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Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

Original poster

Camp Bestival 2011.

468 replies

QueeferSutherland · 25/04/2011 21:56

Has anyone been?
Going?
Is there a festival thread somewhere?

DH booked tickets today. I haven't been to a festival in an age, and DH has only been camping once. We are taking the 3 DC who will be 1, 3, & 9.

Any tips/reassurance?

OP posts:
sfxmum · 21/06/2011 23:18

about the trolley, last year we found it reasonably easy to take the gear from car to campsite, the car park is on a side of a hill then you have a steep climb but they provide a tractor ride, then at the top you can rent a trolley, which can be just for the transport of for the duration. the refundable deposit is steep.
we did not bother with keeping it as it was easy to move around and dd was 5 by then, we managed it fine

TheFowlAndThePussycat · 22/06/2011 08:15

Hi everyone! Just to clarify, it would be worth buying/borrowing a trangia for making tea/warming beans etc by the tent? I think we'll follow the lead here & go for evening meals on site & cobble together lunch & breakfast & snacks. (Particularly as dd1 will only eat ham sandwiches for lunch anyway!)

The ear defenders arrived in the post on Friday, I have already had to hide them from dd1 as she wore them for the whole of dinner shouting at the top of her voice because she couldn't hear herself Grin

MarionCole · 22/06/2011 08:42

Most people cooked food at their tents, even though you were meant to stick to the designated area. Definitely take a stove, even if it's just for a cuppa in the morning it will save you money.

We were Camping Plus so the car was two minutes from the tent.

tinker316 · 22/06/2011 09:21

Camp Bestival sounds amazing Smile my DD is nearly 13 months, so thinking of going next year as she will appreciate the experience more.
When do the tickets go on sale & what types are there??
At least having a year will give me plenty of time2 get organised Wink

leddeeburdee · 22/06/2011 09:46

Just booked my tickets last night - so excited! Grin Even more pleased to find this thread answering lots of my questions. We are bell tenters and have taken DD (2) and DS (4) away for a couple of camping weekends already this year, but this is our first family festival. Will be back I'm sure with lots of questions for the CB veterans.

LauLauLemon · 22/06/2011 10:18

I am more than a little jealous. I'd love to go to Bestival but unfortunately, our funds don't allow it this year and with the final year of university next year funds may not allow it then either.

One day we will be there. I'll be in Boden in a Yurt drinking coffee and eating a ham sandwich (hold the butter) with DH looking sullen and DD's happily prancing along.

£580 for tickets alone just hurts my soul.

rosieposey · 22/06/2011 11:52

Laulau :( its rubbish you cant go - i know what you mean though, £800 for our tickets (including car parking and camping on the Thursday) was an awful lot for us. I was sooo shocked when i found out how much they were. I totalled up Latitude and the Big Chill as well and Latitude was even more expensive as the whole of my family bar DS who is 2 was considered an adult Shock.

We havent been on holiday for years (managed two nights camping in N Devon this time last year) so i think its a pretty good deal for 4 days and nights entertainment. Really hope you get to make it sometime soon though :)

Robert Dyas have a half price trolley which i reckon will be useful regardless at that price so im going to buy it. Not really sure about how much room it will take up in our MPV though.

Im stressing a bit about our Outwell hartford xxl tbh - ive been looking at smaller 6 - 8 man tents and they are all quite pricey even second hand. Has anyone seen fairly large family type tents there? I know you just basically have to pitch wherever if you dont have camping plus (that was sold out) and im really worried that people will think we are taking the proverbial with such a large podded tent. Its obviously ideal for us as we are 3 teens, two adults and a toddler but as a newbie i dont want to get there and find there is no space to pitch it? Also DH is talking about getting there early on Thursday incase this is a problem, what do you all think?

Marioncole i think thats what we will do - cook in our tent, not a 5 course meal obviously but heating water/beans ect surely cant be the end of the world, Go Outdoors have these really cute small single ring gas burners for £6.99 at the moment that come in cases so i thought i might take a couple of them.

sfxmum · 22/06/2011 11:54

rosie I would not worry about the size of the tent I am sure you will be considerate regardless Smile

and yes the prices are a shocker

rosieposey · 22/06/2011 12:07

SFX thanks :) i am v considerate usually its just there are rather alot of us (and usually if we are going to camp as we did last year two dogs as well) Will pitch the hartford this weekend and check its all in order then take that one (festival virgin here).

