MegaSack DRAW - 6pm Christmas Eve - LIVE on our YouTube Channel
Place your bets, how long before we are back inside? tent (v old) is set up in the garden, sleeping bags, duvets, blankets a plenty and 2 inches of celotex and layers of card under us. forecast is for 0C over night but dry and still. 5 and 3 yo girls ..over excited. no sleep for me I feel.
They won't sleep either. All too exciting.
Enjoy - its not about sleeping the first time
Our eldest was still on a potty first time I took her camping in the lakes. Got a grandchild coming in May. Can't wait to take him. Camping with kids is brilliant.
Camping was the only way we were able to travel for many years, which meant that we took our kids all across the Continent - from Spain to Poland - staying everywhere in a tent.
It was brilliant for them and (mostly) brilliant for us, and has proven to be the basis for almost all of the older kids' best memories.
Have fun!
how long before we are back inside?
"we"?
You or them?
5 wees later (potty was still to hand so is outside the tent), and half a film on Netflix film later.... The eldest is snuggled down.. The be 3 to add usual is still at full speed. Trying to encourage her to listen to the noises.... Foxes barking close by
6 wees later
Enjoy, on my first night with the kids a fox killed a rabbit just as we were settling down.
Planning to camp again this weekend.
I'm amazed! Both girls are sound asleep! Heard one of the local owls hooting before they drifted off.
Kewl, midnight is a great result.
Took my lad camping many times too. Mostly Cornwall.
Also used to help out at his old Cubs Pack on camps. Fun but bloody hard work.
Camping is superb for kids. It also allowed us to have holidays we simply couldn't have afforded otherwise.
So many fantastic memories. Miss it.😁
My lads have grown up camping. Last winter (pretty mild in Queensland) they said they wanted to camp out on their own (aged 6 and 8). We said no problem, but fully expected them to be back indoors within 30 minutes. We live in subtropical rainforest with all kinds of beasties around.
Left a light on, etc, etc. I kept looking out the window to see if there was any stirring.
Big downpour around 5am... nothing.
6 am i heard a lot of laughing and went and had a look. The (crappy old) tent was soaked through as was one of the sleeping bags. So they'd squeezed into one bag together!
As fun as it was, they haven't done it again!
No overnight updates is a good sign!
My experience is that my son sleeps like a log once he's stopped yapping with excitement, whereas I am constantly woken up but the tiniest noises.
Camping is superb for kids. It also allowed us to have holidays we simply couldn’t have afforded otherwise.
That was us for 10-12 years, since eldest was 18 months, and led on to lots of trips with Scouts and Guides. We've not camped as a family for 4 years probably now and have just donated our mahoosive 8 man tent to a local charity that takes disadvantaged kids camping.
Eldest is 18 this summer. DofE gold scheduled for June, then in August he and 4 friends that went to the World Scout Jamboree in 2019 are heading to Wales for a 5 day backpacking trip, all planned themselves and self supported.
It's taught them a huge amount of skills.
DofE gold scheduled for June
Top job, I wish my kids had done it but because they have more interest in theatre it clashed with too much of summer productions.
Idle thought....I wonder who'll be the patron of the DofE scheme now. I don't know if still the case but he used to do the ceremonies for all the gold awards, didn't he?
I reckon Andrew. Be an ideal opportunity for him what with his forces background and all that. Plus, if you were going to be in a tent with no showers for 3 days, who better than someone who doesn't sweat.
he and 4 friends that went to the World Scout Jamboree in 2019
One of my Scouts (I'm a scout leader) went to the Jamboree in 2019, he must know your lad
.I wonder who’ll be the patron of the DofE scheme now.
It’ll be the Duke of Edinburgh I’d imagine.
That is currently Charles but will pass to Edward when Charles becomes King.
Wow! Been brilliant! Youngest woke cold at 0330, I got her back inside her bag and under a blanket and she was asleep before I returned from a quick flower bed watering. Eldest woke at 0615 for another wee and wanted the rest of the film...I convinced her to listen to the dawn chorus and she drifted off again. Youngest just woke for a wee and now 0815 all smiles, they've just thanked me for camping! Awww! They get the rest of the film in a moment. Cool night
*like*
Brilliant....you know you've been on stw too long when yo remember neilnevill's ' going to be a dad' thread, now first camping, wil we still be here for 'Prom night - any tips?'
I made bloody well sure I was working the next day.
Don’t wanna waste a day off feeling like shit warmed up.
Edward gets the title once Charles is King, but has already become the main Royal patron.
