Help! DH gone camping mad!

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DH went out for a pair of shoes this morning and returned having spent £500 in Go Outdoors on camping gear. We have never been camping. Ever. We have two DCs (DS 7 and DD 5) who are mega excited and I'm a pretty low maintenance kinda gal so do I make him return the gear or throw myself into this camping malarkey? What are the benefits? What the hell do I take? Convince me people!!!

Camping is fab, so long as you have everything you need. What you need depends on the individual. Some have the bare essential, tent, mat, sleeping bag. Other's like me take everything including the kitchen sink.

Once you have the gear, it's very cheap and lots of places don't require booking. It can be a nice weekend so just load the car and away you go.

The best bit, there is a 'all-in-it-together' feeling about camping that you don't get elsewhere. I've never been to a campsite where complete strangers don't lend a hand with tents and stuff to the obvious novices (or us as we're just rubbish) and where the children of the site don't all play and have fun together.

Most important things, make sure you're warm enough to sleep if it's cold, and you have some way of boiling water (coffee, tea, pot noodles).

Oh yeah, and don't forget extra pegs for securing your tent when gale force winds strike.:o

So long as he bought decent sleeping bags and waterproofs I would go for it.

It is great fun, try to find somewhere close by for your first trip and check out where the nearest chippy is so you don't have to cook every night.

Take carrier bags to put your clothes in while you shower and hot water bottles to get you warm when you get into bed.

Have fun and good luck.

Thank you both for your replies, I'm feeling a bit more positive about it today and actually looking forward to trying it out! My main worry is keeping the children warm enough at night really so will have to take plenty of layers!

take hot water bottles!!!!