Camping for beginners...

storymaker

Hello,

My husband and I have been thinking for a while and would like to try camping next year with the kids (2 + 5).
We usually get a caravan in Devon/Cornwall for a week in the summer and its £600+ but camping can be as little as £165 with electric hook up on sites with great facilities and swimming pool etc.

We've looked around the usual local stores (Go Outdoors, Decathlon etc) and have an idea of what we need to purchase and the size of tent we'd like but some of the stuff seems pointless and expensive.
We'd like to buy a new tent and sleeping bags but could anyone point me in the direction of where to buy cheaper or second hand stuff such as pots, pans, lamps etc.

With regard to the new equipment such as tent when would be the best time for an offer, we've seen some now but I'm thinking end of season? Sept/Oct? We won't be using it until the Spring.

Any tips? Lists of essentials?

X

Phils_debt

Asda have loads of camping stuff ie pots pans ,stoves etc;even have sleeping bags but dont know what they would be like

martinthebandit

Good airbeds are a must.

We only had sleeping bags for the kids, we took a good quilt for us, made it much easier for the kids to snuggle in for the morning lay in

My kids favorite camp site was Grouse Hill on the edge of the North Yorkshire moors, no pool, no clubhouse just miles of open space.

Though there was a good pub over the other side of hill

sidbee

Ask the good people on the forums at www ukcampsite co uk (sorry - not allowed to post a proper link as a Newbie!)
Also take a read at some of the threads on there - you'll find loads of help and good information.

sid b

bleepandbooster

Sorry haven't been camping it for years ............. But I would say is be very careful if you are going to use one of those Disposable Barbecues ! A few poor souls have lost their lives because of the CO gas given off. Don't leave it to smoulder/burn out anywhere inside the tent.

Happy Camping
David

Shelldean

One thing never to skimp on is the sleeping bags, if you're cold at night the holiday is ruined. Trust me I know!!!

For your first camp, try somewhere local so if it does go wrong you can get home easy.
This try out camp will also allow you to decide what equipment you might need that you'd not thought of, or what you can leave at home next time.

For our first camp, we brought the tent, sleeping bags and not a lot else. We were given a portable cooker that we used and we took stuff from home. We slept on blankets ( not recommended LOL) and we sat on the floor ( again not recommened!!!) But this weekend camp gave us an insight into what we needed for a proper camp.
Though we didn't discover the problem with cheap sleeping bags until the following April ( after many successful camps)

If using a airbed, make sure it's insulated otherwise even in summer it can be cold. as the cold rises from the ground plus condensation from body heat makes it feel cold and damp, we found just a blanket over the bed was enough. Though some people say blanket under and over the bed.

paddyrg

We used to camp with a car, and an old 2" thick foam mattress and a couple of cheap duvets and pillows - brilliant - feels so much more bedlike than airbeds! If you have the carspace, even if the kids sleep on mats or airbeds, treat yourselves to get as much sleep during those few precious dark hours as you can.

And never pitch a tent in a dip - kinda 'assumed knowledge', but first drip of rain and you're flooded out. Been there, done it, and decided on the spot to relocate the rest of our honeymoon overseas, hang the cost! ;-)

flea72

if you want to buy stuff second hand then your best bet would be a carboot sale

however, aldi, tesco, asda, sainsburys, wilkinsons, poundland, sell most of the stuff you will need cheaply (well anywhere is cheap compared to go outdoors prices)

but the biggest mistake most people make is, they believe the manufacturers blurb about how many people a tent will sleep. if you are a family, who are going to need space to eat indoors or relax should it be raining, then you need a decent living area or more bedroom space than people. so a family of 4 would need at least 6 berth to be comfortable. never buy a tent without first seeing it erected, because until you physically stand in the tent, you wont know how it feels

personally i like to have one additional bedroom area than is necessary, as we can use that space for storage. as a family of 5 we have a tent that sleeps 10 and we still feel cramped at times. so where tents are concerned size does matter

F

edgex

as your children are young, go for 1 tent with 2 sleeping areas

eg;
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-zenobia-6-p148235
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/eskdale-6-p179054
(both £150)

always get some better pegs though!
you want some 'rock pegs' & a decent mallet
you can get glow-in-the-dark topped pegs, those could be useful


if you have an airbed already, take that
if not, dont bother buying one, theyre bulky & need a lot of inflating(pump is just more stuff to take)
you can get the roll-up mats, & self-inflating ones


everything else, see if you can borrow it
you might already have some stuff, eg plastic/melamine plates & bowls
in terms of pots/pans etc, your better off taking 1 big pot rather than lots of small 'specialist' sized ones, or get a set that stacks into the big one.

edgex

flea72 wrote: »

but the biggest mistake most people make is, they believe the manufacturers blurb about how many people a tent will sleep. if you are a family, who are going to need space to eat indoors or relax should it be raining, then you need a decent living area or more bedroom space than people. so a family of 4 would need at least 6 berth to be comfortable. never buy a tent without first seeing it erected, because until you physically stand in the tent, you wont know how it feels

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/manchester

warehouse

Don't buy a second hand tent, do buy high quality air beds and sleeping bags. That is the most important line I can give you.

Your first post gives you all the information you need. It costs £600+, (and from experience, I bet the plus is another few hundred pounds in Summer), for a caravan, so spend that on camping equipment that you can use for years. It's a great investment so don't scrimp on it.

Research over on campsite.co.uk as already mentioned, and the best deals for equipment are online. You can go to any decent camping shop and see all the tents erected already, so can make a shortlist.

When we started a few years back we got a vango 8 man tent, (too big for 5 of us but that was the point), 3 season sleeping bags and self inflating air beds. The rest of the equipment is standard, (apart from high quality tent pegs), but if you go for an electric hook up you MUST take a kettle, a toaster and a HEATER. Trust me on the heater .