October Half Term

[isthisit83]

Camping in October Half Term.... is it likely to be too wet and cold in the UK? 🤔🤔 I guess it depends on what your willing to put up with. Just wondering if it's worth doing or not. Or do you just wait and see what the forecast is. 🤔

Could be anything. We've had gorgeous sunshine, as well as storms.

My advice is to plan to go - but go somewhere that you can get back from easily - having been stuck on the Isle of Wight when the ferries stopped running due to high winds...

Weather can be very mixed why not rent a caravan? Much easier if it means and still some great family time

Honestly, it's cost. We did do a caravan holiday in June which was fab but camping is a lot cheaper. We are trying to save for bigger trips, but we keep spending loads on smaller trips closer to home. I've spent a boatload of money on camping gear this year so we can go comfortably as we only had backpacking gear before. Want to get more into it but it's hard to find time when we can go.

I understand. Just expect rain and if its good weather thats a big bonus.
Some areas statistically have better weather and less rainfall. Llyn Peninsular is usually dryer than Snowdonia for example.
We used to use the caravan in all weathers all year round, we just tried to have an indoor activity up our sleeves. We once went to the Lakes, they where giving out flooding warning so we went to Selafield visitor centre which was a free day out inside. Cant let the weather stop you.
http://www.donthibernate.co.uk/

Choose your campsite carefully - one with heated toilet/shower blocks, undercover cooking and dining areas and ideally somewhere the dc can play undercover if it rains. One that springs to mind is The Croft www.thecroftcampsite.com/our-facilities.html

Absolutely wait and see what the forecast is. October half term is almost November. But then I've come home early from camping in France when it kissed with torrential rain, tent was flooded and we were all just miserable.

I don’t have EHU or a bell tent with a wood stove so am not one of the people who have a heater in their tent.

I tend not to camp after the end of September because the evenings get dark and damp. And because I don’t have anywhere to dry out a damp tent when I get home.

But I would pick somewhere where you can have a campfire to sit round, and have loads of insulation underneath you for sleeping as well as on top.

Have fun!

It will be cold, particularly at night, also if the tent gets wet, it will be pain to get dry before you put it away. See if you can get a deal on a caravan.

It will be cold. Particularly at night. We are seasoned campers and did end of September last year- too late IMO and wouldn't do it again

Not too worried about drying out the tent as I can hang it in the cellar with the dehumidifier, but I take your point about nighttime temperatures. I guess it's right around the time we usually start to put the heating on.... is there anywhere in the country that might be warmer? 🤔

I wouldn't. It will be freezing cold and dark early. I'd rather do some days out.

You can dress against the dark and wet (though frankly I’m less enamoured about doing so than I once was) but it will be dark, and early dark.

Good point about it being dark!

I don't mind the dark evenings, especially with a firepit. I can cope with the cold if it's dry.

What I do mind is camping in winter storms, which can happen in late October. Rain + high winds + cold is not a fun combination, either in a tent or in a campervan awning (have done both). We went to the Forest of Dean for the last weekend of the October half term last year and the wind was a bit scary.
Having said that, we've booked to go to Norfolk for the same weekend this year. I'll be wanting EHU though at that time of year.

@Faircastle what's EHU?

EHU = electric hook-up.

Half term is quite late this year where we are. We have a touring caravan, and even last year when it wasn't as late it was cold and very very muddy. I wouldn't have wanted to be in a tent. BUT, we did sunset walks on the beach. Rode rollarcosters wearing our hats and gloves...and came home with a lovely dose of Covid. But did we enjoy being away at that time of year? Yes. Would I do it in a tent? Possibly not, but with the right gear it's certainly doable.

@Faircastle oh yes definitely electric hook up!

I'll have a think about it and perhaps look at possibility of cheap caravan, glamping or youth hostel.

We bought a trailer tent because we wanted to camp at any time of the year. It has heating, carpet and proper beds. We have camped down to -7 in it without freezing to death.

They are quite affordable if you buy secondhand but you do need somewhere to keep them and, obviously, something to tow them with.