This last year we’ve all spent a lot more time outside. But in this unpredictable English weather an outdoor party can quickly turn into a washout if you’re unprepared. Here are our top tips for hosting a great weather-proof party.
We’ve included practical tips, recommendations, and a wish list of things we would like!
Shelter
Whether it’s an event shelter, a gazebo, or a large piece of tarpaulin, you will probably need to put up something to keep people dry.
This year we invested in a Coleman Pro 14′ event shelter, as we also intend to take it camping. It’s fantastic – it stays up in all weathers, is properly waterproof, and is big enough to shelter a lot of people in the pouring rain. They don’t come with sides so you have to order these additionally if you want extra protection. There’s also a 10′ version available.
Fire Pit
It’s always lovely to huddle around a fire pit when it gets cold. We recommend our Hacienda fire pit which is still going strong after several years. You can burn wood or charcoal in it, and you can cook on it too.
If you want something more portable then the folding fire pits are excellent. They are only around 600g in weight and pack down into a small bag.
Make sure you have everything you need to build the fire, and don’t forget the marshmallows!
UK regulations on open fires has changed recently, and you are only allowed to burn seasoned wood, so make sure any wood you are burning has been dried thoroughly.
Music Speaker
I think that music is an essential part of any party. I had a smaller speaker before but it wasn’t loud enough for me, so I recently bought a Minirig 3.
This speaker is my favourite thing that I own right now. I have taken it out with me when meeting friends and it has cheered up many family park outings. The sound is amazing for such a small speaker and one charge lasts around 100 hours so it won’t run down during your party. At a powerful 40W I have never had to turn it to full volume. You can choose from lots of colours and if your friend has one you can hook them up for a stereo effect! They also do a smaller one with a 30 hour battery life.
If you know you’ll be outside without cover, you can now get fully waterproof speakers like the Boombottle (12W). This is a much cheaper alternative to the Minirig although only lasts for 11 hours per charge. However it can be completely submerged in water so you can take it anywhere. It even floats!
Lights
Fairy lights always make a party more magical. If you want them to stay on a long time we recommend getting low powered solar lights such as these Luci string lights, which work for 20 hours once charged.
However there are a vast array of lights out there, so it’s worth looking around. Here are some suggestions:
If you want to eat dinner or be able to see your friends after dark, fairy lights won’t be bright enough, so we recommend getting a lantern. The Vango eco lantern can be charged from the solar power or from the mains, but only lasts 3 hours. This Coleman lantern will charge from USB and you can charge your phone on it.
This Coleman speaker lantern also has a built in speaker so you can play your music through it too!
If you want some brighter lighting, for example to light a path, we recommend rechargeable floodlights.
Projector
Projectors have become much cheaper and portable in recent years. You can now easily turn an outdoor space into an outdoor cinema. There are so many of them available we advise looking at the specifications and reviews as what you need depends on the conditions you need it for. Here are two I’ve picked out.
The Yaber V2 wifi projector comes with a screen and at a great price for a small streaming projector.
The NEBULA Anker capsule is the size of a drinks can. It has 3 hours of battery life and a 360 degree speaker.
Silent Disco
Silent disco is a wonderful thing for friends who like to dance. You can set it up anywhere – in your garden, in a park, on a hill. You can dance to a decent volume of music without annoying anyone, and you can have a conversation without losing your voice. Perfect in my view!
You can now buy sets to run your own disco, but it’s still quite a high price. So there are also companies hiring silent disco headphones and equipment. They’ll normally deliver everything and pick it up again. There are a lot of companies offering this so always make sure you check them out before handing over money. Hush Beats Disco are recommended, as well as Silent Disco King.
Hot Tub
We have been missing our festival hot tub visits!
Inflatable hot tubs are guaranteed to make your party sparkle. Incredibly popular with the kids, they will keep them entertained for some time. Adults love them just as much!
Lay-Z-Spa are highly recommended and you can get them in different sizes. You can also rent a hot tub for your party.
Please add your outdoor party advice in the comments below.
Enjoy your time outdoors and I hope we will be at a festival soon!
Note: We bought the Coleman event shelter, Minirig speaker and Hacienda fire pit and and have not been paid to recommend any of these products or companies. However we do receive a small commission when you click through on some of the the links and buy something.