I'm having a wobble

[biggirlpantson]

Ok.. I've bought the air ten and just about everything else I could possibly need! We leave on Saturday morning and I've 5 campsites booked up around wales so practically on tour. The weather is looking 🥵 stbxh has kindly planted the seed of doubt .. oh it's far too hot to do that sort of travelling, the car might overheat and the tent will be awful. I'd appreciate so tip from those with experience of camping, busy freezing water bottles and ice packs any other useful stuff would be great!

Tents do get very hot in nice weather! Do you have a gazebo? If not that might be wise.
If you don't have any shade by your tent it would probably be way too hot to use your tent for shade, but you won't want to be sitting outside the tent in the blazing sunshine either.
Check the campsite rules through as some don't allow gazebos (though might be worth calling and asking as if they don't normally allow them it's possible they could be reasoned with on account of the weather)

Definitely get a tarp or gazebo that you can set up for shade outside, I was camping last year on a very hot weekend and it was too hot in the tent by 7.30am. Keep your coolbox and gas canisters as cool as possible in the shade, a wet towel over the coolbox helps to keep it colder.

I'm off to the range to see what I can find 🤨 checked all sites and a gazebo is allowed and included in the price thankfully.! The tent has plenty of air vents and two side windows which will help. The irony is every time I mentioned camping to friends in Wales their response was 'take waterproofs' which we have of course.. now it's gone full circle and I need shade.

A cool box that you can plug into your car if you are planning on doing much catering on site or even to keep drinks/picnic cool whilst you are out and about.

If you're concerned about your car and can afford it then take out some basic road rescue. Often cheaper to add to your insurance.

The first night is always a bit shit. Everyone tired and grouchy but after that you'll all settle into it.

Don't sweat the small stuff. Accept you'll look slightly dishevelled, children will be up late, everything will be a bit messy.

Oh and one other tip; camping/quick dry towels. Decathlon do reasonable ones online.

Enjoy!!

Gazebo bought, also wind breakers and more pegs.. oh and the kayak on special offer also made it into the boot of my car 🤪

How long is your trip?

Packing up / setting up is hard work unless you are giving yourselves a good break to relax and explore in each place.

Are you taking kids? What age?

Eye masks and ear plugs can be useful when camping.

Is moany STBX going with you?

It will be fab.

You are coming to wales when it is hot, this is a rare and special thing!! Make sure you do some star gazing under a blanket and enjoy every minute!

Wales on a sunny day is beautiful. What campsites have you booked?

Takes ages, like 2 hours to put up the tent and 2 hours to take it down, so can you stay in just one or at the most two places. I get so hot and sweaty putting the tent up/taking it down.

Yes, two hours to put a tent up/get yourself sorted, and two hours to take down. If you're doing that every couple of days you're going to get fed up. How long are you going for and how many nights in each campsite?

I'd recommend some of those emergency foil blankets and clothes pegs. Peg them over the sleeping area of your tent. They are noisy in any wind but should give you a little extra sleep before the sun bakes you out of the tent in the morning.

You may find after putting the tent up that you cba doing that 5 times during your trip! If the first site is good you might want to check can you extend your stay there?

We will 🤩 excited

5 nights in each place we are off for a while.. no stbxh going and two very helpful boys aged 11+

It doesn't take 2 hours to put up or take down a tent - especially as it sounds like you have an Air Beam tent? You can get them up in about half an hour... have you done a trial run, OP?

Other than that, lots of sunscreen as you'll obviously be far more exposed than normal and an insulated wine glass to keep your vitals at the right temperature.

You're going to have so much fun!

He sounds like a Right moany fuck.

Im not a hardcore camper, but i am tight fisted, and a child of likeminded parents. We love a cheap holiday and always used to camp to save costs. Over the years, we’ve camped all over Central Europe in various heatwaves and in the bloody tropics AND in an Aussie desert (though that one was pre kids)

you will all be absolutely fine in a Welsh heatwave

It takes 2 hours to put tent up, air tents take a lot of effort to pump up fully, move all the stuff into it from the car, blow up the air mattress, peg the tent down properly, fetch water, arrange the kitchen…….

and then 2 hours to do it all in reverse.

the actual tent is quite easy

Have you got the right electric pump for your air tent?

I can put up my poled tents faster than people pumping air beams by hand.

But yes, packing everything up and loading takes me about 2 hours. Setting up is quicker though.

Takes ages, like 2 hours to put up the tent and 2 hours to take it down,

why is it going ti take two hours?

We have a decathlon air tent and it takes 5 mins to put up.

Its Wales loads to see and do you will have a great time
Some places info here
www.donthibernate.co.uk