Competition: win a Berghaus rucksack full of goodies with Visit Wales

Have you packed for Wales? Win a Berghaus rucksack full of outdoorsy goodies (including a sports camcorder) from Visit Wales to help you escape on a Welsh adventure this summer.

packforwales

Have a little look at the fantastic new ‘Have you packed for Wales?‘ campaign – it’ll make you itch to head for the hills with a rucksack on your back. I’m a huge fan of this wonderful country – from exploring Castell Coch and surfing in the Gower to climbing Cadair Idris and cycling around the Brecon Beacons, heading over the Severn is my first choice for an escape into the outdoors. Plus they sell Welsh cakes there.

Visit Wales have teamed up with The Girl Outdoors and Berghaus to give away a fantastic prize to help you out on your Welsh rambles – a Berghaus Day Pack full of goodies, including a sports camera, so that you can film all your adventures.

To enter, simply tell me about your essential item for a trip into the great outdoors. As for what I pack – I’ve always got a head torch, snacks and a camera in my rucksack, although I’m not the best at travelling light, as you can probably tell from the above picture of me about to scale Pen Y Fan with a guitar on my back…

THE PRIZE

The winner will receive a Berghaus Remote 30 rucksack filled with:
-Muvi Sports camcorder
-Rite in the Rain all-weather notebook
-Astro X4 External battery charger
-Berghaus thermos cup
-Eurohike headtorch
-Mountain Wales pocket guidebook
-Dai the Dragon fuzzy keyring!

TO WIN

To this competition is now closed. The winner is Tom Bryan. Congratulations Tom!

This post is in collaboration with Visit Wales

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34 Comments

  1. Vikki R
    April 10, 2015 / 1:59 pm

    I always pack my swiss army knife. It’s been a godsend on so many occasions (from chopping cheese to fixing tent poles) but even when I don’t have to use it, I feel safer knowing it’s there.

  2. April 10, 2015 / 2:00 pm

    I went to a Sarah Millican gig once and she asked if we were dodgems or bumper cars. Apparently I am a dodgem because I always pack one extra pair of pants knickers whenever I go away. Ok so a spare pair of pants might not be my answer here, but it is spare socks! Honestly. I always have a pair of clean, dry socks in my bag whenever I pack for a trip in the great outdoors – even just an afternoon. You never know when you might just need them. (PS I even have some, more than one pair, in my desk drawer at work.)

  3. richard Dobinson
    April 10, 2015 / 2:04 pm

    woolly socks bobble hat, fishermans friends, portable radio

  4. Kate
    April 10, 2015 / 2:45 pm

    Binoculars for taking in the amazing Welsh views, had best family holiday ever camping in Snowdonia last summer 🙂

  5. April 10, 2015 / 2:47 pm

    A lightweight hard shell/waterproof jacket. Even though some may see it as an obivous item to take, its uses are multiple. Ofcourse, when the British summer kicks in, the heavens poor. So the lightweight jacket keeps you dry and a smile on your face. But it has yet more uses. (Go on I hear you cry). Hardshells, as well as being waterproof, are windproof. So if you don’t have a windshell, this will keep a bracing chilly wind out.

    The ground can be wet, whether its dew, recent rainfall or boggy ground, even in the height of summer. You can use the jacket as a groundsheet and save a wet bum.

    Then there is staying warm. Hardshells are their most breathable when wet. So sat around the camp in the evening or on a fell side watching the sun set, it can help keep the heat in, whether sat in a t-shirt or thermal layer.

    You can strap with it, carry water in it, create shade and many more things.

    The humble waterproof is often left at home in the warmer months. I always have mine close to hand.

  6. April 10, 2015 / 3:05 pm

    For my outdoor adventures I always pack a headtorch, a platypus and a portable for speaker for the best soundtrack!

  7. Abby
    April 10, 2015 / 3:07 pm

    Always take my Go pro and pole for capturing the incredible views, making memories for the future and taking obligatory selfies!

    Usually have a pocket in my waterproof stuffed with jelly beans too!

