What are your camping resolutions?

[Ffuntimewincies]

With temperatures here in Wales finally above 5 degC, a dry weekend forcast and the roof box back on, I declare the 2013 camping season officially OPEN!

This year, I will...

a) If booking weeks/months in advance I will only choose sites that allow campfires to avoid the grimness that was a weeks camping in August, in Yorkshire, in the pouring freezing rain .

b) Only take the cooking/eating equipment we actually need rather than enough to cater for an entire army battalion.

c) Put a limit on the number of pairs of shoes/boots that dh can take. His feet are a size 13 and 2 pairs of his boots fill the shoe bucket and take up half the boot.

What are your resolutions for this year's camping?

Sell the tent

We got rid of the main one last year and the back up one will go this year hopefully. After switching to a caravan I have promised myself that I will never spend another night under canvas

< wildly applauds opening ceremony and opens cider >

Our #1 resolution is to go more often this year. We had great plans to take off for regular weekends away last year but it just didn't happen. This was mainly due to the weather but also because we didn't get our arses in gear when there was a good forecast. We are going to Provence for two weeks in the summer, which should guarantee at least some sunshine, but I want to go for more weekends in the UK too.

#2 is to relax more and make DH relax more. When we went to France last year it was probably a week before DH unclenched, which made me uptight too. I hope he will chill out a bit more this year so we can all enjoy the freedom and relaxation camping's supposed to provide.

Here's to a great summer under canvas

Have a 7 month old dd so not sure if camping is on the agenda this year but if it is I pledge I will put the tent away properly. Not just shove it in any old how.

I will not take four outfits for one weekend when I know ill live in the same clothes.

I will find a way to stop the air bed deflating midway through the night.

New air bed?

Signet ditch the airbed they are the devils work cold and ALWAYS deflate. Get a good SIM instead.

My resolutions:
To to get myself a really good eye mask.
Learn to whittle, nothing like it next to the campfire but I haven't got any further than making a pointy stick for marshmallows yet!

Pack the night before instead of spending half of Saturday shooing the kids away while we pack.

Perfect the packing spreadsheet for improved efficiency of the above.

Stop buying camping stuff and actually GO CAMPING!

Keep meaning to but just never got round to it!

Stop buying camping equipment and go camping....often.

I've thought of another one (after getting caught out AGAIN this weekend) - take more butane cannisters!

To never go camping again and go to Centre Parcs or a cottage instead.

Spoilsport!

To camp more

I'm sitting here looking smugly at my lovely caravan with its hot water, actually usable shower, heating and built in fridge freezer wondering why I ever agreed to a tent.

We had a huge tent, electric hook up, tv for the sullen teenagers etc and its still remembered chez jins as the worst thing we've ever done as a family. Awful. And we went 3 times before the kids threatened to leave home if we ever mentioned camping again.

To never sleep under canvas again. Ever.

1. to go again and again and again (and get SIMs)

1. to not forget to bid on 2 SIMs on eBay that went yesterday for £5[bitter]

1. to pack the suncream! (burnt nose this weekend - huzzah for outdoors)

1. to pack (even) less

What are SIMs?

Self Inflating Mattress = SIM

Also known as thermarest (brand name).

Ah, thank you. Sound good.

Too not try and persuade dh that he loves camping. He doesn't. So, little and often as a family only on weekends when there is good weather.

More semi wild camping for boys and I, weather permitting.

I have exams in November so might not manage much this year though ...

Rememberingnothing you can get cheap Sims in Aldi that are fab - approx 15 quid each. No need to splash out on thermarests. Don't think they sell them all the time though so keep an eye out for their camping event....