[Closed] camping

Van ? I spent 3 decades using tents or kipping in cars, when away for weekends to ride, surf, hill walk etc. comfy heated van has changed all that and I really have no idea why I didn't get one til nine years ago.

I would go down Van route if you can. We love camping but the thought of loading up, setting up, packing down and packing away for a weekend puts us off. Fine for longer stay but not for weekend. However in saying that we do take a shed load of stuff - perhaps we need to slim down.

Best cheapish bed we found was the Outwell airbeds about £40, make sure you get a tent with a canopy (preferably one that zips up) to keep cooking stuff and wet things in.) We always take duvets to sleep in

With little ones I would be down to [s]CCC[/s] Go Outdoors and looking at some of their big tents, space for a table/playing inside and able to stand up. If your going on a car, go large! I just take the campervan though...

Edit-the awning we have is effectively a poor frame tent so we actually have all the convenience of a campervan PLUS the faff of a tent 😉

The best campsites have no vehicle access 🙂

[url= https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6203/6073846838_81212650b3_z.jpg [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/afJ44d ]DSC_0087.jpg" target="_blank">https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6203/6073846838_81212650b3_z.jpg [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/afJ44d ]DSC_0087.jpg"/> [/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/7615885@N08/ ]John Clinch[/url], on Flickr

My advice

4 good sleeping bags you should never be cold in a sleeping bad!

4 Cheap mats

A couple of basic burners

Pan set

water carrier

Improvise as much as you can for home

For weekends don't buy too big a tent. Its just more effort to get up and down and don't take too much. Actually that tent in the photo use to do 4 of us for a 2 weeks. But we have extra tents now. Don't go too cheap on the tent

Add things as they are needed

Get a good sleeping bags. Did I mention that

Yeomans have an end of season clearance and a further 20% off this weekend, they do some good tents. And yes, take the comfiest beds you can fit in too.

[quotelike the idea of taking off up to the lakes, wales or scotland for a weekend without much thought or planning

These are predominantly wet places, still need to plan carefully, specially with little ones.

Don't go too basic, you may hack the Mrs off.

Decathlon..
Cheap, and half decent, so if they don't like, you won't have broken the bank on kit that'll just end up in the loft.

I love my outwell Nevada m for the room. But I find myself wanting camper for one or 2 nights to save on the faf of packing

Don't scrimp on the tent but don't go nuts either. Decathlon pop up tents are amazing and save hours of faff. As the kids are young you could pile everyone in one room instead of getting a tent with several rooms.
Sleeping bags for the wee ones.
Duvet top and bottom for you and the good lady.
Spare blankets.
Cheap roll mats for the wee ones. IME kids will sleep on a stone floor when they are knackered after a days exploring.
Thicker roll mats for you and the good lady. Vango do a double comfort mat, not cheap (£80 ish) but a priceless bit of kit.
Stick to the basics with the cooking kit and plan simple one/ two pan meals. Tins of stuff and dried pasta need no refrigeration and can be kept in a hot car without killing you.

some good advice thanks. had a look at Winfields at the weekend, there are some bargain ex-display models to be had! but i found the whole shopping list thing a bit overbearing. also couldnt decide on the type/size of tent. Mrs wants one you can stand up in, with separate living / sleeping quarters, which is all very nice but like ampthill says, if its gonna take ages to erect/dismantle, that will put me right off going. plus id also like to use it on little biking trips, races etc too.

another thing is the initial investment. gonna cost a fair few quid to get kitted up - yet we dont know for certain it will be for us!?

I can't really picture a tent thats big enough to keep kids entertained in the wet and also doubles up as a touring tent. Being able to stand up is not overrated.

Having said that my childhood camping was 2adults and 3 kids in a vango force 10.

Do you have any friends you could borrow a tent off?

Sleeping bags and mats are handy to have even if you don't camp that much.

so advice please. tent? 4 man big enough, brand? also mats, cooking equipment, sleeping bags etc etc. what do i need? also some prime locations, obviously ill be wanting to piss off for a ride at some point on these trips too.

My advice? Buy a big tent and go camping for a week. We have a Vango 6-man plus extension, and it came into its own during a wet week in the Peaks - plenty of room to keep our two young kids entertained, plus our friends' kids who were fed up of their tiny tent!

