Lucycat, Peachy, Sallystrawberry and others of their ilk, a small question.

[Slubberdegullion]

OK so 2008 is the year that DH will fall madly in love with camping and let me buy a big beautiful tent.

I would like to get a campsite reference book, you know that lists loo cleanliness, nearness to beach, likelyhood of shouting drunken morons at 2am, that sort of thing. Could you recommend one please.

I have a small plan forming about setting forth for the 2nd May bank holiday.

Oh and Lucycat have you seen the new Outwell Wolf Lake? I am having some quite strong loving feelings about it just looking at the picture.

oooh a camping thread when it's cold and wet outside goodee.

We have the AA Camping Guide which is pretty good, I think it's this one?

If you join the Camping and Caravanning Club then they send you a BIG BOOK which has lots of sites in it too.

I then head over to ukcamping and check out reviews.
I also heart the Wolf Lake - this is a good price! if you can call over £800 a good price for a tent!

If you want a pretty book then Cool Camping is good to browse through but a bit 'arty-farty-snooty' camping for my tastes!

Ah yes I am currently 'using up' the rest of my Christmas cake .

So what are the advantages of joining the CCC then (apart from car window sticker that marks you as a camper)?

I was over on ukcampsite earlier on and read that vango are bringing out a range of polycottons this year....am bizarrely excited about that despite it being january.

I leafed thro' cool camping in waterstones. Very family Boden goes camping, and weird recipes for doing wholesome nonsense on an open fire. ha

Cool camping is a gorgeous book, but I mostly do my planning on UKcamping website. Also joined Camping and Caravan club, this gives you a brilliant book listing loads of campsites, discount at some camping shops, and on their own sites, and access to lots of very small sites, which are open to members only www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/

tbh we aren't members of the CCC at the moment as where we live isn't great for 'weekend' camping - even N Wales is a couple of hours (to the decent bits) so we wouldn't get the benefit of the membership. You do get discounts on sites though.

There is a new site in Delamere Forest that we may try this year which is a CCC one - so I may join. That would be fairly close for you too wouldn't it?

Thanks minum. Only £33 to join. A bargain I think. Do the CCC sites attract the great unwashed noisy yoof types less?

yes Lucycat, Delamere is just 10mins up the road. It is v swampy and midge fest central so not sure I would want to camp there. Maybe the site is in a breesy field though

The C&C sites are nice and quiet, and lovely people, but we are going for more noisy sites this year DS age 13 and 9 need more entertainment, so I'll have to live with the downsides!

Another fan of the UKcampsite route here- its free for a start [wink. We are actually ditching our CCC membership after a v bad experience in the last weekend of last year, have decided that all in all its not worth it- the only one we'll miss is Mendip but TBH there's another site we love just metres away, and the forest camping sites are all open to anyone anyway.

Ah, well nice and quiet and lovely is just me all over , and my two (2&3) are entertained by sleeping near grass inside a pink sleeping bag so the ccc sites sound perfect.

Now how to convince Dh to cough up and join when the weather is so syphillitic??

I wish UK campsite wasn't so yellow it gives me a headache. I do love it though. I have nothing to say but lurking on there gives you the same calming effect as stroking a big fat retriver.

you can change the background on ukcampsite mine is green! Go to Members Only - then scroll down to Your membership profile and change your background colour!

The titles are still yellow but the surround is much easier on the eye!

Agree with the yellow slubber LOL!

We're not buying this year but I have taken a liking to the Vango Amazon (and its got a carpert! Yippeee )- dh though has taken a liking to this- ic an't find the Ontario listed in the range after only a year but instead they seem to have avstly expanded on the Ontario, using it as a basis for several models. Wondering if Gelert and Khyam linked now as well? (because of the khyam Quebec which was a gelert model last year)

fantastic, thanks Lucycat. Of to change to a soothing sage green now.

Peachy, I see a fair few manufacturers have got into the old carpets this year.

Outwell's new childrens inner tent/pod jungle look made me lol, what a revolting pile o'shite .

DH made an extraordinary promise last year that IF we have several successful weekend camps this year, then he is happy to fork out for a polycotton/canvas number. hence my admiration for lucycat's norfolk lake.

yay, my ukcampsite page is now in restful grey. lovely.

CArperts are wonderful.

As we will be camping at Whitsun with a baby around 8 weeks anyway, insulation of any type is a big Plus LOL

very tasteful slubber!

green / grey good colours for tents!

Slubber if you're thinking of a Lake then you may well ahve to leave one of your children at home never mind taking a carpet as well - the bags are HUUGGGEEE!

how's it going Peachy?

I thought hardcore campers rather looked down their noses at the carpets. Mind you on ukcampsite there are some complete fraeks purists who don't even do a groundsheet (sewn in or not). They like the worms or something.

OK Luce thanks

I think most ahrdcore campers grow into comfy campers when the kids arrive LOL- I have enough years of tent on my back hiking, I've earned me carpets

Tried camping without the removable groundsheet a few years ago- WHY? Again, I know I did it in my girly guides days but heck! Why would anyone choose bugs on the bedding / crockery etc?

Peachy, with an 8 week old baby plus 3 (do you have 3 Dc or is it 4...?) you have earnt more than just a carpet my dear, you should have some bedoin styled event with multiple cushions and servants bringing you canapaes on silver salvers........

that or
a caravan

No caravans for us LOL- can abrely aprk the Espace here! (narrow one way street, terrace of cottages with no aprkinga nd walled back agrdens- you get the picture!)

Already have 3 ds's, 4th due end March, so yep- carpet it is! DH still refusing to use EHU though (even though we do actually own the set up)