However, from the culture of flash mobs, some gatherings have proved popular and are now turning into annual events held throughout towns and cities across the world.

One gathering, which has caught the imagination of many is the Zombie Walk!

The Zombie Walk events, which were first popular in America have spread across the pond and are now becoming more frequent in the UK and mainland Europe. They’ve even spawned off-shoots such as Zombie Pub Crawls.

Zombies Like Guinness

These Zombie Walks now have their own Guinness World Record as to how many zombies join in with the ‘walk’ or ‘crawl’. The first attempt back in 2006 attracted 894 people outside a Mall (of-course) in Pittsburgh, USA.

Since then many cities across the world have held that ‘prestigious’ Guinness World Record for the biggest Zombie Walk including Brisbane, Australia and Nottingham in the UK.

Dublin, New York and Long Beach, California all held Zombie Walks with crowds of zombies estimated to be around 8,000-10,000. But none of them was officialy recognised by Guiness.

In November last year, Mexico claimed the official Guiness World Record for the most zombies in a Zombie Walk – 9,806 to be exact!

Zombies The Future

As the Zombie Walk events continue to grow (doubling in size almost yearly) – organisers look to campsites to help offer cheaper accomodation for those who wish to participate in the fun.

At Sleeping Bag Suits we stock a large selection of tents, camping gear, sleeping bags and our world famous Musuc Bags – even the undead like to keep warm and snug at night!

Tips To Become A Realistic Zombie

Zombies like make-up, so take pride in applying your ghoulish look – do it right – do it for the screams.

Get your Zombie Walk down to a tee, remember Zombies don’t do swaggers nor do they walk with their hands stuffed in their pockets. Leg dragging is good, outstretched arms also hit the right note but not too Mummy or Frankensteinesque… Your a Zombie! You live(?) For Brains.

Zombies don’t talk, they groan, moan and make a lot of gargling noises… Remember try to stay in character during the course of the whole Zombie Walk… Go knock them dead!

Treat A Campfire Burn

Firstly, let us start off by stating that all campfire burns should be treated as serious when camping/hiking in the wilderness to avoid the burn turning infectious.

Administer some pain relief, such as ibuprofen, if you have it available. Treat the burn by running it under cold water for 5-10 minutes – if you’re nowhere near a water source then wrap the burn in a damp compress for around the same time.

If the burn blisters, do not burst them, rather apply honey to the blisters to protect from infection. Try to keep any dressing from getting wet again to stop infection. Seel proper medical help immediately.

Insect Bites and Wasp or Bee Stings

Best advice is not to scratch the bite or sting (no matter how much you might want to) if you have been stung then try to remove the stinger with a sharp knife. To help relief itching and discomfort apply a cold compress or cover the stinged area with mud or rub with dandelion sap.

Sunburn/Sunstroke

The best type of treatment for sunburn is prevention – don’t forget to apply sunscreen – receiving sunburn in the wilderness can be lethal – most experts advise not to burst areas that blister in the wilderness as this can enhance infection.

Best to be prepared for most accidents that happen when hiking/camping. Pack a well-stocked first aid kit and at least include the essentials :     bandages and gauze; antiseptic creams and ointments; sterile wipes; pain killers; tweezers, scissors, knife and sunburn relief spray.

Image courtesy of www.theultimatehang.com

So you’ve heard all the hype surrounding Hammock Camping and bought into the claims that “Once you’ve spent time sleeping in a hammock you’ll never go back to tent camping“… And you decide you’re going to give it a go!

But before you head off into the woods to find a couple of trees to hang your Hammock from – consider this… The biggest problem with Hammock Camping is not staying comfortable, nor is it the fear of falling out of your Hammock… But the problem most rookies experience when first trying out Hammock Camping is actually staying warm!

For those who have been Hammock Camping before they even have a phrase coined for those that complain about the lack of warmth – Cold Butt Syndrome!

Actually, there’s a pretty straight-forward way to fight against Cold Butt Syndrome and that’s insulation.

Normally, a good sleeping bag will do the trick, however, in some instances even this is not enough. Foam pads can be used to warm your derriere or you could purchase a Musuc Bag Suit which are made from special a Polyester Diamond lining that can keep you warm and comfortable in extreme tempratures of -14.

There are plenty of Pros and Cons of Hammock Camping just like everyday Tent Camping – it’s not for everyone and sometimes you might find your carrying more weight in your backpack than you would if you were pitching a tent – that said, if you never give it a go how will you ever know!

Image courtesy of astronomycentral.co.uk

Popularity in Stargazing has seen sales in Telescopes and Binoculars rocket over the last few years – Amazon reported a 500% increase in telescope sales when the popular BBC TV show Stargazing Live aired a few months back!

