Persuade me that camping in the UK is a good idea.

[Gingerbear]

Inspired by a day out at Clumber Park a couple of weeks ago, and DH and I have been mulling it over and we think it might be a great idea to buy a tent and spend some time in the Great Outdoors. Ideally we would like to borrow someone's gear for a weekend first for a trial run, then decide if we really want to go the whole hog and spend summer weekends in the country.

Are we mad? We both have done camping in our yoof, and have even roughed it in outback Australia, but with 2 kids and a dog, in the UK???? What about mozzies? Wet weather? Bored kids at night? forgetting where the toilets are?Hmmmm....

Forgetting where the toilets are?? Oh, I see, the KIDS forgetting. Well, let them wander about, they'll find them in the end.

Well, why are you doing it? The kids love it, love love LOVE it, provided you are on a site with other children. Bored kids not really an issue as they will be up and chatting to you until 11pm or so.

Mozzies? Well, if you're going to camp at all, it's less of a thing here than anywhere else, surely? Take a bit of repellent.

Wet weather? Count on it. Do it for a weekend and then however bad it is, it's over soon. Do it within a 2 hour drive of your house is my advice.

Given all that, it's great

only ever had mozzie prob in scotland.

Wet weather - google before you go, find some dry stuff for just in case, but unless you're going for a week, a bit of wet weather is fine. Remember, no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes.

Bored kids? Never had it happen when camping... there are always other bored kids around to piss about hang about with !

Forgetting where toilet is? Take a plastic bucket with lid just in case you are a zilliuon miles away from toilet block..

It is great. Even when things go wrong.
Our disasterous trip to Folkestone has now gone down in family history as 'the great flood' when we had to 'abandon our tent'. Fantastic family bonding time.

It is DD who is nagging us that she really wants to do it. I am tempted, but think we will end up being hooked, and want a trailer tent / Bongo dohdah and spend ££££££

Does everything get damp?
What do you do if it rains so much it becomes a mudfest?

We have had many lovely camping trips with 3 small children in the UK.

the children never get bored. They love campsites. And one of the best things when they were a bit younger was the freedom you can give them on a campsite (especially if you choose one which doesn't have cars around the tents) to run around, out of sight, make new friends. be a bit more independent than many of them can be at home.

My older two both learned to ride a bike at a campsite too, with all that space and the flat soft grass to practise on.

Personally we don't go if the forecast is bad, or we come home early. I can't really be bothered with camping in the rain with children. But otherwise, it's great.