Need encouragement and tips now!

[ComfyOldPants]

So I’ve taken the plunge and bought a tent! Gone for the eurohike Hampton 4 and intending to use it mainly just me and DD, DH reckons he hates camping so he can just sod off. insert laughing emoji

Anyone in the same boat lately? Not done camping much and haven’t camped/caravanned for absolutely ages.

Shall I do a short trial trip close to home for a few nights first, or just take the plunge and do a week somewhere?

i would do 4 nights around 1 hour from home. That way, you get a trial run, and if you truly hate it you can come home early.
just a quick tip: the readybeds are fab for kids, they blow up really easily and my dc slept better on them than sleeping bags and mats x

Have a practice run at putting the tent up before you go. Work out how it works, and how to pack it back up again. Take a mallet for the tent pegs

How old is DD?
I’d probably be tempted to pack and prepare for a week, but you can always come back sooner if you want.

Choose somewhere with a pub near by so you don’t have to cook every night.

Ricekrispie she’s 3.5 and does like to be helpful a fair bit (mainly putting food in shopping trolley and with the laundry) so she wouldn’t be able to do heavy lifting but could try holding tent bits in place I guess.

DH used to take DS camping when he was little. Their first 'trip' was camping in the back garden when DS was 4. (Only allowed in house to use downstairs toilet!) Once they'd mastered that and he knew DS was up for more they went further afield.

Great choice of tent!

I would start with 3 nights, say, because that will give you enough time to know what kit you need / don’t need for a longer holiday.

For camping with a child that age I would say take a Kampa Khazi or similiar so that you don’t need to leave her unattended if you need a wee after she has gone to bed, or to avoid taking her out if the tent in the middle of the night.

I would start by not overloading yourselves with kit. I have a table, a small table, and camping chairs. I have upgraded to a cupboard but only take it on longer trips.

My favourite little ‘make it easier’ kit;
A collapsing washing up bowl with handles so it can be carried to the sink with one hand.

S hooks / butchers hooks to hang over the top of the shower door: never enough hooks.

Take a 5l flagon of water from the supermarket and keep topping it up as your water carrier.

You will have a great time!

We're planning on going in a couple of weeks.

Never camped before, we are planning on going for 3 nights, but we are travelling quite far. It probably would be sensible to go closer to home, but we really don't want to miss our annual trip to Cornwall, so we are just going to go for it.

We are taking tent, camping chairs, airbeds, sleeping bags, table, stove and cooking/washing up stuff. Where we are staying there's loads of shops, pubs and restaurants, so hopefully we will be fine.

We garden camped for a few nights, got the hang of putting the tent up and away without making a complete fool of myself (ours was a montana 6 back then, so singlehanded needed a knack).

Our first trip away was three nights in Forest of Dean, couple of hours from home.

We rented out our home and spent a full year camping around Europe with DSs 2 & 3.

www.au-revoir.eu

Thanks for the ideas everyone! Keep them coming!

RedBarrows I went for it in the end as I loved how big the windows are, and I was after something where you can stand up in it!

I live about 5 minutes away from a gigantic towsure, plus other outdoorsy shops not that far either (obviously there’s online shopping for equipment too) so all the kit is easy to get.

I was thinking maybe somewhere around Sherwood Forest which would be about 1hr away.

@ComfyOldPants Have a look at Teversall - great site with good facilities and plenty to do close by. Should be fairly convenient for you.

I would go for 2-3 nights to start with, have a practice run in the garden and just enjoy it.

I've just booked a last minute 2 night trip for my DD (2.5 years old) and I. I'm both excited and terrified! I have camped with DH before but this is the first time I'm going solo with our DD eek! I don't quite know how I'm going to manage putting up the tent on my own 🤔 and how DD will manage at bedtimes, and what godawful time she'll be up in the mornings...!

I've booked onto a site called Middlehills Farm just outside of Matlock, which is about 1.5hours away. It has a play area and some farm animals to keep dd entertained. I'm planning on taking lots of wine and hoping the fresh air helps her sleep!!

Good luck OP I'm sure you'll have funl

How lovely for you and DD. There's nothing quite like sitting outside looking at the stars listening to the world go by in the distance.

My top tips would be:

Paper Plates
Fairy lights
Some cotton rugs that fold and wash
A posh blankie

Last, but definitely not least, don't go to Billing Aquadrome.

@ComfyOldPants DH reckons he hates camping so he can just sod off. insert laughing emoji
Same here! Dh has flatly refused to contemplate family camping. I borrowed a tent, left dh at home and took the dc away with some friends and their dc last week. We absolutely loved it. I've spent the last few days eyeing up the millets sale

I'm thinking about the eurohike Rydal 600.

Thought he’d decided against it, but DH has gone all the way to Cornwall for 3 nights (Satnav said 5.5 hrs) so we’ll see what his opinion on camping is when he gets back. He’s ‘slumming it’ in a 2-man tent and he and his mates will be trying surfing among other stuff.

Myself and DD haven’t gone. The idea of not setting off until the afternoon filled me with dread (DD loves a car nap!). It’s a shame about not going though, I’m sure she’d love it once there.

On the plus side though, a day off work tomorrow means I might get DD’s bedroom repainted, and I’ve my parents have some old camping bits they don’t use now!