Tag: Gear

Kampa Touring Air: Is This The Best VW Campervan Awning?

Post author By Own The Outdoors
Post date 16th November 2020

The Kampa Touring Air is a drive-away awning designed for VW campervans. We review this popular choice and what we like about it, as well as a few niggles.

When we chose a VW campervan as our motorhome of choice, we knew we would we weren’t buying an all-in-one solution.

This may not be the case for everyone but for us, as a family of four, we were aware we would need dry space outside of the campervan if we were all sleeping in it overnight.

We battled with the question of how big an awning to buy. Would a four-berth drive-away awning be too big? Should we get something that just adds a small room to our van? Which is the best drive-away campervan awning? There are so many to choose from.

In the end, we chose to get a full-size four-berth drive-away awning as we felt it would offer us the most value overall.

There is a good range of drive-away awnings on the market, but after much consideration, we settled on the Kampa Touring Air drive-away awning. Also known by the unwieldy name Kampa Travel Pod Touring Air, it is made specifically for VW campervans and comes in two models – standard and Classic.

Read on to learn why we choose this specific drive-away awning over and above other market leaders and what we think of it now having used it for a couple of years. Was it the right choice?

Contents

What is a drive-away awning?

A drive-away awning is essentially a tent, but one with an additional cowl which attaches to your vehicle.

In our case, we have a VW California Ocean and we connect the cowl or tunnel area of the awning to our wind-out awning rail above the side sliding door.

The most secure and weatherproof way to connect the awning is with a drive-away awning fixing kit. This includes figure 8 plastic strips which slide on to the kador strip – the thick edge along the edge of the tunnel opening, and a separate kador strip which connects between the figure 8 pieces and the awning rail on the vehicle.

If you have unwound the wind out awning a little to help with accessing the rail, it can be wound back in until the tunnel or cowl is taut.

Once attached, you now have a handy walkthrough straight into your vehicle. Keeps the rain off, the wind out and offers privacy

If you want to leave for the day, it is easy to pull the plastic figure of 8 strips out of the awning rail and store inside the awning until you return. The cowl can be toggled away so it doesn’t flap in the wind all day.

There are other methods to create the tunnel walkthrough to your vehicle. These include guying the cowl over the van and pegging to the ground on the other side, using magnetic attachment points on the van body, and a pole and clamp kit.

The benefits of a drive-away awning

Like it or not, when you are away for a trip you are going to be carrying a lot of gear. If you are touring then it is a huge advantage to be able to leave the equipment you don’t need behind for the day.

This means bedding, clothes and excess shoes can be left at camp rather than touring the countryside with you.

Having somewhere to stash excess equipment is also handy at night if you are sleeping in your vehicle.

If you have children you’ll know car seats are bulky and take up precious room and there’s only so much space left in the boot once the bed is down.

It’s also preferable to leave shoes and beach gear out of the campervan if you are sleeping in there at night.

In our case, we are a family of four and the gear we take stacks up quickly. If we are sleeping overnight in the campervan we have to use an awning to put our extra gear. Either our Comfortz Awning Kit (adds sides on to the wind-out awning), or for longer stays the Kampa Touring Air Driveaway awning.

Kampa Touring Air vs Vango Galli III

Having decided we would like to buy a four-berth awning, we managed to whittle the choice down to two. It was either the Kampa Touring Air or the Vango Galli 3.

Both of these four-berth drive-away awnings are considered “low” for small motorhomes and campervans. The “low” spec offers a connection height to the vehicle of 180-210cm.

The table below compares the specifications and dimensions of both of these drive-away awnings:

	Kampa Touring Air	Vango Galli III Low
Height	210cm	210cm
Width	320cm	320cm
Length	540cm	465cm
Tunnel width	90cm	120cm
External doors	3	2
Pack weight	26.67kg	28.95kg
Pack size	L80 x H41 x H41cm	L78 x H39 x W44cm
Number of airbeams	4	4
Fabric	150 denier polyester	420 denier polyester
RRP	£1,125	£1,000
Typical price	£899.99	£899.99

Both the Kampa Touring Air and the Vango Galli III drive away awnings had their merits. Our previous family tent, pre-campervan ownership, had been a Vango and we loved it.

We were tempted by the Vango Galli III as for us, Vango was already tried and tested as a brand. We knew the build quality and design would be excellent.

Porch vs porch

What swung it for the Kampa Touring Air was the porch space.

We spent a very damp holiday camping in Wales years ago in our Vango six-berth dome tent. We had a little Coleman cooker and a couple of camping chairs and we parked ourselves in the porch area of the tent.

It was a godsend. We had space to cook in safety and we were sheltered from the poor weather. It was windy and wet but we got to enjoy the views in (relative) comfort. It was also spacious enough to leave wet gear and muddy shoes.

The porch space on the Vango Galli III is too shallow to fit our camping kitchen stand which holds our cadac cooking two ring stove. We wanted enough depth in the porch to have the stand sideways on, so it could be tucked against the wall of the awning and the chef stays dry.

It was too short to fit our Outwell table and bench set too, which was a shame. If we were to eat in the porch, then we would be quite exposed to the elements.

Although not deal breakers, the Kampa Touring Air had a few other benefits over the Galli III.

Groundsheet

We also liked the sewn-in bathtub groundsheet. Nice to have a fitted groundsheet rather than a loose one. Some would disagree with this as some campsites ask for a breathable groundsheet to be used, but we have never had that problem.

Having a sewn-in groundsheet means it stays in place and we find it easy to sweep and keep clean.

With the Kampa Touring Air, the bathtub groundsheet has velcro sewn on along the length of the doors.

This means when all the doors are closed you can velcro yourself into the main body of the tent and keep the draughts out. It’s really clever and very effective.

Entrance doors

One of these key differences was door access. The Kampa touring air has two entrances into the awning AND the tunnel into the campervan. There is also a door from the tunnel to the outside as well.

You can also velcro the living room floor of the Kampa to the groundsheet in the porch too which makes accessing a breeze and trip hazard-free. The Vango entrances require you to step over them, or trip over if you’re not paying attention.

