New Forest campsites - what's with the windbreaks?

[notanumber]

Just returned from Ashurst (lovely) and am confused about the whole windbreak thing. Why did everyone (except us) surround their tent with windbreaks?

Is it a weird English thing, jealously staking out your patch?

Or is it a pony defence (not that it works, I saw one windbreaked-up-to-the-hilt tent being trashed )

And where did everyone get them from? From some special windbreak shop in Hampshire which everyone but me knows about? And how did everyone know to bring them?

[lisad123wantsherquoteinDM]

I have brought some for our next trip. Loads on our last camping trip, I think its a privacy thing but also so you dont have kids running infront of tent all day.

I got mine on offer this week at outdoormegastore.co.uk
HTH

[jay11]

They're everywhere! We use a windbreak (and not just in the New Forest). Good for privacy (especially when you have a stag group pitched up 2ft away ), and stopping gusts of wind blowing the stove out.

Join us. . .

[notanumber]

Ha! Then it's possible you have the wrong windbreak Lisa!

The spookiest thing about Ashurst was that all the windbreaks were identical ....

You can't say I haven't warned you. Don't complain when you're the only campers with windbreaks that aren't blue with red and yellow stripes on the bottom.

[notanumber]

jay, b-b-but.... you're camping .

It's not meant to be private, is it?

[troutpout]

Depends on what site i go to . If it's a regimented pitches type place (which i am increasingly going off of tbh), then i use a windbreak. If it's 'find your own pitch behind a bush' type place ...then we don't.

[Kbear]

It is the British symbol for "get orf my land".

[Slubberdegullion]

I bought one this year (a very nice one in subtle green and cream)...and it is yet to come out of the bag . I've got it to protect the stove and kitchen set up, with tarp to go over the top for when we can't take our utility tent.

My personal opinion on pretty much all things camping is horses for courses BUT I am not a big fan of the windbreaked corrals, to say the least.

I'm with you notanumber if you want privacy go hire a holiday cottage, or wild camp. Why and earth would anyone want to sit outside their tent and stare at blue and red and yellow plastic stripes? What's wrong with looking out at the view and other campers pottering about doing their camping business.

I find them antisocial and rather absurdly territorial (This patch of grass here is MINE ALL MINE I TELL YOU you cannot look at my grass or me sat here in my chair).

I haven't camped in Europe for a few years now but I have a feeling that the French, Dutch and Germans probably get by and have perfectly pleasant camping trips without them.

[AitchTwoOh]

those blue and yellow and red ones are from Aldo. we camped in a field with about ten tens, eight had the same wbreaks, including us. felt like a bit of a nob but it was good for corralling the barbecue.

[woollyjo]

I'm with notanumber too here, camping is a semi-communal activity if you are on an organised site.

Go to the mountain campsites in Snowdonia, you won't find windbreaks there - oh and folk will chat with you too!

[Slubberdegullion]

This sort of scenario for instance brings out the worst sort of judger in me

[AitchTwoOh]

ROFL at 'i even had room for my badminton court'

[StinkyFart]

arf at barbequeue corralling, like broncos or bison or other dangerous creatures

[AitchTwoOh]

ROFL at 'i even had room for my badminton court'

[Slubberdegullion]

yes you are absolutely right woolyjo, it is semi communal, which is one of the big things that appeals to me. Little smiles and nods at your neighbours, eyerolling in spirit at disobedient children, compilments about good smelling sausages....

[Slubberdegullion]

That poor guy (last time I checked) was getting a thorough flaming for his set up on ukcs. Not up to a mn flaming mind, it's all a bit more genteel over there.

[lisad123wantsherquoteinDM]

I have to say, im not fussed about the privacy part, I couldnt get a hoot, but it does hopefully mean I have a bit more time before dd2 runs off
havent used them yet, will let you know if i do.

[specialmagiclady]

I was there too - I actually got kicked by a pony and am now mildly phobic of tiny ponies - and was A.Mazed at some of the setups. That said, we had two large tents and a gazeybo so we were not too discreet, but the windbreaks thing was wierd...

[notanumber]

Yes, that's the thing Slubber. The New Forest is beautiful . I just don't see the point of fencing yourself in so you can't see any of it.

What is so private that you need to errect a fence around you? Is it the possibility that a stranger catches a glimpse of your condiments?

We're such loons, us English. Seriously, why go camping if privacy is so important that you need to build yourself a wall so you can pretend that there is no-one else there?

Btw, specialmagiclady...if my 1.5 year old kept you awake on Wednesday night by screaming in the manner of one who is treated apallingly by his cruel parents, I do apologise. And those ponies were vicious weren't they?

[SammyK]

you do make me chuckle Kbear

I have never come across this at all!? AGree with Slubberdegullion on the subject, very antisocial and territorial. Weird. Each to their own though I suppose.

[Pixel]

We used to do the coralled in with windbreaks thing to stop autistic ds from vanishing. That worked for about 5 mins . Now we just have one to protect the cooker as I'm paranoid about a dc running into it, or a ball landing on it or something.
Yesterday I saw a tent with a huge canopy attached that was completely walled in with windbreaks. I must admit I thought, why not just get a bigger tent?

[MollieO]

Slubber there was a set up here when we arrived yesterday but it went today before I could take a photo!

Lots of windbreaks here and we're in Sussex.

[lisad123wantsherquoteinDM]

oh but my friend told me yesterday there is a few sites where your windbreaker MUST match your tent otherwise you cant come in! LOL now theres a tent snob camp!

[Starbear]

supersalstrawberry What do you mean by a day tent? DH had to leave the gazebo as he didn't have space in the car. We were going to share the gazebo with friends but it didn't work out maybe we need an alternative

[Ripeberry]

I've just come back from a camping trip to Devon on a large site and even though the pitches were more than generous....EVERYONE had their tent surrounded by all types of windbreaks, even ones that seemed to come with the tent.
Next camping trip and determined to find a 'wild camping' site as i'm fed up of rows and rows of tents