We have had a pretty rubbish summer so far: a few hot days here and there mixed with rain, cold temperatures and even snow - typical England. Because of this, we have rather shamefully neglected our back garden, but I was still surprised by how over-grown it had become when I finally dared to venture out there. Due to living in rented accommodation, we are limited to what we can do with the space, so it remains a rather boring gravelly rectangle with very little sunshine, where even lavender will die.

The iconic VW campervan is the pinnacle of the hippie camping lifestyle, but for most people these days it’s well out of their price range. Fear not! You can get the look for a faction of the price and without the risk of breaking down on the way (unless you have the tent in a car as old as mine then it is a constant risk). The VW Tent is a four-man tent with a divider down the middle creating two rooms and it is an exact licensed replica of the 1965 classic. It is available in Blue (our test model), Orange, Red and a limited-edition Green.

Seeland is a company based in Denmark that creates clothing, footwear, and equipment for hunting that has been designed by professional hunters. The Seeland Scout Fleece is a thick and warm fleece featuring YKK zip closure and pockets ideal for keeping you warm whilst you’re out in the elements either hunting or fishing. The Scout fleece jacket is made from thick, soft fibres that allow for retention of body heat and provide you with good insulation allowing you to feel comfortable, even on the worst of days.

The Tropos 32 from Osprey is an everyday and commuting backpack designed for active use. It is available in five colours, Komodo Green (which is what we received), Navy Blue, Black, Armor Grey and Robust Red. It features Osprey’s AirSpeed trampoline suspended mesh backsystem, this reduces the amount of material on your back and creates a large ventilating space keeping you cool and your back dry whilst on the move.

The MightyMo is Jetboil’s first stand-alone universal stove system, meaning you don’t have to have Jetboil’s compatible cookware to use the stove . You can bring your grimy old tins that you haven’t washed since your Bronze Duke of Edinburgh award and they will work just fine (apart from the potential food poisoning). This storable single burner is reasonably lightweight at 95g (3.3oz), although there are lighter models on the market.

The name Härkila originated from the 17th century, from a family farmhouse in the county of Västra Götaland on the west coast of Sweden. It translates from the Nordic tongue into “The field of great bulls”, in reference to the many giant moose that lived in the area. Moving from hunting to award-winning dog breeding, the family began to create hunting gear by establishing a sewing workshop and making protective clothing for all weathers.

AKU was born in Italy to founder Galliano Bordin and grew over 40 years from a small workshop into an industry that designs and produces trekking and outdoor footwear. The Alterra GTX is a versatile trekking boot designed for medium and unpredictable trekking terrains, available in sizes 3-13 in UK shoe sizes. It offers good ankle support and durability at a light-weight 670g per shoe.

5.11 are not just your regular clothing line - they are the Bear Grylls of clothing lines. Their original 5.11 Pant was chosen by the FBI Training Academy as its training pant in 1992, which began the long relationship of 5.11’s commitment to public safety and the first responder community. In 2003, 5.11 Tactical began developing a larger range in their law enforcement line by creating gear that met the needs of people in the field, and in 2012 they redesigned their women’s range for a better fit and higher performance.

Cringe alert! One of the things I miss when we go camping aside from clean toilets, cold beer, and not getting food poisoning from under-cooked sausages, is having a cuddle on the sofa. Before you get excited, no, the Mercury Moon Chair is not a sofa. Also, I must say straight away that the max weight for the chair is 110kg. I won’t tell you how much we weigh together but it is slightly over that… The good news is that we didn’t fall through the bottom of it.