Roll up, roll up!
Just arrived from our manufacturers!
Original & Camper Shacks with windows in the front panel.
We've got them in red, blue and green with black bases, for just £239.99 inc standard P&P.
Get 'em while we've got 'em!
Thanks for a great review Richard.
"Awesome bit of kit! I bought the packashack for my LWB VW T5 with a tailgate so that I could take the children camping as I have a bed platform in the back and wanted an affordable way of extending the space in the van.
The Camper Shack worked perfectly and was a breeze to put up.
Extra standing and changing space at the back of the van made the space inside even more useable. I also intend to use it for my MTB trips as a space to get changed in after a wet or muddy ride.
Top product at a great price!!"
A stone skipping championship of a different nature takes place every year in Easdale, Scotland, where distance is measured as opposed to number of skips, as tends to be the case outside the US. Since 1997, competitors from all over the world have taken part in the World Stone Skimming Championships in a disused quarry on Easdale Island using sea-worn Easdale slate. The stone must bounce/skip at least three times to count. Dougie Isaacs (Scotland) won the title again in 2016, so accruing the most titles in the competition's history(8) Other current title holders include Lucy Wood (England) World Ladies 2016; Coerd de Heer (Netherlands) European (last held October 2015); Jolien Eshuis (Netherlands) European Ladies (last held October 2015); Ron Long (Wales) 2016 All England; Gary Bailey (England) 2016 British; and Ron Long (Wales) 2017 Welsh Open.] Paul Crabtree (England) was the first European champion in 2012, repeating 2013 and 2014. All events require use of natural stone only, except for the Wales. The world record for distance skimmed using natural stone was laser-surveyed at 107.4 metres (352.3 ft), at a Guinness-endorsed event comprising a select squad of 12 and held for the purpose at Abernant Lake, Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys, Wales on Monday 30 May 2016.] The throw was by Dougie Isaacs This record event may be repeated in 2018 at the same location.
The world record for the number of skips Guinness Book of Records is 88 by Kurt "Mountain Man" Steiner, age 48. The cast was achieved on September 6, 2013 at Red Bridge in the Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania. The previous record was 65 skips, by Max Steiner, set at Riverfront Park, Franklin, Pennsylvania. Before him, the record was 51 skips, set by Russell Byars on July 19, 2007, skipping at the same location. Kurt Steiner also held the world record between 2002 and 2007. The US Stone Skipping champion 2016 at Franklin was Dave Ohmer (Titusville PA) with 40 skips.
Packa Shack, as well as offering you freedom, privacy and shelter it's the the perfect hiding place from the great Scottish midges
The highland midge (scientific name: Culicoides impunctatus; Scots: Midgie; Scottish Gaelic: Meanbh-chuileag) is a species of small flying insect, found across the Palearctic (throughout the British Isles, Scandinavia, other regions of Europe, Russia and Northern China) in upland and lowland areas (fens, bogs and marshes). In the north west of Scotland and northern Wales it occurs from late spring to late summer Female Highland midges are well known for gathering in clouds and biting humans, though the majority of the blood they obtain comes from cattle, sheep and deer. The bite of Culicoides is felt as a sharp prick and is often followed by irritating lumps that may disappear in a few hours or last for days.
How to keep midges away
Midges are tiny - just 1mm long and 2-3mm across - but anyone who has ever been camping in Scotland in the summer will know what a pain they can be. You know it's an issue when a midge forecast exists, while biting midge expert Dr Alison Blackwell recently estimated that there were as many as 21 billion biting females in the Highlands and Islands each season!
For Scotland at least, generally you'll have an easier time on the east coast. Swarms of Scottish midges are a particular problem in the Highlands and Western Scotland during warmer months, where damp and humid conditions provide perfect breeding grounds. Midge season gets going in May and peaks in August, whereas cooler months are much less of an issue and therefore perhaps the best time of year to visit midge prone areas.
It's not just a Scottish problem though - midges can be found all over the UK. Believe it or not, there are nearly 40 midge species in Scotland, though only a handful that bite humans:
In the Highlands, almost all bites (perhaps 90%) are from Culicoides Impunctatus - the Highland Midge or Scottish Biting Midge.
Another biter is the Culicoides Halophilus midge (Coastal Midge) which can be found in salt marshes on the Scottish coast.
Culicoides Nubeculosus midges (Farm Midge) occasionally bite humans, but are generally more interested in farm animals.
Culicoides Obsoletus midges (Garden Midge) are more common in town and around the lowlands. Their bites are much less painful, but they are still persistent!
Knowing how to keep these girls (and it's only the females that are the issue - male midges feed on nectar and other natural sugars) away can make a big difference to your camping trip.
As it happens, knowing how to avoid mosquitoes will put you in good stead for avoiding midges too. Like mosquitoes, they are attracted to carbon dioxide (detecting it in your breath from a distance of 200 metres!), sweat and certain scents our bodies give off - and they are also most prevalent at dusk and dawn.
They like damp areas such as boggy bits of ground as well as lake and river edges, and they frequent areas under trees or with dense foliage, so stay away from these areas when choosing where to pitch camp.
So, what keeps midges away? How can you stop them biting you?
Unfortunately, some people just seem to attract bites more than others. If you're particularly badly affected it might be worth avoiding hotspots altogether, or certainly wearing a midge hood on warm evenings after rain! Strangely they also tend to prefer darker clothing to light, so covering up in whites makes a big difference.
Fortunately, midges don't do well with wind speeds greater than that of a breeze (6 mph or so), so picking a camping spot that is exposed to wind will help keep midges away. If there is a slight breeze, it's also worth facing your tent into the wind, as midges will shelter behind your tent for protection and you won't open your tent into a faceful of them!
They also can't fly as fast as you can walk, so if you encounter a midge cloud, the best thing you go do is keep going.
Midge repellents have got more effective in recent years too, with Smidge (the same company who produce the forecast) perhaps the most popular way of keeping midges away. You'll see lots of "does Smidge work" type articles on Google - and reports are normally positive for UK biters. Avon Skin So Soft is popular too, even with the Royal Marines and SAS if claims are to be believed. The price compares very well to more traditional insect repellents - and it even smells nice!
Campfires, coils and candles such as those from Purple Turtle can help get rid of midges too, but they're not a replacement for repellents.
So, to summarise, here are our top tips for how to avoid midge bites:
Cover up exposed skin as far as possible with white and light-coloured clothing
Stay somewhere with a MidgeMagnet or similar device which gets rid of midges
If you are bitten, an anti-histamine cream is again your best bet - and like mosquito bites, scratching will only make it worse.
Bella, bella! The latest Original Shack will help make Lia and her dogs more comfortable at their dog agility competitions across Europe, offering them extra space and shelter from the elements.
Happy Shacking, Lia!
Bella, bella! The latest Original Shack will help make Lia and her dogs more comfortable at their dog agility competitions across Europe, offering them extra space and shelter from the elements.
Happy Shacking, Lia!