Solar chargers are inexpensive and more than capable of powering any essentials like your smartphone

Headlamps are useful if you need to use your hands for certain tasks and torches are great for a more controlled light focus. so proper lighting is essential.

As soon as the sun goes down, even the most glorious July day can turn bitterly cold. Even in summer it’s a good idea to take warm layers with you for the evening, extra blankets for your bed and a decent sleeping bag to keep you snug and warm overnight.

Accessories that will keep you warm and comfortable, a good waterproof jacket and pair of walking boots are also essential camping gear!

Make sure you pack plenty of ice packs for your coolers. Freezing some of your food at home means it will last longer in your cooler for trips of more than a few days.

Depending on how long you are staying, we’d recommend stocking up on food that is filling and simple to cook up on your camping stove.

Lastly being considerate of your surroundings is all part of experience. So, make sure you don’t disturb local wildlife, never build a campfire – use a raised stove instead – and take all belongings with you when you leave.

Camping off Grid!

As newbies ourselves to camping off grid when we started planning our venture we originally thought we would need to install electric to our camping site. However after a quote of over £40,000 we had to rethink. My brother and his wife have a camper van and they don't ever use electric hook up so they were able to offer plenty of tips and advice. We were looking to run the campsite in a sustainable and environmentally manner as possible so going off grid was and is the perfect way to do this.

Caravans and motorhomes are actually set up for going off grid. In your typical caravan you will have the option to run your heating, hot water, cooker and even your fridge off gas. Most caravans also have a 12 volt plug (most often used for plugging in your tv) which means you can can charge your phones and other items from this plug using the type of adapter you normally have for charging your electrical items in your car.

We are lucky in that our caravan came with a factory fitted solar panel which tops up our battery very efficiently on a sunny day meaning that any electric we use for lighting and watching tv on an evening tops back up again during the day. There are many places now that can retro fit these solar panels to your van or you can also purchase a free standing solar panel which comes in a breifcase to do the same job. Campervans and motorhomes are even easier as a quick trip out to visit one of the local attractions will top up your battery as you drive.

If your staying in a tent you have probably got staying off grid sussed already. Charging phones in the car while out for the day and a set of solar lights for the night time use. There are many really good solar chargers out there too.

Why not ditch your electrical tech altogether and have a proper detox. Read stories, play board games or have a good old family game of guess who? We have found that our two girls actually start to talk to one another without arguing for a change!

Enjoy a bbq for your supper or whip up some bacon sandwiches using a portable gas stove and meals are sorted too. Here are some of our favourite camping meals:-

Pineapple and chicken Kebabs
Campfire Nachos
Macaroni Cheese
Hot dogs
Veggie Frittata
Halloumi burgers
oodles of noodles...
French toast
And of course those essential Marshmallows

Please remember to only use raised bbq's to protect the grass. We are not able to allow campfires due to our insurance but do have fire pits available to hire. Never leave your bbq/firepit unattended or try to hang things over it to dry. Make sure that your bbq/fire pit is correctly extinguished before you go to bed for the night. Only use in open spaces and never ever take it into your tent to keep you warm as the resulting carbon monoxide gas is deadly.

Please do not dispose of hot ash in the bins let it cool before disposal.

So all that is left is to sit back, relax and enjoy the nature around you.