Cool Camping

“I used to hire tipis for guests to sleep in when I had parties in the countryside,” says designer Alice Temperley. “Then, a few years ago, I broke my shoulder rather badly and was bed-bound for a couple of months. When I was allowed to get up, my husband walked me to the orchard and he had bought me a tipi with coloured ribbons hanging from the poles. It is the most romantic gift I have ever had.

“In the summer, I sleep in my tipi whenever I go home to Somerset for the weekend. I have a big Balinese bed in there and lots of sheepskin, so it’s a little luxury countryside retreat.

“I love tipis because they are just so special. Romantic and spacious and whenever I sleep in one I feel as if I’m not in the English countryside, but some magical place somewhere that cannot be explained, really.”

Glastonbury festival’s Emily Eavis says: “I love tipis. A tipi is the most beautiful place to camp. There are always lots of tipis at Glastonbury. They’re all over the site and then there’s the tipi field. It’s amazing. They look really beautiful against the skyline.“

Picture credit: Tipi.co.uk; The Tipi Company

Tipi tips

Fire safety

Remember to take a small fire extinguisher and a sharp knife in case you need to get out of the tipi quickly and your exit is blocked. Both of these should be hung from a string attached to one of the tipi poles and should be clearly visible.

Looking good

You can make your tipi look fantastic by hanging strings of beads from the poles inside, using fur throws and lots of cushions. Ribbons tied right at the end of the poles look great blowing in the wind.

Stay cool

The smoke flaps of your tipi act like a natural chimney and should, of course, be open whenever you have a fire inside the tipi. In the summer, though, they can also help create a through-draught which will keep the interior comfortably cool in warmer weather.

Picture credit: Tipi.co.uk; The Tipi Company

getting it up

The alternative guide to erecting a tipi

1. Stand there looking perplexed

You’ll attract a crowd eager to advise

2. Chat for a bit

You’ll make friends to join you in the tipi

3. Suggest opening a bottle

A glass of wine will pull things into focus

4. Get out paper and a pen

Draw a picture of how the tipi should look

5. Phone a friend for advice

Gossip and let them talk to your new friends

6. Elect a leader

They’ll lose face if it all goes horribly wrong

7. Check the local hotel guide

Suddenly the great indoors is looking very attractive

Picture credit: Canvas Chic

essentials yurts

everybody yurts

Hired by Madonna for her parties and bought by many people as second homes, yurts are simply gorgeous.

Out of all camping structures the yurt is perhaps the most flexible. They’re surprisingly portable and easy to put up, but are robust enough to stay up for long periods. In Mongolia, the word for yurt (which is actually Russian) is ‘ger’ and it means ‘home’.

The yurt is self-supporting. The frame is made from individual sections of wooden lattice work and the cover is made from canvas, felt or skins. The roof ring is the most complex element of the yurt. It’s into this ring that the roof poles slot.

Nigel Harvey, a passionate camper who left school to become a shepherd in South America, knows a thing or two about camping. He runs a brilliant company called Ride World Wide, which arranges holidays on horseback all around the globe. The company uses Yurts in Mongolia and Nigel loves them. “I love the family life that goes on inside a yurt,” he says. “And there’s a lot of interest in the way they’re put up. You have to lift the ring with sticks and prop it up. It’s actually quite a mechanical feat.

“The yurt is amazingly intricate and has walls which keep in the warmth and a ventilation system which is little more than a cloth on a pole. It works really well though.”

While arguably the coolest thing to camp in, the yurt is actually practical and, importantly, comfortable. If you’re tall you don’t get the same sense of being cramped in a yurt that you do in an ordinary tent.

The yurt is also one of the most proven of camping structures. Jonathan Morriss, of Bruton Yurts, agrees. “The design of the yurt as it is used in Mongolia today, has been proven over many years of use in a harsh and unyielding climate.

“The physical characteristics of these simple dwellings – strength, portability, and ease of erection – make them ideal practical structures for the 21st century nomad.

“However it is the feeling invoked by their internal space and structural beauty that alters the tempo of our lives. The relaxed and tranquil atmosphere somehow helps one to refocus, strengthened by the reassuring sense of history and tradition.”

