ecAmp Deer’s Glade
Venison special
Towing and trailers
Kathryn Whelan visits a superb campsite that makes a relaxed, friendly base from which to explore north Norfolk
Cook up this delicious Guyrope Gourmet treat for the family – medallions of venison in a port and sherry sauce!
With more campers investing in a trailer we’ve asked The Camping and Caravanning Club Technical Department for some basic advice
Read more on page 4
Read more on pages 5
Read more on pages 6-7
ecAmp Magazine
e e-cAmp magazine december 2013
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editor’s welcome
clive garreTt
Our very own Outwell camper
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he best laid schemes o’ mice an’ man, Gang aft a-gley, says Robert Burns and I fully appreciate the sentiment as my camping plans for last month went belly up. We all know the feeling. Life suddenly looks at you sideways and decides to keep you on your toes by pointing fate in your direction. It’s times like this you really could do with a few nights’ escape under canvas and enjoy a pint or two with friends. In reality there is nothing you can do except accept circumstances and… swear a lot. Luckily, I work for a great company in a superb industry surrounded by like-minded fun-loving people. Even better is the regular flow of stories and pics from Outwell fans who are still managing to squeeze in the odd late season camping adventure. While we view such communications with a hint of envy we also welcome the escape they provide. Even if the experience is only second-hand the daydreams generate new plans for the next camping season.
It is your passion for camping that comes across strong and adds depth to the Outwell Camping Experience. Yours is a broad church that incorporates a diversity of people, experiences, locations, needs and more… All this is united by a love of camping and all things Outwell. And this shines through in your stories and pictures. This is why we are running our Image of the year competition to find the pics that really sum up our community. We are a small team at Outwell and although we would like to help everyone it is often impossible for various reasons – often out of our control. So this is why we created our own channels as an environment for campers to engage with each other and it’s also why we help all the major Facebook fan clubs. And you’ve taken to social media, our website and e-cAmp as avenues in which to share knowledge, camping skills and life. Your passion also shows in the warm welcome and the amount of help you provide each other – both on the campsite and online. The friendship generated is obvious, self-help is fostered and the rallies bring people together face to face in the best social conditions. It represents all that is good about our pastime, which also benefits as a result. In fact, such good will and good cheer to all feels quite seasonal… Merry Christmas
Clive Garrett Editor
content 3 Meet the fans We travel to the States to meet Jacqueline and James Fleming
3 Open Air John Traynor takes us on an off-beat ramble through an outdoor writer’s camping life
4 Site reviews Kathryn Whelan visits Deer’s Glade in Norfolk and now plans to return. We find out why…
5 Cooking with Outwell Josh ‘Guyrope Gourmet’ Sutton, suggests venison makes a delightful treat when camping this time of year
6 Technical feature Iain Geddes from The Camping and Caravanning Club Technical Department, takes us through the basics of trailers and towing
7 Q&A of the month Remember to check guyline tension – especially if you camp in a cotton or polycotton tent
8 Competitions We have two great competitions to end the year. Just send us your pics and tips to win some great prizes
Editorial Issue: December 2013 Editor Clive Garrett editorial@outwell.com Publisher Lotte Simonsen los@oase-outdoors.dk Design Kaja Damgaard Please note, email addresses are for editorial use only – product related emails should be sent to info@outwell.com Copyright © 2013 Oase Outdoors ApS. All Rights Reserved. Use of information, content and images only by written approval from the editor or publisher. The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of Oase Outdoors. Every care is taken to ensure that the content of this magazine is accurate, but we assume no responsibility for any affect from errors or omissions. While every care is taken with unsolicited material submitted for publication we cannot be responsible for loss or damage.
