so who's going camping this weekend?

[millenniumfalcon]

where you off to? last trip of the year? have you learned anything new this season? what was your best buy? any first timers?

not been on a bank holiday before so i'm a bit nervous about that, not keen on busy campsites (d'oh!). were going to mid-wales so at least with all the rain the waterfalls will be looking pretty.

couldn't resist the chance to take our new canvas pyramid for another outing, i'm currently ignoring (slubber ) the prospect of what happens when we have to take it down wet...

we've got one more trip in september but that's a festival sans-kids [happy dance]. i've learned that getting organised further ahead takes away a lot of stress - my boxes of ktichen stuff and essentials are on standby and i've mostly packed the kids clothes already, yay.

i'm getting excited already, i luuuurve camping

[millenniumfalcon]

with/without kids?

[IOnlyReadtheDailyMailinCafes]

Yes we are going to the new forest on Friday, our first camping without showers.

[IOnlyReadtheDailyMailinCafes]

We have a new royal tent with carpet and plenty of room to sit in if it rains, which judging by today we may need.

[millenniumfalcon]

having a decent living area makes all the difference doesn't it. our short-stay tent is a bit of a squeeze when it's wet, although i've cooked for and fed 7 of us in there in a pinch. our new/big tent has room in the bedrooms to stash stuff, so the living area feels immense

[millenniumfalcon]

have to admit i'm still a bit about carpets - don't they get really muddy/caked in crumbs?

[millenniumfalcon]

wow that's a lot of kids sal that's something i've learned this year actually - more kids is definitely easier when camping (well, with more adults about too it is) much less adult entertainment required.

[IOnlyReadtheDailyMailinCafes]

millenium - no although we take our crocs and then slip them on if we are coming in and out of tent. We dont wear wellies or walkers in the tent.

[millenniumfalcon]

how lovely that your 15 yr old still wants to come. mine are 6 and 2 and tbh i figured we prolly only had another 6 or so years family camping left in us, before the eldest wouldn't want to come any more. you've given me hope though, maybe having indoctrinated them both from birth in the joys of camping will help too

[millenniumfalcon]

lol ionlyread yours are clearly better housetrained (tenttrained?) than mine

[gigglewitch]

we're going too

[MollieO]

Don't worry sal. When your dd does grow out of it you can take my ds any time. I think it will be several years before his fascination with camping ends .

[gigglewitch]

what is this growing out of it thing of which you speak
I've obv not grown up yet

[MaryMotherOfCheeses]

[millenniumfalcon]

gw: please see op. "me" is not an adequate answer on this thread i want details goddamnit

[millenniumfalcon]

have you seen the forecast mary?

[bumpybecky]

we're going away too first (and only) camp of the year for us. There will be 18 of us...

DH, me, dd1, dd2, dd3, ds, MIL, FIL, BIL, SIL, DNephew, DH's Aunt, DH's Uncle, DH's cousin, DH's cousin's husband, DH's cousin's ds1, DH's cousin's dd and DH's cousin's ds2. Oh and our dog too.

[PrettyCandles]

We're going to a site only about 40min drive from home. First time camping with maniac challenging 2yo ds2, so thought we'd keep it local in case it was a disaster.

I'm definitely one of the "I only do it for the children" crew. Used to love it in my yoof, but that was abroad and in such warm weather that we rarely bothered with tents. It's very different here!

Supersalstrawberry, what campsite are you going to? Camping without a real fire is just not right.

[MaryMotherOfCheeses]

Just glanced at forecast for South East. Looks ok. ~am I misled?

DH is going out all day on Saturday. Again. he does this every August Bank Holiday. Bloody rugby. It spoils the whole weekend because we don't go away.