I have a shopping list for next year

[GingerWrath]

Currently roughing it in a HiGear Blackrock 5. There are 3 of us (DH, DD almost 5 and myself).

Bought said tent to see if we enjoyed it, and we have.

I have serious tent envy after spending today looking at other peoples' tents on the net today.

OH has agreed and we are now saving for:
Outwell Montana 6
Outwell Montana 6 Awning
Outwell Montana 6 carpet
Cobb
Inflatable furniture
Faux fur throws
Some sort of camping toilet.

I think I have caught the bug big style and wonder if there is therapy for this?!

[SalomeD]

Yes, there is:

camping shop retail therapy!

[notwavingjustironing]

Are you camping now? Has the thunder and lightening arrived ?

[GingerWrath]

Not going til Friday, just for the weekend, thinking of keeping the Blackrock as a weekend tent. Oh you lot are bad influences and just reading threads is encouraging me!

[notwavingjustironing]

Yes we just egg each other on to buy more and more Stuff.......

[ENormaSnob]

We have only started camping this year and are loving it.

My shopping list consists of some camping pillows, a decent (?electric) cool box, maybe an ehu, a roofbox and some of those fairy lights

[GingerWrath]

Enorma I already have EHU, an electric coolbox (Inherited from my late Dad) and fairy lights.

I need to glamp, I need inflatable sofas and throws. OH despairs!

[ENormaSnob]

Have you seen those inflatable full height, queen size beds?

I think I might invest in some nice throws, cusions and lights.

Will need the roofbox first though

[WhereTheWildThingsWere]

Have you sat on an inflatable sofa? You might change your mind, they are made for elves and if you sit on them outside on a windy evening they blow away when you get up.

Also tent carpet tends to turn you into a harpie shrieking 'take you shoes off' every time a child enters your tent. Buy some cheap picnic rugs you can pick up and shake outside instead.

Blankets, throws and in my case several sheepskins all v.v.sensible though

[GingerWrath]

I am an elf, I am 4'11" and 7 stone wet through, and if I get my awning it will be shoes off before coming in!

[mogs0]

My list is getting shorter by the day as I keep ordering things off it .

I'm still deciding whether to get EHU or not and, depending on that decision, I'm also considering a cool box.

I felt quite unprepared last weekend while the others in my camping party were cooking proper meals my dsis, ds and I were looking for cafes to buy breakfast from .

[travailtotravel]

We have an Outwell Bear Lake 4 .... we didn't get the carpet as we are not taking the hoover ... in my last tent I used picnic blankets so I can just fold them up, shake them outside and then wash them when I get home ... also take them outside if necessary! That shaves some cash off the saving list so you can spend it on solar fairy lights ...

[GingerWrath]

Solar fairy lights have already been purchased and looked very pretty round the door of my tent

Am now looking at buying an electric countertop oven with 2 electric rings on top, seeing as we have EHU why not do away with those dangerous old gas bottles?

[notwavingjustironing]

How was you weekend away Ginger? I'm assuming you didn't get swept away in torrential downpours?

[GingerWrath]

In between the torrential downpours it was quite pleasant! Managed to do some hiking on saturday and the campsite bike shed doubled up as a pub serving real ales brewed just down the road.

The tent had completely dried out by yesterday morning so no back yard pitching required.

The only negative was the family pitched quite near to us. Their toddler definitely wasn't enjoying his outdoor experience and made sure everyone in the vicinity knew about it, from about 0645 and carried on ALL DAY!

[mollymole]

has anyone got one of those tents with the 'air beams' that don't have poles
but you blow up the beams and they go up in about 10 minutes for a poled tent that takes around 40 mins ?? would love one, but they are very expensive and i would like to hear from people who have used them before shelling out

[travailtotravel]

Molly, not heard of one of those. Can you post a picture link or something so i can look them up? (lazy at putting up tents emoticon)

[Lucycat]

Vango do one of those blow up tents- we chortled ( quietly) last summer when the Dutch chap next to used his car battery to blow his tent up then discovered that he couldn't move his car as the battery was flat. and it took a lot longer than 10 mins to blow the thing up!

[ENormaSnob]

I bought some solar fairy lights today

they will be just lovely around the tent door.

Also bought a roll up aluminium table and a frog camping chair for ds2 (19 months). None of which were on the list

[poppyboo]

[GingerWrath]

poppy I love the whole romantic idea of a bell tent, but the separate bedrooms are a must if I want DD(4yo) to sleep when we are still awake and chilling with a book and a glass of wine whilst sheltering from the rain.

[poppyboo]

GingerWrath you can buy inner tents to hang inside, either one or two. They really are as good as people say. It has changed camping for us forever ( in the best possible way!!!!!! ) xxxx

[GingerWrath]

Yeah but the Monty 6 with awning is HUUUUGE! I can get all my home comforts in!

[poppyboo]

GingerWrath but the bell tent is 5 metre square, it is huge inside ! funnily enough we almost got a monty 6 until we saw a Bear Lake but then I saw the price tag of that and then googled canvas tents and then found bell tents and then fell in love and bought one within 24 hours LOL . Thats our tent story
last year there was a monty 6 next to our bell tent and they seemed really happy with their new tent so enjoy it when you get it! < I'll be quiet about bell tents now> xxx

[poppyboo]

GingerWrath 'five metre square' I meant in diameter! xxx

[Lucycat]

Get one of these babies I'm going to try and put ours up this weekend - weather permitting