Love this Halloween pic from Lisa Perks – there is a similarity with those carved pumpkins that Outwell fans posted on Facebook over the festivities 2 e-cAmp magazine December 2013
meet the fans
open air
Stateside with Outwell
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hen I researched tents I wanted to buy the very best in quality and functionality. I had three requirements; my six-foot-tall husband must be able to stand comfortably in the tent, it must be big enough that we wouldn’t get cabin fever if stuck in the tent and it needed to be fairly simple to erect. I read customer reviews on CampingWorld.co.uk and watched the videos on YouTube and instantly knew this was the brand we needed to buy. We have a 2012 Outwell Nevada M and we love it. We open up the two bedrooms in the back to make room for a queen size air mattress and it makes very comfortable sleeping accommodation. The front room provides ample space for the two of us and our dog, and, yes, on a number of occasions we have had to make use of the space in the rain. We love the windows and screen doors. I’m so glad we bought the carpet to go with, it makes all the difference. Before we moved back to America, we loved camping with Forest Holidays. In the New Forest, we really liked Hollands Wood campsite for their amenities (which includes a dog washing station) but perhaps our favourite was Postern Hill campsite, Savernake Forest, Wiltshire. A short and lovely walk brings you down into the village of Marlborough. Now that we are back in America, we recently discovered Clarence Fahnestock State Park which is a short drive from New York City. It’s a lovely wooded site boarding the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and, unlike the UK, campfires in this state forest are allowed and encouraged! Good beer, a couple of sausages, s’mores… perfect! And the amenities are good, too. My favourite camping pursuit is a tossup between campfire cooking and hiking. I
USA-based Jacqueline Fleming has been a regular camper since her parents took her to Mexico when just a year old. Regular trips exploring places like America’s Midwest plains to the Grand Canyon cemented this love. She bought her first tent with husband, James (both pictured left). Jacqueline takes up the story …
rarely have time to cook creatively at home so I love campfire cooking and have tried a few of Guyrope Gourmet’s recipes. As we get more experience under our belts, I’ve gotten a lot better at packing the cooler and planning our meals for a long weekend. For example, we pack frozen hamburgers and frozen shrimp for the second day to keep the fresh sausages cold! We love working up an appetite with a long walk along a trail or in search of a good pub. I love any camping gear that has to do with cooking. I really like the Outwell Cazal Portable Grill which allows for some great cooking and is easy to store away at home. For just the two of us and our dog, it is the perfect size to do a pair of steaks and a couple of sausages. A great tip is to line the barbecue with foil for easy cleaning. We have made our fair share of mistakes like the time we set up the tent in a spot that turned out to be a giant puddle. Mistakes will be made, important gear will be forgotten, feet will get wet, but you learn from each mistake and each time you go out, it gets better and better. Just remember, we’ve all been there. My advice for newcomers is to remember to laugh. Our experience of camping and gear in America is different to that in the UK. The first time we took our Outwell tent camping Stateside, we got so many comments from people – often about the cool guyropes! American tents are small, dome shaped, and flimsy, and after seeing our tent a few of our friends who said they would never go camping relented and said they would try it. We are looking forward to many summers, camping with our awesome Outwell tent, converting our hotel-bound friends and exploring the vast American landscape.
John Traynor with an outdoor writer’s ramble through camping life. Follow John on Twitter @jtopenair
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his is a great time of year to indulge in flights of fancy about unusual places, themes and company. The first two are straightforward but I mistakenly asked friends about ideas for fresh company. Of the printable ideas, most were at the bizarre end of the sub culture spectrum, albeit amusing. ‘Smurfs under the Fly’ camping weekend anybody? Once that popped up, the dam burst with odd ideas flowing. ‘Klingons under Kanvas’ raised gales of laughter whilst, oddly, ‘Witches and Warlocks’ was well-received. We soon drifted to places and themes, including expeditions. Not the gnarly, battling the elements type but more scientific challenges that raise the sum total of human knowledge. For instance, exploring Cornwall ‘In Search of the Perfect Pasty’ sounds a valid plan. Subjects like ‘Stately Homes’ all made sense and were considered worthwhile. But none raised the emotional temperature much beyond tepid. All interesting but a subject of a two-week tour? Probably not. A pre-occupation with food became apparent. Pies, puddings and pints dominated with farmers’ markets to the fore and local specialities lovingly recounted. A cracking idea was to follow the course of the Peninsular War, sampling regional food and drink along the way ‘in Wellington’s Boots’. Sadly, no child was present to raise the imagination threshold. All parents know that what goes on in a child’s mind erodes with age to become something of a veiled mystery. And the trouble with their ideas is that a demand is created for the unfeasible; ‘twas ever so – but great fun. I was drawn to a ‘Camping Clowns’ weekend and a tad disappointed that most thought it an appropriate event for me… December 2013 e-cAmp magazine 3
Site reviews
Deer’s Glade Above: Welcome to a great site. Top right: Well kept play area. Bottom right: The toilet and amenity blocks are also well maintained and clean
Norfolk’s Deer’s Glade came highly recommended so Kathryn Whelan booked a pitch for somewhere to stay while she visited friends with her family. Kathryn tells us they were not disappointed… The site warm welcome greeted us on arrival and we were pleased to find the well maintained, spacious pitches flat and inviting. Hedging borders many to provide privacy without feeling isolated. During the main summer months tent campers can use the Muntjac Meadow for a back-to-basics experience. This includes an evening communal campfire where you can enjoy the company of like-minded campers. Facilities on the main site are excellent, one block on each side of the site. There is a good play area for children of all ages and a picnic area covered by huge sails to provide shelter from the sun while keeping an eye on the kids. A grassed area provides an additional playground for ball games. Campers can now hire a fire pit and buy firewood from reception. It all adds to the relaxing and remarkably friendly atmosphere of this wonderful site.
