Snugpak Community Blog

Snugpak’s Top Tips For Wild Camping

by Snugpak April 09, 2015 in How To's 0 comments tags: Camping, Survival, Wild camping
First and foremost: prepare shelter before it gets dark. Here is what our outdoor survival expert Sgt Fruitcake says:     If you’re going to get a good night’s sleep, you need to be prepared with an appropriate seasonal sleeping bag. Temperature has a major effect on our sleep so if it’s set to be cold/freezing, then you need to ensure you have a sleeping bag geared to dealing with that. Same goes for heat. As specialists in sleeping bags we’ve developed a wide range of products that will suit any expedition or outdoor activity. Have a look at our sleeping bag range and see what will suit you best. Having a sleeping mat is crucial to a comfortable and warm night’s sleep and can be rolled up, making them easy to carry. This would bring us onto clothing. Again, ensure you’re prepared for all eventualities but you need to have a good idea of what the weather is likely going to be like where you’re heading. Our SJ9 is perfect for extreme cold conditions but if you’re heading to warmer climes, layering is key Food and drink: the main rule is bring only the necessities and always lots of […] Read more!

What Outdoor Activities Can I Do With The Kids This Easter?

by Snugpak March 27, 2015 in How To's, News 0 comments
Egg-citing! The Easter Holidays are nearly here (how fast is this year going?). One thing we hear a lot of these days is parents saying they’d love to get their kids away from the computer games and outside more. Studies have also show that the more active kids are outdoors, the better they sleep and the better they perform at school! So we’re just as passionate about getting kids outdoors as you are. We’ve put together some ideas on what you can do this Easter… Affordable and easy things to do: If you have really young children then chocolate is always a winner. The Woodland Trust has come up with some great Easter egg hunt ideas that you can prepare yourself. If you don’t fancy the hyperactive sugar rush that chocolate can create, then spend some time with the kids decorating hard-boiled eggs or round stones beforehand. Why not turn it into a social event with friends and family? Get creative in the garden: All you need is flour, a sieve, home-made stencils and away you go! Why not use the garden to teach your children about wildlife – there are lots of ways to make bird feeders and you […] Read more!

Snugpak nominates the Love Hill Mangrove Restoration, Bahamas

by Snugpak March 10, 2015 in News 0 comments
In our last blog we introduced the European outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) and the global work they do to conserve wild places and ecosystems for future generations. We at Snugpak are proud to be a member of such an organisation that has, so far, delivered 64 projects in 36 different countries having raised 1.54m Euros from it’s members. The projects have been wide ranging, so although the members come from Europe, the projects are not simply limited to the continent. Each campaign requires a member to nominate it and then the members vote on it. This means that the members have a democratic say in what projects are funded and, so far, successful projects have been delivered in places such as the Eastern Tyrol and Scotland (repairing trails), projected the brown bear in Spain, saved an ancient forest in Sweden from logging and cleaned a mountain in Kyrgyzstan – amazing. As a member, Snugpak has nominated the project to restore the stunning mangroves at Love Hill, Andros in the Bahamas. Mangrove forests are groups of tress and shrubs that live in a coastal intertidal zone. There are around 80 different species of mangrove tress in tropical and sub-tropical regions throughout […] Read more!

Snugpak sponsors the Royal Navy’s Skeleton Bobsleigh Team

by Snugpak March 10, 2015 in News 0 comments
We’re really pleased to announce that we’re sponsoring the Royal Navy’s Skeleton Bobsleigh Team for the second year running – both the men and women. For those that haven’t come across it before, there is quite a bit of history around it but the summary is that “toboggans” used in Alpine countries at the end of the 19th Century were inspired by Canadian/Indian sleds used for transport. In 1892, an Englishman, Mr. Child, surprised his sports friends with a new sled made mostly from metal. Some speculate that since the sled looked like a skeleton, it ended up being called a skeleton – and that’s where the name originates from. So who are the people behind the teams? The men’s team comprises Sid Lawrence (coach), Andy Sawyer (coach), Robert PJ Pritchard (captain), Gregg Powell, Ed Maddy, Josh Spibey, Pete McDUff, Andy Bartlett and James Green. The ladies include Lliana Veneti, Bianca Di Resta, Melanie Hasaim, Nicole Gardner, Sally Hayes, Sarah Burns and Georgie Cohen (a civilian training with the Navy). The people above are used to travelling at incredible speeds of 80mph on ice and Lliana has won 12 trophies since joining the team in 2009. Making a big impression, […] Read more!

12×12 Mountain Challenge

by Snugpak March 02, 2015 in Events 0 comments tags: 12x12mountainchallenge, charity, pennines, Yorkshire
Many people do many crazy things to raise money for charity. So, a group of Yorkshire businessmen are no exception to this rule, as they challenge themselves to scale 12 UK & Ireland mountains in 12 months to raise money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. This included Snugpak’s very own marketing manager Stewart Anderson (kitted out in the best gear obviously). First up in January was Skiddaw in the Lake District – the 4th highest peak in England – in temperatures of minus 10 degrees centigrade and a narrow icy ridge between them and the objective. The team battled the elements to climb, crawl and hang on for dear life to some questionable parts of the route. Said Rob Lewis: “Last year our daughter was airlifted to hospital by The Yorkshire Air Ambulance and so we will eternally owe them a debt of gratitude. So when Steve approached us and asked us if we’d participate and support the cause, of course we jumped at the chance. Life is both a fleeting and fragile thing and so whenever the opportunity arises to help others, we should all do our bit’.” Said Stewart: “Working for Snugpak, the great outdoors is obviously something […] Read more!

The Value of The European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA)‏ – Protecting The Great Outdoors

by Snugpak February 23, 2015 in Snugpak 0 comments tags: conservation
People may not have heard of the European Outdoor Conservation Association, or EOCA. However, this organisation performs a valuable service “contributing to the conservation of wild places and ecosystems for future generations.” What the EOCA do is to raise money to promote care and respect for wild places. There are over 120 members of this not for profit organisation and the membership stretches from Norway to Spain and from the UK to the Czech Republic. EOCA directly funds projects with conservation bodies that have been nominated and voted on by the association members . The funds can be for up to 30,000 Euros per project and those that have been, and will be funded, are as wide ranging as the members (from giant multi-nationals to small enterprises). Further, the locations are not restricted to the European boundaries and projects have been performed in Nepal and Kyrgyzstan. Membership is open to any company operating within the outdoor industry and we, at Snugpak, are very proud to be members of EOCA. 100% of the membership fees go directly to the conservation project that have been nominated by and voted for by the members. This democratic process should ensure that the most deserving […] Read more!

Get Outdoors this year

by Snugpak January 22, 2015 in Events 0 comments tags: Climbing, excersise, health, mountain biking, new year, orienteering, outdoor pursuits, outdoors
Studies have shown that 20 minutes a day activity will, on average, extend your life. Activity takes all forms and you don’t need to go to the gym to do it. A better option for most people is to simply get outdoors and get some fresh air in their lungs. Outdoor activity can take many forms and can be as exciting and interesting as you want it to be. You can also grade the activity by ability. Not everyone is capable of a 5 mile walk up a steep hill so people new to outdoor activity might want to start with a leisurely 20 or 30 minute stroll around the local park. Once this activity becomes easier then it can be upgraded to higher ability walks in the locality and extending into the countryside. If you have children, or are simply interested in points of interest as you walk through an area, then it is a good idea to sign up to a geocaching app if you have a GPS enabled mobile device. Geocaching apps can provide information about a specific place as you arrive at it or, for instance, you can undertake a treasure hunt where you navigate to […] Read more!
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