  8. April 10, 2015 / 3:08 pm

    I always have a colourful Buff with me… wraps up my crazy hair on long journeys, it keeps my face warm during wet or cold days, and it protects my ears from pesky bugs at night. 🙂

  9. April 10, 2015 / 3:19 pm

    Would it be awful cheesy to say my Berghaus?! I’ve had my jacket for a couple of years now and it’s been EVERYWHERE with me, the warmest, driest, snuggliest item of clothing I own (I shed a tiny tear when spring comes and it has to go back into the cupboard). If that IS too cheesy then it’d have to be my camera. It’s not practical, edible or life saving but it’s an absolute essential for capturing all those little moments that make an adventure special.
    Round of applause to you and your guitar too, my husband curses me for carting around a one woman library wherever we go.
    M x Life Outside London

  10. Charlotte
    April 10, 2015 / 3:20 pm

    I always pack a firesteel, just in case. It doesn’t matter how wet it is, unlike a box of matches it never gets soggy and stops working! It’s good for giving a quick spark to get your gas stove going as well.

  11. April 10, 2015 / 4:21 pm

    I have to have sunglasses. 3 years of living in Scandinavian darkness gave me very sensitive eyes!

  12. April 10, 2015 / 4:38 pm

    I ALWAYS have a dozen plastic bags, boring I know but they are invaluable. Compartmentalising dirty clothes/shoes, acting as rubbish bins, and keeping your clean clothes clean. Plastic bags I tell you.

  13. Jack
    April 10, 2015 / 5:24 pm

    Teabags. Cannot start, nor end the day without a brew.

  14. Dee
    April 10, 2015 / 6:21 pm

    As a Celt (with more than my fair share of the ginger gene) I always pack sunscreen – even on a cloudy day!!

  15. April 10, 2015 / 6:54 pm

    Definitely wet wipes! Sad but true – they are a must! I camped for 3 months in a tent by the sea aged 18 having never camped before and I definitely learned the hard way about what to bring. I can safely say I would not have survived without the wet wipes! Other things I needed were a hot water bottle, a tangle teezer and a head torch! Guitar came too!

    Megan x

  16. April 10, 2015 / 11:06 pm

    My one essential item is my Kite!

    There’s no better feeling once you’ve scaled a high peak than taking advantage of the high, undisrupted winds and flying a kite. It makes for a wonderful moment when you pass it between friends who may not have flown a kite since they were a child. It’s such a laugh and a good way to relax. And it always gets attention from other walkers.

    It’s so light it’s an easy luxury to take anywhere in the world. I’ve flown it in San Francisco, Toronto, Zanzibar, as well as much closer to home up Horseshoe Pass, Pen Y Fan and London!

    It’s also now more than 8 years old which is not bad for all the travelling we’re done together.

  17. Bronte
    April 11, 2015 / 8:50 am

    For me, my “mashing gear” is the little extra I always pack! A fresh cup of tea overlooking a beatiful view is the best feeling in the world! It helps I’ve got it down to a small set up too!

  18. April 11, 2015 / 9:07 am

    I love my enamel camping mug because you can’t beat that first cup of coffee first thing in the morning!

  19. April 11, 2015 / 10:29 am

    My essential item for a trip outdoors has to be a hammock. There is nothing more lovely than finding a quiet, peaceful spot amongst some tress after a long day walking or hiking, and enjoying beautiful scenery from the comfort of a hammock! It’s so calming and peaceful it’s often hard not to fall asleep completely! 🙂

  20. April 11, 2015 / 4:59 pm

    OK so I am relatively new to wandering woods, beaches and hills (but loving every second) so I might be a bit naive on what I pack to take with me – I am learn something new on every trip though!

    The first thing to go with me on a hike is my home made nakd bars. Got to have the fuel to survive the trip. Packed into a lunch bot unoas you have to be good to the planet and reuse! More fuel next with the essential mid morning coffee and ample supply of water, both packed into you guessed it – reusable klean kanteen bottles. Shooting through now is waterproofs, first aid, head torch, navigation, spare socks, sunnies and Worthers Originals followed by my camera and spare battery. A dslr – its pretty darn heavy but I love to record what I have seen to show the folks back home. Maybe inspire them to come along one day. Finally is my wooly hat and the clothes on my back. Lots of layers of course.

