Tips & Advice

What to look for when buying a sleeping bag

May 14, 2014
What does it all mean?

In Europe, the EN 13537 standard normalizes the temperatures at which a sleeping bag can be used. Tests provide four temperatures:

Upper limit is the highest temperature at which a ‘standard’ adult man is able to have a comfortable night’s sleep without excess sweating.  This rating is not normally used by sleeping bag manufacturers.

The three key rating to look at are:

Comfort rating is based on a ‘standard’ adult woman having a comfortable night’s sleep.

Lower limit is based on the lowest temperature at which a ‘standard’ adult man is deemed to be able to have a comfortable night’s sleep.

Extreme rating is a survival only rating for a ‘standard’ adult man. This is an extreme survival rating only and it is not advisable to rely on this rating for general use.

So when you’re selecting a sleeping bag for your trip look at the temperatures you are likely to experience and pick a sleeping bag with a COMFORT RATING which matches the lower temperature you will find.

Getting a good night’s sleep!

When in your sleeping bag you lose more heat through the ground than the air, so it’s important to insulate yourself by using a good sleeping mat, we recommend an inflatable mat with built in insulation such as the Thermarest NeoAir or Exped Synmat (see: http://goo.gl/amdpp ), which both have built in insulation. While in your bag it’s also a good idea to tighten the shoulder collar and hood drawstrings in order to trap your body warmth inside the bag.

If you feel the cold, it may be a good idea to add a fleece liner to your kit list which will add extra warmth to your sleeping bag.  Also getting up in the middle of the night for a pee is an easy way to get cold, so consider taking a pee bottle, to save getting up. For Outdoorhire’s selection of sleeping bags and liners which have been tested for their selected environment see: http://goo.gl/QOzi9

Special thanks to  outdoorhire.co.uk for writing this blog for Charity Challenge.
Latest News

Charity Challenge attend launch of BS8848

April 24, 2014

Last week the Operations Team at Charity Challenge all ventured down to the Royal Geographic Society for the launch event  of the revised standard BS8848, the British Standard for organising and managing adventurous activities outside the UK.

Originally launched in 2007 the standard was the first standard of its kind in the UK to help adventure activity providers to run safer adventurous trips outside of the UK. The revised standard, launched yesterday, has now stripped away much of the complexity of the original standard to create a more streamlined and useable set of guidelines. It was very pleasing to hear that many of the comments made regarding the original standard had been taken on-board and Charity Challenge are fully supportive of the new standard.

In 2013 Charity Challenge launched its own safety management system called Challenge Safe. We are extremely proud of this comprehensive in-house safety management system and we have already introduced many changes to the way we operate on the ground based on these far reaching safety guidelines and minimum standards. The revised BS8848 provides a set of guidelines that demonstrate best practice. However it is not within the remit of this standard to offer guidance as to how to conform to these guidelines. What Challenge Safe offers is a system for implementing these guidelines so that there is a real change in safety standards. The operations team will be taking a close look at the revised BS8848 and going through our challenges trip by trip to look into how compliance with this new standard will work alongside Challenge Safe to make our challenges even safer. BS8848 is designed to represent the minimum standard required for managing risk in adventurous travel overseas. From Charity Challenge’s point of view we want to make sure that we are not only adhering to these minimum standards but that, through Challenge Safe, we continue to lead the way in being the foremost challenge company when it comes to our participants’ safety.

The real challenge lies in making sure that documents such as BS8848 and Challenge Safe are being adhered to on the ground. To this end both Andy and Carmel from the Operations Team will be delivering training in Tanzania and Peru over the coming months aimed at educating our ground teams on the use of these safety documents.

Challenges, Inspiration

Jo’s adventure cycling through majestic Burma

February 26, 2014

Bizarrely the thing I have noticed most since I’ve been cycling in Burma is you just don’t sweat! Maybe I’m used to the humidity of a jungle environment but Burma is barren and the heat is dry!

The temperature is 37 degrees and, and after being transferred out of Mandalay to a small town on the outskirts, we begun our Burma Cycle challenge. I have now been cycling for a couple of hours in the heat. I imagined that the pagodas would be hidden away, but to my surprise it’s not very long before I spot one! And then another and another, and finally the most magnificent temple as the icing on the cake!  While we were in Mandalay we had the pleasure of coming across a street where the gold umbrellas of a Stupa (a Buddhist monument) are hand chiseled and crafted into this striking piece of art that is so common on Burmese temples. Watching it be transformed from a solid lump of metal to the beautiful artwork that we see is incredible. Continue Reading…

Tips & Advice

Changes to liquids in hand baggage (UK/EU)

January 27, 2014

Due to the development of Liquid Explosive Detection Systems (LEDs), the European Commission has revised the requirements for the screening of liquids, aerosols & gels.

