Camping & Hiking Gear

Camping and hiking at FlipBuy UK — a 4-person dome tent, camping and garden hammocks in parachute fabric and canvas, and a waterproof hooded rain poncho. From £20.99 to £114.99.

How to choose a tent size

Tent capacity ratings are the most misleading figure in outdoor equipment. A 4-person tent means four adults lying side by side with no room for anything else.

Take the rating and subtract one for comfort. A 4-person tent suits two adults and two small children, or three adults with kit.
Check the peak height if you want to change standing up. Dome tents taper sharply — the quoted height applies only at the very centre.
Look at the porch or vestibule. Somewhere to leave wet boots and bags outside the sleeping area is what makes a tent liveable in British weather.
Check the packed size and weight if you're carrying it any distance. Family dome tents are for driving to a site, not for backpacking.

What the hydrostatic head rating means

Waterproofing is measured in millimetres of hydrostatic head — the water column a fabric resists before leaking.

1,500mm is the UK legal minimum to be called waterproof. Adequate for a dry weekend, marginal in sustained rain.
3,000mm handles typical British weather comfortably.
5,000mm+ copes with prolonged heavy rain and wind-driven water.

The groundsheet matters as much as the flysheet — it takes pressure from bodies and kit, which forces water through a low rating. Check both figures on the product page.

How to pitch and camp in British weather

Practise pitching in the garden first. Working out a new tent in the rain, in the dark, at the end of a drive is genuinely miserable and a common reason people give up on camping.
Pitch on the highest ground available, not in a hollow. Water collects where you'd expect it to.
Peg out the guy lines properly, every time. A tent that isn't guyed out doesn't shed wind or rain and will flap all night.
Don't touch the inner wall in rain — contact draws water through condensation on the inside.
Ventilate. Condensation, not leakage, is what makes most tents damp inside. Keep vents open even when it's cold.
Never dry or store a tent damp. Mould develops within days and permanently damages the waterproof coating.

How to hang a hammock safely

Use trees at least 15-20cm in diameter and check they're healthy — dead branches above are the real hazard.
Use wide webbing straps, not rope. Rope cuts into bark and damages the tree; straps spread the load. Many campsites and parks require straps.
Hang at roughly a 30-degree angle from horizontal, with the seat about 45cm off the ground. Too tight and it's uncomfortable; too high and a fall matters.
Check the weight limit on the product page and include anything you'll take in with you.
Sit in the centre, not the end, and get in slowly. Most hammock injuries are people flipping out sideways.
Bring it in when not in use. Canvas and parachute fabric rot if left out through wet weather.

Staying dry on a hike

Waterproof beats warm. Wet clothes conduct heat away from the body rapidly, and being wet is what makes people cold.
Ponchos over jackets for low-intensity walking — they cover a rucksack and ventilate better, so you sweat less. Jackets are better in wind.
No cotton. It holds water and stays cold. Synthetic or wool base layers keep working when damp.
Pack a spare layer in a dry bag, or a bin liner, inside your rucksack.
Tell someone your route and expected return time if you're walking anywhere remote, and check the forecast before setting out — British hills change weather quickly.