A glass of wine sat around the campfire...

[SeaShellsAndTheInlawInvasion]

so I am fed up with the rest of MN (this whole mamazon shite really is the ,last straw), so I am assuming that if any of you are trolling you are showing extraordinary persistence by delving into the thrills of iceytec and are worth chatting to.

So anyway, hi, I am SeaShells, I have 2 dc and have been camping and trapsing through the Great Outdoors all my life. I hang out here as my love of camping is more a love of the countryside and life, and you lot have a similar outlook.

< admires well made fire and tastefully arranged logs with throws>

Ta for kindle tips Chippy. Trip sounds great. Cannot wait for hotness, am trying to remember the last time I felt too hot outdoors. Certainly not whilst in n Wales.

notwaving re the dog, ho ho ho, NO!
6 weeks in a 3x4 metre tent with 4 human persons is going to be hard enough without succumbing to Campers Crackup (disease also named by my father), without adding a farting Labrador into the mix.

Camping with the dog is fun but not conducive to restful sleep. I am awoken at least 3 or 4 times per night buy a wet nose thrust in the eye socket. She likes to remind me of her presence and general adoration of my person. Dh is just the same. It's tough being so bloody fabulous

Dog is going to my parents.

I am off to Haven, in a caravan, in late August.

BUT we are also off camping again kent/sussex next weekend, for 3 nights. So the tek will get another outing.

So do canvas tents get mildew then? Thats good because I was having serious envy pangs.

OH

MY

GOD

[there are no other words]

Glitter I think pretty much everything gets mildew if it left for long enough whilst damp. Apart from maybe diamonds.

It will be fine. Fine.

I'll enjoy DS having fun.

Glitterdiamondy tent. Mmm.

I want one of those magic unfolding tents, cant think of name, that someone linked to. They open from back/side of your car while you cook tomatoes for lunch. Or did I imagine that?.

no you didn't imagine it. I think you mean a trailer tent. You tow a low box trailery thing behind the car that the tent lives in. When you get to the campsite it all just unfolds magically into a massive canvas lovely, and then you can cook your tomatoes.

I sometimes love dh!!! You know that De Roos campsite with the lovely De Waard tents I linked to the other day? Well, I showed dh, drooled a bit, mention the tents, etc etc. He just sent me an e-mail: As a surprise, he took a couple of days leave, and early September we're going there for a long weekend. Staying in a De Waard tent, just to see. No really, just to see (in case he sees this and changes his mind!) I'm so excited! Off to book Eurotunnel.

Oh wow Sal. Just wow.

What a lovely dh.

A weekend in a De Waard eh?

Yes, he's not too bad. I might keep him for a while...

Sadly, De Waard will not be a reality in next couple of years, as we've just had to paint the walls and replace the carpets. Exciting picture I'm painting here, isn't it. Still, nice new carpets.

Aw how lovely is your dh?! What a fab surprise!

Slubber I can confirm that it was officially too hot to be outdoors on...Friday 3rd June and Saturday 4th June. We were camping in Conwy and fried .

But I agree, hotness is N. Wales in now MUCH overdue .

Blimey MisSal and !

hahaha funtimes, that you noted it down in your calendar as an extraordinary event highlights the fact that proper hotness in N Wales is a freak occurrence.

Sal, Sal, Sal. I would LOVE to believe that new carpets will be the reason to hold you back from buying another tent. But picture the scene....

Gorgeous site, there are trees and meadows and the sound of crickets. Over there is a family of elves the Dutch doing something wholesome and energetic. You and dh sit in the porch of the de Waard with a chilled glass of white wine. Maybe there are pomme frites with mayonnaise. The breeze gently wafts the lush canvas.

'This is nice' you say

'yes, it is isn't it' says dh

'did you know the de Waard shop is just down the road?'

'I did not'

'we could have holidays like this if we had a de Waard. It won't be the same in the poxy old bell'

'yes, you might be right'

'so shall we buy one then?'

