Great Camping Hunt

big_gay_kirk

Windbreaks.. buy four broomhandles, and a tarp, and make one... a lot cheaper for better quality...

holidayfund2012

Hi to all potential happy campers!
I totally agree with buying a tent of very good quality, preferably with an integral groundsheet to keep out unwanted bugs, rain and speed up the putting up process! Also, having enough space to stand up is vital!.

Be wary of signing up to camping/caravan type organisations, as not all sites allow tents and not all sites give discount for tents. We have stayed on 'certified' sites who have funny rules about locking access gates to sites, so if you go out and return after 10pm, you may have to park outside the site and walk through - not great if you have small children and are trying to be considerate to other campers re noise! Or scared of the dark and have left your torch in the tent - make sure you keep a torch in your car!! Mountain Warehouse do a great remote controlled torch, currently on offer.

We stayed in a great site in south wales, which I found by accident when googling 'camp sites on farms'. There are lots of farms around the UK who offer facilities as good and sometimes better than 'certified' sites and you get the added bonus of having fresh eggs and other produce, with a friendly farmer who will come and check you are ok after bad weather! Also, some certified sites are fussy about the space you take up, which can be a pain if you have a large tent. And you may not be able to book in advance, which is important if you have travelled a long way or having additional needs. We have a family member with a disability, so I need to make sure we actually have somewhere to stay before we set off. First come, first served doesn't suit everyone.

Don't be put off by the weather - as long as you have invested sensibly in a tent you will be fine. Check out buy and sell mags, after the 'car' section and pick up a bargain, or borrow one to see what you think. People are so friendly and laid back and there will always be willing hands to help put tents up!

PS if you are midges favourite food, take a bottle of lemon oil - make up with essential lemon oil and any base oil - available from holland and barrett, superdrug tc. I have used it for the past year and haven't been bitten, even in Scotland, which is notorious for midges. Also good for festival goers, coz you will smell nicer!!

Happy camping!!

destroyer.tong

gremlin wrote: »

its Avon Skin So Soft Oil


it does work, we spend a lot of time in the Scottish outdoors and I take it all the time.

Im particulary tasty to midges and mozzies apparentley :rolleyes: and it keeps me safe.

I live in Scotland and keep skin so soft in my Fishing bag at all times it realy does work. well worth ther money.

see your Avon Rep or buy online (Skin So Soft Soft & Fresh Dry Oil Body Spray) currently two for £5.00 http://avonshop.co.uk/

TECHMICKY

kirkie wrote: »

Can anyone help with this one please?

IVE BEEN USING A COOL BOX FOR CAMPING FOR 3 YEARS & FIND IF YOU CHARGE IT WHEN YOU DRIVE IT LASTS SEVERAL HOURS I ALSO CHARGE IT FROM THE MAINS (MOST SITES HAVE MAINS ELECTRIC HOOKUPS @ REASONABLE RATES)

roughyed

jamtart6 wrote: »

whats the consensus on thermarest vs camp bed for warmth?

I found a thermarest clone (Highlander thermalite) to be as warm as a roll mat but much comfier. I have only ever used a campbed with a rollmat on top so I can't say if its better or not.

I would imagine a thermarest will be warmer as it forms an insulating layer while the campbed is just a piece of fairly thin canvas. Although the camp bed will get you off the ground.

heroicnich

One small suggestion to make (and it isn't really about camping per se) - the thing about learning more about what to take (or leave behind) every time you camp really is true. That said, I don't camp more than 3 or 4 times a year, and can be a bit forgetful, especially the first time in the year. So, I typed up a list of all the stuff that I need to take that I might forget (washing up liquid being the classic, or the mallet - you leave it with the tent, then get it out for something else and pack it away in another bag or box), and then laminated the list. When I'm packing to leave (or packing up when I come back), I use a felt tip pen to tick things off - then wipe clean for next time!

I borrowed this tip from some family friends who are keen campers and have found it really useful (possibly it's less useful if you are more organised than me). My list also has surfing items on the back as I'm usually surfing when I camp, but you can make the list as long or as short as you need, providing you can laminate it!

PinkLady

Are there any sites that would allow me to search for a campsite that has facilities for the kids?
Also roughly how much would you expect to pay per night (for a tent)

Thanks

PigginSkint

heroicnich wrote: »

One small suggestion to make (and it isn't really about camping per se) - the thing about learning more about what to take (or leave behind) every time you camp really is true. That said, I don't camp more than 3 or 4 times a year, and can be a bit forgetful, especially the first time in the year. So, I typed up a list of all the stuff that I need to take that I might forget (washing up liquid being the classic, or the mallet - you leave it with the tent, then get it out for something else and pack it away in another bag or box), and then laminated the list. When I'm packing to leave (or packing up when I come back), I use a felt tip pen to tick things off - then wipe clean for next time!

I borrowed this tip from some family friends who are keen campers and have found it really useful (possibly it's less useful if you are more organised than me). My list also has surfing items on the back as I'm usually surfing when I camp, but you can make the list as long or as short as you need, providing you can laminate it!

You are not alone in having a laminated list - I have got one too!

And by the way, I think it is actually a sign of being more organised, not less!

stefejb

PinkLady wrote: »

Are there any sites that would allow me to search for a campsite that has facilities for the kids?
Also roughly how much would you expect to pay per night (for a tent)

Thanks

I don't think you can do a search for kid friendly but lots of very honest reviews on www.ukcampsite.co.uk
a few of the haven sites take tourers and there's plenty for kids there.
price really depends on the site - some charge per person and others per unit.

swee'pea

Since about 25 years, I am using my 'handy list' for camping and other trips and I hardly ever get caught out with having forgotten a key item. But, since I do not have a car (I'm an epileptic mum/grandmum) and we therefore have to carry the lot to and from public transport, I'm also wary of being lumbered with things that turn out to be unnecessary.

This is how it works:

Before your first trip, make two identical, detailed lists of all the things you are going to take with you. You divide the list up into a column for each family member, another column for general items and the last column for food. One of these lists goes into your document folder and the other one you take with you. Of course, as soon as it is impractical/impossible to nip back home, you realise you've forgotten the corkscrew/address list/spare tent pegs/adaptor nozzle for the airbed pump/etc etc. This you immediately record on your list (or as soon as possible: you forget a lot with a bunch of toddlers or teenagers draining your sanity) and you mark the items as either 'essential' or as 'would have been nice to have'.

Now the trick is, you also record everything that turns out to be surplus to requirements; for example, you took 30 clothes pegs, but 16 was the ideal number (it is!!), or less than half the amount of underwear would have been plenty, since you were in your beach wear most of the time anyway.

Back home, you leave the 'travel list' in your suitcase, but not before you recorded the latest updates in the 'document list'.

This way - over time - you get a list fine-tuned to your individual needs. By and by, of course, the list changes: would you really still take 58-and-a-half nappies for your 14-year old?? There are changes in medications, preferred toys and what have you. The 'document list' is being written onto a fresh sheet of paper every 3-5 years, else all the recorded changes make it too awkward to read. A copy of the updated list replaces the one in the suitcase. I keep all the previous versions, though, and they now come in very handy for camping and other travels with my grand daughter.

I know, this all sounds very cumbersome, but, believe me, it isn't - just takes a few minutes. The great thing is, when it comes to packing our stuff, we just open the suitcase, scan the list and we know exactly what to take - we often are ready to go within the hour! Your choice of stuff is easily adapted for the length and type of trip (e.g. it probably shouldn't take long to decide whether to take that French dictionary onto the camping trip to Weston-super-Mare).

I hope this helps. Is anybody interested in the contents of my lists?