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>

[SeaShellsAndTheInlawInvasion]

Ha ha ha

Have you not learned? Never google anything discussed on MN (esp not on a work computer)

[MisSalLaneous]

on packing away.

Ah, just found one on MN describing the cock and balls thingy here. Reading it, I remember where I heard it - they guy in Decathlon explained it like that. They're good for demonstrating pitching and folding. Well, I still can't do it, but dh can do it in a minute or so. Not it, you know, the tent thing.

[Funtimewincies]

Thanks MisSal - all becomes clear .

I know, I know SeaShells! It's not as if I'm new to MN either, when will I learn ?

[GingerWrath]

Pulls up a very faded fold up chair.

Hi everyone, am I too late to join in, I have brought a fresh box bottle of chilled white!

We bought our tent and managed to use it once last year for our holidays. We have done 2 weekends so far this year and I can't wait to go again!

(We cheat, we have EHU and take a heater/TV/Slowcooker)

[Quenelle]

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

MisSal, that link is so much better that the official one!! Thank you! He didnt once have to lie down on the ground and wrestle.
(I shall be seeing the tent in a new light from now on - our cock and balls tent)

[lostinwales]

We've got the one with bedrooms MisSal, it's fantastic for last minute dashes, last weekend we were at the beach and it was so lush we didn't want to go home for the night so DH went home and grabbed it and we were pitched and eating burgers within 30 mins.

See if we were camping as planned tonight I would be having my post tent pitch beer by now, seems wrong sitting at home though, what to do?

[Quenelle]

"last weekend we were at the beach and it was so lush we didn't want to go home for the night so DH went home and grabbed it and we were pitched and eating burgers within 30 mins."

Now that's what life's all about Hope your boy's better very soon lost.

[lostinwales]

Oh yeah, can't complain about the lifestyle here. The best thing is that first time we camped my friends asked my 'why the fuck would you want to do that' and last weekend they were all there round the camp fire with me discussing if there was anything more perfect to be doing. S'like living in a bloody boden catalogue round here . Oh the joy of a big field for the children to go feral in. Poxy boy will be better by monday, at least we've got the bug out of the way now not when I'm trying to find a municipal site near Grenoble in a fortnight.

Are any of you serial tent buyers, we seem to have four at the moment

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

Quenelle, our DD adores camping so much she is trying to organise a sleepover in our tent in the back garden.
Oddly enough she hasn't had too many takers *children of diamond merchants round here face#

[MisSalLaneous]

Oh lost, that sounds amazing.

[MegBusset]

Hello everyone, we're going camping for the first time with the kids tomorrow, and with a new tent too, luckily will have friends on hand to help with erection

It's right by the beach so hope to be looking at the sea, in hand, this time tomorrow :)

I've no idea what a Soulpad, Cobb or bell tent are though . Last time we camped was before glamping had been invented!

[RantyMcRantpants]

Lost, did you just pitch up anywhere, not a proper site?

[RantyMcRantpants]

Oh! and while you are all here please can anyone help THIS poster

[lostinwales]

We camp in a farmers field, he has it open for the maximum allowed without planning or something (?). It's just across the dunes from the beach and is a complete nightmare as it's on quite a slope and has no facilities whatsoever, if you want water/the loo you have to hightail it down to the loo block in the beach car park. Worth is for the view of the river and beach and sea. If the gate is open you can camp and Bert the farmer spots you from the farm house and comes down to get a tenner from you.

Have a fab time tomorrow Meg, sitting outside with and a view of the sea is the most perfect way to spend an evening ever. Cobb and Bell Tent WARNING clicking on these links could lead to forming expensive habits!

[BorisTheBold]

Evening all - can I join your gang please?

DH and I used to go camping a fair bit around 8 years ago, but fell out of the habit since the birth of dcs. However, after camping last weekend we've decided to get back in the saddle (or should that be canvas...?) and camp more often.

We've a got a big bad boy, a Wynnster Satellite 12, which seems mental given that there's only 5 of us, but it really doesn't take that long to put up and I love, love, love the extra space for all of my the kids' junk.

