Bringing in Autumn with the Bumble Biggie in The New Forest *Ad Gifted

Autumn is one of my favourite seasons. The leaves are turning, there's a chill in the air and it's still a great time to go camping. So when Bumble Campers asked me if I'd like to try out their "Bumble Biggie" I jumped at the chance.

I've worked with Bumble Campers on a gifting basis twice before, using their traditional Bumble Bus 2 sleepers to travel to The Peak District and to The Lake District for a wedding. Both trips were brilliant so I was keen to road test the Bumble Biggie and see how it compared.

It's safe to say this camper is more than comfortable for two people, having a large living area inside equipped with kitchen, area, sink, cupboard storage, shelving and a seating area converting into a full size double bed. You can also stand up fully in this van which is great for moving around and the built in lights are perfect for the darker autumn evenings.

So with the perfect place to call home for the weekend, we set off to The New Forest in search of autumn colours, wild ponies and tasty food.

I got the inspiration to visit The New Forest from travel blogger Jess who had said how beautiful it was and that she'd plan to go back again in autumn sometime. I'm so glad I took her up on her recommendation as the forest did not disappoint when it came to beautiful burnt oranges, red and yellows of the falling leaves and wild mushrooms growing everywhere.

There was also talk of wild ponies being about. Before travelling down I did wonder if we'd be lucky enough to see any roaming about but it turns out there are lots of them and they're dotted around all over. We came across plenty on our walks through the forest as well as driving to our destinations.

You're advised not to feed or go near the ponies but as you can see some of them are rather friendly and inquisitive!

Whilst in the New Forest we visited a lovely village known as Burley. This picturesque village in set in the heart of the new forest with ponies and cattle grazing and roaming freely and its stooped in history also, having a pub dating back to the 16th century which was used by smugglers and highwaymen. It's also where the famous white witch Sybil Leek lived and there's even a gift shop called "Coven of Witches". It's the perfect place to visit around Halloween. Whilst we were there they had lots of Halloween themed stalls, fancy dress competitions and more which definitely helped to get you in the Halloween mood.

We also ventured to another place on Jess' recommendation known as The Pig. This beautiful hotel and restaurant is tucked away in Brokenhurst and is the perfect place to relax, unwind and have impeccable food.

 The dining of The Pig is known as the "Conservatory Restaurant" full of beautiful rustic charm with herbs and plants growing throughout. All of the food is locally sourced, making the menu contemporary and ever changing with whats in season in the area. The Pig has it's own kitchen garden and greenhouse which make up the produce for the days menu and the food is just divine.

They also have a commitment to source their produce from within a 25 mile radius of the restaurant, meaning they support local suppliers and the ingredients are always what is in season at that time.

The food tasted absolutely gorgeous and incredibly fresh and it was well worth a visit.

We had a little wander around the grounds after lunch and I couldn't help but have a little look in the greenhouse! I'd definitely like to visit The Pig again and perhaps even stay. They have spa treatments, accommodation and lovely walks which would make for another lovely weekend away!

So that was our trip to The New Forest! I'm definitely going to hire the Bumble Biggie in future. It's my favourite camper van from Bumble Campers to date and made our camping trip comfortable and cosy for autumn getaway/ The New Forest was also a great place to visit and definitely got us in the autumn mood. I definitely want to return and explore more of the area as it's so lovely and I'd highly recommend it for this time of year!

Have you tried the Bumble Biggie or been to the New Forest?

* I was kindly gifted the use of Bumble Camper's Bumble Biggie for the weekend in exchange for social media coverage. 

Why camping is good for you! | Mindfulness and Wellbeing

Camping.

A lot of people shudder at the thought of camping as it’s not luxurious whatsoever but to me it’s a sheer treat- so much so that it has benefited my mental health and today I want to tell you why.

Being Outdoors

It’s an obvious one but a good place to start, being outdoors does wonders for your body and mind. The fresh air and being exposed to nature can do wonders for you, with studies proving that even a walk can give you lasting positive feelings for up to seven hours after* CountryLiving.com (source)

So just think about how that being in the outdoors, being at one with nature could benefit you when going for a long weekend or a weeks break in your tent.

We watch the sun go down over the horizon each night which was spectacular and I couldn’t help but say the same thing each night to Chris which was “this is what it’s all about”. But it’s true! This is what life is about. Beautiful everyday occurrences that we take for granted rather than how many likes have validated me on Instagram that day or if my outfit is new...

Natural Light

We’re all aware of how bad artificial lights can be for our bodies; in particular phones are especially bad. I found that through sleeping in a tent I was waking up a lot earlier and going to bed earlier too. The nylon semi-translucent material of the tent allowed light to flood our sleeping area from as early as 5:30am so by 6:30-7am I was wide awake and bright as a button, ready to face the day and open up the tent to let in some well deserved fresh morning air. I definitely don’t get the same effect when I’m back in my fully insulated home with heavily lined curtains and black out blinds. If anything I’m trying to shut the outside out and prolong sleep or at least I was until I’d been camping. And of course at night in the summer the sun goes down anytime between 9 and 10:30pm so my body clock was telling me it’s time to sleep, you’re tired and you’re ready to settle down for a good sleep.

Almost Living... Off the Grid?

With our tent set up we did have electricity so we weren’t entirely basic but we only used it to charge phones (which tbh we only really used for photos and map features whilst we were away), to boil a kettle because we all need a decent brew in the morning and then to cook. The rest of it was “roughing it” so to speak, not having the luxuries of a big comfy bed, sleeping instead on an air bed and with our clothes and belongings in piles around us. It made me appreciate our little space and that this was really all I needed to essentially survive with the husband and hound.

My Mental Health

Going back to my first point about being outdoors and my main point of this post- all of the above helped me to feel much more happy and content in my mind. I have a habit of getting into a bad cycle of feeling anxious of going out and in particular on my own. It might sound strange but the thought of doing a food shop on my lonesome or walking the dog without someone else can sometimes make me feel really really anxious. Even nipping across the road (and I mean literally a 2 seconds walk) to the shop can make me feel uptight so I’ll put it off. I’d rather go without that food thing I wanted or think oh well the dog can go out with Chris. So going and literally being outside for a week probably sounds like it would be hell for me..right? Well surprisingly no. It has the reverse effect and the more time I spend outside, the better it is for my well being and bizarrely the more I want to be outside and do things for myself like walk the dog on my own. I can't explain it but it feels as though my brain is at ease in nature and the outdoors once I give it the chance. It's easy to get into the comfortable trap of home, being in your own little fort where no one can get you but sometimes you're better pushing yourself and your boundaries as it will do you and your mind the world of food. So if you're anything like me and find you can anxious- give camping a try. What's the worst that can happen?