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Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

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Original poster

Calling all campers

33 replies

seb1 · 10/05/2006 18:02

Right guys I think I fancy taking up camping, my DH thinks I have lost the plot. I have this idea of a relaxing civilised time drinking wine, odd BBQ and watching the kids play around. tell me what is really like

OP posts:

Blandmum · 10/05/2006 18:08

Just like you think!

We started camping with the kids last year (they were 8 and 5 at the time) The kids get to run around in the fresh air and play like kids! We BBQ a lot, but also eat out.

Will be camping in 2.5 weeks. Can't wait.

And if it rains, it is all part of the adventure. Just make sure you have nice warm sleeping bags and wellies for the kids

Blandmum · 10/05/2006 18:10

PS dh thought I was made, and half way through our sunner holiday he was encouraging me to book this years campsite.

We will be having 14 days in France, with 2 days in Disney and a night in a B and B on the way home. All in £800 for the 4 of us! Including the tickets to Disney and the channel tunnel fees

LucyCampCat · 10/05/2006 19:03

Go for it, get a bigger tent than you think you'll need, wine box, decent site and you'll come back full of the joys of the great outdoors!

oh and get waterproof trousers for the kids too, they stop clothes getting muddy as well as wet!

Original poster

seb1 · 10/05/2006 19:56

Don't you miss mod cons like having your own toilet and shower etc?

OP posts:

Surfermum · 10/05/2006 20:16

I don't like having to traipse across the field just before bedtime, but it's so worth it so as not to wake in the middle of the night desperate for a pee. That is the worst thing about camping IMO. Take a bucket for night-time wees. Last year I used dd's potty and filled it .

But other than that, no I don't miss my own loo and shower. I find roughing it is all part of the fun.

CristinaTheAstonishing · 10/05/2006 20:19

Oh, good luck, Seb. I'm going camping at the end of this month, with my DS and DD. DH is staying at home, he has no desire to join us. He's rather looking forward to a few days of peace and quiet.

sallystrawberry · 10/05/2006 20:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Blandmum · 10/05/2006 20:21

Bucket with a lid!

I worked out that we paid £1800 for two weeks in a caravan in France in the Summer holiday. The same in a tent is far less than £800.

£1000 for 14 pees! Not worth it! Now we go in the tent and save a fortune and actualy have more fun!

CristinaTheAstonishing · 10/05/2006 20:21

DH bought one of those torches that goes on your head (he needs it for his work). I thought I'd borrow it for camping. I don't know when I'd need it but it looks like just the right thing.

sallystrawberry · 10/05/2006 20:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LucyCampCat · 10/05/2006 20:23

mb, lol at £1000 for 14 wees!

CristinaTheAstonishing · 10/05/2006 20:24

The torch has a v strong light. It was £6 in Tchibo or about £15 in Millets.

Blandmum · 10/05/2006 20:26

I am being totaly honest when I tell that was tiped me into the camping lark!

Yes, the caravan was nice, but it was smashing weather and we spent most of our time outside!

Effectly I was paying £1000 for the loo and shower. The facilities on the sit were excellent. Who would be mad enough to shell out £1000 for 14 pees! ?

In the first year we bought all the rig and still saved money. An we enjoy it. Well, dh would rather be in a 5* hotel but agrees that with the kids this isn't a player

Surfermum · 10/05/2006 20:56

That works out about £71.50 per widdle.

LucyCampCat · 10/05/2006 21:03

Even in this country when the weather can be mixed, we spent most of our time outside, so tent/caravan/house we never seemed to be there. You also really feel that you've been away from home as a tent is so different.

The only thing dh really misses is watching the weather forecast on the telly!

cornishmummy · 10/05/2006 21:12

seb1 how old are your kids? Myself and DH used to love camping pre-kids but haven't braved it since! Was chatting about it with a friend today who had the same idea (she's 4m preg and with son of 3 - think she's crazy!!) Mine are 3 and 18m - think it would be ok if guaranteed fine weather. The idea of muddy shoes traipsing through the tent sends shivers down my spine!!

honeyflower · 11/05/2006 11:04

I haven't camped for many a long year, but my kids are desperate to try. Don't fancy shelling out for all the kit and then discovering we don't like it though. Camping experts, are there any sites where you could 'rent a tent' for a weekend to give it a go? Or the camping equivalent of hire car companies?

Thanks!

KBear · 11/05/2006 11:46

Haven, keycamp and eurocamp spring to mind. There is somewhere in Cornwall too but I don't know the company - try google.

BTW - you will LOVE IT.

LucyCampCat · 11/05/2006 14:03

\link{http://www.eurotent.co.uk/index.htm\This} may be what you're looking for, it's at Trevornick Holiday Park just south of Newquay.

Do you have any friends that you could borrow some stuff from for say the weekend?

\link{http://www.obicamping.co.uk/services.php\This} company does frame tent hire, although you could buy a basic one for £60 from Argos! then flog it on ebay if you decide it's not for you!

PeachyClair · 11/05/2006 14:44

Camping YAY!

Nodes Point on the Isle of Wight (our fave won't be long) rent out tents, or you can have our spare for £30, used once? No? wortha try

\link{http://www.nodespoint.com/\here for Nodes Point}

We spend our time drinking, having barbecued fish bought from the Quayside and tent spotting . But you'll get that after your first trip, won't she Luce?

fennel · 11/05/2006 14:55

if you want to rent a tent in Cornwall I think there are wigwams for rent somewhere, they sound lovely.

LucyCampCat · 11/05/2006 18:15

oh yes tent spotting one of my favourite hobbies or should that be

honeyflower · 11/05/2006 20:37

wow, that's fantastically helpful, thank you all so much. Seems like borrowing or just taking the plunge might be the best way to go, though.

On the other hand, I did a bit of googling and tracked down some amazing tipis - not just in Cornwall either, there's some in West Wales too (big surprise!), Herefordshire, on the Isle of Wight, the Yorkshire dales... Not cheap, but magical. And then there are yurt holidays in Devon, Cornwall, Pembrokeshire. A yurt shopping thread, now there's a thought...

Thanks again for all the info.

UCM · 12/05/2006 06:58

relaxed, civilised, drinking wine, odd BBQ and watching the kids play is lovely........it's fantastic and you get a feelling like no other when you are camping, the freedom from the tv, work, mundane housework, news, lovely country fresh air, great walks, chance to see places you wouldn't normally cos a hotel would be wayyyyyyy to expensive (for me anyway). If you don't like your site after 2 days pack up and move to another, I could go on & on & on Cooking on a camping stove is fun and the food tastes 100 times better than it does at your dining table. As someone has already said, not having the mod cons & roughing it is part of the fun.

But if it rains, it can be crap unless you have a big enough tent which you can sit/cook in.

UCM · 12/05/2006 07:01

I have been looking dreamily at this site and weighing up Cornwall or Devon

\link{http://www.parkdeanholidays.co.uk/browse-parks.htm\here}

They all look fabby but as it's just me DH & DS, I think I need some evening entertainment.

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