A big tent doesn't take much more time to pitch than a small tent, plus loading and unloading all your other gear is exactly the same. We budget on a couple of hours or so to do everything. All our stuff fits in a C-max & small roof box.

Had a big tent. Hated putting it up. Bought a quick erect kyham, great for longer stays or if the weather looks iffy but this get the most use http://www.decathlon.co.uk/2-seconds-xl-fresh-illumin-ii-pop-up-tent-white-green-id_8244773.html
Pull up, pop tent up, peg down and crack open a beer!
2 adults and a 13 year old daughter fit fine for a few nights.

If you want a spacious tent with standing room but don't want to be stressed out piecing together a multi-hooped dome or frame tent, take a look at the Kyham Ridgidome range.

They are shaped like a frame tent with proper doors and near vertical walls, but the frame is jointed and is retained within the flysheet so easier and quicker to put up than a large dome tent. Standing room too. Possible to erect yourself though it is easier if the other half is around to position the four legs whilst you hold the centre hub.

We sold ours as we converted a van into a camper (notice a theme here) but it was my favourite tent. (we also have a tiny two man and a weekend sized small dome tent)

It was great in the wet as you can have it up in a few minutes and get the main pegs in, then you can take your time doing the inner tent in the dry.

[i]there's end of season sales on camping equipment[/i]

"Now is the winter of our discount tents."

is the camping industry rallying cry...

A big tent seems like a faff..........until it rains incessantly.

We've got a Vango Orchy 600 with the large canopy on the front. And we don't have kids.
My sister has got a fairly large Go Outdoors one (can't remember the brand) and added the canopy when it became available. It's actually a great design, as you can use it awning style (open at the front) or it comes with a zip-on front that effectively doubles the enclosed space.

I would say that some kind of canopy is essential. It's no fun getting back to a wet tent or in the rain and trying to hold a door open, take your wellies off and get inside while waer is pouring into the tent from the outside. A canopy means you can get under it, open the front of the tent, get your wet stuff off and get inside without pouring water into the tent. You can also sit inside with the front open so it feels like you are still in the outdoors.

Aside from tent, sleeping bags/mats/chairs and some cooking bits and pieces everything else can be added to in time. But, to kit yourself out at the start can get pretty pricey.

I can't really picture a tent thats big enough to keep kids entertained in the wet and also doubles up as a touring tent. Being able to stand up is not overrated.

Teepee-style tent?

[img] [/img]

The [url= http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/equipment-c3/accessories-c10/seats-and-sitmats-c47/trekker-chair-kit-20-p1251/s4191?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=thermarest-trekker-chair-kit-20-3088&utm_campaign=product%2Blisting%2Bads&gclid=CO382o7_qcECFesBwwoduE4Arw ]thermarest chair kit[/url] is really good.

I spent my childhood holidays on camping trips in a modestly-sized tent. It was ace, although I did manage to get to 35 before I really learnt to appreciate a good hotel.

🙂

Before committing to it, I'd suggest a weekend or two away in a camping pod or wigwam to see if the camping life is for you and the kids. Less faff than a tent, weather proof, but still enough of the outdoors feel.

We bought a massive tent and all the trimmings, but rarely use it as it's a lot of hassle to set up for a relatively small amount of use.

i have two girls, one will be 5 and the other 1, a mrs and a dog.

Pretty much the same age children here, we went camping for four nights this summer and it was the hardest work holiday I've ever had. Just constant chasing round after the kids.

In contrast our friends with older kids were kicking back and relaxing as their sprogs wandered round the site by themselves exploring.

Mixed feelings about doing it again, even though it was enjoyable.

Pretty much the same age children here, we went camping for four nights this summer and it was the hardest work holiday I've ever had. Just constant chasing round after the kids.

Ours are 3 and 11 months. Things I have learned this year:
1) Go with a group of friends who have kids of similar age - you can divide labour between the adults and it's nice to sit out and have a few drinks after the kids have gone to bed.
2). If you're on your own, pick a campsite with good play facilities, and pitch your tent near them. Our eldest kept herself amused in the playground whilst we put the tent up. Plus she made friends with other kids and went and bothered their parents instead.

If it's wet or cold you will really appreciate a larger tent, and let's face it, UK is often both. We had a van go Tigris 400xl with extension and whilst it was pretty big, it was no comparison to our new tent which is an outwell Vermont. The premium tents have solid poles making them very sturdy, and guarenteeing a perfect pitch. Inside is enormous, cooking in a separate room, together with plenty of room for bikes and get out of muddy clothes. It might be expensive but i got mine cheaper in a sale.
Downside is the weight and size. It's 50 kg! In 2 bags. Plus you'll buy loads of gear to go in the tent.
I'm considering buying a trailer with weather proof hood to store the lot in, so I can hook up and go whenever.

although i like the idea of spontaneiously buggering off, i think id like to go away with friends; freinds who are experienced campers preferably, and have similar aged kids and who also have one half with a vented interest in mountain biking!

Annebr had a good point. if i was to borrow a tent plus camping peripherals for this upcoming half term - where would folk recommend for our first crack at it? we are based in north Manchester.

Don't forget to take the 'man' capacity with a pinch of salt. One of my tents is officially a 4 man, but 3 is cosy and 2 ideal.
Also, think about where you are going to sit and the lids are going to play, [s]if[\s] when it rains.

End of October in northern England?

As close to home as possible I'd say.

Yeah October for the first trip might spoil the idea forever!

me and the missus are avid campers but even we aint daft enough to camp at this time of year and think we're going to enjoy it.

oh and a tent recommendation, go outdoors for a Hi gear Voyager 6, simply fantastic 8) HTH a bit

good sleeping bags
Cheap mats

No, no, no.
A thermorest or similar is much more comfy than closed cell foam and adds a season's warmth rating to your sleeping bag, because the ground is cold.

Its been many a long year since, so it might have changed, but some of our early camping trips were to Edale.

Another one here with a Khyam. Bought a Ridji Pod second hand off friends. Huge center section with built in poles you pull up to erect. Then attach up to three, four man bedroom pods on the outside.
Extremely sturdy as well. Did us proud for two weeks on cliff tops in Anglesey in August.
Nothing worse than coming home to a wrecked tent as some of the other campers found out.

We have a variety of tents.

A pop-up one that's quite convenient but not up to much weather. A very compact 3 man-er that I plan on chucking in the old kiddy bike trailer for over-nighters with the older boys (now 8).

For the summer holiday behemoth which is a 70's looking trailer tent that we bought from e-bay a Sunncamp 400SE I think it is. It has 4 sleeping compartments and a 4 m squared awning with kitchen that you can stand-up or sit round a table in etc.

When we thought about everything we would need to take on our holidays we knew we would be looking at a van or a trailer so we opted for the trailer tent because the tent was better and it can also be loaded with more things too.

It's great for summer holidays but too much faff for a weekend. We are a family of 5 so in the summer we have 6 bikes, body-boards, roller-skates and a kitchen sink all loaded up.

I do sometimes hanker after a caravan though for ease of use in all weathers but I'm 40 now so maybe I am allowed to say that in public.

Good luck!

Very good point hadn't thought of that.

kayak23 - Member
I can't really picture a tent thats big enough to keep kids entertained in the wet and also doubles up as a touring tent. Being able to stand up is not overrated.
Teepee-style tent?

I can't really picture a tent thats big enough to keep kids entertained in the wet and also doubles up as a touring tent. Being able to stand up is not overrated.

ta da. bit of a monster, takes two of us about an hour to put up. got carpet, windows, curtains....

[img] [/img]

OP

i have two girls, one will be 5 and the other 1, a mrs and a dog. like the idea of taking off up to the lakes, wales or scotland for a weekend without much thought or planning, and id like to go quite a lot

bit of a monster, takes two of us about an hour to put up. got carpet, windows, curtains....

Its horses for courses but for a weekend I'd say that was too long.

I think the trick with weekends is a smaller tent and be ready to go when the weather is better

I thought op was suggesting alsousing as a cycle cycle camping.

Fair point

I should say that its a fab tent you have their. One day I'll go back to a tent I can stand up in. Its all about horses for courses