Explore the Little Wide World

Summer Holiday Activities from the National Trust

2010-07-29T01:25:00.000-07:00

With the school summer holidays well and truly here I received a rather timely email from the National Trust detailing holiday events in our area.

A quick look at their website and I found this, which I thought might be of interest...

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-events/w-events-family-summer-adventures.htm?campid=NT10007SJ2A

(The activities listed at the link include the whole country not just the South East.)

So what's so great about Soft Shell?

2010-07-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

We’ve just taken delivery of some soft shell jackets for children. Soft shell has been taking the walking and hiking world by storm over the last couple of years and people we have spoken to that wear soft shell love it (I bought a Marmot Soft Shell Jacket before our hiking trip to the Brecon Beacons and I can confirm that I am a big fan of soft shell).

The fabric is windproof, rainproof, warm and lightweight. But isn’t a kagool 3/4 of these things? Well yes, but…. no. If you consider your waterproof to be your “hard shell” (bear with me here) nothing is going to get in and nothing is going to get out. You’re protected from the elements and if the sun comes out it can feel a bit like being wrapped in baco-foil. Soft shell trades off some of the waterproofing with breathability. Think of it as general weatherproof rather than totally waterproof. A soft shell will perform well in strong wind, light rain and snow (and from my Brecon experience I can say pretty heavy snow at that) but for heavy rainfall you will still need that waterproof.

I like to think of my softshell as being the gap between a fleece and a waterproof. It has proven particularly useful when hill walking with my son - the softshell has replaced my fleece and waterproof on shorter walks and with a quliaty base layer under it is perfect for winter hiking.

Many kids waterproofs are cut with a loose fit for heavy winter cothing underneath, which is great for a waterproof but not great for a spring/autumn jacket. Which is where soft shell comes in. Lightweight yet warm, making it ideal for cooler days. Breathable yet weatherproof, making it ideal for outdoor play or even PE. The soft fabric is nice to touch, it lacks the hardness of some waterproofs, and in the case of our Kozi Kidz jackets the fleece lining makes them ultra snuggly. Thankfully the designers at Kozi Kidz have ignored the rule that states “all softshell must be black” and have produced a kids walking jacket worthy of any catwalk. (Marmot also decided to ignore that for their ladies range, thank you Marmot!)

The soft, stretchy material allows full freedom of movement and the 3-layer construction of the Kozi Kidz Soft Shell, including a waterproof inner membrane means it is a very versatile and practical item to have in the wardrobe.

We are stocking the boys dark/light grey jacket and the girls cerise/lime jacket both of which retail at £38.

At the time of writing only the girls jacket is listed on our website but the boys jacket will be available online (http://www.littlewideworld.co.uk/) from Wednesday July 14th.

Eco-Gear?

2009-12-18T05:44:00.000-08:00

A recent supplement enclosed in Country Walking magazine has got me thinking..... how green is our outdoor gear?

I must confess that when I am buying outdoor kit for myself I am more influenced by performance than the environmental impact of my kit. I doubt I am alone in this but it did get me wondering about the environmental impact of the kids gear we sell at http://www.littlwideworld.co.uk.

After all, products that pollute, companies that exploit the environment, manufacturers that abuse their workers.... do not contribute to the kind of world I want my children to inherit.

As a parent I make active choices when buying my groceries that I hope will help make a small difference to the way the planet is managed - I look for fairtrade, organic, free range when I buy food and household products so I should be applying the same criteria to all my purchases. Therefore, as a retailer I should be expecting other parents to ask the same questions of the products I sell as I ask of other reatilers when making a purchase.

Where was it made? What is it made of? Who made it? Can it be recycled? Will it last a reasonable time period?

I believe that everything we sell in our online store lives up to quality expectations, I hope our customers agree. I select products that I have used myself or have been recommended to me and have been satisfied that the items I have personally used have lasted longer than they fitted my children - many of the items I have road tested have been used by both my children and then sold on ebay or freecylced for other children to use.

I am looking in to the environmental policies of the manufacturers that supply our stock to see how their green credentials stack up and will post my findings on our facebook fan page; http://www.facebook.com/CampingKidz

Festival Memories

2009-12-14T02:50:00.000-08:00

I went to see a band on Saturday night - a rarity these days! Echo and the Bunnymen at the O2 Academy in Oxford. I felt like the youngest person in the audience, being one of only six people under 40.

The last time I saw Echo & The Bunnymen was at Reading Festival circa 4 BC (4 years Before Children). Then I felt that, at over 25, I was one of the oldest people in the audience. That was my only experience of Reading Festival, having been to Glastonbury Festival several times as a teenager it gave me the urge to re-try Glastonbury the following year.

My first festival experience was when I was 18, the day I left school. My friends and I returned our books to the sixth form centre and officially left full time education. We left with an air of anticipation and bussed our way first to Oxford, then Bristol, Shepton Mallet and on to the shuttle bus to the festival site. We met up with friends who had travelled variously from Cambridge and London at the entrance to the main camping field and found our pitches - not too near the toilets, half way up the field on a relatively level patch of ground. We pitched five tents - four to house us and an ancient Force 10 to stash our kit in. The space between tents was astonishing compared to festivals now - as my photo shows (Matt will kill me for posting that one but you can;t see the tents in my other pictures!). We then reccied the camping field, acquired fire wood (to be stored in the Force 10) and set off to find beer. It was a baking hot weekend and many an hour was spent watching the circus performances, dancing badly to the Orb and visiting Joe Bananas Blanket stall on the way to see a late night showing of Bladerunner at the outdoor cinema (that was just a bit cold).

My festival kit, all packed badly in to my bright purple rucksack, included my Dad's old army sleeping bag - it was cosy but weighed more than I did, my tent - a cheap two man tent from Millets, shampoo and deoderent, clean underwear and a bucket to wash in - standards are to be maintained at all times, as you can see Matt even shaved every morning!.

It was with idillic memories that I booked my ticket for Glastonbury in 3 BC (3 years Before Children). I knew I wasn't going to be able to rough it as I had ten years before so packed my gloriously warm and light Marmot sleeping bag, Vaude self inflating sleeping mat, enough clothes to see me through any weather conditions, food and camping stove, baby wipes, and anything else I thought I might need.

This time we drove to the site, parked and tried to call friends we were meeting on our mobiles - the entire network was, of course, over loaded so we made our way, along with 17 million other people to the camping field.

Chaos is the only way I can describe it. We found enough space to pitch two tents and got one of them up. Then searched for our friends, who had pitched their tent in a swamp in the next field. Now we learned the beauty of a dome tent - we unpegged it and between three of us lifted it over our heads and carried it through the crowds to repitch it next to my tent. The way the tents were packed in, practically on top of each other worried me, it was nearly impossible to get from tent to path without tripping on guy ropes or standing on somebody's tent.

Glastonbury Festival had changed a lot in 10 years; queueing was now the main order for the weekend. Toilets, queues, beer. queues, music, queues, even the circus tent had a queue! It just seemed as if there were about ten thousand too many people on site. My first festival experiences were lazy days in the sun, my last was hectic, full on and claustrophobic.

I have decided I'm just too old for big festivals. I might try one of the smaller ones with my kids in a couple of years, but until then I'm sticking to quiet family camp sites for my canvas trips.

Ski and Camp?

2009-12-02T02:36:00.000-08:00

At this time of year my thoughts turn to planning our trips for next year. Whilst scanning through a campsite guide I noticed a number of sites are open all year round, a site we have camped on in previous years stays open all year for people to ski and camp! Whilst camping in the snow doesn't appeal to me personally I wondered if there were many people out there that do winter camping (or is it only something to try with a caravan?).

If you're a winter camper I'd love to hear from you...

Do you heat your tent and if so how?
Is it just a case of artfull layering for warmth at night?
Do you cook your meals at camp or escape to the warmth of a restaraunt or pub?

The thought of getting cold and not being able to warm up puts me off camping passed October half term but people survive much colder temperatures than we get here so I guess it's just down to good planning. Either way I am yet to be convinced that it's for me.

Meanwhile, at http://www.littlewideworld.co.uk we have stocked up on fleece hats and mittens and have some fabulous fleece all-in-ones for toddlers to wear under snow suits. If you are taking your kids skiing this winter check out the sunglasses we have at the online store - these have a thick neoprene strap so don't fall off and are optician approved so you don't need to worry about your kid's eyes in the snowy glare.

Last order date for Christmas delivery is the 18th December (stock levels permitting). I am updating the site regularly to try and ensure all items currently on the site are in stock but occassionaly an item will go out of stock and we cannot guarentee delivery dates. If you are buying as a Christmas gift you can email me at campingkidz@littlewideworld.co.uk and I can check stock levels or give me a call on 01844 202622.

Back in the land of work

2009-08-24T06:15:00.001-07:00

Two weeks in Northumberland and I really didn't want to come back to work. With safe sandy beaches, castles, hill walking and fresh fish it was my dream holiday.

The other half is still recovering from his foot injury so he looked after Small whilst Loki and I takled a couple of the smaller hills within the Cheviots. Humbleton Hill and Yeavering Bell gave us both a taste for hill walking that can only be cured by relocating to the Lake District... I wonder if that is actually feasable....... Food for thought!

With the school holidays drawing to a close the walkign festivals are starting up in ernest. So whilst I get my head back in to work mode here is a round up of what is going on in the next few weeks (as usual if I haven't mentioned something I should have drop me a line at campingkidz@littlewideworld.co.uk);

The Oakhill Festival of Walks takes place between the 29th and 31st of August. Full details can be found at http://www.mendipramblers.co.uk/MINOR/OakhillFestival2009.htm.

The bank holiday weekend sees many small festivals taking place and the Camping Kidz will be attending the Towersey Festival. As it's so close to home we will be buying day tickets at the gate but weekend camping is available. Towersey Festival showcases folk music, dance and art from around the UK and always has an international special guest. Previous acts have included Georgian Folk dancers, Tanzanian Fire Dancers and Apalacian Clog dancing. The full programme of events can be found here: http://www.towerseyfestival.com/. Disappointingly this year dogs have been banned from the market and arena areas meaning they are only welcome on the campsites. I know this has put off a few people from camping as, understandably, they do not want to leave their dogs alone at the tent during the performances.

Pendle Walking Festival kicks off ont he 30th August and runs a series of events until the 7th September - details at http://www.pendlelife.co.uk/roundabout/opencms/directory/sport_and_activity_groups/walking_in_pendle/index.html. (Gosh that's a long old link!)

The first weekend in September sees a couple of highlights in Wales with the Really Wild Food Festival in St Davids (http://www.reallywildfestival.co.uk/)and the Brecon Beacons Challenge in aid of the British Heart Foundation (http://www.visitmidwales.co.uk/thedms.aspx?dms=13&feature=9&GroupId=1&venue=1024210&easi=true).

Right better get back to work (and need to dig out the tie died shirt for Towersey Festival). Don't forget we can be found on twitter (http://twitter.com/LittleWideWorld) and FaceBook (search on "Camping Kidz" to find our fan page) where you can find more ramblings and out and about the latest goings on at the online store http://www.littlewideworld.co.uk and get the latest product updates.

Finally, I am walking 26 miles to raise money for Cancer Researchand need sponsership. I lost my dad to cancer a few years ago and don;t think i know anybody who hasn't been touched by this desease one way or another so am using my love of the outdoors to raise money for this worthy cause. If you want to help me reach my sponsership target you can sponser me online at
http://www.justgiving.com/littlewideworld/.

Plant identification

2009-07-07T04:06:00.000-07:00

I haven't abandoned my new resolution - I have identified the Iris... drum roll please...... it is a Stinking Iris and I can confirm that it is a native plant. I didn't think to smell it, something to add to the list of things to do when out with the kids. I'm very proud of my new investigative skills and think I may carry on with this learning our wild plants malarky.

This weeks plant....

So far I have been able to find that it is an orchid, possibly a Southern Marsh Orchid. However, it wasn't growing in marsh - do drainage ditches count as marsh?

