A little about me... and how Tiny Caravan Living was born
If you've found your way here, firstly, thank you.
I thought the best place to start this journey was by telling you a little about me, my family, and how the idea of Tiny Caravan Living came to life.
Because, like so many great adventures... it all started with a tent.
All the gear... and absolutely no idea!
Back in 2003, my husband, our two-year-old son and I packed up a borrowed tent and headed to Windermere in the beautiful Lake District for our very first camping trip.
Our camping equipment wasn't exactly luxurious. We had a borrowed tent, a hand pump, one airbed between the three of us, a tiny table, a camping stove, a lamp and a few bags of clothes. That was about it!
I can still laugh about our first night. We'd unknowingly pitched on a slight slope and, sometime during the night, the airbed slowly deflated. We woke up in a heap at the bottom of the tent!
Did we pack up and go home?
Not a chance.
We pumped the airbed back up, made a cuppa and carried on.
Looking back now, I think that weekend planted a seed. Camping wasn't about having the newest equipment or the perfect setup. It was about slowing down, making memories and enjoying the outdoors together.
Little did we know it would become such a huge part of our lives.
Falling in love with the Lakes
That first trip sparked something in us.
Over the years we explored more and more of the Lake District, with Langdale Valley eventually becoming our favourite place to pitch up.
Our family grew too. We welcomed two more sons, each seven years apart, and before long they were joining us on our adventures.
Our boys have been carried up mountains in baby carriers, perched on shoulders and eventually climbed under their own steam.
Family holidays haven't just been about beaches or hotels.
They've been about muddy boots, campfires, mountain views and fresh air.
We've also spent countless weekends exploring Wales and Scotland, discovering just how incredibly beautiful the UK really is.
I have thousands of photographs tucked away - old throwaway camera prints in boxes in the loft, early digital camera photos, and now hundreds stored on my phone.
I can't wait to share some of them with you throughout these blogs.
The mountains became home
My husband has been climbing mountains since he was just four years old, so it wasn't long before he encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone too.
Some of my biggest achievements have happened on those mountains.
Crossing Striding Edge on Helvellyn for the first time was both terrifying and exhilarating. Since then we've tackled Sharp Edge on Blencathra, Lord's Rake on Scafell, Jack's Rake on Pavey Ark and even spent part of our honeymoon walking over Crinkle Crags.
Not everyone's idea of romance - but it was perfect for us!
Then, after lockdown in 2020, we made a decision.
We would complete Alfred Wainwright's 214 Lakeland Fells.
Some we'd already climbed several times, but having a shared goal made every walk even more meaningful.
So far we've reached 151 out of 214, and we're in no rush.
Every mountain teaches you something.
Patience.
Perseverance.
Gratitude.
Standing on a summit after hours of climbing, looking across miles of fells, is a feeling that's almost impossible to describe.
To me, that's heaven.
It's one of God's greatest gifts.
Adventures I'll never forget
One adventure that will always stay with me was completing the Welsh 3000s challenge in 2021 with a professional mountain guide.
For three incredible days we pushed ourselves further than ever before.
Crossing Crib Goch was unforgettable.
It's one of those places where photos never quite capture the experience. It's the adrenaline, the focus, the sense of achievement and the overwhelming beauty all around you.
For those moments, nothing else matters.
You're completely present.
And perhaps that's one of the reasons I love the outdoors so much.
It reminds us to slow down and simply be.
Life changes... but the outdoors is always calling
Over the past few years life has become much busier.
I now work from home as secretary for our family grounds maintenance business, and between work, family life and looking after our allotment, I've become far more sedentary than I'd like.
I know I need to get back into the hills.
The mountains are still waiting.
And we'll finish those Wainwrights one day.
From camping... to tiny camper... to caravanning
Before buying our touring caravan, we owned a little Citroën Berlingo van.
With a bit of imagination - and a very handy husband - we transformed it into the cutest little micro camper.
He built a fold-out bed platform with storage underneath.
I made simple curtains.
We added a self-inflating mattress, bunk beds for the children, a tent extension and even created our own little emergency toilet using a bucket and a padded toddler seat for those midnight trips!
It certainly wasn't glamorous.
But it worked.
And we absolutely loved it.
Sadly the Berlingo eventually became too expensive to repair, so we said goodbye and returned to tent camping until we finally bought our touring caravan.
From My Hikes Log to Tiny Caravan Living
Some of you may remember me from a previous Instagram page I ran after lockdown called My Hikes Log. It began as a place to document our walks, mountain adventures and time spent outdoors. Before long, it had grown into a lovely community of a few thousand fellow hikers and outdoor enthusiasts, filled with shared inspiration and encouragement.
However, I eventually decided to step away from social media for a while and enjoy those moments without feeling the need to share every adventure online.
Now, it feels like the right time to begin again - but with a different purpose.
Tiny Caravan Living isn’t just about documenting where we go. It’s about sharing the lifestyle we’ve loved for over twenty years, creating comfortable, thoughtfully chosen clothing, and building a community of people who feel happiest when they’re outdoors.
So... where did Tiny Caravan Living come from?
Owning our touring caravan has reminded me what I love most about this lifestyle.
It's simple.
It's slower.
It's peaceful.
When we're away, the pressure of everyday life seems to melt away.
My husband works incredibly hard running our grounds maintenance business. It's physically demanding, mentally exhausting and long hours are simply part of the job.
So those weekends away become precious.
We drink our cuppa outside.
Watch the sunset.
Listen to birds instead of traffic.
Walk.
Read.
Laugh.
Breathe.
I honestly believe spending time outdoors is one of the greatest things we can do for our mental wellbeing.
Whether that's camping in a tent, touring in a caravan, travelling in a campervan or living full-time in an RV, every version brings people a little closer to nature - and often, a little closer to themselves.
I've even found myself dreaming bigger.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if more people had access to affordable tiny living? Imagine communities designed around smaller homes - a little space to call your own, somewhere for the caravan, room to grow vegetables, plenty of trees and greenery, and welcoming communal spaces. Peaceful, simple and healthy living. I could happily live like this!
Maybe that's just a dream.
But every great idea starts with one.
Why clothing?
One thing I've always struggled to find is clothing that feels truly comfortable.
When I'm camping or caravanning, I don't want stiff, uncomfortable clothes.
I want oversized hoodies.
Soft organic cotton T-shirts.
Relaxed joggers.
Clothes that feel as comfortable around a campfire as they do walking around a campsite on a chilly morning with a mug of coffee in your hand.
That's where Tiny Caravan Living was born.
I want to create sustainable clothing for people who love this lifestyle as much as I do.
People who feel happiest outdoors.
People who understand that "home" isn't always four walls.
Sometimes it's wherever you've pitched up for the night.
The beginning of the journey
If I'm honest, I'm still figuring things out.
My shop has taken a while to launch, because I want it to be something I'm genuinely proud of.
There has been plenty of trial and error, lots of learning and more cups of coffee than I could count.
But I'm not giving up.
I'd rather spend my life trying than wondering "what if?"
If you've read this far, thank you so much.
I hope you'll join me as Tiny Caravan Living grows.
There'll be stories from our adventures, campsite recommendations, walking routes, caravan life, camping tips, clothing updates and plenty of photographs along the way.
Most of all, I hope this little corner of the internet feels like sitting around a campfire with friends who simply love being outdoors.
See you in the next blog.
Love,
Jen xx
Jen's Campfire Thought
"Some of life's best memories begin when you leave behind the comfort of home and discover that home can be wherever you choose to park up."
