Anyone camping over Easter?

[rainbowinthesky]

Never been this early but dd now 7 now so figure old enough to cope.

No. Have done it once before but it was so cold at night. mind you, our airbed went flat and had built-in pillows, so we ended up sleeping on the cold ground with DH's boots as pillows. Not the most comfortable trip ever!

The children were fine and snug and I think as long as you have plenty of covers and then you'll have a lovely time. Happy camping!

Yes we are, though we have Campervan -still cold though! We are going to the Lower Lode Inn near Tewkesbury - my Dad has a room in the pub and we are on the campsite. I've told him if it gets too cold we 'll all bundle in with him!

I did think about it but decided to wait til the end of May. I have camped in the snow before but I'm old now and camping when it is really cold just doesn't appeal.

Yes we are. We are also camping both May bank holidays.

I am hoping it stays mild!

I have just bought an electric socket thingy, hot water bottles and a fan heater.....

Yes we are. Not banking on any cold weather going by the previous early May weather.

Wishful thinking?

We are in a tourer on a clifftop on the windy north Norfolk coast. Good luck to all you tenters! Hope it stays dry.

I am really tempted to go.

We are definitely going the weekend after and I really can't see what difference a week will make weatherwise

The ds's and I are really keen, DH less so It will be my first weekend off after 4 months of marathon training and running the marathon, I can't think of many things nicer than a weekend in a tent in lovely warm spring weather

Easter's late this year, it can't be that cold can it

We're going the weekend after next.

Last year we went in early April - we'd had a spell of really good weather so we booked to go the next weekend in a fit of optimism, and of course the weather broke the day we went. That trip was the first time ever of sleeping under canvas for DS and DH. It rained for most of the weekend, winds gusting up to 40mph, and the temperature dropped to 3 degrees overnight. And... of course, camping cliche that it is, we had a brilliant time and they were hooked. I was really glad that I'd bought good kit though, and that I'd trawled camping forums for tips on how to stay warm. Just in case there's any first-timers reading, the best tips I got were:-

• don't wear a fleece inside your sleeping bag because fleece stays cool to the touch and doesn't let your sleeping bag do its job. I wear a base layer top and then three cashmere jumpers (cast offs from my dad!) on top of that - cashmere and wool are warm to the touch so they let your sleeping bag heat up and start working (this is assuming you've got a good sleeping bag). On my bottom half I wear thermal long johns, brushed cotton PJs and thermal socks. I also wear a woolly hat. Oh, the glamour...

• go to bed before you're too cold and beware of thinking you're warm because you're next to the fire - sometimes your skin is hot from the fire, but when you get into your sleeping bag you realise that you've got really chilled inside and it takes ages to get properly warm

• when you boil the kettle for your hot water bottles fill a couple of thermos flasks too. Then if you wake very cold you can pass around hot drinks without needing to get out of your sleeping bags. Also have some high calorie snacks (chocolate etc) just in case. A hot cup of tea and a chocolate bar seems to cure the shivers every time.

• most of the cold comes from the ground. When it's really cold outside I line the bottom of our 'bedroom' with foil emergency blankets. Then I put down a layer of plastic backed picnic rugs. Then our insulated mattresses, then sleeping bags, then a giant duvet that covers all the sleeping bags. Bring earplugs though - the emergency blankets rustling can be really annoying.

• when you realise you need a wee in the middle of the night, but are reluctant to leave the warmth of your sleeping bag, get up and go! Your body will stay warm more easily after you've had a wee (apparently - not sure how scientific this is, but the people who told me were adamant, and it seems to work...)

Apologies for long post!

OK, this isn't strictly 'camping', but we're going here next weekend for ds2's birthday and I'm horribly excited...! We're going to the house in Lancashire - weather's looking pretty terrible at the moment but I'm hoping the excitement (and red wine wood burning stove) will see us through...

I have camped many Easters in rain, snow, high wind and lovely sunny weather. Take air beds and hot water bottles, sleeping bags and duvets to throw on top. And plenty of hot chocolate / wine.

Kids don't seem to feel the cold like we do.

I once camped at New Year in the snow with no air bed, just some newspapers and a leather jacket. Slept okay because I was so pissed, but couldn't do it these days.

We are, taking new trailer tent to Kimmeridge for a few nights. It's our first expedition in it, and our 8 mo old's first trip camping. It's close-ish to us so is a test before hopefully going further afield for a few wks in the summer! If the weather looks crap we'll can the idea.

Ha Ha i am on here wasting time, suppossed to be packing to go tonight. Now where did i put that tent!
I was also meant to buy us all new sleeping bags at the end of season sales last year--shall i tell him now or at bedtime

We are booked and going.

Have a new tent to try out, new, thicker sleeping mats, a cadac....can't wait. Also have a newish supersized car so we shall be taking duvets and extra blankets just in case. No more standing looking at the car, wondering where it will all go...hopefully.

Camping stuff is taking over the house,again