I am going to Decathlon and GoOutdoors for the first time ever today.

[Slubberdegullion]

This must what it feels like if you are a fashionista and it's your first time to New York.

Two ginormo stores all full of lovely camping kit.

I have quite a long list which includes a wetsuit and the pre-discussed sensible walking sandals. oh and rock pegs, mm and a new paramo coat for dh, wetsuit bootees, adventures in citronella, maybe some more luminous guys, a wind guard thing for the stove...

oh oh and a very thin micro fleece for layering purposes.

Decathlon is fabaroony. We have family "outings" there . Depends where you are going but they are massive. We have even been known to visit the one in Malaga .

Visited GoOutdoors yesterday but prices are not the same as Decathlon. I did buy a NorthFace microfleece but probably could have got one of comparable quality from Decathlon cheaper.

That is good to know Fimbo. We are doing GO first so will save myself on the fleece front for Decathlon.

Do either have a cafe or should we take supplies?

Stockport tmmj.

indoor tent displays [squeeeeee]

no cafe slubber you may need supplies as i wouldnt rely on the dehydrated packs of expedition boeuf bourgignon.

thanks bonnetarte

decathlon had ze cute french boys demonstrating ze pop-ups, aussi... hawheehaw...

mm

I already have a popup.

Would it be wrong do you think to still ask for a demo from the cute French boys?

dh will be with me also. I will have to send him to try on his wetsuit so I can slip away to ogle at professional tent folding.

'and zees is what we call zee 'cock et balls' pop-up tent folding technique, madame...'

ah mon dieu
faire du camping madame?

surely I can find an excuse to swing past Decathlon for a tent peg

is that what they're calling it these days?

I love Decathlon in Stockport, but where is this Go Outdoors of which you speak?

Our GoOutdoors has vending machines and cafe tables at the very back of the store. Only noticed this yesterday as not very obvious.

Oh and Slubber wait until Decathlon too for the walking sandals.

Did you get your Go outdoors magazine this morning. Mine came in the post about an hour ago. Some good offers spread over trhe next few weeks.

slubber if you're lucky, Decathlon will have all the table tennis tables and swingball set up outside

I went to play in Harringtons caravans yesterday!

They do have a very small Outwell only selection of camping gear, but me and my small boys did have a bit of a "sit" in a few camper vans.....

I love Go Outdoors and Decathlon too. But you should go to Camperlands Slubber, its not too far from there....

There's no Decathlon near here

Lovely (relatively) new Go Outdoors though. They love us there I'm sure - went in for some hiking boots for ds1 and came out £200 lighter on our first trip in their last year

Lovely trip sabotaged by captain sensible dh

They had some regatta thin fleece tops for 6.99 in go outdoors last week.

Also got one of those kitchen thingys for 14.99, on offer from £40.

You definately need the discount card though IMO

Is decathlon near Stockport?

May have a visit Sunday.

it was terrible tmmj.

The principle point of going was to get dh this new coat for his birthday which is tomorrow. I have bought him nothing else as the coat is pricey. So we go straight to the coat dept and dh instantly transmogrifies into a petulant 14 year old.

dh: I don't like it. I like my old coat. What is wrong with my old coat?
me: well nothing, apart from it is no longer waterproof.
dh: I'll spray something on it.
me: I have sprayed something on it. I have reproofed it many many times. It is time to get a new coat
dh: I like my old coat
me: well what do you want for your birthday then?
dh: nothing. a book.
me: but we are in a camping shop not a book shop.
dh: nothing then. I am happy getting nothing [GIANT LIE]

Then he follows me about, slightly behind and to the left, questioning everything I look at
dh: what is that?
me:it's a she wee
dh: what's it for?
me: it's so I can wee standing up without drips
dh: what's wrong with how you have been weeing up until now?
me: well nothing per se but it's nice to have options isn't it?
dh:I have no idea

Repeat all the way round Go Outdoors.
I buy nothing.

In decathlon we get the horrid ugly monstrous shorty wetsuits and then he says he's had enough and he wants to go back to the car.

I mope about like a droob fingering the fleeces.

Then we come home and get stuck in a giant traffic jam on the M56 in the rain and and the flask with coffee has leaked a bit.

It was shit.

Sorry for pitiful recount.

Oh dear. Next time go without him.

I discovered that Go Outdoors had an upstairs this weekend. I had no idea aout all the tents upstairs. Katz and I had a look and she bought two camp beds so that I (and herself too) can be compfortable on our festival trip next week. TBF I don't really do outdoory stuff but I do ike looking!