What exactly is meant by GPS and navigation? Basically, a GPS navigation device receives global positioning (GPS) signals from orbiting satellites operated through the U.S. government. This particular service currently is available free, but concern that access might be restricted at some point has prompted the creation of a rival system by a worldwide consortium, although it is uncertain when this system is going live. During the last 20 years or so, “sat nav systems” have been produced for the purpose of determining the device's location on the earth with considerable accuracy. Latitude and longitude details are calculated and many can also calculate altitude. GPS devices are made use of in many applications, however the focus of this article is personal navigation or GPS for walkers. You could be thinking that your touch screen phone makes a dedicated GPS device redundant? Well consider this, would it survive bouncing down a scree slope or temporary submersion in a brackish pool? I suggest the response is, most likely not! The present day GPS for walkers was designed to manage a surprising level of abuse and will have a certain degree of protection against water ingress. Your smartphone may inform you were the closest tapas bar is, but with GPS and navigation intended for walkers, you know where the safest path will be found. Needless to say, a dedicated GPS and navigation device makes navigation the main purpose of the unit rather than merely a feature. Meaning quality mapping is available in the palm of the hand, many devices being fully compatible with the Ordnance Survey range for download when needed. Perhaps you have been out for a full day walking but not had a clue how far you’ve actually travelled? Many GPS and navigation systems will tell you as well as allow you to keep track of your activity on a PC.
The popularity of GPS and navigation systems, means good availability from online stores. A visit to mycampingstore.co.uk gives access to a good selection all from one location. Kit yourself out with those essential camping accessories and GPS for walkers, all available from http://www.mycampingstore.co.uk and have an adventure!
Friday 12 August 2011
Tuesday 9 August 2011
Essential packing for your rucksack, a Pop Up Tent
If you’re a camper and are also arranging a holiday either at home or abroad, this could be the time to look at lightening the burden. Tents generally speaking have benefitted from advances in waterproof fabrics and light-weight pole material. However the ultimate benefit comes from combining both, giving us the Pop Up Tent. This type of tent could probably be strapped to a rucksack without significantly increasing the bulk. Traditional tents have obviously improved in design but essentially they are the same in principle as they’ve always been. This being a frame or number of poles covered by a waterproof (hopefully) fabric. They still rely heavily on the tensioning support of guy lines or ropes and pegs for securing down. These tents by their nature present much more of a problem for the camper or hiker, rather than the Pop up tent that is lightweight and collapsible. Of course there is the chief benefit linked to the Pop Up Tent, rapid erection, that is so welcome once the weather is on the turn. There are various forms of pop up tent, typically the most popular has become the umbrella tent. As the name suggests, this design has flexible ribs attached to the lightweight tent fabric. They're slim when collapsed and incredibly easy on the back. Erecting them is just the same as raising an umbrella because they operate in much the same way. Expanding the pop up tent frame, reveals a fully assembled tent, including entrance. It must be remembered that pegs continue to be recommended to anchor it in position, lest it blow away or perhaps be dragged off by a stray goat! You might wish to see the range of pop up tents that are available to order online at http://www.mycampingstore.co.uk One other popular style of pop up tent is the design known as a coiled tent. These tents consist of a lightweight carbon-fibre frame, along with a system of springs and hinges that allows the tent to be kept in a small, usually circular bag. The good thing about this design is when you identify your site or pitch, all you have to do is take out the tent from its bag, release the retaining strap and let the tent pop up and expand by itself. Coiled tents are often small compared to the umbrella type, even though they're much easier to erect. So when you’re back at home, minimal space is needed for storage. Kit yourself out with those essential camping accessories, available from http://www.mycampingstore.co.uk and have an adventure!
Wednesday 3 August 2011
Essence of the Tent
Just what is a tent? For some it’s a house, others a workplace and also to a lot of us it’s our holiday accommodation! Basically, a tent is actually a shelter comprising sheets, or often single sheet, of cloth or other material draped over or mounted on a frame of poles. Additional support might be provided by external guy lines or ropes.
Many modern small tents are free-standing or attached to the ground using tent pegs. An acquaintance of mine actually uses 6 inch nails for tent pegs and happily leaves them behind when breaking camp! Large tents do usually depend on being anchored with guy ropes bound to stakes or tent pegs as mentioned. Tents can trace their ancestry to their first use as portable homes by nomadic peoples. Often following migrating herds of game, these peoples had no requirement for the GPS navigation systems that a lot of us now take for granted. I’m sure you’ll agree tents nowadays tend to be more often connected with recreational camping and temporary shelters. It’s unfortunate the temporary shelters in many cases are the ones seen on the television news, providing shelter for victims of some natural disaster.
Tents range in dimensions from "bivouac" structures just large enough for just one person to settle in up to huge (circus) tents capable of seating many hundreds of people. Leading me to ask the question, when does a tent turn into a marquee? Because the bulk of this post is related to tents used in recreational camping that have sleeping space for one to ten people, larger tents may be discussed in more detail at a later time.
Tents for recreational camping fall under two general categories, those intended to be carried by backpackers or maybe cyclists and larger heavier tents that are usually carried in a car or another vehicle. It's fortunate how the internet helps make the buying of tents and camping accessories generally, so simple. Specially when sites like http://www.mycampingstore.co.uk offer myriad tent bargains. Smaller tents can be sufficiently light that they may be carried for long distances on a person's back, even when a rucksack is carried. I know a number of carp fishermen that equip themselves with such tents when enduring an overnight angling session, though they might not consider themselves campers necessarily.
The 2nd type, or larger tent, dependant upon tent size and also the knowledge of the individual or people involved, can usually be assembled (pitched) in under 30 minutes. You will find specialised tents designed with spring-loaded poles that may be 'pitched' within minutes. Kit yourself out with those essential camping accessories, available from http://www.mycampingstore.co.uk and have an adventure!
Many modern small tents are free-standing or attached to the ground using tent pegs. An acquaintance of mine actually uses 6 inch nails for tent pegs and happily leaves them behind when breaking camp! Large tents do usually depend on being anchored with guy ropes bound to stakes or tent pegs as mentioned. Tents can trace their ancestry to their first use as portable homes by nomadic peoples. Often following migrating herds of game, these peoples had no requirement for the GPS navigation systems that a lot of us now take for granted. I’m sure you’ll agree tents nowadays tend to be more often connected with recreational camping and temporary shelters. It’s unfortunate the temporary shelters in many cases are the ones seen on the television news, providing shelter for victims of some natural disaster.
Tents range in dimensions from "bivouac" structures just large enough for just one person to settle in up to huge (circus) tents capable of seating many hundreds of people. Leading me to ask the question, when does a tent turn into a marquee? Because the bulk of this post is related to tents used in recreational camping that have sleeping space for one to ten people, larger tents may be discussed in more detail at a later time.
Tents for recreational camping fall under two general categories, those intended to be carried by backpackers or maybe cyclists and larger heavier tents that are usually carried in a car or another vehicle. It's fortunate how the internet helps make the buying of tents and camping accessories generally, so simple. Specially when sites like http://www.mycampingstore.co.uk offer myriad tent bargains. Smaller tents can be sufficiently light that they may be carried for long distances on a person's back, even when a rucksack is carried. I know a number of carp fishermen that equip themselves with such tents when enduring an overnight angling session, though they might not consider themselves campers necessarily.
The 2nd type, or larger tent, dependant upon tent size and also the knowledge of the individual or people involved, can usually be assembled (pitched) in under 30 minutes. You will find specialised tents designed with spring-loaded poles that may be 'pitched' within minutes. Kit yourself out with those essential camping accessories, available from http://www.mycampingstore.co.uk and have an adventure!
Monday 1 August 2011
Horatio Goes Camping
My brother Horatio was only eleven years old when he went on his first camping trip. It was just for a couple of days with the scouts, but to him it was his first great adventure. All the correct camping accessories had been assembled beforehand. It took several vehicles, loaded with tents, sleeping equipment, camping furniture, rucksacks and everything necessary for camping cooking to transport Cameron and his troop. Way back then, GPS navigation devices hadn’t been invented, so it’s just as well that the camp site was only a few kilometres away, I could have walked it in less than an hour! He may have been close to home, but on the first night in his tent with all the strange sounds of nature around, he could have been deep in the equatorial rainforest!
The troops’ scouting abilities were put to the test with various games and tasks. Camping cooking was tested with a curry making contest. On the second day, the majority of senior boys went on a navigation exercise, which meant equipping themselves with rucksacks, gaiters and walking poles. The less active members of the group had been surprised to find an improbably large selection of camping furniture that offered comfort not usually associated with a camping trip. Having already enjoyed the excellent sleeping equipment provided, many chose to relax rather than take part in the activities.
Horatio had prayed for good weather and his prayers were answered. However, it should not be forgotten that not being equipped with the right camping accessories can spoil a camping trip far more than inclement weather. A camper needs only to get wet and a general feeling of misery will take over. Too hot and hydration can present itself as a problem. Even with all the advances in camping equipment and accessories over the years, whether in tents, rucksacks or GPS navigation, there doesn’t yet appear to be accurate electronic local weather forecasting.
Looking back, Horatios first camping trip was an enjoyable experience. The credit for this should go to the troop leader and his experience in assembling the camping accessories required for a successful trip. All the tents, sleeping equipment, rucksacks, walking poles and gaiters didn’t grow on trees and just as we didn’t have GPS navigation back then, we didn’t have the world wide web, over which all this equipment can now be located. I consider myself lucky that sites such as http://www.mycampingstore.co.uk make the purchase of camping accessories so easy. Kit yourself out with those essential camping accessories, available from http://www.mycampingstore.co.uk and have an adventure!
The troops’ scouting abilities were put to the test with various games and tasks. Camping cooking was tested with a curry making contest. On the second day, the majority of senior boys went on a navigation exercise, which meant equipping themselves with rucksacks, gaiters and walking poles. The less active members of the group had been surprised to find an improbably large selection of camping furniture that offered comfort not usually associated with a camping trip. Having already enjoyed the excellent sleeping equipment provided, many chose to relax rather than take part in the activities.
Horatio had prayed for good weather and his prayers were answered. However, it should not be forgotten that not being equipped with the right camping accessories can spoil a camping trip far more than inclement weather. A camper needs only to get wet and a general feeling of misery will take over. Too hot and hydration can present itself as a problem. Even with all the advances in camping equipment and accessories over the years, whether in tents, rucksacks or GPS navigation, there doesn’t yet appear to be accurate electronic local weather forecasting.
Looking back, Horatios first camping trip was an enjoyable experience. The credit for this should go to the troop leader and his experience in assembling the camping accessories required for a successful trip. All the tents, sleeping equipment, rucksacks, walking poles and gaiters didn’t grow on trees and just as we didn’t have GPS navigation back then, we didn’t have the world wide web, over which all this equipment can now be located. I consider myself lucky that sites such as http://www.mycampingstore.co.uk make the purchase of camping accessories so easy. Kit yourself out with those essential camping accessories, available from http://www.mycampingstore.co.uk and have an adventure!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)