'oh, all right then'

NOTE: no mention of carpets

Hahahaha. LOVE that scenario. Obviously. How good are you at hypnotism? I can send dh over your side, just give me 15 minutes warning. Might need to send bank manager too, mind you...

Sorry Sal (or should I say Sal's husband) but I think you stand very little chance of leaving without purchasing one

Oh, I wish, but have you seen the price of them? Gazillions. I might try to steal one.

But you have until September to save

Ok ok I know, no one can save that much, that quick x

Wow. Sal, that's amazing (or immense, as my teenage nieces would say). How fab is your DH? I agree, you definitely need Slubber's jedi mind power on board, both with DH and bank manager...

On the subject of fab DH's, while I was taking DD scootering in the park mine disappeared, and arrived back an hour later with a humungous roofbox, all fitted and shiny. "So you can take as much tut as you want on holiday" :)

Christ knows where we'll store it long-term, but at least we don't now have to worry about DD arriving in Cornwall squished/sans legs below the knee...

Oh Glitter. Haven? If it's White Cliffs, you'll be there around the same time as SIL & her brood.... I wish you joy....:o

SeaShells.

Lovecat, how lovely!! Such a relief to have space - for dd as well, I'm sure!

No, lovecat- wish it was Devon. Its Hastingsssssss.

Sal and lovecat, I am v admiring of your DHs, mine is more likely to say 'Yeah. looks expensive. And Holland? Will prob rain. Anyway I shall be making something large and concretey in September.'

If it does get hot in Wales please do let me know and I'll come on the train with tent in backpack to witness it .

Sal, I worked up that fantasy using myself and dh

I got up to the

'so shall we get one then?'

At which point there is a needle scratching across the record and my dh doing a flared nostril/you are having a laugh unspoken "NO" look at me.

lovecat how fantastic. roofboxes really do make such a big difference. Another lovely dh

Hehe. Stock up on the white wine, Slubber, might work! You could try the angle of how much cheaper it would be to buy it there vs having to pay for delivery etc etc. And how oil price increases are fueling the fear for airlines - they'll either go bust or be too expensive to use anyway. Which means you're going to do car based holidays forever anyway. Soooo, since you're realistically going to have to get a new tent in a couple of years anyway, you might as well buy a De Waard now as they last a lifetime, thereby giving you more value for money.

I'm cheered by all this news of fabulous DHs.

Sal, how wonderful! Um, as a matter of purely academic interest, how small do those De Waards pack down to? Small enough, say, to hide under your underwear in the suitcase?

Lovecat - the Gift of Space. Truly, the gift that keeps giving.

Reshape, taking into account the current size of my bum, it will probably fit IN my underwear, never mind under it!

roffle @ the thought of fitting a De Waard in your pants.

Sal, teeny tiny problem is that I used that EXACT SAME strategy to conivce dh that we needed to buy the Cabanon pyramid, which will also last a life time.

We will only upgrade when the dds want their own bedroom (a long way off atm) or if the Cabanon burns to a crisp.

Ah, here's more information (this is on the Albatros):

Specificaties:
Maten woonvertrek: 400 x 200 cm.
Maten slaapgedeelte(s): 2 x 250 x 200 cm.
Nokhoogte: 250 cm.
Hoogte ingang: 200 cm.
Hoogte muur: 50 cm.
Maat ramen: 75 x 75 cm.
Ventilatiepunten: 4
Brillenzakjes: 2
Afmetingen verpakt: ± 40 x 100 cm.
Gewicht verpakte tent: ± 33 kg.
Gewicht stokken + haringen: ± 11.5 kg.
Gewicht losse binnentent: ± 7 kg.

Packed size is 40 x 100cm, but it does weigh a ton. Also, I don't think it's ideal for weekend camping as apparently takes a while to pitch. Can imagine it must be wonderful for longer camps though.

Not that I've researched it, oh no no no.