One of my Scouts (I’m a scout leader) went to the Jamboree in 2019, he must know your lad
🤣 Bet it was your lad that caused the crisis meeting at Maryland! (Whatever that was). Our lot were UK Unit 1, they just grew and matured so much in the training for WSJ, the Derbyshire leaders did an amazing job.
Great to hear the night was a success OP!
Already being hounded, 'when can we camp again daddy? When?'
Think that was a success 🙂
Great stuff. My kid loves to camp in the garden with me. The next step is into the wild (well a campsite ) - the wife isn’t so keen!
Yes I think convincing the wife will be the hardest! And dealing with the 9mo. I sense more trips to the bottom of the garden and a bit further with the 2 girls though. Time to replace the 18 ish to Lichfield Apache tent... It's served well, many sits and mayhems, many weekends away biking or climbing, but now is basically a beach shelter and leaky. Already looking on go outdoors at a couple of eurohike 3 or 4 man tents, and some oex or Berghaus sleeping bags.
Sounds just like me! I’d like to get an air tent, seem to remember a thread on here rating them, but they’re quite spendy!
Much like bikes, second hand market gone crazy too.
I want to camp out in the garden with my almost 4 year old. My only (selfish) concern is that I will have to lie next to him silently hours before I would usually be asleep! I guess I just have to keep him up a couple of hours later than usual.
Hopefully he will enjoy it and we can then go on a mini adventure somewhere.
Unless you are after something massive Decathlon do very reasonable priced blow up tents
I reckon Andrew
I reckon that's a spectaculary bad idea!
i think for now i'd get more use from another small tent than something massive, but yes some of the large ones are very costy costy!
.I wonder who’ll be the patron of the DofE scheme now. I don’t know if still the case but he used to do the ceremonies for all the gold awards, didn’t he?
It is Eddie. Andrew is not allowed near kids.
Another Scout leader here. Slightly OT, but we've kept it going on Zoom over lockdown(s) with a core group of about 15 kids and are all set to get back out once allowed. I'm setting an expedition where they ride off-road to the local camp with all of their kit for an overnight hammock/bivi. Only about 4 miles each way, but they have to plan the route with a bit of guidance from the leaders.
We've also had funding to put our Explorers, including my lad, through DoE Bronze. I'm excited for him.
Evolution of our camping holidays - small tent, medium tent, mahoosive tent, trailer tent, and now just bought camper (T6 natch). When we started all this about 15 years ago I was told it would be cheap!!! 😀 Great memories though - enjoy!
If you fancy a massive tent on a budget, I have an Outwell Montana & accessories we only used two or three times - which I was gonna put on eBay soon.
Another Scout leader here. Slightly OT, but we’ve kept it going on Zoom over lockdown(s) with a core group of about 15 kids and are all set to get back out once allowed. I’m setting an expedition where they ride off-road to the local camp with all of their kit for an overnight hammock/bivi. Only about 4 miles each way, but they have to plan the route with a bit of guidance from the leaders.
Ours kept all three age groups going via Zoom. Lost 3 kids off census over the course of the year. District as a whole has lost a third of kids, which apparently is national average. Wife is a guide leader and lost 25% of hers but her Brownie group did no Zoom all year, and didn't share the county based Xoom sessions that were available either, so she's no idea where her next intake are coming from.
I've got the girls in the old tent in the garden Again, and going well. I have bought a new tent but the forecast is ok so should be fine on the old one. If we could manage in April and -1, with me not in a bag as the girls had my two, the old tent and 3 new bags should see us through late June and 14C.
O expect to wake about 4 as it gets light though!
You always rise early when outside, same with deciding to get into the tent. Funny thing is you sit at the fire (drinking,smoking, last burger afore bed) and decide its time to call it a night, you look at the time and find its 11:30pm 😆 sitting in the pitch black thinking its 1 or 2am, only to find its still what would normally be still a bit early.
What a lovely thread!
My ex and I camped once, in Cornwall, before we started a family; it was wet, miserable and loathsome.
We then went to the Vendee three times; first two with two young children and final time with three - for clarity, our children.
Absolutely wonderful; kids took to it instantly.
Even at my advanced age I would do it again!
Ahhh, the dawn chorus and a pair of crows fighting on the tent...... All drowned out by 2 little girls pestering me for the end of angry birds movie I had loaded on my phone. I'm pretty sure that is their favourite bit :/
the dawn chorus
Only beaten by the damn cukoo's who start before dawn....!
