC), explained that sales of both motorhomes and caravans increased in 2017.

“This clearly demonstrates the continuing popularity of using a leisure vehicle to explore the UK and beyond,” Ms Summers asserted.

If you’d like some inspiration for your next motorhome holiday, take a look at the top spots Visit Britain recommends exploring if you’ve got a campervan. The organisation recently highlighted the wealth of stunning natural landscapes on our doorstep, including the UNESCO-listed Jurassic Coast, which starts in Dorset and stretches all the way to Devon.

Simon Pegg talks the greatness of the Zero Gravity Chair

Simon Pegg talks the greatness of the Zero Gravity Chair

Posted on by Kevin

Zero Gravity Chair the choice of Hollywood Stars

In an article in August, actor Rosalind Pike wrote of Simon Pegg in the Guardian,

He has this chair that he carries around with him – a zero-gravity garden lounger. Jeff Bridges gave it to him. Quite pretentious, but very comfortable. I only know that because he gave me one, too. When everyone else is in a director’s chair you do feel like an idiot, but it’s bloody comfortable – though I’m not quite prepared to have a nap in it on Fleet Street, which Simon did when we were filming Hector and the Search for Happiness.

In 2015, Simon Pegg talked to Movie.ie Simon Pegg has a special chair that he uses on film sets – the zero gravity garden chair – after having been given one by Jeff Bridges. Pegg is so enamoured by these chairs that he bought one for both Tom Cruise and Rebecca Ferguson ‘…so they could be as comfortable as me. It’s a really lovely recliner; I sleep in it a lot when I’m on set. The chair is called Jeff after Jeff Bridges’.

On Wednesday 29th June during BBC’s The One Show, Simon Pegg took it to a brand new level. Bringing the chair on the show and revealing just how evangelical he has been about it. “This is a chair, the model of a chair, which I (sighs happily) always have on set with me called Jeff. I did a movie in 2008 with Jeff Bridges, and he instilled in my the greatest piece of wisdom I have ever been given which is always feel comfortable on set I have Australian Jeff, Canadian Jeff, Chinese Jeff, African Jeff and my own Jeff. Now I have the One Show Jeff. I always stay on set, I don’t go back to trailers, you can lose your focus, so stay on set, feel comfortable I’ll sit and play Candy Crush or something, nap, it’s just the best way to spend time on a film set. On the first day on set on Star Trek, I picked up Canadian Jeff from my friend… I brought it to set the first day and Chris Pine said “why have you got that”, I said, “I have it everywhere I go”. by the following Tuesday we all had them, the entire cast of Star Trek, lounge, nap, chat, Zach Quinto who plays Spock plays the banjo, so he’d pluck away… It’s called the Zero Gravity Garden Chair I’m going to sound like a bad person. I bought one for Tom Cruise on Mission Impossible because I’ve never seen the man sit down in ten years of working with him. He fell asleep. I felt like I’d felled a giant, I felt like David and Goliath, I just looked into his little tent on set where we have these rest areas and he was snoring.”

We at leisure Plus have stock of the “”Outwell Zero Gravity Chair- 

Currently on offer till stock runs out at £110.00

TV’s Julia Bradbury Loves ‘Creature Comforts’ When Camping With The Family

TV’s Julia Bradbury Loves ‘Creature Comforts’ When Camping With The Family

Posted on by Kevin

‘Glamping’ is a popular holiday option for TV’s Julia Bradbury, who is hosting the Manchester Caravan and Motorhome Show this week (January 18th 2018).

The Bolton News reported that Bradbury, who is the first ever female president of the Camping and Caravanning Club, loves being able to have some of the comforts of home while indulging in the great outdoors.

She admitted that when she’s on set, she loves to explore the wild and can happily ‘rough it’ when she’s travelling solo, but when she’s having family time, she would much prefer ‘glamping’ to the wilder option.

“Camping doesn’t have to be uncomfortable and wet. You can be like me and enjoy ‘glamping’,” she was quoted by the newspaper as saying. “If you want the full-on Bear Grills experience then you can do it but if you want to do something a bit more cosy you can do that too.”

If you love ‘glamping’ as much as Julia Bradbury then consider investing in the best UK motorhome awnings for your next adventure, and the presenter added that more and more people are taking their families to some of the country’s beauty spots rather than forking out for a traditional beach break overseas.

She believes shows like Countryfile and Britain’s Best Walks are reminding people of the opportunities to explore right on our doorstep.

Bradbury added that camping is an ideal holiday for families, and she loves to take her young son and twin daughters on an outdoor adventure, but when your brood are all under six, you want warmth and comfort as well as the wonders of nature.

Top Spots To Discover On A Motorhome Holiday

Top Spots To Discover On A Motorhome Holiday

Posted on by Kevin

If you’re intending to spend your holiday time exploring the UK this year then there are a lot of wonderful places to see and things to experience.

It can be easy to overlook your own country in favour of jetting off to somewhere more exotic, but if you’ve got a campervan then you don’t need much more to discover some of the stunning landscapes in the UK.

Visit Britain has shared some of the country’s top natural wonders to explore – and if you plan your motorhome trip well, you could take in a few on a single break.

Head to the south coast, for instance, and you can explore the charming Isle of Wight. The top natural attraction on the island is the Needles – a series of jagged rocks that jut out from a headland. The best place to view the spectacle is from The Needles Old Battery, the website revealed.

Also in this part of the country is the Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has become famous for its fossils. Some particularly striking landmarks, including Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove, can be found along this part of coastline too.

The eastern-most stretch of the Jurassic Coast is an easy drive from the Isle of Wight, and once you’re there you can work your way along it into Devon. En route you can have stops in the pretty Georgian seaside town of Weymouth, as well as Lyme Regis, which is known for being an excellent location for fossil hunting.

If it’s mountains you’re after, paying a visit to Snowdonia National Park could be the way to go. Glyder Fach and Glyder Fawr are two of the region’s most stunning peaks – and you will, of course, be able to pay a visit to Wales’ highest mountain, Mount Snowdon.

Pick up a new motorhome awning in the UK before you head off on your adventures in 2018.

Here Are The Dates For 2018’s Bank Holidays

Here Are The Dates For 2018’s Bank Holidays

Posted on by Kevin

Now Christmas is out the way, time to take stock of your finances and plan your next camping holiday – you’ll need to make sure you have the best caravan awnings Kent has to offer on order in plenty of time!

If you work full-time, or have kids in school, you’ll have a keen eye out for the holidays in 2018, so if you haven’t started your 2018 diary yet, here they are (from The Mirror) so you can get planning your next adventure.

First up, of course, it makes sense to say that these times of years are likely to be the most expensive and busy times to go away, however, if you need to keep that all-important annual leave for big holidays abroad, weddings and special events, then a Bank Holiday helps extend your caravan trip into a perfect long weekend.

The first bank holidays are, of course, Easter, which this year sit at the end of March. Good Friday is the 30th March and Easter Monday is the 2nd April. After that, you’ll have to wait a month before your next break, with the 7th May your Mayday bank holiday.

The spring Bank Holiday is on the 28th May this year, followed a few months later by the August Bank Holiday on the 27th August.

When it comes to the schools holidays, the February half term begins on either the 12th or 19th February. The Easter break begins for most schools on the Good Friday Bank Holiday, meaning they’ll be back in the classroom from the 16th April.

Summer holidays are again around the 24th of July to the 3rd September.

October half term should begin on the 26th October this year.