I wonder if OYBBK is good at long range forcasts ... Wink

DontCallMeBaby · 22/06/2011 19:03

Forums (sundaybest.net/site/forums/) seem to indicate that discrete little cookers are tolerated. I will certainly be taking the kind of suitcase stove rosieposey refers to - yes, if only for my cuppas!

Can't speak having not been before, but personally I wouldn't be arsey about six people in a big tent - but can't justify taking the Monty for two of us! Plus I can't carry it. And have never pitched it.

MarionCole · 22/06/2011 20:11

Don't worry about the size of your tent, there are some monsters, ours included.

Curlybrunette · 22/06/2011 21:36

Just wondering about the car parking, do I need to pre book or can we just turn up?

x

rosieposey · 23/06/2011 14:53

Phew! The monster it is then - its a big tent but we sure fill it.

curly i had a look at the forums and it seems to can pay for parking when you get there.

I was going to ask if anyone knew (sorry if this is a stupid question) I know its a festival but are there any showers at all? I dont mind if they are paying ones or whatevever im just thinking that it would be nice to know.

DontCallMeBaby · 23/06/2011 16:20

Curly, according to the CB forum you can pay for parking when you turn up, in cash.

sfxmum · 23/06/2011 17:30

showers there are free hot showers BUT you have to get up at the crack of dawn for a tickets and wait and wait and wait so crusty it is

MarionCole · 23/06/2011 21:07

Last year I showered before bed when they were quiet.

Curlybrunette · 23/06/2011 22:42

Thanks Rosie and Don'tCallMeBaby, I won't pay the £5 postage then!

Marion that's a great idea to shower at night

winefairy · 24/06/2011 09:58

Hello all! Can I join in? Going to Camp Bestival for the first time this year with Mr Winefairy and 4 year old DD and camping in Camping Plus with friends. Ridiculously excited already!

Loving all the tips especially showering at night although now suspect there may be a little queue of Mumsnetters all awaiting an evening wash! Grin

MarionCole · 24/06/2011 12:56

We should all wear something discreet that will identify us as MNers.

sfxmum · 24/06/2011 13:29

I think Camping Plus has better shower facilities, we are slumming it
I had considered a shower at night but that area was just so dark I decided against, wasn't sure if there was hot water at night either

MC we could always walk around shouting COD at random intervalsHmmGrin

rosieposey · 24/06/2011 16:41

If its good fun i will book early next year and try and get camping plus tickets purely for the lovely showers.

Unpacked the tent today and i think a new one might be in order unfortunately, my teens want to camp next to us in their own little tent so i might be able to get something a little smaller - not sure if you are even allowed two tents per family but we shall see.

Think i have got the medieval fancy dress cracked though, DS and DH are going to be Robin Hood and us girls will be medieval laydees!

Really stuck on what kind of trolley to get though as i want it to pull DS around in but if its too heavy then we will need a pushchair really. Trouble is the lighter ones that would suit DS will not take much and there are ALOT of us.

Bought those cute little camping stoves today, really good value at £6.99 each. Has anyone seen the photos from Glastonbury this year? Oh god i hope it isnt like that (super muddy) as im a festie virgin and would like to be introduced gently Grin

DontCallMeBaby · 24/06/2011 17:54

I don't see how they can police number of tents per family ... there are five of us, coming in one car - we're not a family though, and we have two tents!

There is a short clip of people turning up at Glastonbury on the BBC news site, and right at the end there is someone having trouble pitching what looks like a smaller version of my tent. :o

I'm SURE we'll have lovely weather.

winefairy · 24/06/2011 18:05

Lovely showers in Camping Plus sound perfect especially if it's anything like Glasto this year! I have everything crossed for good weather for Camp Bestival.

I bought this trolley as part of DD's Christmas last year in preparation for Camp Bestival! Apparently, Santa thought it was perfect for her Grin

sfxmum · 24/06/2011 18:26

I think the soil at Glasto is particularly bad. I have family there now enjoying the mudfest, dd wants to go but if we take her we will definitely be going to Tangerine Fields, no way am I camping in general area.

back to soil, a few years back we were at Latitude and it poured down on a Thursday night massive storm thunder and lightning but it was all easily absorbed and no big muddy hell

sfxmum · 24/06/2011 18:27

love the wagon positively essential festival gear for totsGrin