The great outdoors gear
A month of floods, storms and cyclones wasn’t necessarily the best time to go on a family camping adventure. Thanks to the excellent selection of outdoor equipment at the Albany Mega Centre it’s been one of the best holidays we’ve ever enjoyed as a family.
We decided to wait till a bit later to have our summer holiday this year. With the kids not back at Uni until March, we had February to go on holiday, knowing that the crowds were already back at school and at work. After a number of years of relaxing beach holidays, the family decided that a long-overdue camping holiday was in order in 2023.
The torrential flooding of Auckland and Northland in late January gave us a good heads-up that there was potential bad weather ahead so we made sure we were well-supplied with all the outdoor gear. We hadn’t been camping for a long time and that meant we needed practically everything. Thank goodness for Albany Mega Centre – here you’ve got four leading outdoor brands practically next to each other.
First priority was buying a new tent. Our old tent was nearly 10 years old, purchased when the kids were still in primary school. Now both fully grown adults, it seemed unreasonable to expect four full-sized people to squeeze into such a small space. We gave the kids our old tent so Tom and I were on the hunt for a new one at MacPac. With lots to choose from, and a knowledgeable and friendly team, it didn’t take long to find exactly what we were looking for.
Next stop was Bivouac, as we looked for the full works of a camp kitchen. While Tom talked to the salesperson about the ins and outs of camp stoves, I explored their full range of outdoor pots, pans and kitchen utensils. The idea of having to worry about cooking three meals a day, while on holiday, didn’t really sit well with me but I knew there wouldn’t be any restaurants or takeaways where we were going. So one of practically everything got thrown into my shopping basket.
A few days later we were back at Albany Mega Cente with the kids. This time at Mountain Warehouse buying sleeping bags and packs. Tom and the kids talked about taking day hikes in the bush. I was thinking more about sitting back in a comfy chair and reading my book. Fortunately, something for everyone was found including four sleeping bags, two day packs, a pair of hiking shoes and one somewhat comfy camp chair for me. The sales manager also suggested we get dry bags, stuff sacks and pack liners which turned out to be a great call when the rains came.
With weeks of frequent tropical rains it was hard to know what clothing we should take. At Kathmandu, we each found a lightweight top for the colder evenings, a light rain jacket and thermal undergarments, just in case it got really cold. The kids added to the haul with a drink bottle, beanies and a light stick each. Tom bought a compass which got me wondering just how much ‘off-the-track’ hiking he had in mind.
Fully stocked with all the latest equipment, we headed off on our holiday. The first few days were wet and wild but, with all our new gear, we were well insulated from the elements. As the weather improved so did our experience being the perfect balance of family time, reading and relaxing in our camp ground, exploring the many sites nearby and making new friends with other crazy campers who stayed through the elements.
Without the full range of outdoor adventure gear from Albany Mega Centre this holiday could have been an absolute disaster. Fortunately, between MacPac, Bivouac, Mountain Warehouse and Kathmandu we found everything we needed and more, including great advice about what to take when camping through a tropical weather system.