Now for an interesting fact.... easier than said than done with this plant. I think it's pretty rather than interesting. More good news though, it is a native.

For future walks I need to invest in a notebook and make a note of the location and size of the plant to supplement my often very "soft" focus snaps.

Back to the world of camping and did anybody brave Glastonbury with their kids. If so I'd love to hear from you... did your kids enjoy it as much as you hoped? What could you not live without on site? What did you not have that you would have loved? I'm toying with the idea of taking my kids to a festival - I think Glastonbury might be a bit big for me but one of the smaller festivals would be fun and would love to have some advice.

If you are planning a camping trip this summer and need to get new gear for your kids - sleeping bags, waterproofs, even travel beds and child carriers then don't forget to have a look at our online store http://www.littlewideworld.co.uk/.

I am sorting out our rainwear sizes at the moment so if the size you are looking for isn't listed please drop me an email at campingkidz@littlewideworld.co.uk. We may have it in stock or on order and just not updated that particular line on the site. This should be fixed by the next time I update the blog.

Don;t forget you can read my daily (almost) ramblings on Twitter - our twitter user name is @littlewideworld.

If you haven't already become a fan of our facebook page you can find that here http://bit.ly/11V8hj - we're still looking to know your favourite campsites, camping recipes and out and about tips. You'll also find details of any special offers and new products at the online store.

A little learning......

2009-06-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been a while since I last updated the blog - why are good habits so hard to get into whilst the bad ones are hard to break? I guess if I knew the answer to that one I'd be a saint.

Whilst walking the dog this morning I stopped to take in the view and it dawned on me that although I was surrounded by plants and animals my knowledge of the plants are around me was pretty limited. I can identfy a broad selection of British birds and small mammels but ask me the difference between a moss and a lichen and wouldn't have a clue - I can tell you that the fungus growing on the tree behind me is a bracket fungus but which one?

When I was a child I relied on my dad to give me the information I needed - he was my walking talking guide book and always had an answer to "what's that bird?" or "what's that flower called?" and even "what animal left that poo there?". I'm not sure if it was his army training that helped him make up an answer on the spot or if he really knew all this stuff but it kept me happy and gave us something to talk about on our walks.

With this in mind I have made a new pledge (another good habit not to get into?) to try and learn a little more about the plants and animals that we encounter on our family walks. Today I had my camera with me and have photographed some of the plants and will endeavour to find out what they are, an interesting fact about each, and try and remember it so that on our next family walk I can impress my kids with my vast knowledge of all stuff natural.

So, my first plant:

Obviously I knew it was a thistle, but now I know that it is a creeping thistle.

As for an interesting fact, how about: the roots and leaves are edible but the roots have a propensity to cause flatulance and the leaves have spikes making them hard to digest. I think the idea of a fart inducing thistle will appeal to my kids, if your kids are a little more civilised than mine they might be interested to know that this plant provides food to over 20 varieties of finch!

Plant number two:

I would go as far as to say it's an iris (I've seen enough Van Gogh paintings to get that far). But so far that's all I know. I haven;t a clue as to whether it is an horticultaral escapee or a native British plant. I will try to find out and report back next week.

As we're in the middle of a heatwave I won't be doing much walking this week. I have had sun stroke before so will be doing all I can to make sure I don't suffer from that again. Hat, suncream and bottle of water will be my best buds for this week.

Don't forget that you can get sunhats and sunglasses for your kids at http://www.littlewideworld.co.uk/.

If your a twitter user you can keep up with our daily ramblings and share the bits of news that catch our eye by following us - our twitter user name is @littlewideworld.

Our fan page on facebook has recently had some discussion boards added - we're looking to know your favourite campsites, camping recipes and out and about tips. You'll also find details of any special offers and new products at the online store here; http://bit.ly/11V8hj

And my last word about the shop, we have just taken delivery of puck 10 backpacks in red... very nice they are too. I will be adding these to the site in the next 24 hours.

More sunshine, More time to enjoy the outdoors

2009-06-03T06:28:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's June already.

