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Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

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Original poster

Ok, call me a lightweight but I'm dreading this camping thing!

68 replies

Amandella · 02/05/2008 10:10

I made a BIG mistake. On one of our exceedingly rare non-children evenings out with friends last weekend, I had one too many glasses of vino and in a mad moment, agreed to go camping with them at the end of May - somewhere in the New Forest. I am now regretting it BIG TIME.... but I'm not one for backing out and dh is delighted, two dd's aged 4 and 10 are both not sure what to make of it but willing to give it a go. Have managed to get our camping-mad neighbours to lend us a largeish tent (apparently), some blow up mattresses (they said their special ones that don't get freezing??)..., a table/chairs and some cooking stuff. I'll buy some sleeping bags and have read some posts here with useful tips on other suggestions for kit so I guess it's all systems go...HOWEVER, I am absolutely DREADING it.

Firstly, I hate the cold/the wet/outside generally - I'm much more of an indoor person. Secondly, I can't imagine how the kids are going to be kept happy as they are both scared of the dark - almost as much as they are afraid of virtually every bug on this planet.... and my eldest, taking a chip off the old block, is utterly disgusted at the idea that she might have to pee in a bucket or walk across a field to have one in the night. Also, what on earth do you do all day long? Isn't it boring?? My only memories as a child of camping are going with my dad and his friend and "the kids" (sensible mums taking a break in some hotel) whilst we attempted to sleep in a two man tent in the rain, with a cold sausage sandwich and being permanently wet and miserable.

Sorry, I know that those of you reading this are probably the outdoorsy types who love nothing more than living with nature, but to be honest, I'd really appreciate an insight into why this is such a great thing to do so that I can tell my kids - and try to convince myself that we are all going to have a wonderful time!!
Thanks

OP posts:

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 02/05/2008 14:51

The kids will love it, they'll make friends on the campsite and you will hardly see them. Or go and do stuff away fro mteh capsite during the day. There's an excellent Otter place in the New Forest, Marwell Zoo is close by as well. Walks and bike rides in the forest.

Hope the weather is good for you.

cyteen · 02/05/2008 15:00

I have discovered that sleeping in a tent can fend off even the most vicious of hangovers Not much use to the kids, but you might be pleased to hear it!

I'm crap at camping too. Love the idea of all that fresh air and being able to see the stars, but when it comes down to the muddy-boots-and-bugs-in-the-bedding crunch, I always wimp out. DP too, in fact we ran away from a festival last year partly because we couldn't cope with the campsite

Hope you have fun anyway. You never know, it could be a camping renaissance for you

cardy · 02/05/2008 15:02

You never know 'till you try.....not for me though!

Blueblob · 02/05/2008 15:55

cyteen, I've discovered the same thing about hangovers! I try hard but can't get a decent hangover under canvas.

PeaGreene · 02/05/2008 22:27

I hope you have a lovely time.

During the day, kids will hopefully hook up with other children on the site and have a great time. We always do days out from wherever we are and hardly spend any time on the campsite during the day.

If you've got the right stuff you shouldn't be cold at night. Personally I put one of those foam mats on top of the airbed but others say underneath. Either way, loads of tips on other threads about this and best to overcompensate for your first trip. Better to take too much than too little. On your second trip, you'll be tonnes more relaxed about it.

And there's nothing better than having your first cup of coffee outdoors in the morning. Soooooooooo gorgeous.

FloridaKbear · 02/05/2008 22:34

You get up, wee, make coffee, make breakfast (fry up obv!), clear up, wash up, sit down, make more coffee.

Make lunch, clear up, wash up. Quick wee.

Open wine, drink wine, sit and read the paper with your feet up.

Make dinner, clear up, wash up.

Wee.

Bed.

It's like being at home but with bugs and buckets and no walls.

See my name? - used to be a camper til last "summer". Am now retired!

PeaGreene · 02/05/2008 22:44

Do you always have such regular wees, Kbear?

FloridaKbear · 03/05/2008 08:13

It's all the coffee and wine!

nappyaddict · 13/06/2008 11:37

if you're worried about going to the loo in the middle of the night i would get one of those portable toilet things.

OrmIrian · 13/06/2008 11:43

Me too!