Television presenter Kevin McCloud is another yurt fan. “I love yurts; I harbour an ambition to travel the world and see how people build their homes.

“I think the noblest of all is the yurt. I like the fact I can stand up and walk all the way round. I spent two days in a yurt with a wood-burning stove and loved it.”

Yurt tip

The shape of the yurt lends itself to serious interior design, allowing you to truly stamp your mark on it. This yurt and the one on the previous page, both of which are at Canvas Chic in France, are good examples of how amazing they can be.

my way

Martin Miller has some practical advice on under-canvas living

Martin Miller, described by A A Gill as ‘beyond fashion’ and the owner of Notting Hill’s favourite rooming house, Miller’s Residence, can’t camp without…

Antimate to stop stray dogs peeing on your tent

Clear box so you can take the spider that’s bitten you to the hospital with you

Proper chess set with fold-out legs

Hotel ‘Do not disturb’ sign

Large gong to call everyone to dinner

Persian carpet to add a sense of luxury

Outside tree candelabra

Compact PIR alarm

Green & Black’s chocolate for breakfast

‘Summer’ by Summer Watson and some wake-up music, perhaps a CD of trumpet sonatas and a classic selection of military trumpet

Picture credit: Canvas Chic

essentials bolt-holes

staying power

If you don’t fancy life under canvas, there are plenty of other options, each with its own unique blend of charm. There are so many funky bolt-holes available that one of the only problems is deciding which one to go for.

Taking to the road in a Romany caravan pulled along by a horse offers you a holiday that’s the antithesis of modern life. The inevitable slow pace is hypnotic and you’ll notice things you never have before. They’re cosy at night, but airy during the day as the doors open wide.

Shepherds’ huts are so sweet and can be surprisingly well equipped. Often they have wood-burning stoves, proper beds and carpets. A shepherd’s hut in the middle of nowhere is brilliant for couples who are desperately in love and want isolation and privacy.

This is true of beach huts, too, and you have the added luxury of waking up to the sound of the waves rolling in.

If you want something super-cool, then look no further than an Airstream trailer. Lots of movie stars request them on set; Sean Penn lived in one, and you can even buy an Airstream with a Ralph Lauren-designed interior.

A campervan or caravan is brilliant for those who are easily bored in one place. They’re also good if you fancy getting creative with your space, as you can stamp your own style on the interior. I think they look particularly sweet if you go for high kitsch when kitting them out.

A word of warning, though: it may well be a peculiarly British thing, but I’m always bemused by people who take to the road for an adventure and end up sitting in a lay-by on the side of the motorway, having their lunch or a cup of tea.

Instead, if you need a break, meander through country lanes and stop in beautiful country parks, woods, at a designated beauty spot, or on the outskirts of a pretty village.

metal gurus and bohemian bolt-holes

Picture credit: Vanessa BuchanCaravan of loveThis Romany caravan was built at the turn of the century for a Cornish circus dwarf, so is actually incredibly small. The colours and detail on these caravans are always stunning.

Picture credit: Odd LimitedCamper crazyThe retro chic of a campervan is undeniable and second-hand ones are widely available. The original colours are gorgeous, but you can have them re-sprayed in any shade you like.

Picture credit: Swiftsilver CaravansT@b lightThe T@b caravan is ridiculously sweet and, for something so small, unbelievably well equipped. Plus, they’ve done the seemingly impossible in making caravaning cool again.

Picture credit: Vintage VacationsAir apparentVintage Airstreams are almost too cool. Spacious inside and stunning on the outside, they provide the ultimate environment in which to play house.

Picture credit: Garden TradingBeach hut breaksThese are great spaces to camp in and can be bought or hired at many beaches and now at festivals too. Tardis-like, they are far more spacious than you might think.

Picture credit: Fired EarthShepherd’s delightShepherds’ huts are rather like Wendy houses for grown-ups. They’re spacious and cosy and are brilliant to have in the garden as an extra room or somewhere to escape too.

Picture credit: PodPadPod castsA great way to hang out at festivals. The PodPad is sweet, functional, warm and will keep you dry in even the wettest of festival weather.

