Getting away from the chaos of the workplace is important for your sanity, and a nice mini holiday amidst the thriving green of the outdoors will help refresh your mind. Get in your car and drive, far away from the incessant drone of copier paper printing, volleys of barking demands from bosses, the eye strain, the wrist strain, the cubed compartmentalization and suffocation of the office, and enjoy some peace and quiet in your favourite spot.
Remember, you’re not ex-SAS so you’ll need to pack some essentials before you go roughing it. At the very least you should have a quality tent, sleeping bag and rucksack if you are going alone. As a first time goer, or every once-and-a-while goer, you can most likely find everything you’ll need at Halfords.
For a tent, especially in this weather, you’ll want something with a water resistant coating. Most tents will have this coating as well as a waterproof rain fly and floor. If for some reason yours doesn’t have this, you can use two ponchos for the top and floor of your tent area. Also, you should get a tent that is easy to assemble and has appropriate ventilation. I would recommend a cheap tent like the Gelert Stealth 2 Man with its lightweight aluminium frame and 2000mm head.
You don’t need to be a minimalist, though, when going camping. You are an urban creature after all. Feel free to bring a few portable electronics because there is only so much time you can spend looking at trees and your campfire. Take a break from taking a break by bringing along a cheap portable DVD player if you don’t feel comfortable bringing your laptop. The Sony DVP-FX730 is a nice little player that has a 7-inch screen and a decent battery life.
If you are looking at speaker docks for iPods prices, I would also recommend bringing along a nice BOSE speaker dock (Darjeeling Limited) for your iPod to help you set a fun and refreshing ambiance at your campsite. Good luck, and don’t get too wet out there!