I rashly promised that we'd go camping this weekend. Only one night thankfully. Now I'm stuck with it unless it absolutely buckets down. My DCs love it so I usually have to give in for a few weekends in the summer.

I love the idea of it but the reality just seems to be hard work, cold, damp and chaotic. But I'm digging out my smiley face along with the sleeping bags as we speak.

DartmoorMama · 13/06/2008 11:46

if you have space take your duvet instead of sleeping bags. And use winter weight duvets for summer camping unless its ridiculously warm. then you are cozy and much more comfy.

SantaBarbara · 13/06/2008 11:49

What I like about it is that I slow right down and relax. I drink coffee and wine, read the paper, talk to friends, play cards with dcs, go for walks, make bad meals badly. All that. I have found that most children love it. Hardly any rules and loads of space and other kids to play with.

Don't like the packing and unpacking though.

I hope you'll have a lovely time.

KaySamuels · 13/06/2008 11:50

Yes to duvets and take pyjamas or bed clothes if you are indoorsy. I love camping, it it a genuine break from the daily grind I find, just take plenty of wine for the grown ups and maybe a ball for the kids and you will all be happy.

nappyaddict · 13/06/2008 11:54

are air beds better than those mat things?

DartmoorMama · 13/06/2008 12:04

yes. they are very comfy though the self inflating mattresses are getting better. but air beds would be my first choice.

there are 3 of us needing beds so we have 3 single air beds 2 are joined together side by side with a double fitted sheet for dh and dd, then I sleep on a single with ds (14wks) next to me in a carry cot thing. that means I can sit up for night feeds with out disturbing the others and they can roll over with out disturbing each other as the movement doesn't travel into the next bed but they are still held close together.

nappyaddict · 13/06/2008 12:45

so 2 singles held together with a sheet is better than 1 double?

i think the mattresses we looked at were 5cm?

DartmoorMama · 13/06/2008 12:48

the 5cm ones are air mats rather than full air beds. quite thin relatively

The two air filled ones held together with a sheet is just more comfortable for those sharing simply because when you turn over there is less movement. One double/king one does move a lot when you roll over and is likely to wake the sharer. we have tried both our current single set up and double and kingsize air matresses.

nappyaddict · 13/06/2008 12:49

do you have to get special camping air beds cos i've already got some air beds.

DartmoorMama · 13/06/2008 12:52

nope they are the same

DartmoorMama · 13/06/2008 12:54

we have these ones

coleman air beds

scattyspice · 13/06/2008 12:59

The kids will love it (they are the right age not too young to be hazardous).

They won't be scared at night as you will all be tucked up together. Give everyone a torch and be prepared to go to bed at the same time if necessary (on first night, after that you can sit outside tent with bottle of wine).

Plan a day out (walk, beach etc).

Take spare clothes (keep in car) so if you go out and get wet you have dry clothes to change into and wear nxt day.

Kids will play with balls, frissbee etc and other kids. Have a family game of cricket.

If its raining in the morning go to cafe for breakfast. Have tea in the pub if its raining in evening.

nappyaddict · 13/06/2008 13:36

can anyone decipher this for me? i've been told to look for a hh of 3000 but all i could find on the tent i like is this:

"Like all Quechua tents, the waterproofing has been particularly well-developed, approved in lab tests (WHOLE TENT in a shower of 450 litres/h/m2!) and on field tests. (450mm PU coated polyester flysheet, 135gpsm 2000mm polyethylene groundsheet.) A breathable polyester bedroom under the flysheet means you aren't in contact with the condensation that forms naturally on the inside of the flysheet."

SantaBarbara · 13/06/2008 13:49

THis hh business is a new-fangled measure of how tall a theoretical tower of water could be on the top of your tent before it leaked through.

Your advert sounds like it is using rate of rain on canvas (the 450 l/h/m2 bit). Is that good or bad or what? Who knows? The other bits look like blinding-with-science-about-the-quality-of-their-product-malarkey.

Ring em up. Ask them what the hh is on their tent.

nappyaddict · 13/06/2008 14:10

does anyone know if you can email them? can't find an address but i could be being blind!

scanner · 13/06/2008 14:14

I was like you in the beginning and I can be a bit of a pain if it gets cold (so dh says), but I absolutely love camping now.

Honestly, its not quiet as basic as you think, the children will have a ball.

I find a glass or wine or two helps you sleep.

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