A quick rundown of walking festivals this month;

The Gower Walking Festival includes 47 guided walks at day and night taking in the history and wildlife of the stunning peninsula between the 6th and 21st June. More details at http://www.mumblestic.co.uk/.

Bishops Castle walking festival in Shropshire runs from the 9th - 11th June with 11 guided walks including Railway walks, Iron Age forts and woodland walks. Details at http://www.walkingfestival.co.uk/.

Langport Two-Day waling festival runs over the 13th and 14th June. Eight walks through the Somerset countryside run over the 2 days. Contact the organisers via Slams@btinternet.com for further details.

Rothbury and Coquedale Midsummer Festival in Northumberland runs during the week commencing 13th June. The walks cost £7 and all funds raised will go to the Northumberland National Park Good Nature Fund. details at http://www.rothburywalking.co.uk/.

The 13th & 14th of June is the date for the Muirkirk Walking Festival in East Ayrshire. Visit http://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/ for further details.

Herefordshire Walking Festival runs in the same week as the Rothbury festival and includes 61 guided walks so there's bound to be something to suit whatever your ability. Walks cost £3, children walk free. http://www.walkingfestival.co.uk/

Details of the Peak District's Historic Borders Walking Festival can be found at visitchesterfiels.info. This walking festival includes walks and cycle rides in the peak district with the "longest walk on the longest day".

There are loads more events running up and down the country and if we have missed something you think should be mentioned please drop me a line at campingkidz@littlewideworld.co.uk.

I am still traipsing up and down the ridgeway - sometimes with the kids, sometimes not. This week saw a 7 mile stretch nicely tucked under our belts as we walked between Goring and East Ilsley. Sunburn was aquired and the dog managed to get a blister! I had no idea dogs could get blisters. This weeks walk is weather dependent and looks like it will probably be a stretch of Ridgeway between Chinnor and Nuffield, part of which is under trees to shade us from the forecast rain.

At the shop; we have taken delivery of more kids backpacks. I'm delighted to say our best selling pack, the Vaude Puck 10, is back in stock. The Puck 10 is the perfect pack for nature detectives as it comes with it's own magnifying glass and seating mat for sitting very still waiting for bugs to come out. My son has been using his for the last year to carry everything from his packed lunch at school to binoculars and gaiters when he is out exploring. We have also added the Ayla 6 pack in a variety of colours - the red arrived this week and is certainly my favourite.

Get in touch; As always I love hearing about the outdoor adventures you ar ehaving with your family so please share stories, walking & camping tips or recipes, or general chat via any of the following methods;

Email; campingkidz@littlewideworld.co.uk
Twitter; http://twitter.com/LittleWideWorld
We also have a Camping Kidz facebook page which we are trying to make a little more interesting - I've created a few discussion boards here were we can share camping tips and recipes so if you have something to share why not get in touch here. Or if you have a question or subject you'd like to discuss add it to the discussion board.

Camping Season Starts

2009-05-26T00:23:00.001-07:00

With the glorious weather this weekend I have been so jealous of those people that had booked camping trips with their families. With campsite booking up between 20 and 30% for the summer it looks as though those last minute trips won't be quite so spontaneous this year.

In addition to campsite bookings being up the incidence of skin cancer is also showing an increase. Anybody that suffered from sunburn as a child, probably most of us, knows how miserable it is trying to sleep with lobster skin. As a typical pale skinned Brit I am constantly nagging my kids to put on the lotion and keep on their sun hats. We have just added some sun hats to our product range and these can be found in the accessories section of our website http://www.littlewideworld.co.uk/.

The Sahara hat is particularly good with it's light weight fabrc, terry forehead band for absorbing moisture and the stowable neck shade. Made by Vaude you can be sure of the quality and is well worth the £18 price tag.

If you need to be weight or space conscious then the Kids Switch cap (pictured) is a real bargain. At only £6 it offers SPF40 sun protection and is adjustable to fit children from toddlers up to about 8 years of age. It has the added benefit of having a softer peak than many caps which means it can be folded (or if your kids are like mine screwed up) to fit into a pocket or pack.