Of-course, heading out into the backdoor to peer at Stars trillions of miles away when you live in a built-up area has it’s drawbacks. Light pollution is the star gazers enemy! That and cloudy conditions…

Remoteness is key if you’re going stellar sightseeing, far away from the glare of street lights of built up areas.

There is also another problem when it comes to being out and about under clear skies at night – and that’s keeping warm!

Wearing plenty of layers of clothing helps to keep you warm, get yourself a cosy hat to wear also and make sure your footwear is watertight as fields can get quite dewey during the nightitme. Packing some warm drinks to keep you going is a must!

However, there is another way to keeping warm while stargazing and you can save yourself a small fortune from accumulating all the additional clothing into the bargain…. Especially, if you’re going to be going stargazing frequently. A Musuc Bag is ideal for stargazing – it keeps you warm (even in extreme temperatures of -9 with the Musuc Bag Classic) and has great mobility – so you can be up and about in a flash when that constellation you’ve been waiting about all night for comes into view.

Well, a company called ProtoHaus (http://www.protohaus.moonfruit.com) is reinventing the old wagon for modern living.

Their transportable timber frame or “stick built” house is an ideal solution for those who like to take all the mod cons with them when they go camping.

The ProtoHaus is powered by solar and wind system power and is built from recycled and reclaimed materials – it truly is a eco-driven house of its time. Okay, I guess if you’re pulling this thing around in a 4×4 petrol driven vehicle it sort of nullifies your green footprint.

They’ve also built a light-weight model called the ProtoStoga which is straight out of the old wild west.

Image courtesy of www.good.is

Urban camping is a knock-on effect from those people camping out overnight to get music concert tickets or to be first in line as the store doors open for the latest ‘must-have’ item.

However, folk don’t need much of an excuse nowadays, to pitch their tent up on a pavement or a nearby city park.

Of course there are dangers with urban camping just like you’d find in the wild itself… Instead of bad tempered farmers or wild animals, urban campers will have to put up with drunks and others who stalk the streets at night.

There is a backlash happening against urban camping already, the City of Denver is trying to push through a law which will allow the local police to enforce an urban camping ban.

As folk, especially students, find it more difficult to manage finances, expect urban camping to be coming soon to a pavement near you!

Which brings us to that moment when a person gets an idea in their head and thinks “this is what everyone needs…” And hence the idea or ‘concept’ for something is borne.

Of-course, not everything makes it onto the shelves for the mass public to buy and some ideas are just downright weird, it makes you wonder what they were thinking when they came up with the concept…

The bold tent is no stranger to redesign and innovation, some concepts are brilliant and some are, well, weird… You decide which is which in our list of Ten Of The Weirdest Tents Ever!

The Cocoon

Designed as a Refugee Aid by John Moriarty, The Cocoon’s sole purpose is to allow those who use it, get a decent night’s sleep while hanging from a tree… Safe from the ground, where most of a persons body heat might be lost.

As a survival aid, it would probably work, but heavens knows how comfortable sleeping in that hanging fetal position might be for a grown adult.

Transparent Bubble Tents

I guess this for those campers who are a bit of an exhibitionist. However, if you want to know how a goldfish feels when swimming about in its bowl then this is the tent for you!

Kahuna Boat Tent

Next time your out and about kayaking/canoeing and need a little respite from the glaring sun, just whip out your overhead tent and pitch your boat up for the night.

Orange Solar Powered Tent

Okay, perhaps this one isn’t so weird, just futuristic. First trialed at Glastonbury way back in 2003, this ‘concept’ has been adapting ever since. The tent is made from flexible solar fabrics which captures the Sun’s rays and then allows the camper to enjoy benefits such as groundsheet heating, charging pouch for mobile phones and other portable devices and emits a glow at nightime so you can see from a distance where you pitched your tent.

The Inflatable Tent

Fed-up getting into a right fickle pitching your tent. Don’t know a guy rope from a grommet? Then this is the tent for you! Sets-up and deflates in less than a minute. Just watch those campfire embers…

VW Tent

Perhaps not so much weird but more iconic. The VW camper van tent is a full size replica 1965 VW camper van. Stand-out at festival season with this quirky tent.

The Modular Tent City

Developed by Japanese design firm, Logos, this Tent City system can be enabled quickly and effeciently. The tent is designed so that it can attach to another at various angles… Quite handy if you happen to fall out with your camping neighbours.

Surfer Tent

For those ‘dudes’ who hang out at the beach all day, waiting to ride ‘the big one’. We’ll we’ve reached the end of our surferspeak 101 handbook but this concept tent was designed by Reef. The sleeping part is an inflatable pod and comes with an adjustable canopy. Apparently the surfing world is going to go crazy over this…

Branch Tent

All those years of evolution wasted it seems as we’re reverting back to living in the trees. My only question is.. Who out of your camping buddies is going to climb the tree to get it set-up?

