Does anyone really camp at this time of year?

[hillbilly]

I keep thinking we could maybe fit in one more trip. Am I mad?

yes, you are quite mad

There are a bunch of Girls' Brigade-rs camping up the road from me this weekend. In Scotland, in the rain. Don't be a wuss, of course you can fit in another trip :) . So long as you have somewhere to dry your tent afterwards :)

Ah now therein lies the problem - drying out the tent. Hmmm that's not good

I've been thinking the same thing. Just. one. more. weekend...

In my DofE days I camped in January. It snowed. But DH is a big wuss and wouldn't do it.

Also our tent is bigger than our house or garden and there's no where to dry it.

And we packed our tent up a day early when we were on holiday and stayed in a hotel because the weather was due to turn and we wanted to make sure it was totally dry over winter... in the end it was gorgeous weather and I'd spent £80 of our wedding present money having a rotten nights sleep in a hotel rather than a great nights sleep on a lovely £12 campsite

I think I'm going to keep a close eye on the weather forecast and then can make a last minute decision on a Friday if it seems good enough.

We're going not this weekend, but the one after.

I'm not convinced it's not an utterly daft idea though, and I'm prioritising duvets and blankets over just about anything...

I'd love to fit in one more trip, am seriously thinking about trying to persuade DH to go this coming weekend but we shall see.

It's the rain that puts me of more than the cold. We went the last week of September when the winds changed to Northerly and it was freezing. We did manage to get the tent down and packed up dry though and the thought of bringning home a wet tent that will only just fit in the garden outs me off a bit.

I camped this time last year, but only in a caravan with a hookup and an electric heater!

Grumpla being in a caravan is cheating, they have heating and proper beds and everything

I'm going with DS in the last week of November although I have invested in a smaller tent that I can pitch myself and fit on the washing line ........... we bought an enormous one for the whole family which is great, but a twat to dry out afterwards

The Cubs do round here - ds is going on a cub camp this coming weekend!

DofE expeditions at school over half term, but they are youngsters with no sense. You are mad.

We camp mid-late October, but not this year as DH is getting over minor surgery.

The forecast is amazing this weekend. If our car were going to be available we'd definitely go. But it has to go in for a service (sniff) which we think is going to lead to lots of work needing to be done (double sniff) which is going to put a serious hole in our camping budget for next year (dammit!)

It's still t-shirt weather on the south coast, although the nights are cold. New forest is tempting :)

Going to the new forest tonight - weather looks good, if not a bit chilly tomorrow night.

Have a great time newbeliever!

We had a pitch booked for tonight at Wellington, but got a call to collect my son from school at midday today due to hacking cough and general unwellness. Suspect it's developing into a chest infection, so we've decided to give the great outdoors a miss tonight.

Gutted though...

That's a shame MrsMellowdrummer - maybe next weekend . . .

Well we survived the weekend, it was cold but we picked one where campfires are permitted which was lovely. Lots of cooked bananas (stuffed with chocolate of course ) and marshmallows. Felt v cosy in our sleeping bags with duvets on top until my son announced he needed a wee at 6 in the morning struggled out of bed to take him and was totally amazed at the sky - the stars were amazing - made me remember why I love camping so much. Even so, think that may be our last trip this season

Anyone planning a trip this half-term?

What's the earliest you would camp then Supersalstrawberry? I'm already flicking through my diary planning 1st weekend for next year I'm thinking last weekend of March.

May be I am mad, but it has to be seriously cold to put me off - ie chance of frost. I am a fair-weather camper though and closely follow the weather leading up to a weekend away - I would abort if it looked a possible washout. Would rather have cold than rain or high winds [ smile].

I really want to go too, however first available weekend would be the one after halloween and I think it may be too cold by then!!!

Trouble is, just gone and got a bell tent and its B R I L L I A N T ! ! ! ! ! !

it's not the cold so much as the dark. makes a ruddy long evening of board games [sigh} when it gets dark by 6pm....

I'm also trying to decide when our first trip next year should be. Am thinking maybe the first May bank hol. We did Featherdown Farm last Easter up in Lancashire and it was freezing at night but so worth it as the days were clear and sunny. Unfortunately that FF is not open till late April next year.