Camping

We are off 1st September! Wellies at the ready.

Got all the gear now supercool just need to find a sunny spell that coincides with no grandchildren duties. Not prepared to go in all weathers yet as a camping virgin, think t'would be foolish. Watch this space.

My wife and I both go camping (well Clamping now) we are all electric fridge etc. We tried a caravan once did not enjoy it as much as a tent so we now go at least twice a year (in all weathers) have been doing it (camping that is) for over 20 years, its Fab. We are both over 60, my tip would be to get a weatherspoons directory and choose a camp site within walking distance or a local bus near to the campsite.

Really?

A lot of camp sites have hairdryers too

PS didn't mean to imply hair dryer was to go in fridge.

hankipanki this is just what I envisaged...either a few days away with the family or perhaps just take off by ourselves for a few days if a dry spell is forecast. Was thinking electric hook up too so can have heater, fridge for wine and hair dryer. Good idea re food too.

We took up camping again last year after a long break and have found campsites much better now that they were 30 years ago. They now have flushing toilets and warm showers - great. We also camp within walking distance of a local pub as I now refuse to cook an evening meal on a camp stove. I would also suggest booking a site with an electric hook up if you can. It was extremely cold last year and after our first weekend we bought a small electric heater to heat the tent in the evening. (The first weekend without it we went to bed in nightclothes topped with all our day clothes and outdoor clothes including hats and gloves) We don't leave the heater on overnight but find if we go to bed warm we stay warm.

We love it, there is nothing better than sitting outside the tent miles away from anywhere having our first cup of coffee of the day. However we do not do full weeks just long weekends and we always check the weather forcast first. I make no excuses for being a fair weather camper.

We did the traditional camping when the kids were small but then heard about Euro Camping/Key camp there are a few companies that do this.
Ideal way to camp all you need to take is your bedding and personal things, the tents are equipped with beds, fridges, lights, table, chairs even down to a sharp knife, they used to have sites in England as well as Europe. They usually do a deal where the Grandparents go free if travelling with the family, so even better. Worth a look saves putting up the tent and carrying everything with you. They also do mobile homes bit like a large static caravan which has shower,loo air conditioning etc. I would highly recommend it.
www.eurocamp.co.uk/
www.keycamp.co.uk

I've only camped once - and that was once too often . Now I am solo, thoughts have been entering my head about acquiring a camper-type vehicle so I can stay with my offspring, but not stay with them if you see what I mean. A bed outside their houses would be ideal with the advantage of meals and bath in the house provided!!; we sometimes used to rent a flat or stay in a hotel when visiting, for our own sanity, but that can become expensive and if I could combine my wheels, tortoise-like, with a house on top, that could be the solution

The rain, the wind, breaking guy ropes, collapsing tents, children wetting their sleeping bags....!!

You really should-that´s just how it made me feel, the smell of pine, woodsmoke, bacon sizzling, owls hooting, sunrise, church clocks striking midnight, 1am, 2am, 3am......!!

Thanks Grannylin.

I would add that it was a very small campsite that we went to every year, and we would see the same families. All the children knew one another. I wonder whether campsites like that still exist?

This thread has made me want to go camping again

We had some wonderful camping holidays when the children were small but I haven't done it for many years. We used to take the gerbils as well and one year they had babies while we were away - a great attraction for all the children on the campsite. Another year we came back to the tent to find one of the gerbils had lost half its tail - we guessed it had been visited by an over-enthusiastic child while we were out. We had to go on a mercy mission to find an emergency vet who could do surgery. The whole campsite was agog for updates on the progress of the gerbil who I am glad to say, pulled through!

Sorry I went a bit off track there....

Two of our children take the grandchildren camping. When we had far too many young children to afford 'proper' holidays we used to use Canvas Holidays where the tent was up, ready and waiting when we got there. They would also book hotels along the way and we had some fabulous holidays. We had one memorable one where, despite booking a room with enough beds for all of us PLUS a cot, we arrived to discover the hotel didn't possess said cot and our middle daughter (aged 2 at the time)spent the night in the bath with every pillow and blanket we could lay our hands on. Happy days!

Now, we either stay in our 'log cabin' or hotels - I've done my share of roughing it!

Went camping last weekend in the wilds of Sussex. It was DD1´s birthday present to DD2 and they begged me to go along to keep the peace!Iwas won over by the fact it was glamping but when we got there it was eco-camping i.e no gas or electricity, no hot showers!Have to say, we had a great time, especially after a bottle of fizz. The highlight was the fact that I lit the best fire in the woodland camp and put the yummy mummies and daddies to shame (didn,t realise that people actually call their kids names like Cassius and Milo- no offence meant and sorry about being judgmental if they were your grandkids!!!!!)

Lucid, in our case it's the children who sleep in their own pup tents and, mercifully tend to sleep quite late. I have my own 'bedroom' at one end of the caravan.

30 years ago when the boys were young teens, we went to five-van sites certified by the Caravan Club, very basic but we took our own toilet tent as the caravan was not huge. They were in some very beautiful places. Favourite was in Suffolk on a farm with a moat where DS was allowed to fish - not successfully - and easily accessible from King's Lynn where we lived. I don't think modern children would be as easily satisfied as ours were then.

I don't think I'd be able to get up off a blow up mattress!

After a 30 year break we've just bought another caravan. But you can't really call it camping. Or even glamping. It's got proper hot and cold water, a proper fridge, a Stoves cooker and oven, a micrwave(!), warm air ducted heating, built in radio and cd player and a tv aerial for when (if) we gat a tv. Best of all is the shower room at the back with a proper loo. It's just like playing in a Wendy house. I love it!

What I was really going to say is that the Camping and Caravan club has small 'certified' sites which are more basic, quieter and very reasonably priced.

Annobel I always take my own tent and when I'm 'in' to the children I peg a tea towel to one of the guy ropes.....it's not long before I hear 'Gran's up' being hollered across the camp site!

Wow! All sorts of good ideas here. Don't like the sound of bacon buggies though sorry. My sleeping bag is 3 seasons, whatever that means. I went on the Which? site and it was one of the best buys, but it is quite narrow in places. Will take a duvet as well just in case.

However just found out the trial camp arranged for the weekend has been cancelled due to weather forecast. Ah well.....ging gang watsits to you too litnell.

Or bugglies the name we give to long legged beasties and all thing wiggly and Slimey..oh yuk

Oh, I thought you'd invented a new dish - bacon buggies!