I'm emailing the camp site today - do I want a space, a vacancy, a plot.....or somethingelse?

[Katymac]

Sorry to be so dim

Haven't camped in years (that would be decades)

A pitch?

pitch

pitch

exciting, have fun!

So I guess this is too much information.....

Hi

Please could you tell me if you have any space for a tent (which hasn?t been bought yet) between Saturday 22nd August and Monday 31st August?

Thanks

remember to mention if you need electric hook up (ehu) or not. No need to tell them the tent isn't purchased - just decide on an approx berth and say for an X berth tent.

Something like

"Hi, could you tell me if there are pitches for non-ehu X berth tents for the 22-31 August 09 please" would do

Hi

This is a preliminary enquiry, do you have a pitch for a 4/5/6 (delete as appropriate) berth tent for the following dates...with/without elecricity blah blah?

[Blush]

Going to look at tents this afternoon - have NO idea what size I'm buying - but I will take a copy of the thread where everyone helped me

Will have to think about the electric thing....I guess it's more expensive but DH might need a fridge

Is it just you, dh and dd?

I'd look at 4/5 berths - possibly up to 6 if you like your space!

dd's friend is coming too

My dad says to get an 8 person one - so they can come with us another time

You really don't need ehu (imo) for your first trip. Cool box with ice blocks to keep things cold and get a lantern (or solar lights) and some torches for light at night.

It is getting more common now (again ime, but also from ukcs threads) that they will want to know either the footprint size of your tent and/ or what style of tent it is (tunnel/dome/multipod). Be warned, more sites are getting fussy about overly wide tents (I think 7m+, but is does vary from site to site).

If you fall in love with a big podular (I just made that word up btw) tent then go for it, but be prapared that some sites may say no, or charge you for a super-pitch.

The only reason we might need a fridge is if DH is on medication which needs to be in the fridge - currently he isn't but it all changes in July

I will remember 7m - let's be honest I won't be buying a tent today - DD & I are going by ourselves as DH is too ill - so we can't buy without him

Oh I'm sorry to hear your dh is ill.

The 7m is just off the top of my head. It does vary from site to site. I think you will probably be fine with most of the tunnel tents tbh, it's the ones with a cruciform shape that site owners are getting a bit sniffy about.

The tent reviews on ukcs are really usefull to have a look at before you buy, oh and come and discuss your choices here too. We love a bit of tent porn.

Can you let us know if you have any luck and if so where? We're possibly still going camping although have asked a friend if we can borrow their cottage in Wales for a week as we have a tiny holiday budget this year - she's not got back to us yet but if it's a no, it'll be camping. Bit worried we've left it too late.

Well I have started discussing it here

My friend says less guy ropes are good, and that bigger is better

I am starting to understand about groundsheets n stuff

But I am learning

We won't buy it today (DH is too ill) but we will get some ideas

Bigger isn't necessarily better , sorry has become my little mission atm.

sheesh I am so boooooooooooring

Here's my 2 pence worth.

Ok so you'll have a budget on how much you want to spend on a tent. Within that budget you will have to choose:

size
berth size
materials/hydrostatic head
brand
design/lay out
extras (like footprints and carpets)

It's going to be compromise all the way along, so if you go for a LARGE tent within your budget then you are going to be making compromises a bit on what it is made of (and how water proof the fabric is, that is the hysdrostatic head) and who has made it.

As in all things there are 'value' brands, and at the other end of the spectrum brands that you are paying a premium for as they are so well made and designed to last or to camp in for all 4 seasons.

So, gets back to the pont, if you wander around a tent show ground and find a tent calling to you, then go for it, but keep in mind that there are lots of factors that will have made it the cost that it is iyswim.

Oh and your friend is absolutely right about guy ropes

I have a list

Peasus 7 £175
Curlew 8 £140
Orchy 500 £179
Dart 200 £30 (for DD)
Galeria 4 £199
Tigric 400 £180
Colorado 600 £180
Kashmir £149
Waterfalls £160
Corlex x4 £169
Oregan 5 £169
Corvus 6 £180
Sahara P/C £189

So I guess I start looking on the internet to see what they are like

I am so confused

cor blimey, that is quite some list

The only ones on there that I know of are the Orchy and the Oregan. Vango and Outwell are well respected brands and the size/ lay out of them is similar iirc.

The sahara (not sure who makes it) is a polycotton (I guess from the PC), so it's half cotton (the warp I think) and the weft is polyesther, or it might be the other way around. A polycotton tent will be a bigger pack size and heavier, but the plus points are the fabric breathes a bit more, is cooler (when its hot), warmer (when its cool), less condensation, and quieter in the wind and rain.

God I SO want to work in a camping shop. I would be in heaven. I could be a super nerd all the live long day.

Oh I think the colorado is an outwell too, but doesn't have a sig (sewn in groundsheet). Are bugs important to you? I like the movable front wall in that tent and pondered upon it when I was tent hunting last.

OK have googled the sahara. Coleman is a reputable brand. Nice looking tent

Any links?
Am fancying a bit of tent porn.

I have the coleman up already so here it is. I think I might describe it as a hybrid geodesic/tunnel.

Oh Lord. I really thought that in my head and typed it out primly. I need to step away from the camping threads.

Nah, it's keeping you out of trouble.

Was there a conclusion over berth size?

Crikey, that's a good price for polycotton.