SKILLS: CAMPING GURU
Readers’ problems solved
Q
We’ve just bought a new polyester family tent. Do we need to treat it or weather it before our first trip to make it waterproof? A New polyester tents are ready to go, there’s no need to weather them. That’s something you may want to do to a new polycotton tent (and we will cover this in the next issue). However, polyester tents will be affected by the sun’s UV rays which can break down the fabric in a surprisingly short period of time, especially tents that have a low denier (thickness of fabric). So, to prolong the life of your tent you could treat it to a coating of Nikwax Tent & Gear SolarProof, which I know from experience will extend the life of the fabric by up to twice as long. Q The sewn-in groundsheet in my tent has a hole in it. Will I have to put the whole tent in the bin? A Absolutely not, no. Depending on the size of the hole and how nice you want the repair to look, there are a few fixes. If the hole is not much bigger than a 50p piece then a patch of TearAid inside and out will give a semi-permanent fix. You will hardly see the fix, especially if the hole is more of a split. Tear-Aid tape should be in every camper’s kit. If the hole is the size of a cooking pot then a roll of duck/gaffa tape inside and out will do the job. Again, I never camp without a roll of this type of tape. Q
How do I stop getting cold in my sleeping bag at night? A There are so many fixes for this. It’s easy just to say “get a warmer sleeping bag” which is a start, but let’s talk about the next best option. An airbed is the option that most campers start out with to get you off the ground, but they offer next to no insulation. A self-inflating mat (the thicker the better) will give you so much more insulation. A camp bed and self-inflating mat is a combination many experienced campers use… this raises you off the ground as well as giving you the insulation from the SIM. If all else fails, a nice woolly hat and a hot water bottle is a traditional fix. Q
Should I always peg out all the tent guylines when pitching, even if the weather’s calm? A Yes, always, especially on family tents. Some tents need the webbing straps and guylines to help form the structure of the tent. I suppose the main reason, though, is because we generally camp in the UK and we all know we can have four seasons in one day on this beautiful island of ours. Q
How on earth do I make half-decent toast on a camping stove? A There tend to be three methods when cooking on a gas stove. The obvious one is if you have a grill on your cooker, use that. If the stove has no grill then your only option is to use the cooking burners with a fitment. There are two styles of toaster; one cooks four slices of bread in an upright method. I’m not a fan… this method, I find, dries the bread out. The style I prefer is a piece of kit that lays flat on top of the gas ring. Yes, you can only toast one slice at time on each ring, but you end up with a perfectly toasted outside and that nice soft inner that us toast fans really love.