Is this feasible?

[PuppyLoves]

We have no car, as we have just been forced to sell it due to cost cutting, but want to camp for a couple of days in Wellington Country park, which is just down the road from us. We plan to get there by taxi, it wont cost more than £10.

Is this really feasible bearing in mind we will be camping in early September and have been advised by lovely MNers to take duvets because of the cold.

How much can we reasonably take with us? Is this compleletly bonkers?

[millenniumfalcon]

i'm surprised at duvets=warmer tbh, i find it's the draughts that make you cold and a decent sleeping bag cuts out all the draughts. add fleece blankets for an extra layer and would still pack down smaller than duvets i reckon.

i'm a reasonably minimal camper, always used to have to carry all our kit a fair distance to where we were going, but still i'd find it tricky to pack for a family in a saloon car. ignoring for a moment the enormo tents i favour it's the clothes-for-all-eventualities that usually scuppers me.

but imagine for a minute you could fit everyone's clothes/toys/books etc. into one large rucksack (are you one adult or two? btw, that will make a big difference) and all the bedding/sleeping bags/towels etc. in another you still have to think about beds. we did with foam bedrolls for years but i wouldn't give up my self inflating mat at gunpoint now, it makes a huge difference to how well the trip goes being comfy enough to sleep all night.

then there's cooking equipment - obviously it's cheaper to self cater but that requires stove + pan(s) + plates etc. unfortunately unless you can afford dedicated camping stuff that leaves you raiding the kitchen cupboards which generally = heavy + awkward to pack.

not wanting to put too much of a downer on it - and i'm sure someone who's done it and can prove me wrong will be along in a minute or two - but it sounds like a bit of an ordeal to me (i love camping but hate the packing, apart from the bit where you slide it all into the boot tetris fashion, that can be fun).

any chance of getting hold of some kind of trolley - that could make transporting everything easier, although the packing would still be a challenge.

i'd love to hear back that you did it and had a ball though

[troutpout]

i think its feasible.
as long as you have help...and you go minimal. Who is 'we'?.
I would do it with older kids..packing them a rucksack each with a mat and sleeping bag attached. Don't think i would do it with littlees though.
Tent could go on a trolley.
It depends where you go too doesn't it?..can you get to shops/food easily?
You could take a small stove for tea/coffee/light meals and just eat out for the others.
If it all goes horribly wrong you could go home.

[troutpout]

I also think a fleece blanket and a sleeping bag would be more practical and would squish down small.

[notsoteenagemum]

Couldn't you ask for a minibus and get it to take you right onto the campsite?
I go camping on the train before but only for two nights at the most. I have one big rucksack and a holdall and dc 9 and 4 have a little rucksack each. Taxi's have always been happy to come right on site (if owners allow) one even let dc's stay in the car while he and I put the tent up in the rain.
Agree with troutpout about the sleeping bag/blanket.

[PuppyLoves]

It would be DH, dd (almost 2) and I. I was thinking of 2 big rucksacks (one each) for clothes. The tent folds up into a bag which is very heavy but DH could manage it with one hand. Then I thought I could have a holdall with a single burner in it and the sleeping bags, mats and blankets (good to hear about the duvets)p - although I haven't actually got the sleeping bags yet and I'm not sure how big they are when rolled up.

The taxi can drive right into the park reception but I'm not sure how far that is from where we would pitch.

I could take the buggy but not sure if that would help the situation or not?

It does sound crazy doesn't it? But it's been such a bad year and I'm desperate or us to get away, even if its for only 3 days and we can just about afford this.

[deepdarkwood]

My top tip would be to use those vaccuum pack bags for clothes, towels, and whatever you sleep on/in (I'd go with sleeping bags for space reasons)
They only cost a few quid (we got 6 from Argos for £6 I think) but they really squeeze everything down. On the way home, pack and then squeeze the air out by just sucking it out by mouth!

[PuppyLoves]

Fab tip deepdarkwood. That would really solve the sleeping bag problem, does sucking the air out work? >

[millenniumfalcon]

okay 2 adults, one toddler, possible i reckon, just remembered we did a festival by train when dd was just a little younger than this. would dd sleep in with you do you think? that's what we did when ours were babies and means you only need one double sleeping bag - ours was roomy enough for all of us, but we're not big wrigglers

a sturdy 3-wheeler is great for transporting camping gear, but could be a bugger to pack unless you can book a bigger car. one big rucksack should do you for clothes - does dd have an all in one rain suit? my toddler lives in hers and it means we don't have to take loads of changes of clothes. as for you and dh, take lots of layers and wear them all on the journey (especially heavy/bulky boots) bed rolls can be strapped onto rucksacks, no need to use precious holdall space.

cooking/eating stuff could then go in the 2nd rucksack. along with a pack of nappies.

yeah, doable

[PuppyLoves]

I can feel myself getting exicited now

Weearing most of the clothes is a great idea, we might look a little strange when we rock up at then camp site looking like michelin men but who cares

Lots of brilliant suggestions Falcon, thank you

[deepdarkwood]

Yes, sucking the air out 'by hand' does work (although not quite as well/quickly as a proper vaccuum) Sucking the air out of the dirty washing is pretty foul though

Or if you're taking an airbed (assume probably not??) and have a pump, they can be reversed and that might work

[PuppyLoves]

I won't let on to dh about the foulness of it, I'll leave him to discover that exciting aspect himself

[deepdarkwood]

[PuppyLoves]

Have you a basic list of what you take Riven?

[ShauntheSheep]

We do camping every year by backpack and its prefectly doable esp if you are getting a taxi to the campsite.

[PuppyLoves]

Shaun what do you pack everything in?