Great Camping Hunt

jamtart6

paulfoel wrote: »

Is that Porthmadoc in North Wales ???? :-)

ahem... yes, I'm not the best at spelling Welsh names! I will amend! Place is called outdoor world or something.

brownbake

The intrepid explorer Ray Mears uses ViggyVigVig tents. These are usually high end but some branches of Millets have been clearing them out as Ray is launching his own range.

Try phoning or popping into your local Millets and asking for a ViggyVigVig the 3 man easy up is especially good and can be had for as little as £40 which is roughly 70% off usual ViggyVigVig prices.

Hope this helps

Vampgirl

pinkkaz wrote: »

I can particularly recommend Alpkit's (www.alpkit.com) self-inflating roll mats. They're amazing! Really light and just takes one puff to blow them up.

I second this: we have Alpkit's Fat Airics - they roll down pretty small but are so comfy when they're inflated. All we do it open them up with the valves open whilst we're sorting everything else out, then by the the time we're done the foam has expanded and all they need is a couple of puffs. So much more comfortable than an air bed!

southwelljames

i would say go into poundland and buy a load of swimming lilos 2 sleep on and buy enough 2 fill out the whole tent so you don't roll off of them and have a bad back in the mornin.

and as for tents and other camping apparell internet camping stores are always having sales and if you just keep looking you can get a reasonible tent at up to 40% off the RRP i mean i work for www.outdoorkit.co.uk as a saturday boy and theres always good deals coming up on all the big camping websites

hope this is helpful

James

eblimegreen

I am going on my first camping trip (just one night away in wales)

so i have the tent and air bed sorted.....what else will i need as i am only going for one night?

any help would be great :-)

BillScarab

eblimegreen wrote: »

I am going on my first camping trip (just one night away in wales)

so i have the tent and air bed sorted.....what else will i need as i am only going for one night?

any help would be great :-)

A sleeping bag!

Personally I think air beds are cack, very poor insulators. Your'e much better off with a selfinflating mat like a thermarest or the Alpkit ones.

Anyway, you'll need a torch, insect repellent, toiletries, good idea to take toilet roll.

Will you be cooking or eating out? For one night I'd go to a pub or cafe or fetch fish and chips. Then go to a cafe for breakfast but then I'm lazy.

cantaymus

Loads of good camping advice on http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/ and http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/

itsloopylisa

You can never have enough towels with you!

Use an old towel as a doormat - you'd be surprised how much dirt they catch and they are very useful when it's raining to mop up.

Sweep your groundsheet every day/couple of days, especially if you are eating in your tent, to cut down on ants and other crawlies.

Always keep your bedroom compartments closed to keep flies/wasps/moths out.

Air your sleeping bags every few days if possible.

I agree with getting a large tent with good headspace - we bought ours a few years ago in an autumn sale and it's fabulous.

My husband makes us clean all the groundsheets before we pack it away which is a pain but prolongs the life of the equipment!

Also, clean your pegs as you pull them out of the ground to prolong their life. A quick squirt of WD40 helps too.

We have used 2 or 3 litre cider bottles for water containers as they are easily replaced (!!!) & recycled at the end of the holiday.

When we didn't have a table and chairs I bought cheap plastic trays to eat off - very useful.

We never pack our clothes etc in a suitcase but use carrier bags. That way they can be squeezed in wherever there is a space.

I'm sure I'll think of more but that's enough for now. Pembrokeshire in South Wales is a fantastic place to camp/visit.:beer:

FergalFarty

Some of my camping list:

1. Portable (not disposable) kettle BBQ, £10 from Tesco. Folds up small and doubles as a fire pit for those chilly nights.
2. 12V centrifugal air pump (£5 from Aldi) inflates airbeds in 30secs. Make sure you get one that deflates as well.
3. Vacuum storage bags (Aldi, Lidl, Wilko etc) use pump to remove air from bags squashing contents to a fraction of its size. Ideal for bedding, clothes etc.
4. Head torch. Invaluable when adjusting guy ropes in the dark or going for a wee.
5. Gardening clogs. Much quicker & easier to slip on & off than wellies. Stops getting the inside of the tent muddy.
6. Tent foot print. This goes under the tent and is the same shape as the tent so you can work out the best position on the pitch before you start. Also keeps the underneath of the tent clean and provides extra insulation.

Fergal

Mummylonglegs_2

My top camping tip is to take sarongs instead of towels. Unlike towels, they pack up small, dry quickly and are easy to wash. Take one for the shower and one for the sea.

Another tip is to take one of those collapsible veggie storage trays (you know, three tiers, little legs between each tray to separate them) to store all your food instead of having it languishing and sweating in plastic bags in the tent all day. Bring out for a good airing when you get back to the tent!