i never, ever thought i'd be forced to post in this topic, but dh has just bought a tent off ebay..

[lucykate]

i'm not a camper, hate it, but dh is determined that we will go camping as a family. dc's will love it, i know they will, but deep down, i will dislike it intensely.

anyhow, he's just bought an outwell hartford xl off ebay. as a camping virgin, i have no idea if this is a good or bad thing. all i know about it is it has 3 bedroom, so at least i can have 1, he can have 1, and the dc's can have the other

Lol at 'forced to post in this topic'

What can we tell you to help you embrace the camping love?

The tent is a good make, if that's what you're asking.

am also at 'forced to post on this topic'. It's the best topic on MN!

lol @ enforced posting.

Outwell is a good make but the hartford being a multipod isn't an easy-peasy pitch. I strongly recommend you watch the pitching videos on the outwell site or on you tube before you start, then I strongly again with my strongly strongly face recommend you do a practice pitch WITHOUT children on a wind and rain free day.

Before you start hold your dh close and tell him that you love him. Have a bag of high calorie snacks and cold drinks to hand and a separate bag of beer/wine that is only to be opened when you have finished. Maybe take a cd player along and have whale music in the background. Feel the love of the outdoors. Remember it is only a tent and when it is up all will be well and you'll all have a lovely time in it.

Oh and welcome to the camping topic which IS the best topic on mn by a mile.

my friend reluctantly went as her husband loved it. now she prefers it to him. give it a chance - you never know. if you really hate it let him go with the kids by himself

Good tent, quite big so check site pitch sizes when you book. And do book, people caught up in a romantic pack and go notion are stuffed these days: too many cmapers about for that.

And yes welcome to MN Camping LO. TBH camping in an Outwell (and we ownded one until recently) isn;t cmping in the old sense: it's hybrid camp - hotel, glamping. Add in the bunting and some fancy folding chairs, open vino and relaaaaax

thank you for all the tips, dh has been laughing!

riven, dh has an iphone so hopefully i can still stay in touch with sanity.

will have a practice run in the garden, thank goodnes we have a big enough garden to do that it, and plenty of helpers for the first attempt, dh helped the neighbours try theirs out the other night, in fact, we can lift a fence panel out and just camp in the back gardens

Its a beast of a tent - please have a practice before you arrive at a campsite at 9pm.

Welcome to the camping section slubber speaks the truth- pitching a tent brings the fishwife out in us all-those rows do not count in a marriage!

i have a feeling dh has already watched tent pitching vids on youtube, he's done about 3 years worth of research before taking the plunge!

{grin] Glad I'm not the only Fishwife!

Is anyone else's DH useless at putting the tent up (even after years) and need loads of instruction guidance?

Yes, bigtilly, my DH is still completely useless at putting the tent up/down. We have a big tent, similar to the Hartford and it takes hime aaaagggeees and he never remembers how to do it. We now have a lovely pop-up from Decathlon that I can do on my own in 10 mins - fab.

Welcome to camping lucykate, its the biz once you get into it (arguments over pitching aside!)

DH can't remember what order to do it in and still gets the guy ropes pegged in not straight, etc, etc. I think I married the most impractical person in the world.

Lucky for him he married me

Ensure that you have adequate matresses and sleeping bags or duvets and plenty of balnkets if in uk. The thing that puts most people off is being cold.

Welcome to MN Camping! Best topic on the site.

we have the other 2 Hartfords in the range! Agree it takes a while to pitch - and depending on year is a pitch inner first, which is a PITA in the rain, BUT, once up is a fantastic, stable, survive in hideous weather tent.

we also have the awning porch thingy, which is useful to sit in in the drizzle, or to provide a windbreak.

we are off at the weekend, and for 2 separate weeks in the summer - enjoy!

We never row about tent pitching, dh takes the kids off somewhere for a couple of hours and I put up the tent and arrange everything just so

Not that I have a touch of control freakery over camping or anything......

my mum has inflatable mattresses we can borrow, although i've just been reading about the self inflating ones, they look really thin but the reviews say they are good/warm/comfy. everyone has already got sleeping bags except me!

can anyone recommend a good light, non electric?

We got a really good rechargeable lamp from Tesco, I think it cost about £18. It recharges from the mains or plugs into the cigarette lighter in the car. We got a wind-up one too, smaller and cost £6 but the light from it is pretty pathetic. Tesco have loads of camping stuff in at the mo.

I totally recommend self-inflating mats over inflatable mattresses - comfier and cosier. If you can stretch to it you could try out Misalaneous' blow-up bed and fat airic combo that she has been recommending on another thread....