KitBag: Your Essential New Camping Gear For November

Our monthly round-up of camping and outdoor kit that you will love

ION8 ULTIMATE WATER BOTTLE
leakproof.co.uk
Expect to pay £14.99
Here’s a water bottle that promises to be 100% leakproof. Easy to use, too, thanks to a flip top that can be opened with a single push, with a pouring spout under a hard shell.
Its capacity is 550ml, but there’s a whole Ion8 family of battles to choose from. Shaped sides with a soft band help you get an easy grip on this bottle.
The bottle made from Tritan – odour-resistant, non-toxic and BPA- and phthalate-free. It can be cleaned in the dishwasher back home, and is reckoned to be suitable for drinks across the -10 to 96degC range.

LIFESYSTEMS HURRICANE WHISTLE
lifesystems.co.uk
Expect to pay £4.49
For emergency use, this will help pinpoint your exact location. From the company’s outdoor survival collection, the Hurricane Whistle only weighs 15g, making it light enough to float on water, yet it pitches in with some 122 decibels of volume. It’s a tri-tone sound, featuring higher notes that are more noticeable, and deeper sounds that travel further. The whistle itself is all-plastic. It comes with a neck lanyard and attachment clip. And it’s on the Duke of Edinburgh’s Recommended Kit List.

OUTWELL WESTON HILLS
outwell.com
Expect to pay £85
A folding chair with a cover that’s removable for washing (or you can roll it up and use it for lumbar or neck support). Neat. This has three positions to its powder-coated steel frame with alloy detailing. All fabrics are 100% polyester. Other features include a cupholder, plus a carrybag. Maximum weight it can take is 125kg. Dimensions when up are 60cm wide x 85cm deep x 108cm high. Seat height is 45cm. It’s available in Earth Grey, Forest Green or, as here, Ocean Blue.

GP CHARGE ANYWAY
uk.gpbatteries.com
Expect to pay £24.98
What we really need is a battery charger and a powerbank – combined. And that’s what you get here, with GP Batteries’ Charge AnyWay. Using patented charging technology, this hand-sized unit can act as an instant powerbank, There’s an output port to charge smart devices. It comes with four lithium-free, ReCyko NiMH (nickel metal hydride) AA size batteries (but can also be used with AAAs), also claiming compatibility with alkaline and single-use batteries. It also includes LED charge indicators, plus all manner of protection – from overcharging, overheating, overloading and short circuiting. Pack size is 8cm x 6.5cm x 2.5cm.

AMK ME & MY DOG MEDICAL KIT
burton-mccall.co.uk
Expect to pay £64.95
Camper’s best friend and all that. Well, if you take your dog with you, you’re going to need to have a few emergency measures in place. Just in case. Meanwhile, in this case – in water-resistant ripstop nylon, with dual zip – you get things like a SOL emergency blanket (for treating shock and hypothermia), cold pack (for treating sprains and strains), 10cc irrigation syringe (to clean wounds and prevent infection), splinter/tick remover, triangular and elastic bandages, and more.

SNUGPAK KITMONSTER G2
snugpak.com
Expect to pay £84.95 (Carry On)/£79.95 70L)/£129.95 (120L)
Carry your kit in one of these – there’s a choice of three: 35-litre, 70-litre and 120-litre. They’re the Kitmonster trio from Snugpak, and they start with the smaller capacity Carry On (in red, olive or black). Next up, sizewise is the 70L holdall, while the 120-litre version also has wheels.All three use waterproof tarpaulin and have wet and dry internal compartments. Grab handles make for easy carrying, while compression straps help pack everything as tightly as possible, while the larger two also have removable padded shoulder straps.

ROBENS RAPTUROUS 120
robens.com
Expect to pay £99.99
Pricey, for an airbed, maybe. But, you might care to consider the features as well as the quality. In TPU-coated soft-touch Pongee Peach 30D 360T polyester, the Rapturous from Robens also comes with a PrimaLoft filling, which is bonded to the top inner surface for extra comfort and insulation. Also, internal coil loop stabilisers give it superior stability as well as support. Dimensions are 200cm x 65cm and 12cm deep. Weight is 1,120g. It packs into a storage sack, some 27cm x 13cm.

LIFEVENTURE SILK ULTIMATE LINER
lifeventure.com
Expect to pay £44.99
It’s always surprising how many folk don’t use liners in their sleeping bags. They mean you just have to wash the liner rather than the whole bag each time. They give a little bit of extra insulation. And ventilation. And they can even be more hygienic. Like this. It’s 100 per cent silk, which means it can help regulate temperature, as well as wicking away any moisture from the body. And, Lifeventure says its unique, permanent Polygiene treatment features natural silver salt to prevent any bacteria or odour build-up. It also comes with a pillow sleeve and roll-top storage bag.

EASY CAMP COOLBAG STRIPE
easycamp.com
Expect to pay
£13.99
Cool bags like this boomed in the summer heatwave. Called, appropriately enough, Coolbag Stripe, this example from Easy Camp has a handy 28-litre capacity and comes in 600D polyester with a PEVA non-polyester lining, with a zipped lid as well as a front pocket.  More versatile than a coolbox because it can be squeezed into tighter spaces, including in the boot of your car, the Coolbag Stripe has handles as well as a detachable, adjustable shoulder strap.