We have found the ground-level velcro strips collect grass but this comes out easily enough when cleaning up the awning at home after a trip.

Fabric weight

If you have a keen eye you will have noticed in the table above that the Vango Galli III is manufactured from thicker polyester than the Kampa Touring Air. This accounts for the extra nearly 3kg in weight that pack comprises.

We thought hard whether the lesser thickness of fabric would be a compromise for us. On balance we decided we could live with the thinner material. It was worth the lighter pack weight.

Our Vango six-berth tent had been 32kgs in packed weight and was a behemoth to move. The 26kg weight of the Kampa Touring Air made the decision an easy one.

The Vango Galli III is noticeably shorter than the Kampa Touring Air driveaway awning. Most of this length is accounted for by the increased porch size in the Kampa.

Kampa Touring Air vs Kampa Touring Air Classic

Once we had settled on the Kampa Touring Air as our drive away awning of choice, we then had to decide which version we would like to buy. The Kampa Touring Air or the Kampa Touring Air Classic?

The drive-away awnings are the same all but for the fabric used in their construction. The Kampa Touring Air Classic is made from breathable poly-cotton, the benefit of which is it has better thermal qualities. It keeps you cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

The downsides are the weight and the price. The Kampa Touring Air Classic will set you back £1,250 (RRP £1,562.50) and it is over 34kgs in weight.

Given the frequency with which we would use the awning, we decided we couldn’t justify the extra cost, over the Kampa Touring Air, neither were we keen on the extra 8kgs in weight.

Thermal quality

We have found that the 150 denier polyester of the Kampa Touring Air does affect the thermal quality of the drive-away awning. It can be cold at night, even in summer and quite hot inside when the weather is comfortably warm outside.

To combat the cold we have a little Kampa Cuboid camping heater we bring with us which we’ll use late in the evening or early in the morning, and it works a treat.

If the sun is making the awning too hot, the awning design with doors on three sides means we can always get a comfortable cross breeze through the awning to keep us cool.

Layout of the Kampa Touring Air

The space offered inside the Kampa Touring Air Drive Away Awning is exceptional.

Porch

At the front is the porch is a generous 3m x 130cm in area, which is enough space for a camping kitchen stand, cooker, gas bottle, food crates, dining table and chairs.

The inner body of the tent is in two parts: the main living area in the centre of the awning and the detachable four-berth sleeping compartment at the rear.

Living area

The living area is a generous 3m x 2m and is big enough for the table and chairs should you wish to eat inside, or relax playing cards of an evening.

A vertical set of storage pockets is in the living area between the sleeping chamber doors, and single storage pockets are provided within each sleeping chamber. These are very handy and can be used to hold phones, chargers, maps, etc, and helps to keep the awning tidy.

Inner tent

Included in the price is the inner sleeping tent, which is great value. Other similar brands sell this sleeping compartment as an optional extra.

Blackout fabric is used for the sleeping chamber so the early sunrise doesn’t disturb. The two sleeping chambers can be unzipped to form one larger sleeping chamber, and the central door between the two chambers toggles away tidily.

The length and width of this area is plenty to fit inflatable beds and not feel you are on top of each other.

Tunnel

The tunnel area created by the attachment cowl connecting to the campervan is a useful space. We keep our Porta Potti at the rear end overnight and leave our footwear there when entering the van or awning.

There is a zipped exit door from the tunnel at the front of the awning, providing a “dirty” entrance for muddy booted feet.

Accessories for the Kampa Touring Air Drive Away Awning

There are several bits of extra kit you can buy for the Kampa Air drive away awning. The awning is based on the Kampa Dometic Hayling 4 tent and so Kampa Dometic makes accessories to fit both models.

Lighting

The awning has a velcro strip and velcro tabs sewn on to the inside of the two central air beams to attach lighting. Kampa Dometic makes a lighting system called SabreLink which fits neatly and works very well.

We have a SabreLink Flex set and fix it to one of the air beams. It comes with a remote control to set the dimming level and switch on/off.

It all plugs into either a 12V point or a standard UK power point.

Vestibule

In addition to the driveway awning, we have also purchased the Kampa Dometic Hayling 4 Air Pro Vestibule.

This is a clever zip on attachment to the porch area on the front of the awning. This, in effect, gives us a whole extra room as when it is zipped on, it makes the porch area into a weatherproof space.

This gives our already excellent porch another boost. We take it every time we use the drive-away awning.

It comes with an additional bit of groundsheet too which is nice when you’re padding around the awning in socks.

Carpet

For an added bit of luxury, we also purchased the Kampa Hayling 4 carpet. We use this in the main living space in the awning. Adds a nice cosy feel. We have a shoes-off policy in the awning to stop mud and grass getting everywhere.

Footprint

Lastly, we also opted for the Hayling 4 Footprint. This looks like an extra bit of groundsheet. By putting this down underneath your awning, you protect the underside from the damp of the grass or any stony or rocky ground. We have found it works a treat and after a couple of years use, our awning still looks like new.

We give all the groundsheets a hosing and stiff brushing once we’re back from our trip and they always come up a treat.

Pros and Cons of the Kampa Touring Air

Pros

Here are the features we love best about the Kampa Touring Air:

Porch space – plenty for food preparation and seating under cover.
Door access – three non-trip entrances.
Velcro system – cosy at night, eliminates trip hazards when doors open.
Plenty of mesh doors to keep the critters out but the breeze in.
Natural light – lots of widows but they all have blinds if you want privacy.
Generous space for living and sleeping.
The two built-in inner tents.
Velcro attachment points for lights.
“Bathtub” high-sided sewn-in groundsheet
High visibility guy ropes. These are foolproof to use, easy to adjust. Trip hazards are (almost) a thing of the past.

Cons

There are a few minor annoyances worth noting.