We have also extended the range of bags we stock with the Vaude Ayla 6 backpack which is a great size for 3-6 year olds and comes with it's own soft "companion" to share all your kids adventures, and the snazzy Daisy shoulder bag which is ideal for little girls who would rather not put their lunchbox in a backpack. Both of these items can be found in the "bags and packs" or "Vaude" sections of our website.

That's the plugs over for this week, with half term I am splitting my time between Camping Kidz and my own kids so it's going to be a busy one. I promise not to go on about the product range in my next update and plan to share some of our favourite camping recipes.

Have a fabulous half term (if your lucky enough to be off work/school) and if you have a favourite recipe you want to share feel free to send it to me at campingkidz@littlewideworld.co.uk.

Walking Season Starts

2009-05-12T06:32:00.000-07:00

The recent dry weather has made geting out with the kids much easier than in previous springs (and last summer!) and the walking season is really kicking off. Many local parks and woodlands have organised Bluebell walks, some with cream teas and ice creams available. And of course, the walking festivals have kicked off.

When I hear somebody say walking festival I always think of the Isle of Wight Walking festival, which this year runs from the 9th - 24th May with over 200 guided walks ranging in length from 1 mile to 72 miles! So there is bound to be something there to suit every body, whatever your fitness levels or age. There is a small charge for some of the walks, details of which can be found at http://www.isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk/.

Also in May there is the;

Garstang Walking Festival - running from 9th-17th May. The walks cost from £2 and include Bluebell walks, a cheese walk(?), afternoon tea walks and family cycle rides. details at www.wyrebc.gov.uk/find/garstangwalkingfestival

South and Heart of Suffolk Walking festival - runing from the 9th -25th May with 61 guided walks to suit all ages and abilities. Visit http://www.southandheartofsuffolk.org.uk/ for details.

Keswick Mountain festival from the 13th-17th May makes me wish I wasn't quite so far from the Lake District. http://www.keswickmountainfestival.co.uk/ has full details of the events which include guided walks, phtographic walks, climbing, scrambling and water sports.

Lincolnshire Wolds Walking Festival from the 16th-31st May has walks taking in coast, nature reserves, medieveal towns and the dambusters story. No website for this on I'm afraid but details can be obtained by emailing customerservices@e-lindesy.gov.uk

In Wales both the Preseli and Llanelli walking festivals run through May. Visit http://www.planned.org.uk/ and http://www.llanelliramblers.org.uk/ for details of these.

Walk Fest 09 runs from the 8th-14th May in Dumfires and Galloway with walks and social events throughout. http://www.newtonstewartwalkfest.co.uk/ goves further details of all the events taking place.

The 7th Angus Glens Walking Festival runs from the 28th-31st May in and around Kerrimuir, Angus Glen. These walks vary from lowland glens to Munro peaks taking in the wonderfull scenery and wildlife of Angus including red deer, golden eagles and peregrine falcons. The walks cost from £12 and details are available at www.angusanddundee.co.uk/walkingfestival.

And finally, the Aviemore and Cairngorms Walking and Mountain Festival runs from the 9th -16th May with walks varying from easy strolls to strenuous treks to some of Scotlands highest peaks. Alongside the walking is mountain biking, river rafting, canoeing, kayaking, canyoning and climbing. Full details and contact details at http://www.aviemorewalking.com/.

This is by no means a comprehensive list and if you have a walking/outdoors event coming up that you would like to see mentioned here please drop me a line at campingkidz@littlewideworld.co.uk.

Our family walk this week was a 6 km walk through farmland and bridle path that was followed from The AA's 50 Walks in Oxfordshire. The walk started at the unusual 14th century church in Ewelme which houses the tomb of Thomas Chaucer, son of the poet Goeffrey Chaucer, and the grave of Jerome K Jerome can be found in the church yard. Taking in mostly farm track the walk wasn't strenuous with little ascent that Small managed well. I couldn't recommend the walk for puschair users as for the last 500m or so the path gets very narrow and although the path was good for walking I think I would have struggled to get a buggy through.