We live in the New Forest and have decided to try out some of the local campsites, so that if smallest dc (7m) gets a bit ratty, then it's not too far from home. We went to Ashurst last week and are planning to go here at the end of July.

Unfortunately this, combined with the new Go Outdoors shop which has opened in Southampton, seems to be slowly bankrupting us . I also made the mistake of looking at the "What are you treating yourself to this year" thread and have now ordered two of Slubber's CampingGaz Bivvy kits - damn you . But, did make the mistake of buying a 12v cool box from Halfords before I saw the IceyTek [jealous emoticon]

Am now fighting the temptation to buy a Quechua pop-up...help me.

[Funtimewincies]

Hi Boris, I too have a Wynnster (a Faro 5) and, as you say, pretty easy to put up given the space you get for your cash.

We have no outdoor shops around here, except for a Millets and a Yeomans and they're both too small to sell anything except waterproofs and boots. I have to buy all camping stuff online, so I fill my basket, walk away from the computer for a minimum of 24 hours and then go back and only buy what I actually need .

[SeaShellsAndTheInlawInvasion]

Hi boris we are nearly neighbours :) roundhill is a fab site- aim to the north and east bits of the site as there are blocked off overspill fields and a lvely wood.

[glitterkitty]

Anyone been to the red shoot site- thinking of heading there in a week or so. Is the beer nice?

[SeaShellsAndTheInlawInvasion]

Friends have and enjoyed it. Pub is always packed when we drive by :)

[Vibrant]

Roundhills have a rally field if we were thinking of a meet up. I don't find the wardens that welcoming though. The place I go to in Cornwall for our summer holiday brings you a cuppa while you're pitching!

[Lovecat]

Long meadow is lovely, we went there for the 2nd May bank hol weekend, owners are fab people.

We've already booked a weekend in Bedgebury for the 27th Aug and we don't get back from Trevornick til the 29th July, so I don't know if I could swing it...

Well, I went to Decathlon on the way home from standing in a stream trying not to get hysterical about Weils disease (the facilitator was telling us the lovely tale of how he got it and spent 50 hours being 'flushed out' when he was accidentally splashed in the eyeball so we were all well paranoid) - my God, it was HUGE! 2 big stores next to each other and all the tents up!!

It was useful seeing them up because it has made me realise I don't want a Base Seconds as a utility tent - the idea of having a pop up was luring me in, but I just didn't like the look of it in RL - t'was a bit poky and weird-looking. Anyway, I've already bought a hugely-reduced bright purple/pink tepee tent to use as a loo/utility tent, so I don't need another tent. No. I don't.

So I was relatively restrained and only bought a pair of strangely-fabric-ed trousers to wear instead of my painting jeans, which by then stank of pondslime and were covered in chalk.

But now I know it's there, I WILL be back!!

:( lost, what a pain.

[SalomeD]

Morning All!

Wondering how our neighbours got on with their first night camping. Their Primary held a family camp fundraiser on the playing field with a big communal fry-up this morning.

We wondered what to do with our old Tesco-type dome tent and so we've free-cycled it to them to see if they will catch the camping bug too. Our children normally pass their bugs to each other so its pretty likely they will.

Actually I hated that tent.

Putting it up with DH nearly led to divorce but somehow putting it up with another woman was a much better experience - having a large G&T to hand may have had something to do with it!

Thought i ought to show her how to put it up in their garden as although she had said theyd work it out, as there were no instructions and she hasnt put up a tent before it didnt bode well.

Also, taking the opportunity to colour code the pegs and tent with electrical tape to make it easier for them was a good ide that i had meant to do ages ago.

Whoops! Nattering on a bit - have a lovely sunshiney day everyone

[scaryt]

Morning.

Looks nice out there. But I've got a horrid cold.



Hope your friends enjoyed their night's camping. It was a great evening for it.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

morning.
Went to bed far far too late and then I was too cold and next I was too hot. Just like camping irl. Beautiful morning though and dh is sat outside with the paper and a cuppa.