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The area Deer’s Glade is the perfect base for exploring North Norfolk and the Norfolk Broads – a great place to mess around on boats. A visit to Norwich is also a must. It has a host of museums, theatres, cinemas, arts venues and shops. It has the largest Mondayto-Saturday open-air market in the country, offering locally produced food, haberdashery, sweets, clothes, books and more. • Felbrigg Hall – an elegant country house set in 520 acres of woods with trails • North Norfolk Railway – ‘The Poppy Line’ offers a ten-mile round trip between Sherringham and Holt on a steam train • At Holt, browse around its antiques and second-hand book shops • Cromer is famous for its crabs and has a large beach with traditional pier • Thrill seekers should head south to Great Yarmouth’s Pleasure Beach or carry on to Pleasurewood Hills in Lowestoft
Deer’s Glade Caravan and Camping Park White Post Road Hanworth Norwich Norfolk NR11 7HN Web: deersglade.co.uk Tel: 01263 768633
• • • • • • • •
Facilities • Electric and non-electric pitches • Toilets and showers
Tourism Information Email: visitnorfolk.co.uk Tel: 01263 512497
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Disabled/family facilities Washing-up and laundry facilities Small site shop Dog walk Picnic area Kids’ playground Fishing on site (Extra charge) WiFi
Eating out The Alby Horseshoes Inn, just a few miles away, serves real ales and home cooked food. You’ll also find a selection of pubs and places to eat in nearby Cromer or North Walsham. Roughton has a fish and chip shop for takeaways.
Above: The huge sails above the picnic area provide shade while you watch your kids play Eat local Farmer’s markets are held at North Walsham (2nd and 5th Saturday each month) and Aylsham (1st and 3rd Saturday). Locally produced food and craft items can be found at Groveland Farm Shop, Roughton. grovelandfarmshop.co.uk Did you know? Hanworth’s entry in the 1085 Domesday Book shows it had two mills, eight beehives, five cobs and 24 cattle.
guyrope gourmet Sho ppin g lis t
Medallio with a pns of wild venis ort and cherry son auce Ingredie
nts – S erves fo ur ✓ 2 50g loin of venis ✓Two k on nobs of butter ✓ Small glass of port (ab ✓ Handfu out 100 l of fre ml) sh cher and rou r ie s, pitted ghly cho pped ✓ 1/2 tea spoon o f sugar ✓ 220g b aby leaf spinach ✓Fresh ground black pe pper
Serve up a simple treat Venison is not a cheap meat, but pound for pound, it’s not that much more expensive than lamb. It makes for a superb treat every once in a while, especially when camping in a forest. Fruit works really well with venison as it complements the gamey flavour of the meat. This is a really simple dish that will only take you twenty minutes or so to prepare. Use fresh cherries if you can find them, otherwise a jar of pitted cherries will do.
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Cookbook news
elt a small knob of butter in a pan over a moderate heat. Throw in the pitted and chopped cherries, together with the port and the sugar. Simmer gently with a lid on for ten minutes. The cherries will soften but not lose their form. While the cherries are simmering, melt a knob of butter in a non-stick frying pan and once hot, place the venison loin in the pan. It should be sizzling nicely as it goes in. Depending how well done you like your meat cook it for about four or five minutes on each side for medium rare. Six or seven minutes each side will see the meat well done. Once cooked, remove the meat from the pan and place on a plate to rest. Pour the cherries into the frying pan and simmer vigorously to reduce. This way, the juices from the meat aren’t wasted as they add a good depth of flavour to the sauce. Slice the loin into 5mm slices, plate up and drizzle with the cherry and port sauce. Season to taste. I serve this with wilted spinach, which works really well with the earthy flavour of the venison. Just a tiny splash of water in a hot pan, add the spinach and stir as it wilts in a matter of seconds.
This delicious recipe is taken from the new Guyrope Gourmet cookbook, published by Punk Publishing with our support. And you can support the author by purchasing your signed copy from the Guyrope Gourmet website here. We would love to hear from all budding Guyrope Gourmets and share your recipes with other Outwell campers in e-cAmp magazine – just send them with a few images to editorial@outwell.com
December 2013 e-cAmp magazine 5
Technical features
Towing is easy!
