Who is still going this weekend despite the weather?

[hillbilly]

We are :-) even though dh usually says 20 degrees minimum!

maxmissie Whereabouts in Woodhall Spa were you going to stay?

We goto Bainland - as our tourer is stored there. Fancied a few days this week - but weather is too pants even for a caravan, never mind a tent.

I was quite sad on Tuesday to have to pack up and come home, but since the weather has been atrocious in Birmingham since, I'm glad to be warm and dry

Our tent is damp too, we are waiting till Saturday when hopefully will be dry enough to air it a bit.

Not sure when it will get it's next outing, hope the weather improves soon.

We have chickened out this year and are renting holiday cottages for our summer Hols as we are heading to Wales! I don't think I am hardy enough for camping on Anglesey!!

Yes we've booked a static caravan for our main summer hols (Cornwall), at least we'll have TV if it rains

don't think we'll book anything else ahead of time, just ring round when (if!) a nice weekend comes up.

supernanny we were going to petwood caravan park, never been before but site and location looked great, just couldn't face torrential rain and gale forcewinds! The kids played outside in the rain this afternoon and they and their clothes were soaked, no way we could have dried it all out for the next day if we'd been camping.we're hoping to go there another weekend instead. Have two more camping trips booked for summer hols to Norfolk and the Gower, am hoping weather starts to get better or we won't have a holiday!

And now we've cancelled again!

Home now, warm and dry with loads of washing!
Glad we made decision to come home, there is gales of 70mph tonight

Sorry for those who've had to cancel. It really does look shit for this weekend.

In a tent in the Mendips, Somerset. Next door's tent had the front half of their porch literally ripped off earlier. It's pretty scary. Think it's going to be a long night! Hope anyone else still out in it is safe.

AllOverIt - sorry if I depressed you! But holidays should be about fun - not braving the elements as if you are trying for a Scout's badge! Hope you are able to rebook for a more clement time of year

I'm back after 5 wet and cold nights at Cannock.

New bell tent leaks. Not sure if its because its new, or I pitched it badly (it looked fine) or what. Not loads of water getting in but enough to make me a bit that I've spent over £500 on tent and I'm having to mop up puddles.

And I've realised that a 30kg dry tent weighs a lot more than 30kg when soaking wet. God knows how I got it in the car on my own this morning. It wasn't in its bag, I just bundled it in. Car was rammed full on the way home so will have to shelve my idea of a stove.

Oh and my new icey tek only kept things cool for about 36 hours so don't know where I'm going wrong with that either.

Supposed to be camping tomorrow for two nights but it is so wet here.

I've just seen the weather forecast and they have issued whether warning for tomorrow but Saturday is going to be better.

I don't think i can face pitching the tent in the rain and packing it back up in the rain. Also, I don't have anywhere undercover to dry it out once home.

Doyouthink we really had our most extreme weather camping in Anglesey, I would definitely do a caravan next time.
It is so rubbish the bad weather makes camping so difficult!

Viva - I had the same problem with my bell tent when it first got rained on. I was told here that it's quite normal for it to let in water the first time it gets wet but should be waterproof in future wet weather. Mine has been fine since.

Not sure about the icey-tek. I used mine for the first time at Easter (when it was -2 overnight) and only camped for two nights. I have a couple of bottles of frozen water and one bottle was still frozen on the day we left.

Viva you deffo should not be having to mop up puddles. Could you see where the water was coming in? Depends on who you ask but some say brand spanking new canvas should be weathered (got soaking wet) first. We turned the hose on our tent on its first pitch and all that came through a minimal amount of v fine drizzle, after that nothing.

Did you pre-chill your tekster? And was it packed fairly full of cold/frozen stuff. The fuller it is the better.

We came home today, one day early. Our tents were holding up well, but we were worried to leave them today for a day out, and one of us slept well last night.

Looking forward to snuggling up in my bed tonight .

Listening to the wind howling outside, glad we cancelled our trip, even though it's £60 down the drain...

Ok, the rain came through the hole at the top of the a-frame and then ran down the a frame poles. I had the cap on the top of the a frame but it still came through. There was a small puddle in the middle of the tent at the base of the centre pole.

The worst bits were just at random points round the edge of the tent. Where the overhang bits are on the outside above the vertical wall, dh doesn't think the overhangs are far enough out??? When they got really wet they drooped down in the middle a bit and water was pouring onto the tent wall. I was tightening guy ropes as much as I could which did help a bit.

I didn't pre cool the icey tech. I put in 3 frozen ice blocks, a bag of frozen chilli, a bag of frozen muffins, bottle of cold milk, cold bacon, cold sausages, butter, cheese. So everything that went in was cold, box was prob 3/4 full. I think next time I will try chilling it with some freezer blocks the night before and then putting the food in along with fresh freezer blocks the morning we leave.

We are at South Penquite Farm we didn't try and pitch tent last night but all camped in the Yurt with my parents. Twas very cosy with the wood burner going and everyone slept well despite the wind.

Will be putting tent up in a bit though

We made it! The only times it didn't rain was when we put the tent up and when we took it down. One night was very bad - really gusty and loads of rain but the tent held up well. We'd left our tarp up outside (couldn't be bothered to get wet taking it down after cooking supper) and one pole buckled. I ended up getting wet at 3:30am when I had to go and gather it up. Serves me right for being lazy.

I must thank whoever it was on here who recommended getting into PJs under normal clothes by about 5pm. I insisted that the DDs and I did that and were toasty warm all night. DH, who clambered in to clammy jammys at 10:30pm was cold and grumpy until he finally followed our example.

And thank heavens for the footprint.

7 weeks until we go again!

We have just arrived home from a week at Breck Farm, despite the weather we had a great time. Lovely site, basic facilities but always clean and very friendly and helpful family that run it. This was our first camping trip with all the children and they loved it. We have booked another week at Breck farm in July and can't wait.

orangepippin - we were there from Sunday to Wednesday - isn't it a great site? Where were you camped? We were in the Woodland field about half way down on the right.

issy, i really want to go to south penquite. come post a review when you're home and dry.

Hillbilly- we were camped in the other field, we have booked to go back next month as we didn't get to do all the things we wanted because of the bad weather. I just loved being able to pitch where you want and being able to have a campfire. The whole site felt very relaxed and my dc loved the woods and space to run around and a pig escaping provided lots of entertainment one rainy afternoon.

The weather's been fine here this weekend after all the prophecies of doom! Waiting til tomorrow/Tues to get the 5-day forecast before deciding if we'll go next weekend

we just came back from camping in cornwall, right on the coast. our tent finally buckled from the gale force winds we experienced on the thurs. the pegging out and guys were holding firm but the poles just buckled and snapped with the winds. luckly inlaws were staying in a caravan on same site so we bunked in with them for 2 nights. the only tents which didnt either blow down or look at if they were going to take off were the tiny ones which could use the hedges as protection and the few outwell tents and a few others that had steel poles. def gonna get one next that has steel poles.