The porch groundsheet has two elasticated corners which are supposed to attach to toggles, but we have yet to manage this on both corners.
Attaching the vestibule groundsheet creates a trip hazard with the porch groundsheet. We had to tape them together to overcome this, which isn’t ideal.
It gets quite hot in warm weather and very uncomfortably hot in hot weather. This would be better with the Classic model with heavier material.
Grass gets stuck in the velcro strips on the external entrances, requiring some effort and ingenuity to remove.
Rain can collect on the tunnel roof, depending on tightness and angles. May require a push from underneath to clear during heavy rain.

Are we happy with the Kampa Touring Air drive-away awning?

Did we make the right choice buying the Kampa Touring Air Drive Away Awning?

You bet we did. We have been thrilled with it and love it as much as our actual home. Our van and this awning really is a home away from home.

This awning is a fantastic purchase and worth every penny.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Kampa Touring Air cost?

The RRP of the Kampa Travel Pod Dometic Touring Air is £1,125. Outdoors retailers often seem to discount the price to around £899. We managed to find one listed on sale at £799. It pays to shop around.

What does it include?

The Kampa Touring Air Drive-Away Awning comes with:

Awning with four AirFrame inflatable poles.
4-berth inner tent.
AirFrame 2-litre hand pump.
Peg set, with additional storm straps.
Manual with set up instructions.
Zipped carry Bag.

Is it durable?

Yes. The Weathershield™ 150D polyester material is weather resistant and will keep you dry in the heaviest rainstorm. It is rated UPF 50+ for sunnier weather conditions.

Designed for touring and short-term stays. The manufacturer states that it is not suitable for long-term (ie, seasonal) pitching.

What are the dimensions?

The dimensions of the Kampa Touring Air are as follows:

Length: 540 cm
Height: 210 cm
Width: 320 cm
Connection height: min 180 cm, max 210 cm
Connection width: 280 cm
Weight when packed: 26.64 kg

How long does it take to pitch?

As it is inflatable the Kampa Touring Air is easy and quick to pitch. It typically takes 10-20 minutes to set up with two people involved but can be pitched by one person.

Is it stable in poor weather?

The Kampa Travel Pod Touring Air copes well in windy conditions, and has storm straps included for extra stability. It is important to use all the available pegging points and guy ropes, especially if windier weather is expected.

Is the porch waterproof?

The roof and walls of the porch are waterproof, however, in windy weather rain can blow straight into the porch area. The additional vestibule adds a transparent front wall with zipped doors, making the area weatherproof.

Gear Review: Kampa Touring Air VW Awning

Quality

Ease of use

Ease of assembly

Features

Value for money

Summary

The Kampa Touring Air Drive-Away Awning for VW Campervans is well designed and spacious. It will suit a family of 3-5 that need the extra space for living, gear storage, and overflow sleeping.

4.6

Tags Campervans, Gear

Camping

What to Pack for a Campervan Trip: Complete Packing List

Post author By Own The Outdoors
Post date 3rd November 2020

Are you about to embark on your first great adventure in your new campervan and wondering what you need to pack for your trip? Read on and see what we recommend in our campervan essentials packing list.

First up, we are a family of four, two adults and two kids, so our list is based on those needs. Even if your passenger numbers look different to ours, you might still find a couple of good tips on essentials to pack.

Our campervan is a VW California, so the space and facilities we have available in our vehicle may well differ from yours. Most of the gear is equally applicable to any campervan or motorhome.

These are the essential items we always include on our campervan trip packing list.

Complete Campervan Packing List

Sleeping

Let’s start with the basics. Nothing is more miserable than a bad night’s sleep. If we are going away, then we want to be sure we get a decent amount of rest.

Bedding

Sleeping comfort is paramount to us.

After much research, we decided to purchase some Duvalay sleeping bags. We purchased four separate bags so we could have flexibility on who would sleep where.

In addition to this, we also bring a decent pillow each; full-sized comfy pillows from home.

The sleeping bags mean we do away with the need for any other bedding such as sheets or duvets.

Mattress/topper

Our VW California Ocean came with the comfort mattress installed which was excellent. Although for yours truly, it was still a bit hard.

Our Duvalay sleeping bags have a built-in mattress so give us the extra mattress comfort that we need.

If we used regular sleeping bags or sheets and a duvet, we would certainly consider purchasing a mattress topper to get that extra bit of softness.

Cooking and eating

With two hungry children on board, we need to be able to whip up a meal at short notice. We keep it fairly simple but always tasty and filling.

Food

This is a very important consideration in our family, we all love to eat. I will usually have planned a few meals in advance of the trip, each of which is easy and quick to make.

I will always bring dry ingredients such as flour, sugar, pasta, dry noodles, tins of soup, beans, stock cubes, etc.

We have a drawer below the rear seats. This is always filled with snacks, crisps, biscuits, sweets, cakes, and bread products. All the goodies can be found there!

The “snacks drawer” (as our kids refer to it) is handily located for access when on the road. Accessing one side of the kitchen cupboards proves tricky if the bench seat is rolled forwards to allow maximum space in the boot.

The VW California has a decent sized 42-litre fridge which is more than enough space to fit all the essentials we need for our first couple of days.

Campervan cooking utensils

The VW California Ocean kitchen cupboards are really spacious and well thought out.

The design even comprises a built-in cutlery drawer. We have found there is space above the cutlery drawer to store a chopping board and tea towels.

In the cupboard below the cutlery drawer, we keep a plastic tub with all our kitchen utensils in. It’s handy to grab the lot as a whole if we are cooking outside in the annexe.

Our Campervan cooking utensils include:

Tongs
Collapsible cheese grater – we have a Joseph Joseph one that collapses flat. Sadly these aren’t made any more.
3 knives with blade guards – The knives we bought didn’t have guards, so we purchased a set of Nosh knife guards separately. It is very important to keep knives sheathed if kept loose in a drawer or box to avoid nasty accidents.
3 x wooden spoons
Fish slice/turner
Potato peeler
Teabag squeezer
Chopping board – we have a foldable Joseph Joseph Chop2Pot chopping board which fits nicely in the drawer.

