The summer has finally arrived and festival season is upon
us. Whether you're planning a few nights out below the stars, or a weekend not
sleeping at Glastonbury, you're gonna need some kit. Aldi's latest Specialbuy
range, starting from 21st May, is all about camping, and there are some great
items included in it, at typically amazing prices. We delved right in.
Included is... a three-person dome tent (£29.99), a single
person hiking tent (£19.99), a sleeping bag (£14.99), a self-inflating sleeping
mat (£13.99), a portable, in-car, dual screen DVD player (£89.99), a portable
gas cooker (£9.99), a camping bed (£19.99), a battery-powered orb light
(£3.49), a 3W LED trekking torch (£6.99), a tent tidy (£4.99), as well as a few
other handy bits and bobs.
See the full range at
www.aldi.co.uk
We were sent a few of the items to test. Here's what we made
of them...
Sleeping Bag.
This single-sleeper sleeping bag comes in both the 'mummy' (tapered end), and
normal envelope style. Despite having a two layer construction, the bag is
definitely designed for summer use, being fairly thin and breathable. Once
zipped up good tight inside it is nice and snug (assuming you're not camping in
Antarctica) and packs up relatively small. Included is a draw-string carry bag
with compression straps to squeeze it down as small as it will go. For a cheap
sleeping bag that will be ideal for the British summer, this is perfect.
Self-inflating Sleeping
Mat. What will definitely make a night sleeping in the above bag even more
snug, is a cushioning and insulated sleeping mat. This one self-inflates pretty
quickly, and is quite a remarkable thing to watch. Deflated it packs up pretty
tight and is light enough to easily lug around to your campsite. To sleep on it
is a joy, because although it is an inflatable, there isn't much bounce and squeak
as you normally get; this is firm and cushioning.
Orb Light. Obviously,
what with the earth spinning away from the sun each night, and the lack of
street lights in the middle of the woods, you're going to need some
illumination. Instead of making do with painfully bright torches to light your
night of camping, the Orb Light projects a soft and gentle glow of yellow light.
It comes with a hook to attach it to the inside of you tent, and offers enough
soft light to read by without burning out your retinas. As it is
battery-powered it can be taken everywhere, and we can see it being a great
accessory to hook onto your backpack while out trekking.
