How long is your camping season?

[Wondermoomin]

We went on our first family camping trip this summer, had a very hot few days and comfortable temperature nights.

I'm thinking about camping at different times of the year and wondering: how long is your camping season? As in, when in the year do you start to camp and when in the year do you stop?

We are in a tent, no EHU or fancy beds or anything just simple foam insulation mats, sleeping bags and blankets.

In our tent we camp from early April to September. The rest of the year we hire a shepherds hut or similar just so we don't have to take so much gear or spend ages pitching and packing up. Esp if it's wet!

We have a "tin tent" / Campervan so go all year round. Last night I was amazed at the tents out in those winds (we were camping on N.Norfolk. Coast so very gusty) and watched several awnings being blown off caravans!
When we had canvas it was from Easter or May until Sept at most.

Depending on weather but usually I'd say from end of April/beginning of May until end of September. Next weekend will be our last camping of the year. We have SIMs, sleeping bags and blankets.

Hmm so Easter hols might be borderline - think we'll just do a last minute thing if it ends up being nice. I think May half term definitely sounds like a go-er. Going to try for more than one trip next year, we were so busy this year with other things that we just managed to catch the end of the summer holidays.

We have camped at Easter a few times, it was miserable in a tent. Much better in a campervan or caravan. The ground is just too cold. September was our autumn limit. You can still get a lovely weekend and the ground is still warm

Used to be March to October. But I'm getting older now...
Seriously, more layers of clothes- proper merino baselayer- and more layers of bedding, what difference does a bit of cool make?
And hats. Wooly hats. Morning ,noon, and night.

Probably wouldn't bother if wasn't camping somewhere you can light a fire in the evening.

Depends on the weather. I would love to have gone over the next few weekends but I'm not camping on wet muddy / waterlogged ground, coming home with a wet tent and having to find time to dry it amongst yet more rain.

We went to Longleat at the end of May and I almost cried with the cold and I am not a softy!!

I swim in sea April to December but my camping season would be the five minutes when I saw a VW camper van drive past.

We're going this weekend with a 3,2 and 7 month old

We went camping at Easter once in North Devon. Never again. The weather was glorious - beautiful sunshine every day. At night it was absolutely freezing. I couldn't sleep because I was so cold (wearing umpteen layers, hat, gloves, thick sleepung bag and blanket). There was a light frost one morning!

I read somewhere that it's much better to go in autumn than spring because the earth is warmer after summer than it is after winter. I'm not going in autumn either though - summer holidays only for me!

Early may till around now. Slightly shorter when the dc were under one.
April and October I would probably do a caravan instead.

We went last weekend. It was bloody freezing and damp. Never again !

We have camped all year round with a tent with a stove for a while but do you know what ..... I am selling it, I am going back to camping from May to Sept and renting a cottage the rest of the year. .

The other thing is that camping early or late in the season is riskier... There are plenty of April or October weekends where the weather will be lovely for camping, but if you need to book ahead then the chances are that it will be cold and/or wet

Early April to end of the summer holidays. We have a tent good sleeping bags, electric heater all night and gas heater for when we're sat chatting in the evening.

I wouldn't use any kind of heater in August!
Or ever, really, except a campfire to sit round.

Easter was cold this year. I wouldn't plan on it but April can be nice as a last-minute thing.

We're stuck by school from September onwards. The odd weekend would be lovely but we're too lazy to do all that work for one or two nights . October half term is late here, into November, which is DEFINITELY too late for camping.

So realistically for us it's May half term and summer holidays.

We went on the first bank holiday in May and despite layered blankets, hats etc the night was freezing, I got little sleep, just lay there teeth chattering wishing I didn't need to get up for a wee.
The kids slept really well, perhaps they had more layers. Trouble with camping this late in the year is getting the tent dry even in a warm day, everything is so damp. I have friends that go in cold weather. They take the EHU and an electric heater..

I’ve camped in February half term in my tent ( and yes it snowed) .
I use a smaller thick canvas tent with EHU so a good heater too. Was toasty in the tent but night time trips to the loo/ early mornings outside tent not so jolly.
Without a heater I wouldn’t be happy camping until May bank holiday .
I’ve also camped happily October half term but only with a heater.