Campervan pots and pans

We have a set of Russell Hobbs 5 piece clip and cook stackable pans to use in our campervan. As they are stackable they take up minimum space. We also have a whistling kettle, a Ridge Monkey Connect XL cooking set, and a small non-electric folding toaster.

We always keep cork mats handy to leave on the campervan kitchen top to provide protection against hot pans.

Camping plates and bowls

We’ve found the best camping plates and bowls are melamine plasticware. We have a set of 4 x dinner plates, 4 x side plates and 4 x bowls which suit us perfectly. Having two sizes of plates gives us a bit more time before we’re forced to wash up!

We also keep little coloured plastic bowls from IKEA, which are handy to pass around the campervan when on the road. These are perfect for biscuits or crackers and help to keep the campervan tidy. They are also a good size for a small portion of cereal in the morning.

I really detest drinking from plastic, so we keep four porcelain mugs in the campervan for tea and coffee, together with four small IKEA drinking glasses.

We have a set of three collapsible bowls for when we are sharing food. Outwell do a brilliant range of collapsible products. We have the set of three bowls, washing up bowl, and collapsible bucket. They are great space-savers and are very robust.

Cleaning

As well as the collapsible washing up bowl and bucket mentioned above, we take a dustpan and brush to quickly sweep the out the van. Also a small range of cleaning products including washing up liquid, sponges/cloths, washing up gloves, and liquid soap.

Portable stove and camping kitchen

If we are away for more than a couple of nights then we will bring the extra kitchen equipment – a Cadac two ring burner and Kampa Colonel foldable kitchen stand.

You might ask why we bring an additional two ring stove and kitchen stand if we already have cooking facilities in the campervan?

With the children in and out of the van, I feel much safer cooking outside than inside. If it’s just a cup of tea then that’s OK but a full meal is a lengthier prospect. I also prefer all the bedding and clothes don’t smell of cooking.

We always add the outside kitchen to our campervan packing list for longer trips, subject to space requirements.

For this reason, we had considered buying a VW California Beach instead but after much deliberation, we decided the VW California Ocean was the best choice for our family overall.

Extra table and chairs

When we travel, we are always a minimum of four people. The VW California Ocean comes with two external chairs and table as standard. All very clever. Not enough for four of you to sit around together though.

We purchased an Outwell Pemberton Table and Bench Set to bring with us on day trips and longer trips away. The extra table space always comes in useful and the benches can be used as coffee tables or a step if extra reach is needed as well as seating for four more people.

Yes, they take up valuable space but they are never surplus.

Clothing & bathroom

When packing personal gear the likely weather conditions have a big say. We try to cover every eventuality but not overdo it; it’s a balancing act.

Clothes, shoes, and coats

This stuff always takes up more room than we’d like but that is because we are four people, everything is x4. It’s not like we can take only one pair of shoes each; usually, we need at least two, with one pair being something to wear in the shower or on the beach.

I can’t remember how many times we’ve had to set up in the rain, so having shoes that can get wet and will dry quickly, and full waterproofs are always a must.

To minimise the space used we will use soft bags, like the blue IKEA bags to hold coats and shoes and they are squishy to fit in any spaces but nice and open to grab what you need in a hurry.

For clothing, we use Amazon packing cubes. These are fabric and mesh square pouches which come in various sizes. One person’s clothing items are all contained in the pouch and again they are squishy to fit into tight spaces.

We will usually store the clothing cubes and bag of coats in the wardrobe cupboard of our VW California Ocean.

Quite often, campsites we stay at have washing machines on-site, so if we are staying for a week, we will most likely take enough for four days and do a wash. I take a couple of pre-measured laundry detergent doses in small resealable plastic bags.

Towels and toiletries

We take one bath towel each and a couple of swimming towels too.

A little bulky, but they can be shoved in anywhere there is space or used to stop gear from rattling en route.

All of our toiletries are in soft wash bags, stored in the overhead locker cupboard above the rear seats in our California.

Clothes line for drying clothes

This is always a bone of contention for us. I like to bring our camping rotary line with us for a longer stay, but we often don’t have enough space for it.

As a family of four, we do need a facility to dry towels, coats, and maybe wetsuits after a day at the beach.

We compromise with a roll of washing line cord which we’ll attach to a tree and the awning rail or we’ll bring a small clothes horse. Pegs are a must of course.

We purchased some radiator airers to hang on the sliding door of the van. These weren’t very successful though and mostly got in the way. We use those in the house now instead.

Toilet

We have two types of toilets. One for short trips and day trips and a second one for longer trips away.

Our short trip and day trip toilet is a popup Bivvy Loo. This lives permanently in the van as it comes in handy in an emergency when out and about or if we are away for just a couple of nights.

We will nearly always stay on a proper campsite as we have children with us and so will use the campsite facilities most of the time.

For longer trips away we have a Porta Potti 335 Portable Toilet which comes in useful in the middle of the night when we don’t want to stumble up to the amenities block in the dark.

Campsite setup

The camping gear we pack for trips away varies depending on how long we’ll be away and if we plan to stay at more than one site.

Pop-Top Cover and Windscreen Cover

We opted for a Comfortz “Cali-Topper” pop-top cover and matching windscreen cover for our VW California Ocean.

Although the VW California Ocean has internal windscreen blinds, they do allow plenty of light in around the edges. The pop top lets plenty of light in too, so the cover helps to keep things dark during those summer mornings when the sun rises early.

In addition to keeping the pop-top dark, the roof cover also adds a layer of insulation for warmth.

An early-spring stay in a hired campervan a few years ago demonstrated to us the need to have insulation in the pop-top. We woke each morning to find all the bedding in the pop-top damp from condensation and freezing cold. Not very nice to wake up to and hard to get bedding dry during the day.

We have also been lashed with rain and high winds whilst sleeping in the roof bed and the cover has done its job to keep the rain and wind out.

As well as keeping warm and dry, the pop-top cover helps to keep the beating sun out on hot days. It’s a must-have if we are away overnight in the van.

Drive away awning or Comfortz awning kit

If we are away for a long stay or might need to have the facility to sleep more than 4 people then we always bring our drive-away awning. If we are away for just a couple of nights and not touring in the van we might be able to make do with the Comfortz Awning kit.

We find as a family of four we need some extra covered space outside the van to house items which are in the way at night-time, like car seats or bags of shoes or coats.

Always essential and sometimes forgotten is a mallet for driving in tent pegs. We also carry a set of rock pegs in case of very hard ground, and a tent peg extractor to make it easy to pull them out again.

Campervan electric hook up kit

We’ll bring the full electric hook up kit if we are staying for more than two days on a campsite.

For up to three days, we find we can manage well enough with the leisure battery supplying our electricity. We use power for lighting, charging devices, the fridge and if very cold, running a camping heater in the drive-away awning.

Our electric hook up kit comprises:

Caravan site extension lead 25m (230V).
3-way mains hook up lead Y splitter (a 2-way is actually enough).
Mobile mains roller power unit – used for powering the awning only.
Worldwide Travel Adapter with 2 USB ports (for use inside the campervan as the VW California has a 2 pin socket behind the passenger door).

Occasional electric hook up kit:

UK Mains hook up adapter – we only bring this if we are near a domestic outlet we might want to use – i.e. a friend’s house.
European mains hook up adapter – obviously only bring for European travel.

Heating and lighting

Yes, you read that heading correctly. We’re comfy campers!

We take a small heater for our annexe (both the large or small versions) to take the edge off chilly mornings and cold evenings. It’s a Kampa Cuboid low wattage fan heater designed for camping, and runs off the campsite mains power supply.

For lighting, we have a Kampa SabreLink Flex lighting system. This LED light strip is also low wattage and can be plugged into the mains or the van’s 12V supply. It sticks to the annexe ceiling with velcro but can be mounted elsewhere with some string and a little imagination.

Ramps/chocks

We do have ramps and chocks as part of our kit but rarely need to use them. It does make a real difference to sleeping in the pop-top in particular if you have the campervan nice and level. We have slept on a slope before without them and one of us ends up rolling on top of the person next to them.

Entertainment

Games to play in the campervan

We always have a healthy supply of table games in our campervan. We keep a range to suit all ages and abilities.

Ball games and sports equipment, wetsuits

Permanently resident in the boot are a couple of tennis balls and frisbees for a bit of throw and catch fun.

Depending on the destination, we might take a plastic cricket set, football, beach toys, and wetsuits for swimming in cooler water.

Portable speaker

Noisy campsites with music blaring into the night are a pet hate.

We do enjoy listening to our own music sometimes, just not sharing it with our neighbours. So we always pack our JBL Flip 5 Bluetooth speaker (and keep the volume sensible).

Tablet/laptop

We like to get away from the tech and encourage our kids to enjoy the outdoor environment with us. They do, but the British weather can mean we spend a few hours back at our little camp while the rain passes (or doesn’t).

Carrying a tablet or laptop means we can enjoy watching a film together. It also gives us more comfortable access than phone screens to more mundane things we may have to deal with.

Just-in-case items

This category is really for things we would prefer not to use, but better to be prepared than not.

Campervan First Aid Kit

We are never too far away from a pharmacy or a doctors surgery should we need help but we keep a small box of essential first aid kit supplies with us at all times in the van.

Our campervan first aid kit comprises:

Nurofen tablets and Nurofen for Children
Savlon
Plasters
Antiseptic wipes
Micropore tape
Gauze
Roll of bandage
Hand sanitiser gel
Insect repellent
Insect bite/sting cream
Rennie
Earplugs (for noisy campsites)
Piriton tablets for allergies, bites, and stings

Campervan tools and extras kit

You never know when you might have to get creative on the road, so we keep a box of kit which might just come in handy if things don’t go to plan or you need to fashion a solution on the fly.

Bungee cords
Old towels
Clothes pegs
WD40
Tools – pliers, screwdrivers, bike multi-tool
Work gloves
Spare fuses and lightbulbs
Tie-down straps
LED torches including a head torch
Mobile phone charging cables
Strong utility cord
Ball bungees – very handy for attaching together almost anything.
Large S hooks for hanging gear in the annexe.
Matches
Milton tablets for cleaning the water tank
Boot buddy – great for cleaning up muddy boots and wellies before putting them in the van.
Gorilla glue
Gorilla tape
Carabiners

Documents

Finally, we make sure to take the documents (or copies) that we may need.

Passports, when travelling to Europe.
Vehicle registration papers.
Proof of insurance.
Campsite booking print-outs.
Ferry and train tickets.
Membership cards – roadside assistance, camping clubs, etc.

We also take photos of all of these documents with our phones and make sure to record contact numbers for our insurance company and roadside assistance.

So that’s our campervan packing list

That covers most things we consider packing for trips away in our campervan, as well as the items which have a permanent home there.

I hope you find this list useful for when you are deciding what essentials to pack for your next campervan trip. Happy travels!

Tags Campervans, Gear, Planning

Camping

Outwell Pemberton Picnic Set Review: Camping Table & Benches

Post author By Own The Outdoors
Post date 28th October 2020

Sitting at a table to eat can make camping mealtimes more enjoyable, dinner prep more practical, and card games more fun. We review a popular folding camping table and bench set, the Outwell Pemberton Picnic Set.

Contents

Laying our cards on the table

Well-known outdoors brand Outwell designs and manufactures well thought through camping and outdoors gear. One of our favourite bits of kit is the Outwell Pemberton Picnic Set.

Why take a table and chairs camping?

Sitting on a blanket to eat a picnic in the sunshine is a glorious way to spend a couple of hours. Over the course of a week’s camping, sitting on the ground can become a bit tiresome.

We are a family of four and our beloved motorhome is a VW California Ocean. The VW California comes ready-loaded with two outdoor chairs and a table cleverly stored in the boot lid and sliding door respectively.

A brilliant concept and so well designed, but not enough seats to accommodate us all when we want to sit outside or in our drive-away awning.

We first realised we needed this product in our lives whilst watching our children trying to eat a meal sitting in a standard camping chair. They ideally needed a surface to lean on and a standard camping chair was too low for them to reach a table.

