camping equipment

CheapTents.com Outdoor Gear Blog

…not just tents…a camping equipment blog too!

The Nine Edges Race in the Peak District is for walkers, runners, climbers and mountain bikers. Starting from Fairholmes Car Park, the route takes competitors over nine gritstone edges to the Robin Hood pub, near Baslow. For walkers, runners and climbers the distance covered is 20 miles, for mountain bikers 32 miles. There is no fixed route, but competitors must use footpaths and bridleways and must also pass by either the top or bottom of each gritstone edge. Climbers must also climb each edge.

Stanage Edge Gritstone Rocks in the Peak District

Stanage Edge is a popular place for climbing. Source: Flickr by Darren Copley.

Related camping and outdoor news, reviews and advice:

When hiking, camping and climbing it is always great to see some wildlife. Birds can often be heard or seen out in the countryside. Keeping an eye out for birds can add another dimension to your outdoor experience. If you are going to do some birdwatching there is some additional equipment that you could take with you. The gear that you will need will depend upon the nature of your trip:

  • What time of year will you be going?
  • What are anticipated weather conditions?
  • What is duration of trip?
  • Where will you sleep overnight?
Related camping and outdoor news, reviews and advice:

In the future, due to shortages of land and restrictions in transport, food could be grown in skyscrapers. Often referred to as vertical farms, these buildings could become a prominent feature of the urban environment. For many city dwelling people, these vertical farms will offer the opportunity to go hiking. However, skyscrapers are not the only type of structure which can be used for growing vegetation.

Related camping and outdoor news, reviews and advice:

When it comes to finding out about adventures taking place across the globe one of the best places to look is The Adventure Blog. Written by Adventure Blogger Kraig Becker the main focus is on climbing expeditions in the Himalayas and polar expeditions in the Arctic and the Antarctic. However, it does not stop there. If there are any great adventures taking place anywhere in the world Kraig Becker will have it covered, from Ripley Davenport’s attempt to make a solo and unsupported trek across Mongolia to the Plastiki Expedition in which adventurer David de Rothschild is sailing his famous boat, made from more than 12,000 plastic bottles, from San Francisco to Sydney.

Related camping and outdoor news, reviews and advice:

Located on the south west coast of India, Goa is a well known holiday location due to its beautiful, golden sandy beaches. Yet there are also many hiking opportunities in Goa for people who like to explore the countryside on foot. Take a journey inland in this tropical region and the terrain becomes mountainous. The mountainsides are green, covered by moist broadleaf deciduous forests that support many species of flora and fauna. Goa is an area that is world renowned for its biodiversity.

Related camping and outdoor news, reviews and advice:

Flowers planted in a pothole in an East London Street

Fill That Hole! A mini-garden in the street. Source: Flickr by ©thepotholegardener

Following the cold snap at the beginning of the year, our roads were left full of potholes, causing a nightmare for cyclists and drivers alike. Fortunately help was at hand, the Fill That Hole website being just the ticket for reporting potholes to your local highways agency. Using Google maps the exact location of the pothole can be pinpointed and reported. Fairplay to my local highway authority who have patched up a lot of potholes since the big freeze. Not everyone has been so lucky, however. The roads in East London have not had their potholes filled in a timely fashion, leading to a spate of gardening in the streets. In a protest over the lack of remedial road care by his local authority, the mysterious pothole gardener has taken action. Sporting a safety vest and armed with a trowel, some soil and flowers, he has taken to the streets and literally filled that hole!

A pothole in an East London Road

Before...a pothole

A pothole garden in an East London Street

After...a mini garden

Related camping and outdoor news, reviews and advice:

Berghaus have launched an online rock climbing flash game to give the general public a virtual taste of a major climbing adventure.

Climb Project Asgard - Berghaus Flash Climbing game

For most of the year the fjords on Baffin Island are filled with frozen sea ice, but for a short period in the summer the ice melts and with 24 hours of daylight the area becomes a climbers paradise with mile high granite walls and amazing scenery.

Last year, sponsored climbers Leo Houlding and Carlos Suarez tackled the Asgard Project, an ambitious expedition to climb the mile high Mount Asgard (named after the realm of the Norsk gods) on Baffin Island in the Arctic Circle, and then BASE jump from the top.

Related camping and outdoor news, reviews and advice:

The UK has around 7,700 miles of coastline and features many different types of landscape. These include high, rugged cliffs, gently sloping sandy beaches, shingle embankments and marshland. These different types of landscape support a myriad of wildlife, in particular many species of birds. So it is no surprise to find that there are plenty of opportunities for excellent walking along the many coastal paths in the UK.

Pembrokeshire Best Coast Path

According to a readers poll in the BBC’s Coast Magazine The Pembrokeshire Coast Path is the best coastal path in the UK. The 186-mile walking route is located inside the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, in west Wales.

Related camping and outdoor news, reviews and advice:
Photo of Nant Gwynant Valley, Snowdonia on CNP Flyer.

Campaign for National Parks Flyer featuring Nant Gwynant Valley, Snowdonia. Photo K.J. Richardson.

Recently, when opening a copy of Summit magazine, out popped a flyer on which was a scenic photograph showing fields, trees, a lake and mountains. Printed at the top was a bold proclamation: “keep beautiful places safe.” Usually flyers that pop out of magazines are lucky to even get a cursory glance before going straight in the recycle bin, but this one piqued my curiosity. It turned out to be advertising the Campaign for National Parks (CNP). Not to be confused with NCP, who like to cover place with over priced car parks, the CNP is an organisation that aims to protect our National Parks. Being a regular visitor to National Parks such as the Peak District and the Lake District, I was surprised that I had not heard of this organisation before.

Related camping and outdoor news, reviews and advice:

Adventure racing is gaining popularity. Worldwide there are more and more events that combine multiple disciplines such as trekking, running off-road, sea kayaking, mountain biking and road cycling.

Scotland Coast to Coast

Taking place on the 18th and 19th of September 2010, the Nokia Coast to Coast journey starts off on the North Sea, crossing Scotland along the sides of Loch Ness, Loch Oich and Loch Lochy before finishing up on the Isle of Glencoe and Ballachulish.

The starting point of the race is Nairn, north east of Inverness. The stages are as follows:

Related camping and outdoor news, reviews and advice: