non electric pitch

[ThatBloodyWoman]

So - it'll be the first time we've gone proper camping as a family.

Since we're in a tent, can anyone enlighten me as to why we would need electric, and what we'd be missing without.....

[BrianTheMole]

Electric light, fan heater, kettle, mini fridge. Makes it more homely I guess. Electric blanket?

[onedev]

Everything Brian said plus hair dryer / straighteners & pumping up mattresses

[onedev]

Phone charger!

[YoniMatopoeia]

We've never had electricity... Mostly camping in Spain and France. You can plug in chargers in the car, and hair equipment in the wash block usually. Night time light from gas lamp. No fridge, but electric cool block that also runs from the car with cool blocks frozen in the campsite freezer.

[ThatBloodyWoman]

I like the idea of an electric blanket

[AlpacaLypse]

You would need a hook-up kit, and be aware that a lot of normal household stuff uses too high a wattage or amperage or something scientifical like that (Physics 'O' level was a very very long time ago ) to be safe on a camping circuit. Household microwaves, kettles, hairdryers... all have been guilty of blowing fuses on campsites.

My neighbour on a site in Wales last summer had brought an electric blanket. She said it was absolute bliss! So clearly they don't blow the camping system.

[AlpacaLypse]

To clarify - I cba to cart the hookup stuff along most of the time btw.

[ThatBloodyWoman]

Ooooh!

I didn't know you needed hook -up kit!

Got to be honest, I'm happy roughing it, and there's nothing so far I wouldn't be happy to be without.

It's not camping if it's too comfy - right?!

[AlpacaLypse]

The trouble with the hook-up pitches is that you tend to end up in amongst all the caravans, and often they've got dirty great lumps of gravel in inconvenient bits of the pitch.

[AlpacaLypse]

xposted - for a couple of weeks I'd probably take the hookup, as I have got the electric coldbox, kettle etc. For a weekend I'd not bother, just take the Festival Camping set-up. The cost of camping electric kettle, fridge, blah blah, does mount up, even though I was lucky enough to inherit a lot of it from my family.

[BrianTheMole]

hook up kit.
Its just an extension lead with a special plug. I've never seen the tents in with the caravans on gravel pitches. Tents usually go on the grass pitches.

[onedev]

We always go for an electric hook up & never been near caravans so that's not an issue we've found. Also been ok using my regular hair dryer, straighteners etc so other than the hook up kit, we haven't needed anything specific. Enjoy

[hillbilly]

We never use hook up in the UK cos we tend to go for more rough and ready sites which don't even have it. We did use it in France last year though and it meant we could rent a proper fridge. It was also handy for charging phones etc.

[Thumbcat]

Hairdryer and straighteners! Surely it's only proper camping if you have crap hair

[onedev]

It's still crap with the hairdryer & straighteners Thumb, so without & I couldn't leave the tent!!

[hels71]

hook up= fridge with freezer section for cooling g and t and making ice....

[colleysmill]

When we bought our campervan one of the essentials I insisted on was ehu but the more we've been away (certainly for weekends anyway) the less we've really used it (although our in built fridge can run off gas so that is a definate advantage)

I take some little hot air curling tongs to act as straighters that run off gas chambers for my fringe and for phones (originally we didn't have a cigarette lighter to charge phones from) we bought a gadget called a Pebble which you precharge before you go and it will then charge up a phone about 4 times wherever you are.

[Lucylouby]

We take the laptop, so the children can watch a DVD in the morning. They wake far to early every morning and I can't get up that early on my holiday. So we put a DVD on for an extra hour or two of peace and quiet. I feel this benefits our camping neighbours too. We also plug in an electric cool box and a light.