After several hours spent at a huge camping store and testing every camping table and chair combination (I kid you not!), we decided on the Outwell Pemberton Picnic Set.

What is the Outwell Pemberton Picnic Set?

Outwell Pemberton Picnic Set ready for use

The oddly-named “picnic set” is is not a wicker basket with plastic plates and cups, but instead a good-sized folding table and two bench seats.

The legs fold down and the benches clip on to the underside of the table so the whole kit can be carried with a webbing strap handle.

Pros

We liked this camping table and benches set for a number of reasons.

The table is a good size for four people.
The bench seats are strong and sturdy, no problem for two adults per bench.
It has a flexible design; the table and benches are separate.
The table does not have a finger-pinching fold in the middle like some models.
Easy to assemble and disassemble.

Cons

There are just a couple of annoyances.

One bench has developed a slight “creak” when sat upon by adults.
The bench seats can topple over if they are on unstable ground or accidentally pushed back when standing up.
Carrying the set any distance with the one-handed carry strap is a little awkward. A shoulder strap would have been better for this.

Outwell Pemberton Picnic Set folded for transport

Assembly

The set does not need any post-purchase assembly to use it.

Setting up the Outwell Pemberton Picnic Set is easy. This involves detaching the benches from the underside of the table, unfolding each pair of legs on the table and benches until they “click” into position, and placing the furniture where it’s needed.

Packing up is the opposite – turn each piece upside-down, fold down each leg pair by pressing an unlock button, fold the legs flat against the underside of each bench and table, then line up and press the two benches into their locking clips on the table frame.

Setting up and packing up takes under 30 seconds.

Using the set

We use our table and bench set inside our annexe and outside in the sun/weather.

A small tablecloth over the table adds a bit of colour. Everything (including the tablecloth) is easily wipeable so cleaning up after mealtimes is simple.

The benches are lightweight and so are extremely portable. Each bench will comfortably seat two big people or three little people, very handy to bring to a gathering if people have arrived without chairs.

We take our Outwell Pemberton Picnic Set with us camping and often on day trips and picnics too.

Are we happy with it?

It has been excellent. It is where we gather as a family for all our meals, play card games after dinner or just generally sit and chat.

It’s a perfect height for us all to sit at to eat or play games. It provides another surface when in our awning for prepping food.

The benches are strong enough to stand on, which we find handy when moving our bikes on and off our campervan bike rack. We use the bench seats for all kinds of purposes. Coffee tables, a step to reach something, and for draping towels over to dry during the day.

We recommend the Outwell Pemberton Picnic Set as a robust and well-made piece of camping equipment that we’ve found very useful.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Outwell Pemberton Picnic Set cost?

We have seen the set priced from £99 to £115.00, available from numerous outdoors retailers.

What does it include?

The Outwell Pemberton Picnic Set comes with:

Table (dark grey) with four fold-out steel legs (black).
Bench seats x2 (dark grey) each with four fold-out steel legs (black).
Webbing carry handle attached to the table.

The table and benches are connected together as one unit for transport but are separated when used.

Is it durable?

Yes. The frame and legs of the table and benches are made from steel tubing and are very sturdy. The table surface and bench seats are made from durable and waterproof plastic.

What are the dimensions?

The dimensions of the Outwell Pemberton Picnic Set are as follows:

Pack size (when folded): 102cm x 61cm x 8cm
Weight: 12.8kg
Max Load: Table – 80kg, Benches – 200kg each
Table size (when open): W102cm x D61cm x H70cm
Bench size: W102cm x D28cm x H44cm
Seat height: 44cm

How much weight can it cope with?

This set is very strong and much more robust than some of the folding camping table/bench sets on the market. The weight limit for the table is 80kg, and each bench can support up to 200kg.

Is it stable?

The table is stable although can get “bumped” with careless legs. It will not easily overbalance though.

The benches are sturdy but can tip over backwards if placed on an unstable surface or someone seated pushes too hard with their feet, so some care needs to be taken.

Is it waterproof?

Yes, the plastic and steel construction means that all surfaces are waterproof and can be wiped down if wet from rain or spilled drinks.

Is the table height adjustable?

No, the table and bench seats are not adjustable. Their heights are fixed at 70cm and 44cm, respectively.

Gear Review: Outwell Pemberton Picnic Set

Quality

Ease of use

Ease of assembly

Features

Value for money

Summary

The Outwell Pemberton Picnic Set is a robust, durable, and practical camping table and bench seats. It cleverly connects together for transport, but the folded-down size may be an issue for some.

4.2

Tags Gear

Camping

Hi-Gear 3 Arm Airer Review: Folding Camping Washing Line

Post author By Own The Outdoors
Post date 21st October 2020

Keeping clothes, towels, and gear dry can make the difference between a great camping trip and a miserable one. We review one of the top choices for camping washing lines, the Hi-Gear 3 Arm Airer.

Contents

Just hanging out (the washing)

Is there anything worse than putting on damp clothes, drying yourself with a wet towel, or, worse, sleeping in a wet sleeping bag? It’s pretty miserable.

Whilst having a camping washing line might not be first on your list of essentials, it shouldn’t be overlooked. We typically use towels, flannels, and tea towels daily and ideally need to get these things dry in between uses.

With all the other necessary gear we take, we do have to compromise occasionally. If space allows then we’ll take along our Hi-Gear 3 Arm Camping Airer.

Home and away

Believe it or not this washing line is one of the items we have used the most out of all the camping gear we have purchased over the years.

When we moved into our new house, we discovered there was no outdoor drying line. We considered installing one, but there wasn’t anywhere suitable to put one.

Instead we use our camping rotary washing line inside or outside. As it’s portable we can locate it wherever is practical on the day.

Assembly

It is relatively easy to assemble the Hi-Gear 3 Arm Airer, especially after one or two uses.

The base and top push together with a spring clip to hold them in place. The three arms and three legs pull outwards, with a screw handle to tighten each part when in the right position. This can be a bit fiddly but gets easier with practice.