The restrictions to liquids, aerosols & gels carried in hand baggage continue, i.e. containers will still need to include less than 100ml and be contained within the one litre plastic bag.

The new rules broadly sees changes to the treatment of additional liquids not carried in the one litre bag. Starting 31 January 2014, the following liquids presented for screening at UK & EU airports, must be subjected to LEDs if carried outside of the one litre plastic bag:

• Duty free items in ICAO standard Security Tamper Evident Bags

• Medicine

• Baby food/other dietary requirements

This applies to both transferring and direct customers.

Key benefits:

Customers can now take Duty Free liquids purchased from any airport (including non-EU airports) or onboard through UK security screening points, even if taken landside, provided items are in a Security Tamper Evident Bag, with the receipt sealed inside the bag at the time of purchase.

If transferring customers buy any Duty Free liquids onboard, cabin crew will ensure that items are sealed in a Security Tamper Evident Bag. Security Search points will reseal these items in a new Security Tamper Evident Bag, where necessary.

Please note:

• All liquids, aerosols & gels must be presented separately from other hand baggage items at security screening points.

• The tasting/testing of liquids, aerosols & gels on the skin will no longer be recognised as a method of screening. Liquid medicines carried outside of the one litre bag still require a doctor’s note or prescription.

• The use of LEDs, especially alarm resolution, may require the breaking of cellophane wrapping and de-packing of the item. Some airports may use equipment that requires the bottle to be opened, however London Heathrow will not test in this manner.

• Within the UK, liquids in the one litre bag may also be subjected to LEDS.

• For airports outside of the EU and UK, existing policies continue.

Source: British Airways

Latest News

Charity Challenge recognised as Best Special/Challenge Events Partner for the second year running!

January 27, 2014

We’ve done it again! Charity Challenge has picked up the award for the Best Challenge Events Partner for the second year in a row at the 2014 Institute of Fundraising Partners in Fundraising Awards.

The award ceremony took place on Tuesday night and we are delighted and incredibly proud to have won this fantastic award again.

Charity Challenge have been in the industry for over 14 years now and have helped thousands of people achieve their personal goal whilst raising over £40m for more than 1500 UK, Irish and Canadian registered charities.

Simon Albert, Managing Director said “We have stuck by our founding principles of delivering exceptional service to our charity and corporate clients, and to your supporters / our participants who undertake the challenges.  It’s their lives and your reputation in our hands and we do all we can to deliver the highest standards of due diligence, health and safety planning and implementation, and to provide an incredible and memorable experience. Thank you to everyone who voted for us and we hope to continue delivering outstanding challenges to the sector in 2014 and beyond.”
We would like to take this opportunity and thank all of our charity partners and challenge participants for their business, and for their continued feedback which allows us to look at new ways to constantly improve what we do.

For more information on Charity Challenge, please visit us at www.charitychallenge.com

Latest News, Sales & Promotions

Win a Mini IPad, Kindle HD Fire, Samsung Camera and lots more!

January 2, 2014

Happy New Year!

To celebrate 15 years of organising Charity Challenges, we are doing a fantastic January Gadget Give-Away!

From Monday (06 Jan) to the end of the month, we will be giving away amazing gadgets EVERY DAY to someone booking on to an overseas challenge!

It’s simple to enter, just make a booking and we will enter you into our prize draw for that day! Prizes on offer include:

Jacqueline Peckham  – Samsung Camcorder
Amanda Sturges – Google Nexus
Mark Gardner – Kindle HD Fire
Anthony Wild – Samsung Camcorder
Jacqueline Jackson – Kindle HD Fire
Nicole Ramsay – Google Nexus
Fiona Rogers – Samsung Camera
Christine Saladas – I Pod Nano
Katie Hazelwood – Samsung Camera
Andrew Kouroushi – Samsung Camera
Samantha Webber-Cadby – I Pod Nano
James Fry – Kindle HD Fire
Martain Miller – Samsung Camcorder
Ahmed Khan – Google Nexus
Gerard McManus – Kindle HD Fire
Nicole Valentine – Mini I Pad
Hilary Lamb – Samsung Camera
Panjaruthnam Govender – Samsung Camcorder
Valerie Smith – Samsung Camera
Colin Cork – I Pod Nano
Janet Brown – i Pod Nano
Angela Rowlands – Google Nexus
Emma-Jane Adam – Samsung Camcorder
Simon Donaldson – I Pod Nano
Aoibhne O’Neill – Kindle HD Fire
Victoria Kennell – Mini I Pad

Congratulations to all of you!