Camping for the 1st time- advice?

cleggie

Hi all,

i was lucky enough that the only 2 times my sister ever went camping, it poured down with rain and she hated it :rotfl:...so she gave me all her camping stuff which includes: 4 person tent -with all the pegs etc, gas stove and saucepans, kettle, cool bag, ice packs, camping flasks, solar shower, 3 fold up chairs, plasic plates, cutlery, picnic rug, mallet, gas canisters, air beds etc...and lots more..all for free!!!

So, i am off camping at the end of May. I have been kind of camping before, but it was in a converted mini bus.
This will be my 1st time on my own with my kids.

Does anyone PLEASE have any hints/tips ???

spadoosh

relax and try go somewhere that lets you have campfires

chilli, sunset, and campfire... nothing better!!

spadoosh

o and dont forget pegs like me and g/f did last time we went.... whoops. Embarassing asking the farmer if he had any!

Poly,put_the_kettle_on

Socks. Socks. And then more socks. Clean dry socks are a must to be warm & comfy- and wet grass is an issue in the mornings.
Insulation under you is more effective than on top...I'm not a fan of airbeds as the air inside them gets really, really cold in the middle of the night.

Practice pitching your tent before you leave, especially if you're pitching alone.

Agreed about the campfire!

cleggie

Thanks you guys.

Hadnt even thought of socks!

Do most places let you have campfires?

Yeah i am off to the local park this week to practice putting up the tent...yikes!!!

Poly,put_the_kettle_on

Most sites don't allow fires- but a list of the ones which do can be found here:
http://www.campfiresburning.org/

uk campsite is a brilliant resource for newbies- search for your tent and see if any reviews come up, you might find pitching hints etc.
Have fun

nickyhutch

Hot water bottle - it gets cold at night even in May. Oh, and socks.

spadoosh

found pitchup.com to be pretty handy aswell. Works kinda like travel expert but you have checkboxes to chose your wants. Your going end of may i wouldnt worry too much about being freezing should be ok.

if you have a garden try letting the kids practice for a night in there, stops them being as scared and gets them used to the noises. could be handy for yourself if you can be a bit jumpy but every bit is well fun.

O and your definately going to take too much but forget something important, happens everytime, part of the experience!

Barneysmom

Plastic bags for wet socks.
Torch/night lights.
You probably won't need the solar shower as most sites have really great facilities.
Which area do you plan on going to?

cleggie

Thanks Everyone! The links are great too!

Barneysmum- since its my 1st time, i am not venturing very far and staying in South Devon. Am looking at River Dart (i think its called)?

daveyjp

Take what you have, go local, cook basic, leave the shower (!) and enjoy. Make a note of what you miss and start adding to your collection. Staying warm is vital so get a decent sleeping bag and take additional blankets, duvets etc.

I was camping last week with my 4 year old it fell to 2 degrees on Monday evening, but we had duvet on top of the air beds, sleeping bag each, larger sleeping undone and used like a blanket and a couple of blankets. Neither of us were cold.


If you have a fire keep it away from tents as sparks can go a long way.