Viewing 18 posts - 1 through 18 (of 18 total)
  • Camping Advice
  • Be4ch
    Free Member

    I don't post on here a lot but I drop by most days and was hoping for some advice. My son, who's 7 (8 at Christmas) has recently become keen to try the 'joys' of camping. Not being a camper and never really having done it when I was a kid, I don't know that much about it. I searched the forum and found some god advice about a tent and I'm looking at the Vango Beta 350 which looks like it will do for the 2 of us (his mum and sister won't be coming in a hurry so we don't need too much space) and the price looks good at well under £100 for last years colours. So that seems sorted.

    I know we'll need sleeping bags, a lantern and a stove but is there anything else, as a minimum, I'll need to get by on a weekend camping taster trip? I'm keen not to buy a lot in case he hates it and that's the last trip we do.

    Also, we live in Gloucestershire (Fairford) so does anyone know of a decent camp site, not massively far away, where we can have a good weekend? Preferably by the sea would be good as he would love a weekend on the beach or by a forest or the like where we can get out and about a bit. If we could have a camp fire that would be cool as well. I would like to avoid the over sanitised type of site but I don't want any wild camping either. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. I guess we'll have t do it fairly quickly if we're to get one one in this year – why oh why didn't he have this brain wave at the start of the summer!

    Any way, thanks for any help.

    montylikesbeer
    Full Member

    Camp from the car on a good camp site for starters, take spare duvets in the car with you to boost your sleeping bags (not worth buying expensive kit starting off) and get some good mats to sleep on.

    You will not need loads of kit just dry cloths a hot shower and loads of food.

    Might be an idea to get a good torch for inside at night.

    sadexpunk
    Full Member

    the singletrackworld of camping 🙂

    should find all you need to know in the forums, campsite reviews etc.

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    geoffj
    Full Member

    Sleep mats – either the self inflating or cheaper foam ones would be useful.
    A couple of cheap head torches may also make toilet trips easier.

    And this may help you find a site:
    http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/articles/view.asp?id=4

    thomthumb
    Free Member

    not having kids i don't really know but i'd have thought that what food you can cook easily whilst camping and keep him happy might need a bit of planning.

    one pot cooking is the best. my favourite is curry and naan.

    gusamc
    Free Member

    I'd take care with first purchase, generally speaking, – if you buy quality kit it will last but be of no use if you don't use it – if you buy crap it won't work so well.

    Shop around – there are a LOT of tents sales – I got a Eurohike Kent for £30 (Millets and Blacks as examples).

    I'd strongly recommmend a decent front porch style – wet gear, shoes etc there, dry gear ONLY in inner and stuff left 'outside' in not left in open or covered in dew etc.

    Ground mats help – heat and comfort – have you airbeds, or couple of blankets folded into a bed shape would do, a thermarest is great but £50ish.
    If you have quilts you don't mind using they would do instead of sleeping bags (take extra blankets).

    Use a household torch(so reusable) – get led lights £3 at TKMaxx etc etc.

    Cooking – I got a double burner and gas of ebay £35, however what about taking a couple of portable BBQs – £5 (watch campsite rules, as fires are often banned AND take a couple of bricks to stop them burning the grass). You can do bacon and suasage (quickly ,……).

    There are NF camp sites – sorry New Forest but it's quite hard to tell the difference.

    I use this site – http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/articles/view.asp?id=117

    Smee
    Free Member

    You can get cheap camping kit from Tesco, its decent enough for what you pay for it. Halfords also so some cheap ready made camping kits too.

    phiiiiil
    Full Member

    Use headtorches rather than ordinary torches – having to do everything with one hand (or two with the torch in your mouth – watch the dribble!) is no fun.

    kennyp
    Free Member

    There are books called Cool Camping Scotland/Wales/England/France. The Scottish one is great for campsites that have something quirky about them and aren't just industrial-style caravan complexes. I'd imagine the English one is too. Worth a read.

    joemarshall
    Free Member

    That is going to be a pretty good tent for car camping – pretty big, and a nice porch to leave bikes in / sit in when it is raining.

    Sleeping mats are vital for a comfy nights sleep. A cheap foam one costs about a tenner at most. There are much more expensive ones, which are a little bit more comfy, but they're mainly lighter weight and smaller. Sleeping mats can also be dragged out of the tent and used as something to sit on when you're hanging around outside.

    If you are going camping at this time of year, and you're taking a car, put some spare blankets / duvets in, to bung over your sleeping bags in case you get cold. It will be pretty nippy by now, especially in a cheap sleeping bag. If you're really a wuss, a hot water bottle is also worth it if you are taking a kettle or something that you can heat up water and fill it up with (or even fill it with warm water from the toilet block!).

    I've camped in one of the villages near Swanage, can't remember the name, there were loads of sites round there. Still a bit of a drive though for you. Nice beach in Swanage, there is also a nice castle and a steam railway. The New Forest campsites are also very nice, although I'm pretty sure they don't allow campfires. Personally, at this time of year, I'd go for an inland campsite rather than a coastal one, they can be very windy (there is one at St Ives on the cliffs which is lovely in summer, but very blowy). There must be some nice sites on Exmoor.

    Don't underestimate how much clothing to bring – always bring one more jumper than you think is necessary, if you're hanging around cooking dinner or whatever, you often find you need another layer once it gets dark.

    Oh yeah, if you find that you hate camping but he loves it, I can recommend cubs / scouts, a really great and pretty cheap way to let kids get the camping fix without having to go yourself.

    Joe

    Be4ch
    Free Member

    Thanks for all the advice and the links. I've a lot of reading to do tonight!

    Thanks again.

    wheelz
    Free Member

    I take my nine year old son camping, and our Vango Beta 350 is perfect. It's also useful when I go on my own to various trail centres midweek.

    The tent doesn't take up much room in the car, is relatively easy to put up and stands up pretty well in all weathers. The porch area is big enough to store kit out of the rain, and it's actually big enough to sit in when it's raining if you get a couple of beach style low chairs.

    We use cheap vango sleeping bags and two single airbeds – these tend to be cheaper than reasonably comfortable sleeping mats, and I don't have any trouble blowing them up myself when I forget to pack the battery pump!

    I also take an old duvet, but we've not had to use this yet.

    I bought a couple of cheap headtorches off eBay for those midnight toilet visits – cheap enough that I don't worry too much if they get broken or lost. I've also got a battery operated lantern (again, cheap off eBay) that we can use in the tent when getting changed etc.

    For cooking I just use a jetboil stove and cook 'one pot' meals, but we do eat out as well on a weekend away – pot noodles just don't cut it for every meal!

    I'd practice putting your tent up in the garden before you do your first trip, as you'll have a chance to study the instructions and scratch your head without the other campers, and probably your son, asking you if everything is okay every 10 minutes!

    It's good fun camping with kids, but they do get bored very easily. Have a look on http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk for a site that's near to you, has good facilities including a kids' play area, a reasonable shop and a pub that serves food in walking distance. That way, he has something to do, and if it all goes wrong at least you can eat in the pub or go home – not that anything will go wrong, of course.

    There should be plenty of these sites in the Forest of Dean and Monmouthshire area, as well as closer to home in Gloucestershire.

    And I'd second the cubs/scouts if he gets the bug. Plenty of opportunities for camping and other adventurous type activities.

    mountaincarrot
    Free Member

    Ear plugs and feather pillows. zzz.

    MoreCashThanDash
    Full Member

    Football, frisby etc to keep him occupied.

    If you want to be the most popular guy on the campsite – with the parents as well as the kids – get a Stomp Rocket. We had every kid on the site in Cornwall lined up to take turns this summer, every parent sat enjoying an hours peace and quiet while we became de facto child minders!

    TheLittlestHobo
    Free Member

    I did exactly the same thing about 18mths ago. My son was 5 at the time and i basically bought the lot in one go. Surprisingly it didnt come to that much

    What i have found is that i have actually reduced the amount of stuff i take each time and i can get everything together in seconds for impromptu trips now.

    My shopping list (Go Outdoors is a handy site)

    Vango Venture 500 Tent – Sale £75
    Double blow up matress – £10 Means you get to give your kid a cuddle to sleep and your both nice and comfy. Also very handy when guests stay over and your stuck for sleeping room
    Rechargeable blower – £5 (Early Learning Centre)
    Single gas ring with gas cannisters – £10
    Sleeping bags – £15 each
    2 x Foldable seats – £10
    Camping Lantern – £10 – Handy to hang in the centre of the tent when sat up late talking and makes things a little cosier
    Head torch – £8 – Fun for the kids and handy for going to the toilet with
    I also use my DX P7 light for camping duties and believe me its great fun scaring campers at the other end of campsites 🙂
    Bag with 3X sets of plates & cutlery – £15
    Cool Bag – Free
    Drinking water bag (Foldable) – £5

    Other than that little lot you dont need much for a nice camping trip. I found i only had to add a couple of little things like cooking utensils and i started collecting little bottles to keep things like cooking oil in.

    Honestly, that lot packs into a tent bag and one box. Lives in the garage loft and we are off within 10mins of deciding to go.

    Thats off the top of my head but its the basics

    Bunnyhop
    Full Member

    We always take a couple of fold up chairs and a table.
    A bin bag for the rubbish and a couple of plastic bags, just to pop any wet clothes in.
    Oh yes, wellies if you have them, easy to slip on and off at night or first thing in the morning for the loo visits.

    Have fun.

    surfer
    Free Member

    Cant believe nobody has mentioned the essentials!!

    Wine!

    Be4ch
    Free Member

    Great list Hobo, thanks very much.

Viewing 18 posts - 1 through 18 (of 18 total)

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