Last weekend I went to Wales to join my brother on an organised walk with a difference. The Real Ale Ramble is an annual event which attracts thousands of hikers to the heart of the Brecon Beacons for an extra special walking route. The Real Ale Ramble in Llantrwyd Wells is a 10-mile or 25-mile hike with stops at beer stations for a selection of real ales. Part group walk and part beer festival, the Real Ale Amble was a real eye-opener.

Before I was talked into joining the walking route, I couldn’t work out why anyone would pay to join a walk around open access land in return for just a few beers. Most regular walkers would stop for a drink in a pub during or after a long hike anyway. Why stand in a marquee in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of strangers drinking bizarrely named brown liquid?

Having done the Real Ale Ramble I can say that I am one of the converted. Not only did it attract me to an area of outstanding natural beauty that I’d never been before. But it also turned a day hike into a social event – a walk where we all had a common purpose that was fun, friendly and not at all competitive. The event also allowed us to sample some tasty ales and walk around the woods in a lightly inebriated state, which is an trail enhancing experience. The walking routes were well mapped out and sign-posted – it was all fun, safe and entertaining. I’d thoroughly recommend it to walkers and/or beer drinkers.

I’m always getting hammered. I get hammered in the daytime, hammered in the night time. Come rain, shine, wind or snow, it doesn’t matter - I get hammered whatever the weather.

I have an extremely important job; people rely on me to be solid and dependable. Getting hammered all the time may seem a little reckless, but in my situation it is vital to the comfort and well-being of those who rely on me. As a humble tent pole, I’m sometimes taken for granted and often forgotten. But without me everything would fall apart.

All parts of a tent are essential items; we all work together to provide shelter for campers. We work as a whole. But I consider my role especially important. I am the link that anchors an otherwise flimsy piece of material to the ground. I prevent the tent from flying away in high winds and I create the tension needed to stop the tent from falling in on itself. I may be the last thing that campers use or think about when they erect a tent but without me they could end up, cold, wet, uncomfortable and miserable. It’s essential that I continue to get hammered!

Next time you’re browsing through a camping supply shop at all the amazing tents, sleeping bags and ‘luxury’ camping equipment, spare a thought for all those people who can’t afford such luxuries. There are some people in the world who don’t have a home, or a tent, to sleep in. People all over the world have been left homeless by natural disasters, civil wars or ethnic upheavals – they are destitute and at risk. In these situations, basic camping supplies can mean the difference between life and death. This is why UK charity Shelterbox works so hard to provide people with a tent and essential items to keep them safe in states of emergency.

Since it was established in January 2001, the charity has helped over 600,000 people and worked in more than 45 countries, responding to earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, wars, volcanoes and more. Victims receive a Shelterbox which contains a large tent, thermal blankets and a groundsheet, cooking equipment, water purification containers and a practical tool kit.

Shelterbox teams were some of the first aid teams on the ground when the tsunami hit Sri Lanka in 2004. They provided shelter for the victims of Hurricane Katrina in the southern United States in 2005. They’ve sent Shelterboxes to those displaced by conflict in Iraq, Afghanistan and Uganda. Wherever there is a natural or man-made disaster, anywhere on the globe, the charity sends its team with a plane full of boxes to help those affected. This is camping at its most basic – camping for survival. We should feel very lucky next time we’re voluntarily tucked up in our expensive sleeping bags on a safe campsite!

Most people sport some kind of flight bag, you see them at the airport all the time. They’re the little cross-body bags in which you keep all your essentials: passport, tickets, money and all your travel documents.

My little bag has two zip pockets and a small flap-over pouch at the front. The main compartment fitted my camera and purse in perfectly and the slim other pocket is perfect for stashing my passport.

My flight bag is made of a lightweight fabric, so it can easily be washed back to new by slinging it into the machine on cool when I land safely back home. I would recommend everyone take one of these little beauties on holiday. I had a quick search and some of the “Antler luggage” flight bags are rather nice and is the Jupiter shoulder tote.

For an inexpensive option you could try the Shoreline green smart shoulder bag. It’s almost identical to the one I carry but it has the benefit of an adjustable length strap and a flap-over pocket hiding the main compartment further.

For any traveller, male or female, I would emphatically suggest investing in a flight bag: it would certainly make a great stocking filler for the keen voyager in your family. If the material is fabric then you can opt for any colour you choose because it will be machine washable and so you don’t have to stick to mundane black … then again, if like me it doubles as your handbag, black tends to go with everything!