so who's going camping this weekend?

[millenniumfalcon]

where you off to? last trip of the year? have you learned anything new this season? what was your best buy? any first timers?

not been on a bank holiday before so i'm a bit nervous about that, not keen on busy campsites (d'oh!). were going to mid-wales so at least with all the rain the waterfalls will be looking pretty.

couldn't resist the chance to take our new canvas pyramid for another outing, i'm currently ignoring (slubber ) the prospect of what happens when we have to take it down wet...

we've got one more trip in september but that's a festival sans-kids [happy dance]. i've learned that getting organised further ahead takes away a lot of stress - my boxes of ktichen stuff and essentials are on standby and i've mostly packed the kids clothes already, yay.

i'm getting excited already, i luuuurve camping

me too. I'll be thinking of you all, with your lobsters, fairy lights and champagne. I expect I'll stick to red wine and a torch! [winl]

lol @lobster rant. hmm i fear the fairylights/champagne/belltent stereotype is one i'm failing dismally to avoid falling into...

i had fizzy wine for my birthday

right, looks like dp not home at midnight like he said so maybe i should stop waiting up

Us - again in the south east and real camp fires, its a place where they like musicians and do a hog roast- is it the same as yours SSS?

Fourth camp this year - previous Cambridge folk festival , west wittering and lake district. First summer of camping and we are hooked, bought our gorgeous Cabanon Antigua off ebay and cobbled together lots of other stuff. Think for next year we will be keeping tent but upgrading cooking, eating equipment.

Though of course I am now coveting Cabanon biscaya

Not me
Although tbh i'm still mid airing and sorting from coming back on tuesday from Co Durham.
I have just sewn a couple of picnic rugs together to make a carpet for the living area of my smaller tent....it was rather pleasing (in a sad way )
We are camping again in the peaks on the weekend following the bank holiday ...i'm not going to bother putting everything away.

This much i know:

You do not need so much blardy stuff!

To stop packing that toilet roll! We have never used it once.

A flask ,however, is really useful.

I have learnt to eat out more...and to stop slaving so much over a blardy stove.

Lots of fine tuning this year...we've got really good at pitching our tents and setting up quickly.I've really enjoyed this season actually...i'm going to start a little earlier next year to get as many trips in as possible.

lol @ toilet roll, for years before having kids we camped at festivals so i'm still impressed when i find it in the loos onsite

ooo me too :-) got a site booked in north devon yesterday, was like our 10th choice so god only knows what it will be like.
However will be my 5th trip this year but first with new tent that arrived yesterday and with fat airic's (maybe, if they turn up).
This year has been our first for family camping. we have learned that you don't need quite as many clothes, and that solar powered fairy lights are the way forward especially when combined with headlamps. (this years best buy's so far) We've also learned that camping far exceeds any other type of holiday for instant playmates for our nearly 4 yo ds, who is an only
and personally i love hanging out on the camping threads where everyone is full of good advice, hot tips. And a good laugh :-)

I wish I was! We went last weekend to Blackmore (C&CC) and in June to Ashbourne, Derbyshire. We are away on hols for a week in 8 days time anyway, so best to save some money before we go I guess. We plan another weekend trip 18-20 Sept, not sure where yet, maybe Shropshire.

Thrifty, you should get your fat airics today, they attempted delvery of mine today, am annoyed as dh was up and didn't hear them . Still, it's not like I NEED it, i just wanted to play, lol!

I am, we're off to Shrewsbury Festival tomorrow morning. Also planning a weekend away in October.

lol @ 10th choice thrifty, i was a bit that we managed to book our site at relatively short notice, surely all the decent places are fully booked months in advance?

forecast is going downhill rapidly, but since i like a half empty site it's not all bad news

my dh and ds2 are off to shrewsbury folk festival tomorrow (ds has autism and he loves music ) they went last year and really enjoyed it and are looking forward to going agin dh has a new tent and is in his element any last minute things they might have forgotten?

well, truth be told, it wasn't even on the list for the area we wanted to go to but one of the other sites said they had space. I have lowered my expectations of the site so hopefully it will exceed them :-) it doesnt get rave reviews on ukcampsite, and the woman was a bit short with me on the phone. it was a bit beggars-cant-be-choosers and its cheap (£14 a night). check out the photo of the camping field. the sky looks like its been airbrushed in blue,as the sun is certainly not reflecting off anything in the field here scroll down

dp wanted to stay at ruda, last time we stayed there (admittedly a few years ago and out of season) we paid 6 quid a night. £39 a night they wanted for a standard pitch ths weekend! couldnt believe it.

anyway the money we saved has paid for the fat airic's (which arrived today and are super fab) so its not all bad.

Have you tried here thrifty? I haven't stayed there but a friend is there at the moment and said it is nice.

we didnt mollieo,but its definately one to bear in mind for next time. we like saunton sands, ts a nice beach. i was looking mainly around woolacome and ilfracombe. I wanted to stay here

That place looks lovely. Will add it for my 2010 possibles list .

What have I learnt this year :

1. Fat Airics are the buisness. Yes believe the hype they are just fab. Ours arrived for a festie last week end and we are in love!!

1. I need a better stove - the single gas canister doesn't work when trying to feed 4 people!

1. Barbeques in the am are the way forward - cook your sausages just great and you can have toast without using silly amounts of gas

4 Oh and a 5 year old at the festival told me that glow lights will work again after being in the freezer!!

We're off to deepest Shropshire tomorrow and I can't wait - but I do need to do three loads of packing and so my head is starting to spin!!

Let the sun dances commence!!

My brother told me today about a family who took an AGA with them when they went camping.

We tried to get onto the family campsite this weekend 5gomad.

How can you take an Aga? Some frame tents have cookers whic defeats the point of camping,

Whar is a far airic?

re: fat airics (self inflating mats ionlyread) - are they bulky packed down? can they be joined into a double?

we're off this morning. probably. if i don't kill the kids first and if we don't get cold feet after last night's wind and rain. urgh, i'm rubbish in the mornings.

happy campings you lot.

It was a solid fuel one and they kept it permanently on a trailer to take with them. His wife could only cook on an AGA apparently

We're off in a couple of hours to Epping Forest - close to home and fire pits.

not at all bulky packed down and very light compared to airbeds :-) have a great time. Will review it on tuesday :-)