Camping dilemma since fire alert

Yes. Will be informed? It’s rained here. Not much but enough that my patio is still damp.

We always ate out when we camped so that’s an option but I think it’s due to rain a lot next week so you may be ok? Hopefully the weather in general is good for your holiday but some rain would let you cook?

I think the overall problem is the late change and not being allowed to cancel. I can see the site owners problem too. I just looked into it and some areas like New Forest have banned all open flames specifically including camping stoves.
I feel for you, I love camping but not without coffee!

Are the camp site offering anything to help? Like offering somewhere to boil a kettle at least? How far away is the nearest cafe/pub etc?

Also where are you going? It rained here last night. So it might change.

You can get camping generators. May be that and a travel kettle?

I dont know.

Im absolutely team let's be safe.

Just wasnt clear from the alert how long it lasts or if we get another alert or what have you

I see you say no electric hook up.
Is that the whole site or just your pitch. Someone might let you borrow thier electric for a kettle, its a gamble?

Id be tempted to go, but shorten the trip

Im not sure id enjoy it as a holiday without a hot drink in the morning to be honest and we tend to cook on site to keep costs down, so we boil water for pasta or rice and fry some bits.

Cold breakfast and lunch is fine an easy and eating out once or twice ok, but sometimes you fancy a pasta pesto for dinner and your morning coffee with a bacon buttie.

You realise that in places where fires area much more common thing, it’s totally ok to have a stove to cook?
That having a stove to cook does NOT mean you’re starting a fire in the campsite.
And that the vast majority of the fires we’ve had are started VOLUNTARILY. Theyre not accident.

I actually have a big issue with our PM going on about disposable bbq. Not because they are not a problem (when used carelessly which a lot of people do). But because it gives this feeling that all the fires were started with people having a bbq/stove/camping and being careless. It is not.

You've lost the money whether you go or not. If you think you can still have a good time then go but if you think it'll ruin your holiday why pay for a horrible week away? You'd be better off paying not to go.

Firstly, I don't think the campsite is necessarily being unreasonable. I've stayed at a Norfolk campsite, way out in the sticks, during a drought and we didn't feel safe at all because of the fire risk. People we actually using accelerant to light their barbecues 😬. On a dry heath, surrounded by pines.

Ring the campsite instead of emailing.you are more likely to get a response.

Read all reviews and see if anyone mentions if there is a cookout area (often near the washing up area) where you can plug in a hotplate and/or a kettle.

Take a cool bag or box and freezer packs to keep milk/butter/ mayo cold. I've never stated at a campsite that didn't have a system for refreezing ice blocks.

Croissants/cereal bars/fruit for breakfast.

Lunch out and about or french bread and houmous etc for lunch.

Dinner, you have takeaway options? Visiting food vans? Supermarket cafes (for economy) and pubs.

At the risk of sounding like chat gpt, If you tell us the campsite or area we can be more specific.

Please please don’t do this. It’s now illegal to cook with an open flame, you would have to close the tent right up and there is the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. People have died with the dying embers of a barbecue being brought into their tent. Too easy for errors to happen, don’t take the risk.

I wouldn't go but does your holiday insurance not cover it or credit card? Etc.

Assuming you don’t intend to stay at the campsite all week but venture out, eat during the day. Go out for breakfast, lunch turn into dinner. And take a snack back for tea.

This is what holiday insurance is for.

Depending on where you are you might get some rain soon though so their policy may change again.

OP - I think you either need to let go of what you thought the week would be like and just embrace what could be funny memories to look back on, or rearrange it.

Some of my favourite memories are when things haven't gone to plan. Don't fret. Just adapt!

Depending on what you want to cook and if you have electric at the site.

Look at an electric stove and also an electric grill. Lots available and look pretty good. Can then do pasta etc. the hobs are approx £20 - 40

Edit to say, Sorry just seen you have no electric, do kind of power banks exist for normal 3 prong plug?

Wouldn't they have had to do this anyway? Presumably hot food would also need storage?
I think if someone is high maintenance then staying in the middle of nowhere was alway going to be a bad idea in the first place.

I travel around for work and often work in my car between visits - I’m so tempted to get one 🤣🤣

Go and have an adventure. It's probably too hot for hot meals anyway and you can easily have cereal, salads and sandwiches for a few days and maybe go out for a meal once or twice. I know you said there were no pubs nearby but surely you'll be exploring the area and there will definitely be one in a 10 mile radius.

It’s a shame that the site aren’t being proactive and providing communal hot water urns, microwaves etc.

it would be doable with cold food, it’s just a matter of whether or not that would be acceptable to your and your family.

With young kids, a lack of hot water would be pretty unhygienic. We always had a bowl of hot soapy water to wash hands before eating and for a quick wash before bed when they were young.

Not sure if it’s worth it if the site fees were reasonable but would your travel insurance cover the costs as there’s been a significant chance to the t’s and c’s?

And if you don’t have a cigarette lighter then this one uses a USB https://amzn.eu/d/0iJGS5tx

You can get cooking stuff for your car.

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It doesn’t look as if it’s going to be anywhere near as hot next week but unless it rains, the ban will likely still apply. In my area it looks to be 22 in the day and lows of approx 10-12. One night showing 8. I’d certainly be more inclined to want to cook in those temps. And I’m in the SE, where it has been unbearably hot. I’m glamping the week after, luckily with a full kitchen available but I will be disappointed if we can’t have a fire of an evening.

Is electric hook up available on the site at all? Could you buy a small, portable electric hob (single hobs are about £36 on amazon and doubles are about £75).

I found one - Car kettle - https://amzn.eu/d/0dee4EPh at least you can have a cuppa.

It’s so easy to knock over a camping stove, many of them aren’t very stable. Camping equipment is all nylon and other flammable fibres, and the grass is desiccated as are surrounding bushes and trees. I could see a major fire taking hold in a few minutes on a campsite in England until we have had significant rain and the grass has greened back up.

Fire is terrifying and fire on a campsite would be doubly so. I would be over over cautious or making other plans.

I would take it as not allowed to use a bbq or anything ground level, however a gas stove on a table well clear of the ground to boil a kettle for cups of tea and a pan for cooking would be ok?