Category Archives: Camping

Camping

Tips For Finding Camping Showers

There is one overriding concern when talking about camping, and that is hygiene. Going camping means that you have to spend several days or weeks with no clear idea what your shower conditions will be. Getting dirty in the open is something that usually happens the first hour you go outside, so camping showers are especially essential when talking about having a good time. Camping always includes a lot of adventure in the wild nature outdoors, and this is inevitably matched with sweat, dirt, mud, and whatever disgusting stuff you can imagine on your body and clothes.

Some public camps do indeed offer you a place for showering. But this means that they are meant to give no privacy in other ways. Camps that include shower service usually put you in the middle of a dozen unknown strangers that are camping together with you. Public camps are by no means a refreshing vacation. You get no privacy, you hear all the noise other campers make, you can go at no place where you are totally sure no-one will spring out of the bushes during you’re on a romantic picnic with your mate. Public camps are only suitable for groups of people, which hire the whole camping site for themselves, they know each other and can enjoy being so close together, as well as fully enjoy the camp showers.

But what would other people who strive for privacy do? Go together deep in the forest and stay barbaric for days? There are some opportunities, which you can avail of when camping together with your friends or family. When on a remote camp, you can make use of the plain bucket of water. It is convenient, water is warmed by the sun and you can fully enjoy cleaning with such an environment-friendly tool. But if you like real shower with pouring water, perhaps you can use another installation. The shower bags, which are filled up with water and hung on a tree bough, were a great option in the past. The water again being warmed by the sun, the shower bag’s bottom had a spigot made to pour the water outside. The switch controls the turning on and off. The whole installation could easily be hidden by a blanket, which ensured some privacy for the shy nature lovers.

But what if there was no sun and the whole vacation is spoiled by cloudy or semi-cloudy weather? Well, your opportunities for getting a shower in this case are the following: either you wait you the rain to come, or you use the sophisticated camping shower models. Their big priority is that they offer warm water for everyone, no matter what the weather conditions are, and no matter how many people are going to take a shower. One camping shower provides pop up sides and a heavy mesh flooring to stand on. The sides are made of mesh that allows air flow, but you cannot see into the camping shower from the outside (which is good when it comes to taking away those revealing blankets and getting some real feeling of being alone). The improvement of camping showers means that there are more and more new showering models being sold. You can really avail of them and enjoy a nice and, what is more, CLEAN holiday in the private camps.

Camping

Triathlon Training Camps for Beginners

Looking through the many Triathlete magazines available, plus the wealth of information on the web, you will see that there is a great choice of “Triathlon Training Camps” both at home and abroad. They range from weekends based at your local pool, to week-long, hardcore Ironman beastings somewhere hot and sunny.

So how should you choose the right Triathlon Camp for you?
Decide what you want and need most from the camp. Make a short “ideal” list. It could include things like:

1/ I would like to have a good coach on hand throughout
2/ I would like to feel more confident on my new road bike and improve my bike handling skills, especially when descending
3/ I need them to help me with my bike set up
4/ Can they help me understand how to use a heart rate monitor properly
5/ I want them to cook great healthy food for me
6/ I would love to be somewhere scenic so I enjoy cycling
7/ I also want to be able to relax somewhere nice
8/ I need to hire a good road bike, as I don’t feel confident packing mine
9/ They should offer good value for money

Then you can simply use your list to find somewhere that ticks most of your boxes.

How do I know if the “Triathlon Camp” is any good?

Does this camp come well recommended, by other triathletes? Do they seem to have lots of happy athletes, some of whom have similar profiles to you?
For example maybe you can read what their clients have written on-line. Or maybe they could even put you in touch with other novice triathletes that had been on their camps already.

In your correspondence with the camp organizers, do they seem interested with your particular needs as a beginner triathlete and are they professional. All this should help you build a picture of the experience you could expect.

So how much should it cost?
Costs vary enormously, as do people wallets, but a higher price does not always mean that you will come away a stronger fitter and more able triathlete, but it may mean that you have a spa, Jacuzzi, endless pool, etc.

Most places that offer camps (where you are staying) will offer different food options i.e. B & B, Half Board or Full Board, but some may only offer self catering. If you really want to self-cater, make sure that it is possible to get supplies easily and affordably and don’t forget to cost this in when you are making your comparisons.

Refer back to your ideal list again, and prioritize what you choose to spend your cash on. Put simply does the camp represent good value for money?

What benefits should I expect from going on a Triathlon Camp
A good camp will teach you how to become a complete triathlete by bringing all the necessary components together, they will cater for your needs. They will explain when and how to train, and recover, identify your weaknesses and give you focus for when you return to training on your own or with your local club. They may also be able to give you nutritional advice and support.

Make sure there is a reputable, experienced triathlon coach on hand, they can offer you their knowledge and expertise, helping you to fast track your learning process. A good coach will motivate you to train, give you a kick up the bum when you need it but also know your limits. They may have been a high level athlete themselves which can also provide a personal insight and an additional level of understanding

The camp should provide technical and analytical advice, and provide a program that caters for your needs. So it is important that you have a dialogue with the organizers of the camp to discuss these, to make sure that your level of athlete will be catered for.

In short a good Triathlon Training Camp should provide you with the tools to progress as a fitter and more capable athlete, increase your motivation towards the sport and make you want to re-book!

What time of year is best?
Traditionally many camps are run from February through to May, but a few are open all year round. The general idea being that the majority of athletes have not done quite as much as they should have done in November, December and January and their first race is fast approaching!

To be honest for a novice triathlete a good camp will really help you, whatever time of year it is. For example if you go in November, you will have the whole winters training in front of you, but you will have improved your technique and understanding of “how to train” during the camp, so you can build on that when you return home.

Or you may have chosen your first big race in the middle of July, so in order to be race specific the middle of June would be great. The camp organizers should be happy to advise you on this too.

What ever you choose, make sure that it really suits your specific ideals and needs, is on a budget you can afford and will ensure that you come away a happy, fitter, more informed and motivated triathlete.