Camping

in_my_wellies

All the sites in Spain have sockets for hair dryers, straightener,mobiles, etc.

JamesM_2

Some wet wipes are essential for camping in a festival scenario. Useful for having a wash in the morning and cleaning your hands before you eat so you don't get ill.

Busybody

I want a 'cheapish' air mattress for when my grandaughter stays prefferably an easy one to inflate/deflate, Where is the best place any on offer?

lara1983

Thought that this looked like a great idea - self inflating mattress! It says it's good for camping or crashing on someone's floor, and a good price too. Hth :beer:
P.S. There's loads of others on this site in the offers section

Anya

Busybody wrote:

I want a 'cheapish' air mattress for when my grandaughter stays prefferably an easy one to inflate/deflate, Where is the best place any on offer?

I got one at Morrisons a couple of weeks ago for £9.99. It was a single airbed with a pump built in to it. So far it's been brilliant.

Beverley

Me and mine got into camping about 3 years ago after becoming a single mum.

Important things we have discovered the HARD way:

Arrive when there is enough light to see what you're doing to put it up - allow at least an hour for putting it up - if you can do it quicker, you can use the time to set other stuff up.

Tent must be big enough to stand up in.

Cold is felt from underneath when sleeping - use blankets under you. Big mattresses take up oodles of space and can be too 'bouncy' for 2 people. I'm thinking that the self-inflating ones might be too thin for older bones (I'm 42 and would not enjoy but my teenagers swear by them). I use one of the 4" thick box type ones and it's great.

Modern sleeeping bags can be slippery - all that satiny fabric - but less bulky to transport - I still prefer my old cotton ones but again, kids like their light ones.

self inflating pillows from Lidl - fab.

Solar lamps are great for inside tent for MINIMAL light - not good for reading but useful for a bit of general light.

Take a cotton rug and place it just inside the tent doorway - if it rains, the wet will stop at the rug and not spread around - it also keeps grass etc out of tent better than nothing.

I got one of those solar showers that heat the water in the sun for washing up/washing etc.

Wind up torches save a fortune on batteries - about £3.99 from Lidl/Aldi type places and just as good (better cos they're lighter/far quieter) than the £30 one I splashed out on from camping shop.

Tunnel tents are soooo easy to put up - but more prone to blowing away in strong wind - we got round this by splashing out on a tunnel tent with a tension band system (Vango TBS - used it once so far this year - excellant)

Enjoy!

Beverley

metherer wrote:

Hi All

As mentioned on a couple of other threads (can you tell I'm excited:j ) I may well be going to the Big Green Gathering for my honeymoon.:A

Now, not only is this a great chance to find out more about living an eco friendly life, but it involves camping.:eek: :eek: :eek:

Now bear in mind I'm a camping novice. Haven't done it since I was 12.
Anyone got any tips?
Items they wouldn't be without?
Items they wish they hadn't bothered with?

Thanks in advance,

Metherer
x

abbecer

Always take baking potatoes. Wrap them in tin foil and then put them in the embers of the BBQ for later in the evening if you get the munchies. Or is that just me???

Rebecca x:rotfl:

rackstar

Always remember to zip up that mesh door on the tent, even if you want the main door open for air, to keep the insects out!

My hubby and I go camping quite a lot and love it most of the time (even in the Highlands last January - eek! That's when you really need a down sleeping bag...)

We have a tiny tent that you can't stand up in, but we don't hang around in it much during the day and at night... well we only got married last year so it's very cosy...!

I always take baby wipes. I know they aren't very environmentally friendly, but it is only for occasional use. Maybe you can get biodegradable ones these days.

Also, don't forget a torch, warm clothes and lots of layers so you can cope with being hot in the day and gradually cooler as the night draws in. Something to sit on outside is handy if the grass is damp. And clips to close packets of food to keep any insects out. And a big thing to carry water from your tap to the tent for cooking etc. In Britain a waterproof is essential!

If you haven't been camping before I definitely recommend trying out one night before you go, in your garden if you've got one. That way you can work out how much you need under you, whether you can't cope without a proper pillow, and whether you can hack the cold without dragging your double duvet off your bed. Far better to find out when you are a minute away from extra supplies than when you are miles and miles away.

caroline1973lefty

LIDL has camping stoves for £6.99 at the moment, includes 2 gas cannisters, looks reasonable quality, they were half the price of any others i saw, so i bought one!

Other LIDL stuff currently includes inflatable pillows and reflective roll mats, and also tents that look quite good value to me. Get down there quick though, i think it's last week's stock and won't last much longer.

Also last months i discovered that tescos has some very cheap camping gear and am now the proud owner of a £4 camping kettle which makes me happy just looking at it!

Sorry if this is posted in the wrong place. Lastly, I always take tealights and incense to burn outside the tent and create a homely ambience, lavender oil for first aid, and plenty of socks. After my most recent camping trip (sardinia) i am going to add to my essentials list - wind-up radio, earplugs, thin but warm quilted bedspread, more warm clothes, and possibly a survival blanket or a thicker sleeping bag - being cold at night is grim, especially after getting sunburn!

Ooh - camping is just the business, though. Roll on summer!

pavlovs_dog

if you wear glasses, dont forget your glasses case.. so you dont need to worry about rolling over and crushing them in the night :eek: