Family Camping...where do I start?!?!?!?

[TheBigJ]

Hi,
Im new here, and recently my wife has expressed an interest in wanting to go camping for once or twice a year with our 3 kids for holidays...for say 3-5 or so days at a time. Now Ive only camped briefly before with friends who alreday had equiment....

Based on a family of 5 ( 2 adults, 3 kids under 10 yrs ) going away for 3-5 or so days, staying at a site ( to begin with ) that has amenities IE: showers/shops etc etc.
What sort of kit would I need...and what sort of cost am I talking?? Obviosuly Id want decent, quality stuff that will last, but don't want to pay over the roof. It is just a case of buying a tent, sleeping bags, kettle and stove etc etc???

Any help and advice would help

 

[dave53]

hi bigj depend on when you want to go really this year or next winter or summer there are always folk on here selling gear exampleive got a big 4 man tent which i will be selling inmo i would start by getting cheap gear to start theres gear out there thats just as good as exspensive stuff just in case the wifey changes her mind or borrow some stuff of friends and try it out weve still got some nice weather to come lol hope this helps there will be others to give there knowledge and advise regards dave

 

[TheBigJ]

I think we're planning to go some time later next year. It wont be to soon as we're taking the kids to Disneyland early next year lol
I was told its best to buy out of season as places have tents etc on sale...I'll just have to keep my eye out

 

[sapper1]

The best advice I can give is to get a tent that is big enough for the kids to play in if it rains all day.
We spent over £1500 on a complete set up so it can be expensive.Have a good think about how much use you'll get out of it before splashing the cash.

 

[TheBigJ]

£1500!! That be alot of money!!!!
Never though it would cost as much as that......but good advice about the kids, didn't think about how to entertain them if it was chucking it down. Thanks

I best be looking for some deals then!! LOL

 

[JonathanD]

But an old parachute can do the same thing.

 

[sapper1]

But an old parachute can do the same thing.

Yeah Right .My wife would divorce me.

 

[sapper1]

£1500!! That be alot of money!!!!
Never though it would cost as much as that......but good advice about the kids, didn't think about how to entertain them if it was chucking it down. Thanks

I best be looking for some deals then!! LOL

Our tent has every thing ,including carpet so the cost is high.You can do it a lot cheaper but we go camping very regularly and like our home comforts .

 

[TheBigJ]

Our tent has every thing ,including carpet so the cost is high.You can do it a lot cheaper but we go camping very regularly and like our home comforts .

I didnt realise tents could come with carpets. I think we're just planning to try it out a few times first see how the kids find it etc. Is there any particular brands or makes of tents etc that I should be keeping an eye out for???

 

[JonathanD]

Our tent has every thing ,including carpet so the cost is high.You can do it a lot cheaper but we go camping very regularly and like our home comforts .

Carpets?!? Brilliant. I used to go out with someone who actually thought the countryside was ruined because it didn't have carpets. This was when I was living permanently in London. If I ever managed to convince her into going into the wilds, it used to cripple me carrying a bergen full of Krug or Dom P, smoked salmon and the biggest thickest rug in the world.

The girl I have now loves every aspect of the wild. I'm lucky.

 

[sapper1]

When the kids were younger we used to take a playstation,flatscreen telly and a freeview box complete with aerial.Now they spend very little time in the tent and are mostly in the woods.

 

[antzy]

I know this may not be the bushcraft way, but I would look on ebay for something cheap. This time of year tents can be cheap - in shops as well as second hand. Don't be tempted to blow a lot of money to start with - try it first.

As for kids, they usually love camping, and there is the benefit of them tiring easily with all the fresh air. We have a portable DVD player plugged into the car with an extension into the tent - good way of chilling them out at night.

Good luck

 

[Loenja]

ive got a kit list i got from my dad is in word format but in german i can translate for you if you pm me. the list is a general holiday list but as we have never been in a hotel 99% of holidays were camping. it was originally for 4 people but expanded to 6 (3 siblings)

 

[John Fenna]

I have seen lots of bargains in charity shops - donated by dispondent folk who have bought the kit and then spent a wet week in a flooded and wind flattened campsite....
Shop around, go to car boot sales and haunt the charity shops is my advice...but then I am concidered a miser even in West wales!

 

[The Big Lebowski]

The best bit about camping is keeping it simple... (bearing in mind you are with family/kids)

Big enough home for everyone, somewhere warm and comfortable to sleep, something to sit on, something to put food on, cooking facilites, crockery.

Good size familt tent (£200+), you will have to decide if the kids can all sleep in one section, or you have to devide them.
Be aware that some camp sites have restrictions on size (or double the cost per night) so a 9 man mini-city might not be ideal.

Good quality air beds (£30-40ea) are a must for comfort, as are half tidy sleeping bags (£20-30ea)... nothing fancy, just thick square bags that can be zipped up for cooler weather, or opened out to form a sheet during warm spells.

A good quality double ring gas stove (appx £80-100) for quick cooking, or foul weather. Portable BBQ (appx £50-70) that can be taken down the beach in the evening (kids play in water, you and other half sneaky glass of wine while cooking).

A chair for everyone (£10ea), fold out camping table (£30-40) for meals/prep work or buffets. large 12v cooler box (£20-30) for supermarket trips.

Pots, pans, plastic glasses, plates, cutlery (say £50)

Anything else is an added bonus. Radio is always nice for background music....

Thats the basics! and at a conservative guess appx £700 depending on layout.

The novelty of camping wears off very quickly with some, so its always worth checking the local free ad's for complete packages, or saving's on camp stoves, tents ect!

Halfords do complete packages for a very basic starter, but if you do like it, you will very quickly want to upgrade most if not all of the kit.

TBL.

 

[Tengu]

Well, nomads in Iran have plenty of carpets, dont they?

I like my sheepskins.

theres lots of stuff at car boots this time of year. I will keep my eyes open.

My friend was desolate at the Go outdoors shop, I told her that the market is geared to festivals these days so kit is poor quality.

Buyer beware

 

[Andy T]

have a look in millets for tents they have really slashed their prices...

 

[eel28]

if you take a look at www.ukcampsite.co.uk you should find all the answers you require regarding family camping. lots of tips and advice for family camping, lists of sites etc. and they are a freindly bunch too - a bit like the folks here

 

[andythecelt]

I started taking the kids away with a £50 ebay special tent, some £7 sleeping bags from Wilkinson, a twin burner gas stove I got for £6 at an auction years ago... and so on. It's really not worth spending a mint just to get started. Argos are selling off air beds for a tenner that are pretty good at the moment. As others have said car boot sales are great too. You just have to be adaptable with cheap kit. One summer the weather was so bad that everyone but us on the campsite packed up and left. The rain kept on hammering down for days until I lost count of the places the tent was leaking. I bought a huge blue builder's tarp and some bungees, cut some 3 foot long pegs from driftwood and pegged the thing down over the whole tent. It kept us all dry for the rest of the week when people with expensive bathtub floored tents were forced home.

 

[Large Sack]

if you take a look at www.ukcampsite.co.uk you should find all the answers you require regarding family camping. lots of tips and advice for family camping, lists of sites etc. and they are a freindly bunch too - a bit like the folks here

Yes' I'll second that. I'm a member over there too and you will pick up lots of info about family camping and equipment that you won't necessarily find here.

Cheers

Sack