East coast Scotland in March - are we mad?

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Pretty inexperienced campers here 🤣 DH is hoping for a trip in the middle of March. 3 nights with a preschooler. Lots of activities etc roundabout so won’t be outdoors all day. But are we likely just to be freezing and miserable?

What gear do we need to make it comfortable? We have a Vango Savannah 600XL. Have only camped once before. Had foil backed picnic blankets on the floor under the air beds, and fleece blankets under the bed sheets. Then duvets and pillows. We all slept great but it was just into the start of autumn and quite warm.

I think it will be too cold OP.

East coast Scotland resident here. A lot will depend on where you are going - if you are on one of the coastal sites in East Lothian it might be freezing if it's an easterly or northerly. If you are inland a bit, it might not be so bad. We still often get snow in March (the lambing snow) but equally it can often be warmer than you'd expect. March is often a month of extremes!

If you think you have the right gear and plenty of warm clothes then go for it, but be prepared to bail out early if the weather turns.

only camped once before.

Is that true for your dh as well? I certainly wouldn't be doing it. However, we live in Aberdeenshire and my 11 year old will be camping outside in March with his Scout group so it's absolutely doable.

I would want decent sleeping bags, warm socks, gloves, hat and thermal layers plus water proofs. That's what ds will be taking. Plus an oversize onsie that can be worn over multiple layers.

Dh and I have double sleeping bags which can either be used as single or doubles depending on how you zip them. When ours were smaller, they'd sleep snuggled up with one of us in the double bag.

How far from home will you be?

It will be very cold - we have a camper van and it is just about tolerable by March but we did get snowed in one time in late March, ended up wild camping near Loch Tay as couldn't get to where we were going. A rather chilly couple of days until the roads cleared.

If you are all very hardy and get sewn into your merino base layers you might be OK but only you know if you can tolerate those kind of conditions!

I'm camping with Scouts at the end of March in the East of Scotland and just make sure I am prepared for all weathers.

It could be glorious or it could be Baltic or more likely a bit of both.

Lots of layers - both clothing and bedding and water proofs are essential.

Whereabouts on the east coast? There are occasionally lovely sunny days in March but in Aberdeenshire it can be Baltic, had snow in April before...

@lifeturnsonadime @macaroonmayhem @Dorrieisalittlewitch @JustPlainStanfreyPock @AgnesMcDoo @TabbyM

Thanks all. We were looking at Drummohr campsite just outside Edinburgh. And we would have EHU so heaters would be an option.

We live on the west coast of Scotland so only about 1.5hours from home (which was my condition of going at this time of year so that we can abandon ship and get home at any time 🤣). We’re used to the good old Scottish weather but usually have the house to retreat into 🤣 Base layers etc aren’t a problem and DC is pretty hardy as I don’t drive so we walk in all weathers when DH is working.

DH camped a couple of times as a child and once with us as an adult so likes to think of himself as a pro 🤣😉 In fairness, he is very excited for a new ‘family hobby’ and has put in a fair bit of research etc.

Since are not too far from home, I say go for it! The worst thing that can happen is a sleepless night and then you just pack up and head for home.

@macaroonmayhem that’s what I’m leaning towards 🤣 fling in some extra warm layers and blankets and see what happens. If nothing else it’ll be an adventure 🤣

Me and DH are both experienced campers and the earliest we’ve done with the family is the first week in April in mid Wales.

We did the foil backed picnic blankets too and had a heater.

What are your sleeping bags like?

Since you have an EHU, consider a couple of electric “hot water” bottles. They charge quickly and stay warm all night. They are about £20 each from Amazon.

Make sure you thoroughly dry out your tent when you get home. Even if you get dry weather, at this time of the year there is a good chance that there will so be some moisture on the tent when you pack up. Have you enough space at home to dry it out?

I think that is part of the camping spirit - a successful camping trip isn't only when it "goes to plan" - IMHO - it's better when you have "made the most" of an those moments when things are NOT going to plan - when you are forced to make snap decisions and do something different and unexpected - this is definitely the way I approach, not only every trip away, but love in general. I prep and take the right gear and clothing but these days I plan in far less detail what I'm going to do with my time - I have done rough ideas but during my days out I'm actively looking and listening for opportunities to add something different into my day out. If everything is "going to plan" or "under control" I feel that's not really "living" is it - if you're not having to make decisions - you're simply "existing" - it's like school Christmas plays - aren't the best and most memorable bits where things go wrong!?

This is excellent advice

It can get very cold and preschoolers chill quickly and don’t really like to
spend the evening in a pub for warmth

@SleafordSods DH has a decent sleeping bag. No idea what type etc but I know he invested in a good one.
DC and I share a bed and prefer a duvet. I was planning a winter duvet with fleece blankets under us and big fleece throw on top of the duvet?

@MintLion This is a great point, thanks ☺️ it doesn’t fit in our garden but does fit up (albeit not pegged down) in the driveway. We built it for an hour when it arrived to put in the bedrooms etc and check it and it rained when we had it up after being dry all morning with no rain forecast 🤣🤣🤣 and we did just lay it out over everything in our living room when we went to bed and it was mainly dry by the morning.

@itsthetea tbh, he’d probably be more content than me sitting somewhere like that for warmth 😂 snacks and some kids board games and he’d be delighted 😂

Sounds fine to me. DD had a pretty light sleeping bag but she’s always liked lots of layers on her bed so she had the picnic blanket, the sim, a fleece blanket, her sleeping bag and them 2 throws over the top. It did took a bit boogie on there in the end

The ground will be cold and blow up beds basically are bags of cold air that absorb your heat and cool it to ground temperature.

A SIM, as mentioned by pp, has foam insulation inside so are much warmer to sleep on.

In Autumn camping the ground has warmed all summer.

I would put foam yoga mats on top of your mattresses or the jigsaw foam play mats underneath.

Does the site allow campfires? A nice to have on damp dark evenings.