Camping - Where Do I Start

Hippygirl

If you're going for more than a couple of days, I'd definitely recommend that you beg, borrow, buy or steal a fridge!! Invaluable for milk (that early morning cup of tea) butter, and there's nothing like a old beer at the end of a long hot sticky day (well, you can but hope...) a glass of white wine with dinner, cold drinks to keep the kids happy, and of course, somewhere to keep the bacon for those all important bacon butties for breakfast!!
Then, English summers being what they are, I never go camping without my hot water bottle, hot chocolate and something warming for last thing at night - brandy or rum usually hits the spot!
A torch, of course, and if your kids are too big for nappies, but too little to go to the loo on their own, take a potty, so you don't have to make that trek to the loos in the middle of the night!

LittleDove_2

C_Ronaldo wrote: »

Anyone recommend where i could get a good portable bbq from, ive een a bucket one in morrisons but has anyone seen another one

Try out these portable/camping BBQs - I have the Sizzler Plus (what a great name for BBQ!) and have had no problems (yet!) with it. I think for just under £30 it's a bargain, and cleans really easily.

Can anyone recommend an actual camping stove though? I've decided to maybe get one set up for a trip this year.

Ali25

Camping in good weather is the absolute best - the views & situations are generally better than any hotel you can go to. Sadly when it rains it really sucks but it's always worth the risk!! :-)

Where were you thinking of going? Perhaps we can recommend some sites. A good site can make all the difference.

surfer_chicky

For BBQs check these out, they are so compact yet quite big cooking area
http://www.iwantoneofthose.com/fold-flat-bbq/index.html

Also check out halfords as they have a 4 man tent with sleeping bags, airbeds, torchs for £99.99 that is a very good price.
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_388623_langId_-1_CarSelectorCatalogId__CarSelectorGroupId__varient__categoryId_33978_crumb_63502-33937_parentcategoryrn_33978

Also cooker wise, get the ones in the little black cases with canned gas, I have 2 I use and again they are compact and great.
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_229795_langId_-1_CarSelectorCatalogId__CarSelectorGroupId__varient__categoryId_31306_crumb_63502-33937_parentcategoryrn_31306

Asda do an electric fridge for £25 that plugs into the ciggarette lighter or you can put ice packs in as well. They also do picnic sets really cheap as well.

Camping is great! New forest is awesome, stayed at Holmsley a forest park the other week and had a great time out on the bikes and having bbqs

buyitall

LittleDove wrote: »

Try out these portable/camping BBQs - I have the Sizzler Plus (what a great name for BBQ!) and have had no problems (yet!) with it. I think for just under £30 it's a bargain, and cleans really easily.

Can anyone recommend an actual camping stove though? I've decided to maybe get one set up for a trip this year.

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/3138522036355
Go!outdoors have an offer on a camping stove at the moment.

missyg_3

The first time I went camping with my son my only 'camping equipment' was a tent, sleeping bags, pillows, a coolbag for snacks and a groundsheet for picnicing.

I decided I would add to that as and when I felt the need, but nearly 10 years later we still don't take much else!

LittleDove_2

I was hoping to get one for toast and tea making - we keep different hours, so a quick fire up is what I am after.

Thanks for the gooutdoors link buyitall - I checked it out and it saves me £10 on the same stove I would have chosen on my current favourite camping shop - www.camping-intl.com - I mostly love that they are in the next town so I can see what I want in their shop then order online and not carry stuff home as I'm not a driver! - shame they don't have one closer to me, but I can price comparison a lot better now.:D

wanye

surfer_chicky wrote: »

For BBQs check these out, they are so compact yet quite big cooking area
http://www.iwantoneofthose.com/fold-flat-bbq/index.html

sweeeeet. just ordered me one of those for my camping trip!

remember, IWOOT also do 13% quidco cashback

abfmdf

Camping is cheap, but it can end up costing a fortune if you have to buy everything !!

At the moment you can pick up quite a few camping things for a bargin from poundland (alot on the stuff in the store is not shown online)

http://www.poundland.co.uk/pages/offers/camping_and_fishing.aspx

I also noticed in my local TK Max (edinburgh) that they are selling a load of camping stuff dead cheap (I got a LED lamp for a £1 and a sleeping bag for £3)


As for camp sites, I would strongly reccommend Camping Michelangelo in florence, by far the best site I have ever been to. Its cheap, the facilities are very clean, it has wonderfull views of they city, regular buses and one big advantage for you is they have there own tents (which are great btw with wooden floors and proper beds, so you only need to bring bedding)

You can get cheap flights with ryan air (to Pisa) and its only a short train ride to florence.

I did this holiday last year and had a fantastic time

adandem

Personally, I wouldn't get a baragain basement tent to 'see if you like it', believe me, without good equipment, you may well hate it!
A good 2nd hand tent would be better than a cheap new one, you may get a good 2nd had job lot. You can do some research on the better brands.
We use folding beds like these
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3400243/Trail/searchtext>CAMP+BED.htm
They are really good as they keep you off the ground and are very quick to put up and down.
I would def. recommend getting good sleeping bags too.
We use a fridge, a heater and an electric hook up, I'm afraid I do like some creature comforts.