ok-it *IS* going to be raining this weekend...

[filchthemildmanneredjanitor]

and it is going to be wet under foot and muddy.

what should i know about bad weather camping?
we all have wellies and the boys have waterproof trousers.

what special precautions do i need to take to prevent the tent blowing away at night? am worried about the soft wet earth not providing any grip for the tent pegs.

anything else i should know?

We are going on first camping trip with DD this weekend. In Dorset. Have been loads of times before we had her, didn;t even mind rain. But she is only 2 and think it will be rather tricky to entertain her. And she hates being dirty and wet. No point in trying to tell DH this though. He's down there today putting tent up and claiming our pitch.....

Latest forecast for where we are going ahs improved so showers Saturday then sun! yay!

Skip waterproof trews imo- shorts in all weathers here, they don't drag in the mud. And crocs, as they just rinse clean muddy or dry.

(remember the ewarning ends on Saturday at mid day so you should be able to pitch after)

well the car is being loaded as we speak. dc still don't know we're going yet. think you will here the screams of delight wherever you are at about 3:15

where are you going Mary? Its very wet here in Bournemouth

Merley court near Wimbourne. Not coming till tomorrow, so hopefully it will have dried up a bit by then [please].

Hope so

if not we'll knock on your door

Do you know the area well? I mean do you know places to go if its wet.

sorry, went off packing. we know weymouth area better. but any tips are welcome

Well most of the places I know are in Bournemouth really but thats not far

Theres the Oceanarium at Bournemouth pier

All Fired Up in Bournemouth town centre

Splashdown at Tower Park near Poole which also has a bowling alley, a cinema and lots of places to eat. See here

And if your children are young enough to like ball pits theres Serendipity Sams in Christchurch

we are off on virgin trip with new tent tomorrow for some reason we haven't really considered the "just not going" option - I think we are all looking forward to getting out of London too much
going to ellscot park near chicester if anyone knows it - don't think there are any severe flood warnings there, yet

Maybe find some kind of derelict industrial unit to camp in? Which festival are you going to?

no festival no real reason to go, other than it's been planned for months

but then I am Irish - a bit of rain rarely makes me deviate from my chosen path as I grew up soaked in the stuff

Have just found this thread while searching 'wet weather activities ringwood'!! We are currently sitting in a tent with 2 under 2s wondering what to do in torrential rain - think we'll go to the aquarium - thanks for links dustyFawkes!

This is a four year old thread!!

although to be fair, the weather hasn't exactly improved much, has it?

and my advice still stands!
That was our last 'camping in the English summer' - I teach 'the floods of 2007' in my GCSE Geog class

Just logging in from the Loire - weather a bit cool so we're heading on South tomorrow I may not be back for a while depends on the wifi.
Is it too early to open a bottle of rose? mmm maybe yes

Certainly not. You're an hour ahead of us, non ? How's the trip going?

Fantastic - French roads as great as ever, campsites a bit quiet though. Not many English due to the appalling exchange rate- and the weather has been shocking for the last few weeks. although talking to people here who have moved north, the weather in the Dordogne has been even worse. One family were near Sarlat and had rain every day for a fortnight!
Show me the Med

Well I've just come back from a week on Mallorca where it rained for TWO days out of my 7. That was not what I signed up for.

I'm boring everyone senseless with my worries about camping in Wales next week. Thing is, I KNOW it's going to tip it down, so I should just prepare accordingly and plan to come home after two days if that's the case