Sleeping Bag / Camping Cooker recommendations

[YellowDinosaur]

We are planning to go camping this summer and need to buy 3 sleepng bags - we've previously managed with duvets but its time we bought something more compact wince we are not exactly minimalists when it comes to camping!

We also need a camping stove since our portable gas BBQ we took last time took for-fucking-ever to heat up.

Any tips will be gratefully received!

[wednesday13]

If you can get to a Go Outdoors or go online, this is a decent cooker, and is going to be on offer for £30 13-19th June if you have a discount card (I just got a leaflet in the post). Although I can safely say those beautiful evenly toasted pieces of toast in the picture were NOT toasted under that grill.

Go outdoors are good for sleeping bags too, IMO you need a 3 season or better for UK camping.

e.g. bargain. Or here if you prefer a square bag.

[WhereTheWildThingsWere]

I woudl reccomend the same cooker as wednesday13, if you can't get to Go Outdoors, it is not much more expensive from Amazon delivered.

All of us, including the kids have Vango Nitesatar bags, personally I cannot sleep in a mummy bag, I hate them, if you buy biggish square ones then you have the advantage of being able to open them up and use one under and one over you. We did that last summer as it was boiling and far too hot to sleep in a bag.

[YellowDinosaur]

Cheers ladies thats really helpful.

I had originally thought a mummy bag might be cosier but on reading around a bit on here it seems they can be a bit restrictive. I have seen a bit about Gelert sleeping pods which look as though you can wriggle round int hem a bit - what does anyone know about this?

Also is it worth buying junior bags for my sons aged 3 and 5? I was hoping to be able to buy fullsize ones so they would last for longer but am happy to be guided

[WhereTheWildThingsWere]

There is a very short thread here, of someone asking the same question, that's all I know about them I'm afraid.

Personally I like midi bags for the kids as I think they keep them warmer, as they are a snugger fit. Adult bags are huge by comparison and very easy for them to wiggle out of and get cold.

My nearly 7yo ds is still in a nightstar midi and I imagine it will still fit him for a few years.

Also because they are such a good bag, as long as you look after them well (air, rather than keep washing them and store them UN-stuffed, just laid out somewhere) then they have brilliant re-sale value on ebay, I sold my baby nitestar for more then I bought it for!

[YellowDinosaur]

Thanks again! I'll check them out...

[YellowDinosaur]

Just been checking out the Vango Midi sleeping bags - do they only comein the mummy style (which is all I can find) and if so how do your kids get on with them? My boys both wriggle around loads at night and I'm a bit concerned that they might find them a bit restrictive. Cheers again!

[WhereTheWildThingsWere]

Yes, both of mine have mummies (3.5 and 6.11) dd who is younger is the worlds busiest sleeper but gets on fine, they are quite roomy really, I think it takes a long time for a little body to heat the expanses of fabric that there are in a square bag.

The cutest thing is having them both zipped up in their bags with their hoods up, drinking hot chocolate in their moon chairs, where they quite often fall asleep and then get carried to bed. The look like big squidgy caterpillars.

Not that you should buy them just because they are super cute .

[wrigglytummy]

I just bought some barginous kit from mountain warehouse - some good looking sleeping bags for good prices, I bough full size for my kids and plan to use a tie/belt to make them the right length (on advice from this and another forum!).
Good luck

[YellowDinosaur]

Thanks again - I'll check out Mountain Warehouse.

That image of the children looking like caterpillers with hot chocolate may just have sold me the Vango Midis too!!!

[YellowDinosaur]

OK another question WildThings - I can only find the Vango Midi sleeping bags as 2 season when I had really been looking for 3 season bags to avoid the misery of being too cold. Is this what you have or can you let me know where to get 2 season ones from?

Thanks again!

[WhereTheWildThingsWere]

Yes it's the same as grobags, (don't know if you used them?) but the warmest grobag you can get is 2.5 tog, which reems ridiculously light, when as an adult we sleep under 13.5 tog duvets in the winter, but it is something to do with kids bodies being small and when contained in a bag there is less surface area to heat up so it all gets a lot cozier a lot quicker, or something, my morning brain is failing me, the caffine has yet to take hold .

Anyway, trust me, they are warm enough, my kids have used them in early April and been fine. Also we camped in the most horrible storm 2 years ago, it was freezing and me and dp were actually a bit chilly, but the kids were sweating! They both usually wake up a tad damp, I really wouldn't want them in anything warmer.

Though I should add that I always take a spare fleece blanket for them each and I would add that over them if i thought it was a particually cold night. I think it is always better to have a little too much bedding than the misery of not enough.

[YellowDinosaur]

Ok that all makes sense - I did use the grobags. My 2 are often sweaty in the night too and throw their duvets off so I am sure they will be fine but will take their fleecy blankets too

[YellowDinosaur]

Well after much prevarication I have taken the plunge and ordered 2nitestar midis for my dses (it was the image of catapillers drinking hot chocolate that did it ) and a square nitestar for me. I am especially happy that I got my sleeping bag in purple (don't tell dh it cost a little more ). Dh already has one so all good!

And I will be in go outdoors on 13th June to get the cooker recommended too

[WhereTheWildThingsWere]

Wow, you are good at taking advice, I like that in a person

of your purple bag, mine is orange.

[YellowDinosaur]

The knowing absolutely f*ck all about camping kit means I have no choice about taking advice