Cubic Tents

Similar concept to the Tent City, yet the ZenCube tent looks more futuristic as though its designed to be pitched up on the Moon. According to trend setters the ZenCube will replace the traditional tent we’ve all come to grow to love over the generations. Mmm, I guess we’ll have to wait and see on that one!

This is the modern way that we have been accustomed too…

Image courtesy of musicclout.hubpages.com

It’s just not enough now, to be taken out with your mates on your 18th birthday and welcomed into the world of pubs, booze and late night kebabs. Now, they want tattoos, piercings and let off the lead for a fortnight in Ibiza…

Then there’s the modern phenomena of music festivals added into the mix. It’s more convenient for teenagers to spend a 3/4 night stay, in a field, under the stars and watch their favourite musicians play on-stage than pay hundreds if not thousands on a ‘new’ rust-bucket vehicle to run their mates around in.

It seems that getting a driver’s license isn’t such a big thing anymore – too much cost involved and who can blame the youth of today, driving is such an expense.

Of course it still helps to make kids aware of the dangers surrounding music festivals… Trouble is never far away when you have thousands of people in a small area with access to alcohol and drugs. Plus these events are a magnet for opportunistic thieves.

Yet, isn’t that what a rite of passage is all about? An element of danger has always been associated with a ‘rite of passage’ in many cultures down through the years.

My view is that music festivals are a rite of passage? And I’m happy to play Dad’s Taxi for quite a few years yet, especially as it’ll probably be me who’ll be paying for that ‘rust bucket‘ to get fixed.

Festivals haven’t been recession-proof either, and over the last few months quite a few big and not-so-big festivals have announced they won’t be making an appearance this year or have folded altogether.

That said – there are still plenty of festivals on the go and if you’re planning a festival camping trip on a budget then read-on my festival-going friend…

Budget Busting Essential Festival Camping Gear

Camping gear can be quite expensive, but it needn’t be! Try to pack just the essentials you’ll need for your overnight(s) stay. Remember, the more you take with you – the more you’ll have to carry and the less room you’ll have for beer :p

At Sleeping Bag Suits we’ve added the Komos Square Sleeping Bag to our expanding sleeping bags product range. This sleeping bag is sure to keep you warm all night. Made with a 250gsm polyester fibre filling and a 190T polyester shell plus a price tag that’ll give you change from a twenty pound note.

Need a budget tent for your festival experience then check out the 2 Man Light Weight Festival Tent… This lightweight yet dependable tent comes with its polyethylene groundsheet sewn in. It’s easy to pack and even the most green-eyed camper will have no trouble setting it up. Again you can buy the 2 Man Light Weight Festival Tent for under twenty quid, making it a proper budget busting festival tent.

Okay, your at the campsite, tents up, sleeping accomodation is sorted, what’s next… Time for a brew, that’s what!

One of our most popular camping gadgets is the Silicon Folding Camping Kettle and yes it does what exectly is says on the lid, sorry kettle.

Talking off fold away camping products, there’s also our Folding Roll Up Camping Chair and Folding Camping BBQ to consider… Lightweight products that don’t cost the earth but enhance any festival camping trip.

You don’t need to bust your bank account this summer if you’re attending a festival – follow our quick tips above and save your money for more festival fun!

This year, Camp Bestival, takes place on the 26th, 27th, 28th & 29th of July. It’s hosted on the grounds of picturesque Lulworth Castle in Dorset.

Camp Bestival is an amalgamation of the old ‘Hi-de-hi‘ Holiday parks of yesteryear (Camp Bestival even has its own Blue Coats), camping, caravanning and motorhome campsites, summer fetes, the circus, theme parks and music festivals all mashed together but done tastefully.

Families looking to ‘escape‘ for a long weekend of fun should really consider booking themselves into Camp Bestival. There is plenty of accomodation on offer from luxury tipis, yurts, podpads bellepads, gypsy caravans, a double decker bus, Campervans, Motorhomes or just pack up your own tent, and head along.

A small selection of the headline acts at Camp Bestival for 2012 are the Happy Mondays, Rizzle Kicks and Kool & the Gang for the oldies and Mr Tumble, Shrek the Musical and The Gruffalo for the kids.

As it is a family festival, why not kit out the family with the ultimate sleeping bags for festivals – The Musuc Bag Lite and the Kids Musuc Bag.

This gives you mobility to get around and see what’s happening as dusk falls while feeling snug, comfortable and best of all – looking cool!

Last year, people of all ages from babies, to kids, teenagers and adults (around 30,000) crammed into the castle grounds for 4 days of high quality entertainment and behaved like one big family.

Camp Bestival has been recommended as the UK’s premier festival for families. Why not check it out for yourself – www.campbestival.net