Collapsing is easy and done by reversing the assembly steps. It comes with a pack-away bag for easy storage when not in use or for when transporting and has three anchor pegs so you can secure the airer from blowing over in breezy conditions.

The airer is height-adjustable too if you are drying in a low headroom space.

Ease of use

Hanging washing to dry is simple. It operates like any domestic washing line. We always use pegs to stop things blowing away or sliding around.

It sometimes needs the washing line tightened after removing a load of washing. This is a simple matter of loosening the tightening handle on the top section and pushing it up before re-tightening the handle.

Are we happy with it?

Yes. We have been really pleased with our purchase of the Hi-Gear 3 Arm Airer. Its lightweight aluminium construction and clever collapsible design mean it’s transportable and easy to use anywhere, anytime.

Frequently Asked Questions

Hi-Gear 3 Arm Airer cost

We have seen the airer priced from £29.00 to £32.00, available at a variety of retailers.

What does it include?

The Hi-Gear 3 Arm Camping Airer comes with:

Pre-strung aluminium airer, in two parts
Three anchor pegs
Storage bag with drawstring and carry strap

Is it durable?

Made of aluminium with plastic washing line, it is weatherproof and sturdy. Over time and after repeated use the washing line can fray in places.

What are the dimensions?

The dimensions of the Hi-Gear 3 Arm Airer are as follows:

Weight: 1.94kg
Assembled: 134 x 134 x 143cm
Packed size: 90 x 30cm

Does it dry effectively?

It can take a lot of washing at once, but the lines are fairly close together so this may affect drying time.

We use pegs as items can blow off or clump together if it is windy or the line droops with a lot of heavy items on it.

How much weight can it carry?

As a unit, it is extremely sturdy and robust. It can take more weight than its appearance would suggest.

We will regularly hang two loads of washing on the line at once, totalling at least 10 kilos.

Is it stable?

The supplied anchor pegs are very effective and keep the airer from tipping over, even when windy.

When using the Hi Gear 3 Arm Airer outside on a hard surface, I place weights on the base of the frame to secure it and stop the wind from blowing it over.

Is it a rotary line?

Not really. It can be turned by hand fairly easily, but doesn’t revolve in the breeze like domestic rotary lines.

Gear Review: Hi-Gear 3 Arm Airer

Quality

Ease of use

Ease of assembly

Features

Value for money

Summary

The Hi-Gear 3 Arm Airer is a great piece of gear, for both camping and home use. It is lightweight, relatively easy to assemble and disassemble, and provides a lot of space for clothes, towels, and other gear to dry.

4.4

Tags Gear

Camping

9 Best Campervan Games to Play with Family and Friends

Post author By Own The Outdoors
Post date 16th October 2020

There is nothing we enjoy more than slipping off for the day and parking up somewhere green and leafy. We’ll take lunch, our bikes, and always our campervan games collection.

It’s lovely to not have the kids asking for screen time and to switch off and have some good old fashioned family time.

Space is at a premium in a campervan so we are mindful of which ones to bring and predictably many of them are card games. Games are always one of the first items on our campervan packing list.

We are a family of four, with two kids under 12 and regularly have friends and their kids, and sometimes grandparents hang out with us so the games need to suit a range of ages and abilities.

These are the travel games residing permanently in our campervan:

Our Favourite Camping Travel Games

1. UNO

The first time I played UNO was in Spain in 1994. My Spanish was pretty basic but luckily it didn’t need to be good to play UNO with my new Spanish friends. It was the perfect way to break the ice with people I didn’t know and to start bonding. UNO has a universal language of its own.

The game is so easy to understand and enjoyable to play, it is a favourite for all age groups. The UNO pack we play with today was purchased in Spain many years ago. It will always be my number one choice of travel card game to play

There is a junior version of this game for very young children with animal pictures instead of numbers.

Each player is dealt a hand of 7 cards. They consist of number cards of four different colours, and various action cards. The other players use their action cards to trip you up as you play so they can be the first to discard all their cards.

The objective of the game is pretty simple – be the first to lose all 7 of your cards and win.

The stated age range is 7+ but I’d argue kids younger than 7 can get the hang of UNO. Our kids have been playing since they could recognise numbers.

Game:	UNO
Players:	2-10
Age:	7+
Cost:	£6.99

2. Skip-Bo

From the maker of UNO, comes Skip-Bo. I was introduced to this game in Australia in 2005. In those days Australian TV seemed to consist mostly of old episodes of the Bill, or US crime series with various acronyms (NCIS, CSI, etc), or reality cooking shows. None of these interested me much, so many an evening was given up to board and card games.

As much as I love UNO I have to say Skip Bo comes in a close second. Once you start playing it is utterly addictive and before you know it, it’s way past midnight and you’re still going. You know you’re on to a winner when you just can’t walk away and go to bed.

The rules and objective of Skip-Bo are more complex than UNO so might be a bit out of reach for younger kids, but I’d say the 7+ rating given on the box is accurate.

Each player has a stockpile of cards, how many depends on how lengthy a game you want to play. You spend the cards in your stockpile by building up piles in the centre of the table from numbers one to twelve in chronological order.

The objective of the game is to lose your stockpile of cards first. The winner is the first player who manages to discard their pile.

Lots of strategy in this game, lots of opportunity to thwart your opponents. As I said, utterly addictive.

Game:	Skip-Bo
Players:	2-6
Age:	7+
Cost:	£10.00

3. Dobble

We purchased Dobble for our first camper van trip with the kids. As a family, we absolutely love this game. The kids wipe the floor with us every time, they are so quick.

We’ve played this game one-on-one, as a group of four and all the mini games they all also suggest on the instructions. It really is a level playing field this one and a game where the kids have the upper hand it seems so it’s a favourite with them.

This last New Years Eve, our friends came to stay and we jumped on the bandwagon and purchased ‘Cards Against Humanity’. Everyone we knew had played it and sung it praises so we went out and bought it. We did two rounds and I would happily never see it again. I’m no prude and I have a decent sense of humour. I just found the premise of it really juvenile.

