The Purple Passport

Seasoned advice for British Travellers

outdoors

6 Reasons You Should Go Camping This Summer

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Beach holidays are great for relaxing and escaping from your daily routine. Cultural city breaks give you the chance to visit historical sites and learn about something new. While both are amazing vacation experiences, going camping is a great alternative that offers much more than you think. Here are six reasons you should go camping this summer.

1. Reconnect

Camping gives you the chance to reconnect with loved ones. With poor signal and a lack of WiFi, you can encourage your children to look up from their phones and switch off for the weekend. Sharing a tent together also gives you the chance to develop the emotional bonds that might have faded due to city life. The tent in this Alpha Cabin Tent review is perfect for families to camp together, but still have enough personal space to keep to their own.

2. Scenery

Rivers, trees, mountains, and lakes are just some of the scenery options you are treated to when you go camping. The natural beauty surrounding many camping locations offers a much welcome alternative to the city. Who wouldn’t want to swap their commute to the office with a commute to a water spring?

3. Stargazing

Did you know that by living in the city, you can only see a small number of stars? Camping gives the chance to gaze upon a whole host of new constellations in the untamed hinterland. There are breath-taking meteor showers to be seen by stargazing while you are camping, as well as the chance to learn a bit about astronomy.

4. Food

The food on a camping trip always tastes sweeter. Cooking your food out in the open gives it a unique taste, most likely due to the further distance between your ingredients and the toxic fumes of the city. Your taste buds are also more receptive when you’re camping, since you have less time to snack and take part in more physical activities and adventures. When you finally get a chance to sit down and eat, you will find that you enjoy your food a whole lot more.

5. Confidence

Going camping can greatly boost your confidence. Whether it’s taking on the challenge of gathering firewood and starting the campfire, taking charge of the family hike around the local mountain area, or even finding materials to construct a handmade bow and arrow, camping gives you the opportunity to learn a new skill and boost your confidence as you do it.

 

6. Affordability

Vacations can be expensive, especially in the summer holidays. Heading into the woods can be a great cheaper alternative. More importantly, once you have already invested in the right camping gear, you won’t need to buy anything new the next time you want to go. Another way to save money is by avoiding private campsites and heading instead into publicly-owned national forest lands.

Swap the beach and the city for a more natural location and take your family back to their roots this summer holiday.

Camping Hacks: 5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Camping Experience

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young friends have good time on camping trip, relaxing vacation with fun

Looking for some new camping hacks to make your trip a success? Camping is all about good planning. If you don’t pack the right gear, you can’t just whiz home to fix the mistake.

So, listen to the experts. Below you’ll find 5 hacks to make your campout epic. When you’re ready to discover what you shouldn’t forget, read on.

1. Dinner Camping Hacks

Everything takes longer when you’re camping. Yep, that includes washing, preparing for bed, and even cooking. To make your trip successful, do what work you can while you’re still at home.

For the rest, do your best to simplify.

For food, make a simple dish in a single pot. A Dutch oven is the easiest method. It’s a type of all-in-one, multi-cooker pot.

Simply pick one of your favorite Dutch oven camping recipes. Then, perform all the preparation work at home. When you find your camping spot, heat, and serve.

2. Dessert Camping Tricks

Tired of smores? No problem. Instead, pick 3 of your favorite fruits, berries, or nuts.

Now throw them in a waffle cone along with some chocolate chips and marshmallows. Wrap the whole thing up in foil and store it upright in a spot they won’t get damaged.

After you finish your camping cookout, add the desert wrap to the banked coals. Be sure you leave the foil on. Remove your dessert wrap from the fire when it’s good and melted.

Then eat up!

3. Water Bottle Camping Tips

Sure, staying hydrated is important, but what about staying warm? You can use your water bottle as a portable heater.

We recommend a 32-ounce indestructible bottle, like a Nalgene. They’re small enough to curl up with and they won’t crack under the heat.

Simply pour hot water into your bottle and wrap it with a spare shirt or another piece of clothing. That’s to ensure the bottle doesn’t burn you. Then slip into the bottom of the bag to keep your feet warm during the cold night.

4. Lighting Tips for Camping

Headlamps are a must for most campers. They’re portable, hands-free, and last for hours. Unfortunately, they may be too bright.

Have you ever tried to hold a conversation with someone who’s shining their headlamp in your eyes? It’s like staring into the sun. The effect grows worse when the sun goes down.

Instead, pull your headlamp over a 1-gallon jug of water. Point the lamp inward, toward the water. It’ll diffuse the light and brighten a much larger area while keeping it out of your eyes.

5. Mosquito Tips While Camping

Mosquitos are ubiquitous. If you don’t have a plan to repel them, then you’d better have a plan for treating mosquito bites. You’re going to get them.

But with a little proactive thinking, you can discourage the brunt of those little pests. Bug repellant is a tried and true method. But what if you have small children or you’re allergic to the foul-smelling stuff?

You can always try candles that include bug repellant. Citronella candles are one alternative. You can also try burning sage in your campfire.