    All crammed into what I am hoping will be a nice new Berghaus Remote 30 rucksack 😉

    Hoping to take my first wild camping trip soon as well so I am going to need to refine my lightweight camping strategy! Love the blog and would be great to join you guys on one of your adventures one day to get some tips from the pros.

  21. April 11, 2015 / 8:57 pm

    There are several things I wouldn’t go without but top of the list is a space blanket. Really compact and weighs just a few grams but will keep me warm if I get injured or stuck somewhere too remote or hidden for even a loud whistle or flashlight to be any use.

  22. April 12, 2015 / 8:37 pm

    Shwmae, Siân.

    Mine is a Mini Melton Mowbray pork pie!

    No long day’s outing is complete without some sort of snack or picnic. It may not be seen as “essential”, it isn’t crucial for survival, and it doesn’t even carry the merit of an energy giving slice of Kendal Mint Cake – but on a long ramble or ascent, there really is nothing like a pork pie if you want to smile and feel alive again!

  23. morag p
    April 13, 2015 / 10:49 am

    Sunscreen and waterproof clothing – covering all possibilities!

  24. Kate Davidson
    April 13, 2015 / 11:40 am

    Probably my 4-seasons Rab Sleeping Bag (made of snuggly down). Even in summer, I use it. I can’t imagine anything worse than not being able to sleep because of the cold! Ugh.

  25. Leanne Whitehead
    April 14, 2015 / 8:37 am

    A MAP!!! These days so many people rely on GPS devices, which are great but can fail. They run out of battery, don’t get a signal or if your like me… you forget how to use it!

    Plus there is nothing more fun than unfolding your map the night before a big trip to look at what hill your going to climb, what route your going to take and probably most importantly what river, lake or loch your going to dip your aching feet in at the end.

    So 100% my most important item is a map (along with a compass and some navigational skills). I reckon mountain rescue would agree too. 🙂

  26. Ellie
    April 14, 2015 / 2:48 pm

    A jetboil! There’s nothing more lovely that waking up to a dawn cup of tea with a view, whilst still in your sleeping bag, and a jetboil makes it super easy and quick. It also doubles up nicely as a pasta/couscous/soup cooker, and a wine cooler (white)/warmer (red). Multi-functional and makes cups of tea easier…what’s not to like?!

    If I’m allowed a sneaky second then it would be my bivvy bag too. There’s nothing quite as liberating as sleeping under the stars – I love waking up at different points during the night and seeing where the stars have moved to – bivvy bag and jetboil – it’s all you really need!

  27. Lucy Budge
    April 14, 2015 / 7:14 pm

    I don’t know if this counts, but a bottle of water! I always worry if I don’t have any with me, even if it’s just a short hike through the woods or a day trip to the park. It’s a lifeline; the number 1 priority.
    Take a survival situation- you’re stranded in the woods and the first thing you look for is a river, or a lake. In comparison, food is abundant.
    Rule of 3:
    3 days without water
    3 weeks without food
    Always water. Always.

  28. April 16, 2015 / 10:53 am

    I always pack a small hip flask of Whiskey and some cookies if I am going on a wild camp… I need the comfort!

  29. Mariann
    April 17, 2015 / 3:00 pm

    I always pack headtorch, sleepbag and waterproof clothing. And water – of course.

  30. Prerna Gupta
    April 17, 2015 / 11:17 pm

    waterproof clothes and camera!!

  31. April 20, 2015 / 8:38 pm

    Our bridge camera.

    I love fumbling with the buttons, trying to take a great shot. Whether it’s capturing the scenery or a funny moment, or just for proof that we’ve successfully reached a trig point, the bridge camera does it all, and hangs safely by my side at all times.

    Diolch, Siân!

    @UrbanHotfooters

  32. Lesley Smith
    April 21, 2015 / 9:32 am

    Always pack a spare pair of socks,gaiters and gloves, nothing worse than cold hands and feet. Packed for Snowdonia and can’t wait!

  33. April 27, 2015 / 10:19 pm

    A water proof coat, mints and my camera.

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