I bloody love camping it is cheap * it is fun and im going tomorrow

[LEMtheoriginal]

Up until three years ago holidays were what other people did. We had taken dd2 on 3 holidays in her ten years. One was a sun holiday the other paid gor with tesco clubcard vouchers in budget caravans. Then she went to school and holidays were even more out of the question due to holiday companies cashing in on draconian rules regarding absence from school.

Fast forward to now and ok our financial situation has improved and we go on holiday at least twice a year. Next year we are planning a trip abroad.

Why? Because one Sunday we were bored and decided to just look around the local camping shop. We bought a tent! £250 and we have a holiday home dont mention the hundreds since spent on stuff we probably don't need and we set off on our first adventure. 3 nights an hours drive away. DD was either 9 or 10 and she cried all the way there because she was scared of sleeping in a tent. Within ten minutes of setting up she was off exploring and made friends and that was it!

We are very British and often return to the same place but tomorrow we are being adventurous and going to north devon instead of south We are taking our bastard dogs who i wont leave with anyone because one is a little gobshite and i dont trust him not to bite someone else if they piss him off and we will set up our little holiday home. Its a last minute booking and im a tad dubious but come evening I'll have had enough gin not to care if we are huddled in our tent in the pouring rain, playing cards or god help us, board games.

The next day we'll put on our waterproofs and head off to explore. We'll clock up a few miles i daresay and visit alot of pubs. My diet and liver wont thank me if the weather improves dd will go swimming itherwise we'll find some dramatic coastline and look for interesting stones. If the rain clears well sit around the campfire and roast marsh mallows and ill read my kindle because my phone battery will have died. Dd may be a bit sulky about hers but i wont care because work wont be able to call me because someone has screwed up in the lab

Dd will be hoping to spend time in the play area and meet other kids her age (doesnt always happen) there a river/stream to paddle in.

The dogs will be alternately ecstatic and muserable.

I will be happy as larry because my holiday during peak summer time will have cost £223 for a whole week. My anxiety after about day two will cut me some slack and I'll be able to face whatever shit life throws st me on our return.

Whats not to love?

@metoodear those things are bloody amazing. We keep a stack of bog in a bag bags to go with it in case of an emergency tent poo! Also; consider a shewee and a bush.

@hoosierdaddy I have an ensuite too

We have a royal Abington 4 sleeper with two bedrooms. It takes me alone an hour to put it up, but it take me and hubby 25 mins together. It’s got a built in groundsheet and we have an additional carpet for it so no wetness/dampness and it’s roomy inside.

Suggestions for North Devon. Clovelly, steep walk down to a tiny harbour, ice cream on way back up to keep everyone's spirits up! Westward ho! Fab beach and sea pool, the front used to be great for roller skating 30 yrs ago. Barnstaple library is great for a rainy day and they have a scrapstore upstairs where you can get creative - check opening times. There is an outdoor paddling pool at barnstaple or is it bideford? Watersmeet, castle and theme park. Tunnels beach at ilfracombe. Err thats all I can think of for now but there is a thread running on what to do in north devon, sorry cant link.

We have a blow up sofa for ours

All sounds good... Now just replace "Tent" with "YHA" and jobs a good un..

Last year DD and I went to the Yorkshire Dales and stayed in Grinton Lodge. An old hunting lodge that looked, too DDS eyes, like a castle. We had a private room with a bed each and fab views. There were toilets and showers to use too. £15 a night.

Oh woohoo! I have found my people!

We’re going tomorrow by the way...for four nights. We’ve already had a week’s holiday but this one is just for the fun of it.

For me I would never camp in the dales

Their is literally never a time when it would be warm

We go Spain
Holland
Germany and France to camp

The only time we camp in the U.K. is to festival

You can’t cant castles for 15euro a night we’re we go

We go here it’s a hour away from Dinsey ect

We went to one camp site we’re you order you dinner before you go like magic at 6pm the farmers wife brought a home cooked meal to our tent

Have fun! I live in North Devon (Bideford) and it is a beautiful part of the world 😁

I’m off camping tonight as well. £20 a night for a porch by a river with toilets and showers.

We’ll go kayaking tomorrow and biking Sunday. Back in time for work on Monday.

Camperdine

Why do you have shit food can I ask this rabbit is from a recent France trip

It’s just seasoned and done on the bbq we had it with salad and French bread .

I think the food issue is about being able to just cook well a potable bbq and meat and salad is nice you can also take your slow cooker camping

You really don’t have to eat burgers every night don’t think we have had burgers since we started camping 7 years ago

Camperdine i agree and disagree in equal measures. Initially there is outlay but it is doable on a budget especially with ebay and facebook selling sites. I reckon in the three years weve been campung. Two x 1 week holidays per year weve spent no more than 2k and that includes inutial outlay and cost of campsies. So thats what? An average of £350 per holiday.

And as a poster said above you can usally get job lot camping gear off eBay or gumtree off people upgrading to caravans

My childmider just got a vangoo tent tent carpet cool box and electric hook up cable for £70 the people are getting a caravan static

I agree. Why are you eating shit food, burgers and no proper meals?

Anyone having trouble with food during camping

theadventurebite.com/camping-food-ideas/

I can personally recommend the www.thetwobiteclub.com/2014/05/kielbasa-pepper-onion-and-potato-hash.html

We are camping at the minute in North Norfolk. We have been every year since 2014 to various places.
I have to say I'm not the biggest fan, I enjoy it while I'm here but I hate the packing before we go and packing away. Especially with a wet tent and ground sheet!
We had 3 days of absolutely glorious sunshine actually felt like we was abroad when we was at the outdoor pool!
Then yesterday we couldn't leave the tent as it rained so hard all flaming day.
If the weather could be guaranteed to have no rain I'd be happy. But it's under duress that I come as DH and the DC's live for their weekly camp trip every summer.
Next year we're going abroad as 4 years camping I think I deserve an "actual" holiday.

*not saying camping isn't an actual holiday it just isn't for me!"

I love it too! We're going for 3 nights next week. Dh isn't so keen (weird as he's very outdoorsy), but me and the kids are hoping to convert him this strip.

I've specifically chosen a quiet site, not too many people but lots of reviews mentioning very clean showers! We've got EHC, and I've bought him a little travel kettle, so he doesn't have to wait for his tea in the morning :)

He has actually suggested we get a bbq/firepit (campsite does allow it). Any suggestions? I want to buy one before he changes his mind!

The first time we went as a family was a weekend with friends. We took a borrowed tent from my parents or it might have been ours from before kids. The tape came away and it leaked, not the bedroom bit luckily. We borrowed a gas stove, but had the wrong cannister, and the double air bed was a disaster. But the kids loved it, they were wild for the whole weekend, we shared stuff with our friends, no one went hungry.

@KlutzyDraconequus that's a great idea about YHA. I've done camping weekends in the U.K. but have found it hard work. you need a massive tent and also a massive car to put it in, neither of which I have, to camp with teens! The time to set up and pack away also puts me off.