what do i do

[softmusk]

been thinking about going camping

i have no stuff no idea what i need and good places to go and how much camp sites cost

can any one help at all any ideas would be good

by the way there are 4 off us children being 1 and 2

cheers

tent at least four berth probably more if you want room to move around I prefer sewn in groundsheet go on ukcampsite for ideas about tents and reviews of campsites

sleeping bags/not sure what you'd use for a one yr old someone else would know but our dd2 (2 last year) stays in a My First Ready Bed and that's ok with blankets on top

airbeds/beds/roll mats

cooker at least one ring

pots and pans

picnic rugs

warm clothes for night

wine

You can go anywhere in a tent - we find seaside really good for camping, waking up right by the beach is great

cost anything from 12 - 25 (ish) a night for a family - give or take a few quid either way

loads of other stuff will post again when I can remember.

cheers if taking kids would go for a tent with one bed room or two

my dp bit warry of doing this as said not sure if would feel safe

you can get tents where there is one entrance but the room is spilt by a sheet of material rather than an entrance with one room at each end - my friend has this and doesn't feel safe having a child in one room on their own.

There are some tents where they have 2bedrooms with an interconnecting panel which you can have ipped shut or rolled back. So it can be one big bedroom when kids are smaller and seperate when they get older.

We have dd who's 6 in with us, mainly 'cos I think she would be cold on her own and also she would be scared.

As our dd2 is only 3, we've gone for one with two bedrooms next door to each other as opposed to at the opposite end of the tent, but it's got a zip down the middle so you can have privacy but they're right next to you. Ours is 8 berth though(!), so at the other end there's another detachable bedroom for when they're older and we can perhaps be a bit more relaxed.

WHOA STOP!!!

Why not consider borrowing a tent and kit from a freind or MNetter. I wouldn't spend lots of money then find out its not really your thing.

Your nightly fees will probably included a pitch fee then a charge per person, or per family. You might pay extra for electric or if you are a non member if they belong to an association like the Caravan and Camping Club.

For example..
............... High Mid Low
........Adult £7.25 £5.60 £4.90
.........Child £2.25 £2.15 £2.15
Special family deal £17.90 £14.45

Club Service Pitch (per pitch, per night) £2.75

Oh yes, better to borrow a tent first. Or go to a site where they are pre-erected (but then you won't get practice at putting one up) - can be a bit pricey, too.

if you want to spend actual money Halfords have got a brilliant offer atm www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&mpe_id=11551&jspStoreDir=HalfordsConsumerDirect&intv_id=39501&partNumber=281048&evtype=CpgnClick&langId=-1&catalogId=10151&ddkey=ClickInfo

hi there
where do you live - roughly. we spent a valuable couple of hours at a local camping shop which has loads of different tents up so that you can walk around them. It certainly made us look at some that we might not have considered - or heard of and we ended up with a pretty good deal too - (when we mentioned some web prices for similar equipment that was cheaper than theirs, they were happy to reduce som eprices.

Grobags (and a blanket on top) for your tiny kids, look on Ebay if you don't have any, you can get 18-36m sizes.
Our tent has a roll-up-able sheet between the 2 double sleeping compartments but each has its own zip-up door. This is great because the kids (3 and 1 last yr) can't reach the zip and I can get to the kids under the sheet thing if necessary.
Don't use lilos as they will roll off them and get stuck down the gap! We have 2 double self-inflating mats, only an inch or two high and less squeaky than lilos too.

that reminds me - airbeds can can very cold at night and we found that putting the really cheap camping mats (or yoga mats) under them insulated the beds and kept us much warmer

i put his up on another thread but we found the most amazing site last year near St Agnes in Cornwall. As a bonus they have a couple of ready pitched tents with a small fridge, cooker and airbeds - certainly made for a stress free start to the holiday not to have to put the tent up. It might be worth giving it a try this year before comitting yourself to buying all the gear. It is also in the most wonderful setting and within walking distance to the beach Blue Hills

thank u all for all ya advice