You just can’t beat the great outdoors, can you? Well we definitely can't, being a family of outdoor lovers.
With plenty of
amazing camping and caravan sites all over the UK and Ireland, the staycation is becoming more and more popular with families and groups of friends.
From Inverness all the way down to Brighton in the U.K. and Binnion Bay all the way down to Cobh in Ireland, people are packing their
things into the car to spend the summer months taking in everything that
the countryside has to offer, but what exactly is it that they
are packing?
Camping/ Caravanning Gear
Whether you’re staying in
a tent or you’re the proud owner of a tow-along caravan, there are a
few essentials that you’ll need to take with you to make sure that your
trip runs smoothly.
Assuming you’ve remembered to pack the tent, you’ll
want to bring along cooking equipment, decent lights for the nighttime,
and enough food to last you for your holiday.
Be certain to pack
the right clothes as well! British Isle weather is notoriously unreliable,
which means that you should prepare for both rain and shine - which in turn will hopefully make for a lot of rainbows too! Making sure
that your kids stay happy and healthy while you’re away is the key to a
great family holiday.
Games
Arguably the most important
item on a list of staycation essentials is a decent selection of
games. When the sun is shining, there’s nothing quite like getting your
family together and bonding over a few games of field cricket, frisbee or football. Choose a game that the whole family will love and you’re
sure to have an amazing time.
As the day turns into night, you can
swap those outdoor games for the indoor variety. Bringing a pack of
cards and plenty of board games will make sure that your family are
entertained whatever the weather – the perfect way to wind down after a
full day of activities. As a child myself and my family used to spend the evenings playing card games like Snap! and 31, as well as our firm family favourite Draughts. These are all games which I can't wait to play with my boys once they're old enough to understand the rules.
Whether you decide to walk the peaks or spend the days sitting by a
lake, the British and Irish countryside offers plenty of picture-perfect moments
that you won’t want to forget - and I'm one of those people who never wants to miss an outdoor photo opportunity! You can see some of my photography here.
Bringing a good camera along is the ideal
way to capture your favourite staycation moments and have something to
look back on forever. I use a Nikon D3200 with various lenses and find it perfect for capturing all of our family's memories.
Power
Making sure you're powered up is essential while you're camping, after all you don’t want your camera
losing charge just before you go to take the perfect snap. The
best-equipped campers and caravanners will have a constant supply of
energy, and you can power your outdoor experience in many different
ways: from solar panels through to petrol generators, there’s always a
way to make sure your devices are charged, and ready to face tomorrow’s
adventure.
Do you prefer a staycation holiday or is it something you plan to do in the future?
We love a staycation. we have a week self catering in Scotland coming up and hopefully a few camping trips. Games are very important