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he desire for larger tents decked out in top kit for home-from-home comforts has led to an increase in popularity for camping trailers to help transport these heavy, bulky items around. Yet while towing is easy the use of a trailer comes with some responsibility and requires some skill and knowledge to do safely. We ask Iain Geddes (left) from The Camping and Caravanning Club technical department for a little basic advice
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he moment you invest in a camping trailer you’ll wonder how did you ever manage without? But before you make that investment you need to answer a few questions, including fundamentals like finding out if your car can tow? What it can tow? What does your driving licence permit you to tow? And if your car insurance policy covers towing, your trailer and contents? Can I legally tow? The first check is to ensure your tow vehicle can have a towbar installed – they’re not permitted on some vehicles. It is wise to consult an industry-recognised towbar supplier who will be able to make the necessary checks and advise accordingly. A towbar supplier will also be able to advise on the best electrical package for your car. Many modern cars have a high level of computerization and therefore benefit from having a vehicle-dedicated wiring pack installed. Failure to do this correctly can lead to some bizarre problems that can be hard to solve. Camping trailers discussed here tend to be no greater than 750kg maximum mass and un-braked – 750kg is the limit for an un-braked trailer. You’re allowed to tow these with a standard EU car driving licence category B, no additional tests or instruction is required. Not all cars are designed to tow and those that are have limits. Check these figures carefully in the car-owner’s manual, there’s always a pair of figures for braked and un-braked trailers. For un-braked it will be no greater than 750kg but it can be substantially lower depending on the size of your car. Choose a trailer that sits within the maximum towing capacity of the car. Remember to call your insurance company to check cover and then you’re ready to go! Choose your trailer After you’ve established what you can tow and the size trailer you need it’s time to make a choice – pre-assembled or flat-packed. You can save some money by buying a flat-pack self–assembly trailer. These are not terribly onerous to assemble but you do need to have the right tools and skill-set to make a good job. If you have any doubts have the work carried out by a competent person, or simply buy a pre-assembled trailer and just tow it home. When looking at trailer size also consider where it will be stored when not in use and ease of access. Fit for travel It is the driver’s responsibility to ensure the trailer is fit for the road and correctly coupled to the towing vehicle. For a start, ensure any permanent tow hook and associated fixings do not obscure your vehicle’s rear number plate for this is a fixed penalty offence. This also applies to the number plate on your trailer which has to be an approved type – you need to show your vehicle documents to have a spare plate manufactured. Lighting also has to be type approved and in a set unobscured position to be legal.
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Above: A good trailer takes the effort out of transporting gear for that camping trip and makes room for additional comforts An unbraked trailer must be correctly connected to the tow vehicle by a secondary coupling when underway. This provides limited control and keeps the trailer coupling off the road if the trailer comes away. Ensure your load is stable and does not stick out. Good towing practice is all about vehicle handling and general stability – shifting loads and speeding can create snaking and such uncontrolled side-to-side movement can cause accidents. It helps to pack so the trailer is balanced out. Every car has a maximum nose weight – the load weight applied on the tow hook by the trailer. While unlikely to be of concern with a lightweight trailer you do not want to exceed this by placing all heavy loads over the front of the trailer, or make it too light by placing at the back. Such loads should reside over the axle. A simple set of checks prior to moving off is essential. • Make sure any load is properly secured • Check and adjust tyre pressure as necessary • Soundness of the coupling to the towbar • Correct attachment of the secondary coupling • Check the lights function Hit the road On the road, towing a small trailer is quite straight forward. However reversing can be tricky and is a skill to be learned.