Whilst on holiday in Yorkshire when our son was very young the owners of the cottage we were renting had left some leaflets called "Walking with Wheels" which gave details of wheelchair and pushchair suitable walks. Many local authorities produce similar leaflets which are often available from tourist information centres or local information offices. If you know of any good publications for wheelchair or pushchair users please drop us a line and we will mention them here. Whilst OS maps are fantastic for planning a walking route trying to establish whether a terrain is suitable for wheels isn't always easy.

Contact: We are on Twitter (our Twitter user name is @LittleWideWorld) and we have a Camping Kidz page on FaceBook, so it's easy to get in touch. Alternatively we can be emailed at campingkidz@littlewideworld.co.uk and of course you can see all the Camping Kidz gear at http://www.littlewideworld.co.uk/.

Our Twitter prize draw took place last week and congratulations to @CharlieMoos who were drawn from the hat by Small. A Rukka Anorak has been sent out and we hope you enjoy exploring the big wide world in your new rainwear.

And at the online store, http://www.littlewideworld.co.uk/ we have just taken delivery of a big box of goodies from Vaude, including sun hats, back packs and sleeping bags. These will be added to the store in the next couple of days (Small and Loki have already picked out the hats they want).

And finally, good luck to everybody who is taking part in the London Moonwalk on the 16th May.

Seeing in the Summer

2009-05-05T04:29:00.000-07:00

The May bank holiday weather was great walking weather and gave us the opportunity to put Small's new boots to the test.

May 1st: White Horse Hill and Weylands Smithy. Being May Day I half expected to find a band of hippes, druids or other nature celebrators atop White Horse Hill nr Uffington, Oxfordshire so was more than a little surprised to find that Small and I had the place to ourselves.

We strolled the short way down the Ridgeway from the National Trust car park towards Waylands Smithy. It wasn't long before we were joined by a bus load of school children - Small was complimented by one of the teachers for her kit. This lady was in agreement with me that walking is a wonderfull discipline for children giving an opportunity to explore the outdoors, learn about nature and get some fresh air and exercise. She had encouraged her children (now teenagers) to carry their own waterproofs, water bottles and snacks. I like to take this a little further and try to encourage Loki to pack his own backpack with all the things he thinks he may need for his rambles.

The only essentials I insist upon are waterproof and a drink, the rest is up to the kids. Loki learnt early on the dangers of over-packing. One sunny afternoon stroll he decided he needed to take his binoculars, a large hard bound bird book, an A4 notepad and selection of felt pens and crayons - in addition to his packed lunch, waterproof and a litre of water. No amount of telling him he was being over-prepared would make him reconsider his choices and he grumbled and complained about the weight of his pack after only a mile or so. I don't think he will make that mistake again.

Bank Holiday Monday and we decided to explore a different part of the Ridgeway. This was a whole family walk as Loki wasn't at school and Dad wasn't in the office.

The gaiters seemed a little excessive considering we haven't had a great deal of rain recently, but as he's got them he insisted on wearing them. I had foolishly decided that my waterproof was surpluss to requirements - this prooved to be an error of judgement. I didn't get very wet but the kids learnt from my foolishness.

Apart from a little drizzle the walk was a success. Only one bout of tears when Small wanted to go left and our route took us right. Minimal moaning from Loki and the dog resisted the urge to bark at some horses that passed us.

I'm hoping that if I build up the kids stamina now we will be able to take on part of the Coast to Coast when we visit Northumberland in the Summer. I'd love to take on the whole walk but I think it will be a few years before we can take on a long distance path as a family.

A few things that caught my eye in the news this week;

Ramblers go the whole hog on charity trek : http://bit.ly/X6GLU. Lancashire is a bit far for us but we do plan to get involved in some charity walking later in the year, watch this space....

Malvern Hills voted one of Britain's best views : http://bit.ly/adMKK

Eurocamp returns to Britain to lure recession-hit middle classes : http://bit.ly/JMR0b

Signs of Spring

2009-04-27T06:07:00.000-07:00

Well, the mother-in-law has scuppered my plans for camping in half term week, so I've pledged to drag the kids round the countryside every weekend.

