Anyone camp without a car? Or is it impossible?

[ChittinIt]

We don't own one. Can't afford one.

I've come into about £600 and was thinking of a holiday, but then thought why not spend it on a tent and some bits and have the provisions for many holidays!

Is a car essential to camp though? Theres 6 of us.

I know people who go camping by train and carry their kit, but they're a young couple with no kids. We are a family of three (2 adults one nearly-6 year old) and have a small car and camped this weekend. Husband and I had two rows - one about packing to go, and one about packing to come home - just not enough room in our car! AND I only took one bottle of wine, so it wasn't over-packing.

Are you thinking of hiring a car or going by train? If you have four teenagers who can carry stuff you might manage. I should tell you that I am a wuss. Lots of people manage, it's just that I don't think I could! I'll be interested in others replies to find out how much of a wuss I am....

How young are your DC's? Could they carry a rucksack with bed roll, camp stool and a few changes of clothes?

We've camped on cycles a few times (only on long weekends though - 3 nights max).

They range from 3yrs to 9 yrs so not really!

Slubber went camping in France with her 2 dd's on the train. Hopefully she'll be along soon to answer your questions.... I'm sure there was another lady who went to the scilly Isles without a car to but can't remember her name.

I'm in the process of getting kit together in order to backpack camp with dh and my boys aged 6 and 8 in a couple of years. I'm not sure how far £600 would get you with ultralight kit to carry but if you were planning big wheely cases and a train so stuff didn't need to be as light then you might manage.

Good luck!

Could you get something like a Vango Icarus 600 or similar and strap it to a trolley thing? Then backpacks for the adults could accomodate a few changes of clothes for everyone and some basic cooking stuff. Perhaps each child could carry a little backpack with a mug, bowl, spork and perhaps some small toys or something. The older ones could carry their sleeping bags too perhaps?

Everyone could sleep on a SIM or a small airbed like this maybe: www.sportsdirect.com/gelert-six-tube-air-mattress-782168?colcode=78216803

You could take a picnic rug for the children and adults could perhaps have something like this: www.gooutdoors.co.uk/anywhere-chair-blue--p152359?gclid=CMf1x8aKxb8CFVHMtAodkRQAjA.

Yup, we did south of France (plus a 3 night stay in Paris at the end to do Disney) on the train. Worked really well and we are already starting to plan a similar trip next year.

X2 lightweight tents (one 3 man, one two man)
1 tarp (to put over both of them to give us a shaded/protected living space in between
X4 sims
X4 lightweight sleeping bags
X4 camping pillows
X2 teeny small chairs
X4 sit mats
Minimal clothes, towels, toiletries.

We did take a stove and little bowls, mugs, sporks, knife etc but used that very little as we just mainly ate bread, ham, fruit, yoghurts etc.

You buy your food and then eat it. No food stored anywhere.
Cold wine from the campsite shop/ bar at night.

It's perfectly doable, but I'm not sure how much fun it would have been if the weather had been syphilitic. In France it was lovely, so your tents just become somewhere to kip and leave your clothes.

We carried it all in two large wheely bags and two large rucksacks. The dds had a small rucksack each for books/small toy each.

Next time we won't bother with the cooking/eating paraphernalia.

We have camped sonce the kids were small, and have never had a car.

Trolleys are your friends, get one to put your tent on/in and another for the other adult to carry. Then you wear backpacks.

Pack small, the pocket rocket stove has served us well . investigate campsites near train or bus routes so you aren't lugging your stuff too far.
The travelling is part of the adventure :)

My OH wants to do this, just the two of us. I think he wants to get pissed on the train.

My OH just pointed out our neighbour is a taxi driver with a 16 seater van! So it might not be trains after all.

Am looking into equipment now. Do you think 400 could cover everything equipment wise? Am a complete novice.