Above: Towing and position extracts a high price – ensure you get the best kit and have it installed by an accredited company. Electrics can be a particular problem. Always check and maintain equipment well
Hot tips
Time to share those tips that you find help improve camping life! Each month we publish a few from our postbag so drop us a line and help spread the knowledge... Check out our Top Tips competition on page 8 • If your camping neighbours are staying on when you leave for home then why not offer them any leftover jars of coffee/tea/spare milk or vegetables as a generous and heart-warming gesture? Jacqui Schlanders by email
• If you see a camper going into the woods with a shovel – don’t question why! Samantha Ripley by email
1. Plates etc dictated by legislation 2. Care for connectors – they’re easily damaged 3 and 4. Locks, jockey wheel and spare options Remember, the smaller the trailer the harder it is to reverse so do not feel embarrassed to take it off the car and physically move it yourself if manoeuvring in a tight situation. You will need to be familiar with the local road laws for towing. Speed limits differ somewhat throughout Europe when towing. In the UK a 30mph limit applies to all roads with street lighting unless signs show otherwise, 50mph to single carriageways unless signs show otherwise, and 60mph on dual carriageways and motorways unless restrictions apply. Options galore Check what extras come with your trailer. Some trailers are quite basic to keep prices down and you’ll have to add extras, like a spare wheel and jockey wheel, if you want peace of mind and ease of use. Your insurance provider may insist on a wheel clamp and hitchlock when it’s not in use. A load cover of some description is not essential but a good selection straps and or ropes for securing the load is. Remember you want to stop that load from moving…
Key contacts The Camping and Caravanning Club Website: campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk Check out the Club’s online data sheets as a useful source for camping advice – including towing. National Trailer and Towing Association Website: ntta.co.uk This is the industry source of information and advice to promote the correct use of light trailers. It runs the NTTA Quality Secured scheme to ensure high industry standards are maintained. The scheme is endorsed by the leading Clubs and the accredited fitters provide peace of mind when purchasing a towbar.
• Always pack back-ups for heat, light and warmth. Katy Spence by email • Don’t be scared to ask other campers for help or advice – either on the campsite, or on the Outwell Facebook pages. Campers are really friendly! Pete Hartwell by email Join us on Facebook!
q&a of the month Dear Outwell
We survived stormy weather (Force 8 to 9) in our Concorde M. Only in rain the tent fabric gets wider and the air tubes get space to bend. The top of the tent comes down with approx. 20 cm. My suggestion is to provide a stick or an additional air tube which can be put vertically underneath to support the middle cross section in the top, just in front of tent organizer on the inner tent Joost Timmerman via Facebook (The Netherlands) Hi there, hanks for the great suggestion and we’re pleased to hear your tent survived. Polycotton and cotton always expands when wet or damp and sagging occurs in most tents if movement is not taken up by adjusting the guylines. I check and adjust the tension of the guylines on any cotton/polycotton tent I use, including my Concorde M, at the start and end of each day, and when the weather changes. I have never had a problem or, indeed, had negative feedback from others who follow this established camping practice on any such tent, including various Concordes. Regardless, I always check guys and pegging points in stormy conditions in case a guy is about to fail or a peg lose its grip – it just makes sense even if you do get wet.
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image of the year competition
LAST CHANCE TO WIN! Image of the year will net a top table and chair set
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ave you been using these long, cold nights to trawl through your holiday snaps in search of our Image of the year? Well, we’re looking forward to sharing those pictorial memories while we choose a worthy winner! We have enjoyed seeing your pictures so much on Facebook and in e-cAmp this year that we’re running our own Image of the year competition to find the best shot that captures all that is good about the Outwell camping experience. There are no strict picture guidelines except keep it clean and try to represent what you enjoy about camping. This could be living in your Outwell, families at play, stunning scenery and sunsets – the choice is yours! Storm beater! Our tent stood up to gale force winds this weekend. Sturdy as a rock. Yaaay for Concorde M Marlene Perks via Facebook
WORTH £450+ Entry is easy. Just email up to three of your pictures with captions to us at competition@ outwell.com and we will post them in a special Facebook gallery. We will publish the best in e-cAmp and choose the best of the best for our Image of the year.
Top tips win prizes December is here and we’ve entered the final month of our special competition. You’re running out of time to send us your top tips for e-cAmp…
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es, it’s time to get those tips in to us if you want a chance to win some top Outwell kit! The best entry wins a Waldo Hills camp bed, with there’s a Stacks Expand each for two runners-up. The good-looking Waldo Hills features the simple pull-out one-go-system for easy use. The tough polyester fabric and powder-coated hybrid frame will take a maximum 125kg load. The Stacks Expand is the neat Pack ‘n’ Go solution to storage and packing small items.
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For a chance to win just send us an email with a single tip and your contact details to competition@outwell.com Place ‘Top Tips November competition’ in the subject line. Each reader can send in up to five emails in a month. Winners will be notified by email as soon as possible after the 31 December 2013 close date. The winner of any duplicate tip will be decided by who is drawn first and we reserve the right to use all tips received in our publications.
And that winning pic will not just appear in e-cAmp but it will also net the lucky Outwell fan a Fredericton table and four Watson Stone Grey chairs worth more than £450! You can find full details of the competition on our website at outwell.com
WORTH £200+