Didn't find my tribe camping

[Folicky]

Bought a lovely air tent, and already had many accessories from glamping, eurocamping over the years. Bought a few new ones too. I found it hard to book a site as C19 has made staycations popular. Went camping last week..... okay in diluvian-esque conditions - and found myself disappointed. 1. the tent is heavy (people downplay this about air tents) and 2. I didn't think I'd much in common with the other campers. I wanted something a bit more upmarket. Do I need to choose different sites?

When you say 'upmarket' do you mean better/more facilities or are you talking about the more general atmosphere?

When you say the other campers, do you mean other random families that were on your campsite or the people you actually went with?

If you mean the other families, that can vary from one night to the next as people come and go. We're polite to other campers and will say morning but I dont want to socialise with other families, I've come for some quality time with my own family.

Well where did you camp? There are campsites and campsites...

Yes, air beam tents are incredibly heavy. We have one, which we live, but also have a normal one for festivals and anywhere that we cannot take the car to the pitch.

As for finding your tribe, I think it’s always a bit hit and miss. I’m not sure what you mean by ‘upmarket’ though. We typically do wild camping, at woodland site, and that tends to be a very middle-class tribe, not least because it costs a bloody fortune. Most other places are very mixed. Facilities area certainly not ‘upmarket’ though!

I think it's a funny year for camping. A lot of serious campers (us included) are staying at home and there are an awful lot of first time campers.

That said, I don't really expect to have a huge amount of contact with other campers beyind general pleasantries and the odd bit of practical help (lending kit or helping grab a tent in an emergency). The kids make friends and I relax. So I'm not sure what difference it makes if you have a lot in common with other campers.

I do think different sites have different ethos. Big sites with lots of facilities tend to be noisier and appeal to campers who are not that considerate, in my experience. I prefer a fairly basic site.

Forgot to say - a trolley is good for shifting a heavy tent (plus the dc can wheel each other around in it afterwards).

Stompy the tip about the trolley is a good one, thank you. I actually think the size and weight of the tent is part of what I found offputting, not when up, when pitched it's great, it's just the heaviness and size it takes up to transport. What didn't help is that my son left his coat in the cafe for 10 mins and someone had snaffled it! That wasn't great, but may well have not been a camper, just a hiker...

😂 this is really making me laugh (I don’t know why). All extremely random.

Why does it matter if the tent is heavy? Are you carrying it?

Did you expect to find friends on feb campsite? People tend to go camping with their own friends. It’s not somewhere to meet people really.

If you want upmarket, try Eweleaze and Wowo.

We’re at Eweleaze right now and I can concur with @AnneBullen, the better half of London seem to have decamped here for the week replete with labradoodles, Tarquinius and Ottie and more Moët
than you can shake a stick at

@Equimum

Yes, air beam tents are incredibly heavy. We have one, which we live, but also have a normal one for festivals and anywhere that we cannot take the car to the pitch.

As for finding your tribe, I think it’s always a bit hit and miss. I’m not sure what you mean by ‘upmarket’ though. We typically do wild camping, at woodland site, and that tends to be a very middle-class tribe, not least because it costs a bloody fortune. Most other places are very mixed. Facilities area certainly not ‘upmarket’ though!

We are wild campers too, totally agree about the facilities we do have a naice bucket though

Wild camping on a site? That's a new one on me!

Wild camping means non flushing loos for many people I think!

My camping has changed over the years.

Just love camping abroad with own tent (not Eurocamping ) , take along own power and not on a large site.

No noisy bar, no 'entertainment', but definitely decent showers and toilets.

Some of the camping I have looked at in the UK recently has looked expensive for what seems to be a field with a portaloo in.

@Folicky

Bought a lovely air tent, and already had many accessories from glamping, eurocamping over the years. Bought a few new ones too. I found it hard to book a site as C19 has made staycations popular. Went camping last week..... okay in diluvian-esque conditions - and found myself disappointed. 1. the tent is heavy (people downplay this about air tents) and 2. I didn't think I'd much in common with the other campers. I wanted something a bit more upmarket. Do I need to choose different sites?

What were they like?

What would you have liked them to be like?

Wild camping on a site? That's a new one on me!

And me. We prefer basic sites, a tap and a loo, but haven't wild camped for a few years now.

@mylittleyumyum

Wild camping on a site? That's a new one on me!

Wild camping = a farmers field with permission in England but in Scotland it's legal to properly wild camp.

Wild camping = a farmers field with permission in England

That makes sense. Hence the naice bucket. One up from a spade.

@Bwlch

Wild camping = a farmers field with permission in England

That makes sense. Hence the naice bucket. One up from a spade.

Yes, a bucket is essential. That said it's mainly used for water to douse the camp fire if we have one. We also have a folding shovel.

We've sold our heavy tent and gone back to smaller, lighter kit. Honestly it's liberating.
I think its possible to try too hard. There's a vintage only campsite I know, part of me would like to go with the PILs old kit, but I dread the smug expensive faux shabbiness.

Anyone been to a camping and caravaning club site?

@Folicky

Anyone been to a camping and caravaning club site?

Not to stay at, I was at one the other day though, all manicured caravan pitches and numbered spaces so very different to the turn up and choose a spot sites we go to. It's wasn't a child friendly site but I expect they all differ.

Currently on night 10 of our camping holiday. 2 very different sites in different parts of England.
Site A... Very basic. Toilets very several minutes walk up a dark, woodland path. It was an old quarry, so steep paths, dodgy phone signal. Had a great time. Half the DCs diet was freshly picked blackberries- they could just be feral. No entertainment or anything like that. Not busy.

Site B... A Camping and Caravanning Club site, at the coast. Rules coming out our ears (we pitched our tents wrong, they were wrong shape...(. Toilets closed for 2x 1.5hra periods each day for cleaning... Not convenient for children really. Very quiet at night. Recent faculties, but push button showers. But children all played together. Didn't spend a lot of time on site.

We preferred A. Lots would prefer B.

Cross posted on CCC. We didn't like it. It seems more geared to older people in caravans than families. Play park closed. Very strict rules. But no danger of a karaoke machine.

I liked a Ccc site much more than I expected. I find eweleaze too try-hard!

You need this thread
First you have to identify your tribe
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/camping/948218-Cosmo-stylee-39-What-sort-of-mn-tent-camper-are