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Our eldest was asked to go on a camping trip with a friend last weekend, so she took her own little Vango hike tent. It's perfect for strapping onto the bottom of her rucksack, easy to pitch and cosy for one. To add an extension she took a Gabby Malpas PACMAT Poppy This gave space for friends visiting (pictured above) and made a good place to put her stuff to keep it dry while she took the tent down.   They had a great time, if not a lot of sleep. Here's a picture at dawn.

A day trip out in Epping to (socially distance) meet up with some friends and walk the dog away from the crowds and tempting picnics in East London Parks. The weather looked good. We ventured into the forest and chose our spot. No sooner had we sat down, and cracked open the sandwiches, it started to rain. The PACMAT came in as handy rain covers (having forgotten our waterproofs). The shower was heavy, but didn't last long. The PACMATs were laid out to dry and we finished our cheese sandwhiches and have a game of hide and seak in the sunshine....

It had been a hot, steamy week in London. A group of us from Hackney decided to treat the kids to a refreshing wild swim. A day of mucking about jumping and splashing at Meadway, Kent. Known for it's easy access swimming and a bridge for the kids to jump off. We made a base with, of course, a lot of PACMATs. The cows took great interest in the Ordnance Survey Game Mat. First one, then a whole crowd came to see.   After a lot of dipping, playing ball and lounging in the shade we headed back into the heat of...

With lock down easing and things starting to open up again we jumped at the chance to rebook a very overdue orthodontist appointment. Normally we would make the trek to Barking by tube. It's a horrible journey. But because we'd prefer to stay off public transport at the moment if at all possible we decided to cycle. I had no idea it was going to be so easy. Basically through the parks and onto the green way. Lovely. We were in a bit of a rush on the way there, so steamed ahead, but on the way back we treated ourselves...

This year, National Picnic Week is 22-28 June. So grab your PACMATs and get outdoors for a good old picnic. We kicked off the week with a father's day family picnic walk in Ashdown Forest, Sussex. A wonderful place with far reaching, refreshing views. The kids and dogs especially had a great time, walking, splashing, jumping and nature trailing (the dogs had to be kept on leads near livestock, of course). And granny had her PACMAT Patch with her so that she could have her very own picnic spot with social distancing. "Originally a deer hunting forest in Norman times,...