Review: Chillistick’s Halloween Fog Pack

Being a mum means that most of my Halloween parties involve making Halloween games and decorations and then playing said party games. I’m pretty happy with that.

But all us mums and dads need to socialise with other adults and enjoy a ‘real’ party once in a while! Chillistick sent me their Halloween Fog Pack to try out, which I thought would be absolutely perfect for a grown up get-together. Here’s how I got on with it.

The Halloween Fog Pack

This bundle of Halloween goodies is designed to create a seriously spooky atmosphere. Using dry ice, the pack allows you to create a creepy Halloween vibe with a bubbling witches cauldron, an eerie fog maker and a skull pitcher. You can also create a mysterious effect with your carved pumpkins by using Chillistick’s ice cage and polycarbonate container which also comes in the pack. The Halloween Fog Pack contains everything you need, including the dry ice and costs £52.80.

Delivery

This all sounded fabulous, so I was excited to get started. Because the pack uses dry ice, you need to ensure that you order it for the day you intend to use it. I didn’t want my dry ice to disappear before I’d had the chance to photograph it, so I set off for my local woods, where we’d be taking the shots.

In hindsight, I should have checked the package before trekking through the woods with a baby, 5kg of dry ice, a tripod and all the camera gear. However, the reason I didn’t is because I didn’t want to open the polystyrene box and risk the dry ice getting warmer (and therefore disappearing quicker). Imagine my disappointment when I found the perfect backdrop for these creepy photos, only to discover that half of my parcel was missing.

The people at Chillistick were apologetic and explained that the item is new to their website so there had clearly been a packing error. They were very happy to resend the parcel, with additional dry ice for me and it came the very next day.

Bubbling Witch’s Cauldron

The first effect I tried out was the bubbling witch’s cauldron. To achieve this special effect, you need to add dry ice and hot water to the cauldron. Obviously because you’re using dry ice (which is -80°C), you need to make sure you wear the gloves provided in the pack and read through the safety instructions.

I found that using the recommended amount of dry ice didn’t really create much of an effect. In order to create a proper bubbling cauldron – the sort of thing you’d see on the telly – I needed to add a few more handfuls of ice and pour in more hot water.

Once I’d done that, the effect was pretty impressive and was definitely be a big “wow” moment. If you are after some ‘instagrammable’ party props, the Halloween Fog Pack definitely delivers. To add to the spooky smoke effect, you can also hear the witch’s brew bubbling away, which is pretty cool!

The Fog Maker/Witch’s Pail

The fog maker, or witch’s pail, is simply a bucket with a cut out pumpkin face on the lid. Again, following the instructions yielded very little ‘fog’. In order to create a suitably eerie atmosphere, I needed to go mad with the dry ice and add in a lot more than is stated in the instructions booklet. Once I’d done this though, it did do the job and created lots of fog. This looked really good and again, made for some good shots. The bucket itself is pretty boring looking so if you’re planning a party, it may be best to hide this with some spooky cobwebs or strategically place it so it’s less visible to your party-goers.

The Skull Jug and Pumpkin Kit

The pack comes with a jug for pouring your own spooky Halloween cocktails from. It also comes with an additional ice cage and funnel, along with a polycarbonate cup. These additions are provided so you can create your own spooky pumpkins by half filling the cup with hot water and adding in your filled ice cage to the water. The eerie then drifts out of the pumpkins eyes and mouth.

My honest opinion

As with all of my reviews, I endeavour to be 100% honest.

This pack definitely creates some cool Halloween special effects and is very instagrammable. I think it would look brilliant if you’re planning on throwing a big Halloween bash. Bonus points go to the cauldron, which we doubled up as a drinks chiller once it had stopped bubbling away.

However, I perhaps wouldn’t want to pay £52 for the it. I know that most of the cost is attributed to the dry ice, but the rest of the props all look and feel a bit cheap. I feel that if you’re looking for something convenient, this pack will deliver everything you need all in one parcel. However, if you’re after the same effects but on a budget, you’d definitely be able to save some money by sourcing everything separately. If you’re keen to avoid using plastic, you can buy the dry ice and pour into a sturdy container, such as a cast iron cooking pot, a jam pan or even a large sauce pan. Just decorate them up to look Halloween-y!

*Chillistick kindly gifted me the Halloween Fog Pack in return for this review. All opinions and photos are my own.

Other Posts You May Like

Recipe: Roasted Pumpkin Seeds 2 Ways

Ghostly Halloween Garland

5 Cheap, No Hassle Halloween Party Games For Kids

Recipe: Halloween Shortbread Biscuits

Top 5 Essentials For The Perfect Cosy Autumn Night In

Haze Backpack Review