Yesterday we took in our first family walk. By this I mean we planned where we were going and we ALL walked. No buggy or child-carrier for Small. The map came out and a route was picked. Loki was encouraged to write a list of the wildlife he would like to see on his nature ramble. The list consisted of:

Horses - Smalls choice, she likes horses,

Red Kite - considering we live a stones throw from the Chilterns Red Kites hold little novelty factor these days and I was surprised to see them added to the list. They are more common than crows over our garden!,

Worms - Loki likes worms,

Chucks - I'm sure I'd said chickens, but it appears on the list as Chucks,

Not a particularly ambitious list (which didn't matter anyway as we left it at home). The walk wasn't terribly ambitous either - we weren't sure how well Small would do without her buggy for back up and I didn't fancy carrying her for miles. We took a circular route of about 3 miles taking in farm track, sheep fields (Dog loved that!) and footpaths round the edge of farmland. Small only needed to be carried for the last 1/4 mile or so, which I think was more to do with the terrain than tired legs. Maybe a slightly longer walk can be attempted next time!

Wildlife we did see included; Bluebells, Guinea Fowl (not really wild), a sparrowhawk and rabbits. There was probably more but a large dog and two children tend to make enough racket to scare off anything really interesting before we see it.

I'm now on a mission to find small some sensible walking shoes - her "princess shoes" really weren't suitable for the terrain. Does anybody know where I can get walking boots in a childs size 9?

The Ramblers have some tips on walking with children and there is also a link to a list of books of family walks; http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/everyone/children/ .

(I suspect my son scares the sheep more than Dog.)

Staying Dry

2009-04-20T06:33:00.000-07:00

As the weather warms up I start dreaming of the first camping trip of the year. As Small is still so small I like to be sure that spring is really here before we hit the canvas. I can put up with being cold, I can't put up with the moaning that comes from a cold child.

As bad as a cold child, of course, is a wet child. Whilst my kids are happy to get soaked running around in the rain they aren't happy to stay soaked, so unless we are on a campsite with a drying room we need head to toe waterproofing. Small looks cute in the yellow Rukka Raingear, as the pictures show, but the 7 year old (henceforth known as Loki after his spiritual ruler) looks a bit daft in waterproof dungarees. For him it's waterproof trousers and the worlds most hideous kagool.

Caught short on a camping trip in the Cairngorms we had to make a dash between the rainstorms to Avemore to find a waterproof that would fit him. He was too large for the all in one toddler waterproofs and too small for the waterproof jackets available, so it was a stuff mac in "medium". I'm not sure what size a "medium" child is but looking at this kagool I would estimate they are about 4' 2" and have a waist measurement of about 47". I suspect Loki will never grow in to this particular garment.

It's a little shamefull really - I run a children's outdoor clothing retailer and my son wears the most repulsive waterproofs ever produced. I've tried to tempt him into a better fitting and much more respectable blue anorak, but if you have boys you'll know that trying to get them not to wear something is a guarenteed way of making them want to wear it.

I wonder if reverse psychology will work......

We are still running our prize draw via Twitter. If you use Twitter follow us (@littlewideworld) and we will enter you into a prize drawer to win a child's Rukka Anorak. The first 100 followers will be entered into the draw - we're currently up to 53.

I am also collecting recommendations for family friendly campsites. I would like to add a directory page of family friendly sites to http://www.littlewideworld.co.uk/, so if there's a site you particularly like and think other families will enjoy please send details of the site - including the site name and location - and the reasons that you think it's a great family destination to us at campingkidz@littlewideworld.co.uk and we will add it to the directory.

My First Post

2009-04-17T05:48:00.001-07:00

I promise not to use this blog just to plug the online shop, but will start with a little bit of plugging then it's over and done with.

http://www.littlewideworld.co.uk/ has some fantastic rain gear, perfect for the weather we've had this week.

We are currently running a prize draw to win a kids Rukka Anorak, as modelled by Small. To enter the draw all you need to do is follow us on Twitter (@littlewideworld) and you will be automatically entered into the draw. As soon as we hit 100 followers we will make the draw and inform the winner via Twitter.