Chat around the Campfire....

[SeaShellsUnderCanvas]

So last year we had a general chat thread for bragging/nattering/safe havens from when the trolls were out in the main boards! Thought we would start one again as it was lovely!

Man finds leak with a toothbrush.

Angryfeet, have you been to Wellington Country Park before? It's not that far off from us and I was wondering if it'd feel far enough. What's it like using the facilities after closing?

Thanks, Chippy. Am watching.

My iceytek has had its first trip out too. However, the weather was so bloomin cold that I don't think it was really needed but it did look fabulous and the gorgeous orange colour co-ordinated beautifully with the bell end tent!

My trips so far:
Just got back this morning from the coldest camping trip I have ever experienced
End of Whitsun half term for two nights
Maybe a night or two earlier in the week of Whitsun but haven't booked yet so might be too late to get a pitch.

The best bit of my recent camping trip was being able to put up my tarp properly.

Can I join?

Don't have a bell tent or an Iceytek but have just booked two trips.

Off to Hadrian's Wall at Whit and then camping in a lovely site we went to last year in Brittany in July.

Evening chaps

I too have given in to the icey-tek peer pressure. Mine is yellow, arrived today and I've just caught dh stroking it . He's a scientist (materials, coatings, nano shit) and is getting disturbingly excited about it and keeps muttering about 'intelligent materials' and thermo-something properties. Weirdo .

We've not camped yet this year (lightweight). We're in Bala in May, Conwy in June and hopefully Derbyshire and Yorkshire in August, with a couple of last minute weekenders thrown in.

I'm also itching to get the camping gear out and sorted. Trip to the new GoOutdoors planned for tomorrow .

Hadrian's Wall sounds lovely, Smugmum! I had a very drunken field trip up there (in the Twice Brewed YH) when I was a student. Put me off Bacardi for life, it did...

Funtimes, I wish my DH were as excited about the icey-box as I am. He just said 'oh, that it?' and was a little meh. He'll be meh-ing on the other side of his face when he enjoys an ice-cold beer (or hell, even an ice lolly) in the sub-tropical heatwave that I'm sure we're due in a few weeks' time...

Another IceyTek/bell tent sheep convert here.

Doing an overnighter this weekend to avoid having to cook and force the kids to be outdoors whether they like it or not try out the new setup, wanted to go last weekend but made the mistake of reading the weather forecast, which lied and said rain. One wasted weekend of sunshine later and I don't read the weather forecast any more.

As an aside, HOW big are IceyTeks?! Our old bog standard coolbox looks puny and pathetic next to the 40l orange behemoth, dh had a great time hiding in the box it came in to scare the dog

I'd like to join too please.

We are going to Isle of wight for June half term and have a trip to Hoborne costswold in July.

I'm very interested to find out what people think of Wellington country park as that's near me. Can anyone confirm they have showers and loos there?

Hi
Am awaiting delivery of bell tent in time to camp mull of kintyre bank holiday weekend, the isle of Mull late June.

Am concerned about the chill factor - have just been discussing woolly hats and duvets with a bored DP

:throws on another log:

I'm still waiting for my Icey Tek as I went for the white which was on the ship...should arrive very soon, I hope. No camping yet, but we did spend a night on a narrowboat, whic has some camping features, and DS slept under the awning thingy at the front.

Chippy - your SIM sock wheeze is genius. But how on earth do you all fit so much in the car? Extra sleeping bags? I only have one child and the car bursts at the seams.

Another tek fan here. Bit worried about how cold it is at night, hoping it warms up soon as son's medication can't freeze. Will have to stick it Down my sleeping bag at night. Ike the idea of the sim sleeves, wonder if dh would notice that I've upgraded to a 10cm thick beauty!

oooh, where did you get a 10cm SIM?

I cannot buy any more sleeping stuff, though.

Aboutlastnight, DH and I spent a wonderful week camping on Mull, pre-DC. We had the most amazing weather while everywhere else in the UK had pissing rain. Best place we camped was Calgary beach - a sort of wild site, though there was a public loo the other side of the road. And a stream to keep drinks cool in.

I'd love to camp in Scotland again. So beautiful. Long way from home if the kids kick off amd I want to get my screaming baby off a campsite, quickly!

Blu, I went to my local camping gear place for camping gas and came out with a 10cm sim, fab new sleeping bag, a folding BBQ and gas. They must love me. I've eyeballed some vry good foldy chairs too.

We'll be dragging the VW out later this year when DC3 is here!!
We will DEFINITELY be installing a TV though before we go anywhere in it, as DC4 is NOT an option
Disneyland Paris combined with DHs birthday last July = a not more of a souvenir than we originally planned to bring back from our hols!!!!!!

A BIT more of a souvenir!!!

. Sometimes ehu can be a good idea!

Ooh hello everyone. I loved last year's campfire threads, although they moved so fast I had trouble keeping up with them a lot of the time.

I'm afraid, even though DH had chronic bell end tent envy in the New Forest last year, we're non Icy-Tek, non bell tenters. We have a big 6 man tent for 3 of us but DH likes to keep it minimalistic. I think I would describe our style as 'army surplus+'.

We've got two weeks booked in France in June. Eight nights in a small site in the Dordogne, two overnight stops there and three back to Calais (using wonderful 4 man pop-up). It will be planned to the nth degree, mainly because DH hates not knowing where he's going to end up the end of each day, but also because I love planning holidays. I'm already working on next year's. LostinWales your itinerary is providing me with inspiration, it sounds fab.

We're planning at least one weekend in May before the big trip. There's a small site in Tring we've been meaning to try. And I'm going to look at this Wellington Park mentioned several times upthread. It has everything DS could ever want. Well, except killer whales and dinosaurs, probably.

Well, here's to lots of chats round the campfire with you all this year .

Hello everyone - I'm dying to get the camping stuff out of storage and be in a field! DH has a minimum temperature level of 20 degrees though for camping so fingers crossed for the May Day weekend when I hope to be going to www.townfarmcamping.co.uk.

This year I've got new pod sleeping bags and a lovely little table. Jus need a windbreak now.....

I also bought these for myself and all my friends and family at Christmas www.keapbeeproducts.com/wine-glass-clamp

Hi hillbilly that's where we're hoping to go in May too, although not bank holiday. Have you been before? We haven't but we passed it last weekend. The location is brilliant.

Goodness hillbilly you don't live up to your name, stemmed wine glasses for camping? What's wrong with chucking your brew out of your plastic cup and pouring wine in once it hits 6pm?

My itinery isn't exactly detailed yet Quenelle, ferry booked to Bilbao, planning on going to a waterpark in Bordeaux around 20th August and meet family in Brittany around 22nd. No plan made about how to get back to Wales yet. I was like your DH, always wanting to know where I would be at night so I dreaded last years trip, we had Alan Roger's book (very good I found) and basically found somewhere to camp, stayed 3 nights and then looked in the book again. Apart from the day where we drove 6 hours and were literally the last tent allowed on the site it was amazing, I can't wait to do it again.

Never been before - we usually go to Sussex or Kent (forgewood is a firm favourite) but the kids have language school on Sat afternoons in north London so we want to just go somewhere after they finish which is not too far. Mixed reviews so fingers crossed!