It’s a naturally repels bugs. You can even pick wild sage if you want to add it to your camping experience.

What’s Next?

Now you have 5 of the best camping hacks to ensure your success. Remember to plan and pack early. That’s the key to guarantee your campout is epic.

If you liked these tips, skip on over to our enormous library full of articles about travel. So long and good luck!

How to Prepare for a Hiking Trip: 5 Essential Tips

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Whilst many of us love nothing more than to jet off an annual holiday for some sun, sea, and relaxation, many others like to do something a bit more exhilarating. If you’re the adventurous type and looking for your adrenaline fix, you may be interested in going on a hiking trip. Before you head off, it’s important that you’re well prepared, so here are five essential tips on how to prepare for a hiking trip.

Define Your Trip Style

First and foremost, you must spend time deciding on what type of hiking trip you wish to go on. There are all sorts of questions to ask yourself first, such as whether you want to camp out at night, stay in a luxurious lodge, or go hiking in the Adirondacks. Deciding what type of trekking is right for you is crucial, to give you a clearer idea of where you want to go.

Choose Your Trip

Once you’ve decided on the type of hiking, walking, or trekking you want to do, you need to find a trip that’s right for you. For example, if you want to stay put in the UK, HF Holidays offer a range of guided hiking holidays which allow you to explore stunning walking locations. Whether it be the rolling Cotswold Hills or the granite cliffs of the Cornish coast, you are bound to find an area that’s suitable for you.

Assess Your Fitness Level

Unlike a beach holiday where the most exercise you will likely do is going from your sun lounger to the pool, a hiking holiday requires stamina and energy. To get the most out of your trip, it’s only natural that you will want to see as much as you can, so walking mile after mile can take its toll, especially if you’ve put health and fitness on the backburner. Before you head off on your trip, you will need to assess your fitness level. If you aren’t sure how to do this, your tour operator will be able to help.

Train for your Trip

Once you’ve established your level of fitness, you will be able to begin training for your hiking trip. It’s best to start a month or two before you head off, so whether it be spending time at the gym build your muscles and stamina levels, or even working out from the comfort of your own home, remaining consistent and focused is key. We all know how important regular exercise is for our health, so staying active will help you get the most out of your hiking trip.

Bring the Right Equipment

If you haven’t got the right equipment with you, your hiking trip won’t be one you’ll want to remember! There are all sorts of weather conditions you will face, so knowing what to pack for your adventure is crucial. Wearing the right books to support your feet, and the right clothes to wear is important, so don’t hesitate to contact your tour operator for more information. The last thing you want is to find yourself in torrential rain with nothing but a flimsy jacket on!

To get the most out of your hiking trip, it’s important to establish your level of fitness first. The more training you do, the better! Also, bringing the right equipment along with you is crucial, so if you aren’t sure where to start, make sure to ask your tour operator for help.

Your Zion National Park Questions, Answered!

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The Zion National Park in Southwest Utah is one of the most visited national parks in the United States for a number of reasons. It has gorgeous scenery and plenty of hiking trails to explore, making it the perfect destination for those who love adventures. It is also home to diverse wildlife, from the mule deer to the bighorn sheep.

A trip to Zion National Park is one that you will remember for years to come. To make the trip more fruitful and enjoyable, here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the national park, answered.

How Do I Get There?

You can reach the Zion National Park in a number of ways. Those visiting the Grand Canyon or Monument Valley can continue their journey by car; the Zion National Park is about four hours away from the Grand Canyon. The same can be said for those who are visiting Zion from different parts of Utah. The closest national park is the Bryce National Park, which is about an hour away from Zion National Park.

The most convenient way to reach the park, however, is by flying to Las Vegas. From McCarran International Airport, the Zion National Park is around two to three hours away by car. You can easily rent a car from Las Vegas, plus you get the bonus of being able to sample this glamorous city upon arriving or before ending your trip.

What about Accommodation?

Being the popular destination that it is, Zion National Park has a number of accommodation options to choose from. The Bumbleberry Inn, the best Zion hotel in the area, offers homey accommodation for any kind of traveler. It has its own theater and you can use the shuttle rides to get to various points in the national park.

There are several camping grounds too, so you can go all out with your adventure to the national park and spend some time in the wild. The Lava Point Campground and the South Campground are the more popular ones, but you have other options to choose from. There are even RV resorts for those traveling in their RVs.

Is it Safe to Drive to Zion National Park?

Driving to Zion National Park is not only safe but highly recommended. The Zion Scenic Drive is actually one of the area’s best attractions. The route takes you across the national park and straight to the forest area.

The drive itself is special. You will be driving along a twisty road with gorgeous scenery to enjoy from start to finish. There are some areas with sharp hairpins and challenging turns – not all of them have guardrails – but as long as you are focused, you will have a lot of fun taking this route.

Don’t forget to have your camera ready too. You will be rewarded with breathtaking views of the landscape; chances are you’ll be making several stops while driving this route.

Once you get to Zion National Park, you will have even more things to do. Now that you have these questions answered, you can plan for the trip better and have the best time exploring the national park.