We put it away and out came Dobble. A game for juveniles. We played it until the small hours, absolutely hilarious. Never gets boring, you just get more competitive, especially if you start scoring.

We’ve also got the Harry Potter version of Dobble, but it doesn’t really improve on the original. Even though we are very familiar with Harry Potter, we’ve read all the books, watched all the films, I haven’t got the recall for the people or objects in the series to win. Give me the original any day.

The cards are dealt out equally amongst the players. Each player plays a card face up simultaneously on the table and the first one to call out a picture which appears on both cards, wins the cards.

The objective is simple – to win the most cards.

Game:	Dobble
Players:	2-8
Age:	6+
Cost:	£10.99

4. Boggle

We used to have a Boggle lunchtime club at my old place of work. I wouldn’t miss it, brilliant fun. There was one guy who wiped the floor with the rest of us. His cognitive function was on another level.

There were 5 letter and 6 letter words he would pull out of the grid that none of the rest of us spotted. Every. Single. Lunchtime. I learned a lot from him though to up my game, so I didn’t mind the daily thrashing.

Many a wet afternoon has been whiled away in the van playing Boggle. It’s a more challenging game for younger players so we have special rules for younger players so that everyone can take part.

The game starts with the 16 cubic dice being shaken in a covered tray. They settle into a space and 16 letters are left faced up. The countdown is on to spot words in the grid.

The objective of this game is to spot the most words with the letters joined in the grid of letters with the longer the word, the more you score. The highest scorer wins.

Game:	Boggle
Players:	1+
Age:	8+
Cost:	£9.00

5. Monopoly Deal Card Game

I’m pretty sure at one time we had 10 different Monopoly sets in this house, ranging from a Simpsons version, to various cities and countries.

Imagine our glee when a card version of Monopoly came out – Monopoly Deal.

Like all the best games, it’s addictive and hard to walk away. A quick trial round to pick up the basics and you’re good to go.

It’s much quicker than a normal game of Monopoly, which sadly I don’t have enough time to play these days.

The game starts with players collecting a maximum number of cards in their hand. You can charge rent, swap properties, steal properties and demand money from the other players.

The objective is to be the first player to create three sets of properties. The first to do so is the winner.

Not a travel game for younger kids due to the strategy involved.

Game:	Monopoly Deal
Players:	2-6
Age:	8+
Cost:	£4.49

6. Sushi Go!

It might seem odd, but this card game is based on a sushi meal. In our house, sushi is our no 1 favourite treat. No surprise then that this game made its way into our campervan game collection.

The kids love the cute kawaii-style illustrations on the cards as much as they love eating sushi itself.

The game is won on a points-based system, amassed over three rounds so the 8+ age limit suggested on the box is possibly a bit unrealistic. Younger kids would struggle to follow the objective of the game and be able to engage with it.

The objective of the game is to collect groups of sushi and score the most points.

Game:	Sushi Go!
Players:	2-5
Age:	8+
Cost:	£12.99

7. Matilda Card Game

This lovely card game is inspired by the Roald Dahl book, Matilda. It is a version of the traditional chase the ace card game.

The Matilda card game is a favourite with our kids as it is so easy to play and especially so if they are familiar with characters in the story. This has been a keeper in our travel games collection as it is great for young children to understand the rules of how to play and win.

The cards are dealt out evenly between the players. Each player keeps their cards close to their chests. The cards are fanned out and offered to the person on the left to choose one. If they select a card they also possess, they have a matching pair and those cards are discarded from the game.

The objective of the game is to NOT be left with the Trunchball card in your hand at the end of the game.

These cards are beautifully illustrated by Quentin Blake, just as in the Roald Dahl story books.

Game:	Matilda Card Game
Players:	2-6
Age:	3+
Cost:	£5.00

8. Perudo

Perudo is another one of those games introduced to me in Australia. It was a firm favourite on the board game/card game circuit before I had young children.

It has all the hallmarks of a good game, strategy, addictiveness and brilliant fun to play with a group of friends.

Perudo comes out now for mostly the grown-ups to play as the rules are a bit hard to understand for younger players.

It’s a dice and cup game, so takes up a bit more space than the card games so we only bring it if we know we are going to have the right group to play with.

Perudo is a version of Liar Dice, and takes bluff, guesswork, skill and a bit of luck. Great fun.

Each player has 5 coloured dice and a corresponding coloured cup. Simultaneously, each player shakes their dice in the cup and turns the cup onto the table. Holding it there over the dice, the player takes a peek to see what numbers have been shaken.

The objective of the game is to bluff and trick the other players in to guessing how many of each number of dice they have under their cup. The next player in line calls “dudo” (“I doubt it” in Spanish) if they think the player is lying.

Players lose dice through being caught out.

The objective is to be the only player left with dice in the game.

The recommended age is 8+, but I’d say age 8 is too young to play this game properly. More suitable for young teens upwards.

Game:	Perudo
Players:	2-6
Age:	8+
Cost:	£20.00

9. Exploding Kittens

This card game is a hilarious favourite with the kids. The cute card illustrations and the slightly shouty language used in the game tap into exactly into what the kids are into.

It’s a bit quirky, as some of the (strange) cartoons our kids like to watch. Think Adventure Time, Gravity Falls, or Star and the Forces of Evil. I put this game in the same category.

Not one of my absolute favourite games, but playable enough. There’s good strategy involved and interesting twists and quirks in the game to keep interest. A round lasts from 10-20 minutes depending on how many players are in the game.

Players draw a card from the draw pile. The idea is to avoid drawing an exploding kitten card as this removes the player from the game. If they do draw an exploding kitten card, it can be counteracted with a number of actions.

The objective is to be the last player standing with the other players having been eliminated from the game.

Game:	Exploding Kittens
Players:	2-5
Age:	7+
Cost:	£19.99

Favourite campervan games, for now

We’ve shared with you our current and proven favourite campervan travel games.

We often try out new games and will feature any that become regulars. One thing is clear – campervan games are always part of our campervan holiday packing list.

Tags Gear, Planning