camping with nearly 2 year old and 9 year old? Mad?

[hercules]

I'm sorry if it's been done before but cant be arsed to look.
I get a lot of holiday so it seems to make sense to get a tent. I havent been camping since I was a teenager. What are peoples experiences with small kids?

[happymerryberries]

We have been caravaning and camping 3 out of the last 4 holidays and we have had a great time. This year we have bought our own tent as it has slashed the cost of the summer holiday from about £1800 to £750! With the money we have saved we are going on three other holidays this year, one of them also camping.

I'm in no way an expert but I must say these have been some of the best holidays we have had. Kids love the excitement of camping.

[Surfermum]

I went last year when dd was 12m and dsd was 8, and it was fine. We did have friends with us though so there were lots of hands to help out with cooking, etc. They had older children and kept telling me to sit down and have a break as they could remember what it was like with a little one. I milked it for all it was worth!!

We're going again this year, probably a couple of trips. We've been taking dsd since she was 4 and she loves it.

[hercules]

Thanks for messages. Any more?

[SPARKLER1]

We went camping last year with dds who were then 2 and 5. Went the year before too. They absolutely loved it. We are planning a long weekend away camping this year too. Go for it. It's great fun.

[milliways]

We go for lots of short breaks with loads of other families & share kids (Cheap church weekends away.) The youngest has been 4 months old. Only advice in no crawlers - they get filthy. Your kids should have a great time - most places have excellant facilities for washing/showering etc. Have fun.

[sievehead]

Agree with all thats been said. Camping is the perfect holiday with kids. They get to run around, lots of freedom, fresh air etc. When kids are in bed, you get to sit outside and drink wine together. Is really a great thing to do. Haven't done it in bad weather yet though.

Also, they meet lots of other kids, and spent their day wandering in and out of other people's caravans/tents, which gives everyone a break. Go for it.

[happymerryberries]

Try a holiday with a company like Canvas or Keycamp before you buy a tent yourself. The Tents are excellent and fully equiped (and set up for you!) You can also go for a short break to 'suck it and see'. You could combine it with a booze run to France in the May half term? Can only second what other have said. My two (7 and 4) would potter off to the park with a group of other children. The park was only ablut 100m from the tent, so we would sit and rest up, while the kids had some freedom. They palled up with another family and all the adults would have a glass or two of wine, while the kids played.

We are off to Holland at easter ( in a varavan true, bit cold to camp!) and a week is costing us less than a weekend at Centre parcs. I'm a convert!

[Carla]

Camping = Mad.
Camping with little ones = seek immediate medical advice.

[happymerryberries]

We got out tent at the ead of last summer, so far we have only tried it out in the garden.....I slept in it with the kids and I swear I was more excite than they were! So I must be certifiable! I can't waut till we go in May, and then have two weeks in France in the summer

Don't see the probelm myself, campsites are so good nowerdays. The one we are off to in the summer has three pools, gym, jaccusis, resturants, kids clubs the works. They are even renting us a fridge and a bbq. Two weeks, with the tunnel fees and two nights ina farm b & B to break our journey, £750 for the four of us!

It isn't all wiping your bum on leaves

[hercules]

bump for morning campers!

[tarantula]

the first thing you need to see is if YOU like camping If you dont then camping with small kids will be hell on earth. If you do like it then kids can add to the fun. We did train and backpacks (have two small lightweight tents) with a hyper 12 yr old and a 6mnth babe last summer on the bank holiday weekend and still loved it. Also you need to be megaorganised and take at least one day off before hand to pack everything. This year will be the real test mind now that dd is 18 mnths Im looking forward to it.

[Beatie]

We took our first family camping trip last summer. We camped in Devon for a week and our DD was 20 months at the time. We had a great holiday. Our biggest fear was that DD would not sleep or that she would wake up super early. I have to say she slept the best she has ever slept and got up at least an hour later every morning than when at home - despite us keeping her on the same 7pm bedtime.

Invest in a camping book and you can find campsites that have fantastic facilities (if that's what you need)I never understand why people knock camping (even if just in jest). Fine if it is not for them but why take the p*ss out of everyone else who enjoys it?

[happymerryberries]

I have never found that ther walk to the loo is that far tbh, and our tent has withstood some awful rain without letting in a drop. I would say that it would be a good idea to try it out with a hired tent first to see if it is for you. Canvas tents come with proper beds and matresses, a 4 ring hot plate, full sized fridge, lights, chairs and tables, with separate bedrooms and a reasonable living space. All of the sites we have visited with them have been excellent, with wonderful pools and layfacilities and even a kids club! You even get coffee making facilities (a filter and jug) so it is hardly roughing it!

We are going here this summer, great name I think!

Try it and see before you fork out a load of cash

[otto]

For those of you with babies, do you take travel cots camping with you? Ds will be 14/15 months in the summer and we may go camping. I suppose he could sleep on a matress next to us, but not sure how I would get him to actually go to sleep if he was able to crawl off the matress.

[JanH]

If you can fit one in then take it, otto - we hired one in a Eurocamp tent when DS1 was 22 months and it was invaluable as a playpen while barbecueing!

[foxinsocks]

can I ask a question for all you camping types?

My ds (3) and dd (4) are desperate to go camping so I guess at some point I'm going to have to bite the bullet and take them (on my own as dh point blank refuses to camp!).

What I am worried about though, is how you know which campsite to go to. I mean, how do you know that the site you're going to isn't going to be full of teenagers getting pissed every night and making loads of noise.

[hercules]

GEt recommendations from mumsnet of course!

[happymerryberries]

Alan Rogers does a good guide. also have a look at this website....very helpful people

www.ukcampsite.co.uk

[foxinsocks]

thanks for that

how do you normally cook when you camp? do you have one of those little gas cookers or are those not used anymore (it's been over 20 yrs since I camped anywhere!)?

[happymerryberries]

Lots of different options, but the gas cookers are still around. We BBQed a lot

[JanH]

We have a little gas stove with a grill!

[happymerryberries]

There's posh

[JanH]

I know!

[hercules]

Are campsites segregate into those that have and those that dont have