Picture credit: PunchstockHangin’ aroundIt’s great to sleep on a hammock swinging between two trees. If you prefer something a little sturdier, you can get hammocks with frames. There are versions to suit every budget.

essentials kit guide

you’ll need these

How to make sure you don’t spend the first night of your trip driving round looking for a late-night supermarket where you can buy matches and a torch.

It’s not for nothing that the scouts’ motto is Be Prepared. If you’re ill-prepared you’re setting yourself up for a miserable trip. Cameron McNeish, editor of TGO (The Great Outdoors) magazine, and president of the Backpackers’ Club, likes to camp alone and ‘any place wild’ and he makes preparedness an art form. The list of things he takes camping is so pared down compared to mine that it’s almost funny.

His must-haves are as follows: tent, sleeping bag, stove, insulated pad, head torch, bottle to pee in at night, rucksack, food, water, insect repellent and a little whiskey to get through the night. Compare these to my own essentials of cushions, rugs, candles, books and other paraphernalia.

Cameron’s most important piece of advice is this: “Never skimp on the sleeping bag. Invest in a good one or you’ll regret it.” He also emphasises the importance of a hat. When your mother told you that you lose most of your body heat through your head she wasn’t joking.

Though Cameron’s brand of camping isn’t for everyone (this is, after all, a man who takes dehydrated spaghetti bolognaise on his trips) it is truly inspiring and I’m rather envious of the complete sense of freedom he must feel camping alone on a mountain. When he explains why, it makes me think that one day I’ll try it. “I enjoy being close to the earth,” he says, “and mountains make me happy.”

While you’ll probably be camping somewhere a little less out of the way than the places Cameron favours, the rules about being prepared are just as important. It is, of course, not nearly as risky if you’re unprepared in The Cotswolds, but you’ll still have a miserable time if you get drenched in the middle of the night and have no way of getting warm and dry again.

Picture credit: The North FaceThink pinkThis gorgeous Swiss army knife proves even essentials can be stylish

Light fantasticA good torch is a must-take. This one is lightweight and robust

Picture credit: Millets MagliteSnug as a bugI’m not a huge fan of sleeping bags, but if you use one make sure it’s well made

Picture credit: Boysstuff.co.ukBags of scopeYou don’t necessarily need a huge back pack; instead try something practical and stylish like this Messenger bag

Spark of geniusThis ingenious flint allows you to start a fire without matches

Picture credit: PetzlPretty in pinkA storm lamp is a surprisingly glamorous addition to your kitbag

Picture credit: Cath Kidston

Picture credit: NokiaUse your headA headtorch is great for reading in bed or finding lost boots in the dark

Picture credit: Zippo Toast by Post“I’m in the tent”A mobile phone is good for emergencies, but keep it switched off unless you need to use it

FirestarterA windproof lighter is brilliant; just make sure it’s topped up and the flint is new

Picture credit: The White CompanyComfort blanketYou’ll stay warm and stylish with blankets like these gorgeous mohair ones

Picture credit: Garden TradingOld flameIt’s really important to have the right sort of light when you’re camping. Try to make sure it’s not too harsh or artificial

Picture credit: Aga Cook ShopTea’s madeA good kettle means you’ll always be able to have a cuppa on demand

Picture credit: DivertimentiCutting edgeA sharp knife is a vital camp kitchen tool

Picture credit: Aga Cook ShopPots and pansCamp cookware can suffer on the fire, so make sure yours is sturdy and doesn’t have wood or plastic handles

Picture credit: DivertimentiLadelled with loveA choice of utensils helps ensure a smooth culinary experience

Picture credit: Labour &WaitYou can…The right tinned food can add variety to the camp menu

Pretty perfectI adore this mug with a lid, the funky string dispenser and delicious milk pan

Choosing what to take and packing it all up is fun and is something you should take your time over.

Deciding what I’m going to wear, which luxuries cannot be left behind and what music to take, is a process that takes me at least two days. But then I take a lot.

Kit tip

You can buy solar-powered backpacks which allow you to charge equipment such as mobile phones, iPods, cameras, radios and other small electrical items. See Listings for more information.

hot advice

TV presenter Kevin McCloud on the essential art of keeping warm

Picture credit: Tyson Sadlo

Clothing Spend your money on silk and cashmere and Botany wool. If you spend your money on yourself you’ll be warmer and much more comfortable

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