Family Camping...where do I start?!?!?!?
- Thread starter TheBigJ
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Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.
I would recommend having a look at your local www.gooutdoors.co.uk shop or somewhere that has tents already erected. My local Milletts, Blacks and Cotswolds Outdoors don’t have space to put them up on the premises. This way you can see what you get space wise before you buy and are not relying on picture or manufacturers say so. We picked up a 10 man tent from www.gooutdoors.co.uk as well as a lot of other stuff. Buying the discount card for £4 a year is a must as you get the reduced price and loads of offers via email and post.
When we go (me, the wife and 2 boys [aged 6 and 10]) we find the 10 man tent with porch (purchased separately) big enough in bad weather, it should do you and your family. Anything smaller i.e. a 5 man tent and have had it. In my opinion the berth rating is for sleeping in, not living in. I highly doubt we could get 10 people living in our tent, although they could sleep there at a push.
Heres the tent and porch we use, and like I say is the bees knees: The tent: http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/kalahari-10-p150788 and the porch: http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-kalahari-porch-p146792
Keep an eye out on ebay, these tents come up every so often, but seeing them erected elsewhere first is a must.
We use these beds which are great: http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-flock-single-sized-sleeping-airbed-p142437
This stove: http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/campingaz-camping-chef-camping-stove-p129861
The sleeping bags are bought from here and there. You will need lighting, tables, chairs, a heater etc but this can be picked up as you go along. Don’t forget out door games for the kids. Mine love this simple thing: http://www.amazon.co.uk/TKC-stomp-r...f=sr_1_1?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1285233335&sr=1-1
Indoor games, for when it is wet or dark too. You need to think of food prep when the weather is bad too, hence the porch, we prepare and cook all our food in this, and then eat at a table with chairs in the tent when we need to. Remember to take a small BBQ as it can cook your food and also keep you warm at night. We use home fire logs from B&M bargains. At 99p each they are way cheaper than the Bryant & May alternative. They don’t produce much smoke and don’t let off and sparks that would damage the tents.
There’s miles more to consider, but this should give you an idea.
When we go (me, the wife and 2 boys [aged 6 and 10]) we find the 10 man tent with porch (purchased separately) big enough in bad weather, it should do you and your family. Anything smaller i.e. a 5 man tent and have had it. In my opinion the berth rating is for sleeping in, not living in. I highly doubt we could get 10 people living in our tent, although they could sleep there at a push.
Heres the tent and porch we use, and like I say is the bees knees: The tent: http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/kalahari-10-p150788 and the porch: http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-kalahari-porch-p146792
Keep an eye out on ebay, these tents come up every so often, but seeing them erected elsewhere first is a must.
We use these beds which are great: http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-flock-single-sized-sleeping-airbed-p142437
This stove: http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/campingaz-camping-chef-camping-stove-p129861
The sleeping bags are bought from here and there. You will need lighting, tables, chairs, a heater etc but this can be picked up as you go along. Don’t forget out door games for the kids. Mine love this simple thing: http://www.amazon.co.uk/TKC-stomp-r...f=sr_1_1?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1285233335&sr=1-1
Indoor games, for when it is wet or dark too. You need to think of food prep when the weather is bad too, hence the porch, we prepare and cook all our food in this, and then eat at a table with chairs in the tent when we need to. Remember to take a small BBQ as it can cook your food and also keep you warm at night. We use home fire logs from B&M bargains. At 99p each they are way cheaper than the Bryant & May alternative. They don’t produce much smoke and don’t let off and sparks that would damage the tents.
There’s miles more to consider, but this should give you an idea.
ok heres my suggestion assuming youre camping out the back of a car
the kingsize argos airbed and the coleman kingsize sleeping bag- wife and the kids should all fit in it. i use a dome tent that has space for that and my mat and bag beside it. dog can go in the outer porch
kinda similar to the vango apollo 500.
tisos were doing a deal recently with a vango dome tent and 4 bags for 80 quid
if its just a couple of nights then as far as cooking i'd go with the disposable bbq for sheer simplicity
the other key to enjoying it is picking a good campsite. one that has firepits and some trees. that way you can get a tarp up by the fire for any showers and the kids are entertained collecting twigs and stuff to throw in the fire.
http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/articles/view.asp?id=4 will show you were allows them comriecroft was pretty good and filled all your requirements.
also a lantern torch and a couple of head torches
so all in your talking around £200 if you dont get carried away
the kingsize argos airbed and the coleman kingsize sleeping bag- wife and the kids should all fit in it. i use a dome tent that has space for that and my mat and bag beside it. dog can go in the outer porch
kinda similar to the vango apollo 500.
tisos were doing a deal recently with a vango dome tent and 4 bags for 80 quid
if its just a couple of nights then as far as cooking i'd go with the disposable bbq for sheer simplicity
the other key to enjoying it is picking a good campsite. one that has firepits and some trees. that way you can get a tarp up by the fire for any showers and the kids are entertained collecting twigs and stuff to throw in the fire.
http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/articles/view.asp?id=4 will show you were allows them comriecroft was pretty good and filled all your requirements.
also a lantern torch and a couple of head torches
so all in your talking around £200 if you dont get carried away
if you are looking for somewhere to go try googling happy campers they have loads of sites on there sorted by area and if you can have a fire or not
Start making a list and collect stuff as you go along until next year you're ready to set off. Don't forget the simple things like water containers, bowls for washing and washing up, a little bottle of washing up liquid (I use a small contact lens solution bottle) etc. I have three double burner stoves, gas, meths and multifuel. The multifuel wins hands down for power and usability but even with that the flame is a bit feeble so if you use it in windy conditions it needs shelter. Paraffin and petrol can be dirty and smelly, gas and meths are extremely clean, gas is very convenient but you always need a spare cylinder. All can be dangerous, gas can be very dangerous in an enclosed space, meths can be dangerous because you can't see the flame, petrol can ignite from a spark several yards away. If you use gas for family camping don't be tempted by the little pint-sized gas cannisters, get a stove that can take something like a 4.5kg bottle. Most of the time I only take a single 'roarer' burner petrol stove with me when I camp, it will cook in a gale on top of a snow-covered mountain. You probably won't need that sort of performance for your first few trips at least but if you come across something like that which runs on petrol or paraffin in a boot sale it might be useful as a backup. They're expensive to buy new, usually over 100 quid.
Yeoman Outdoor have a list of their shows on their Website but unfortunately the last one this year finisheS on 27th September and it's in Darley Dale, very near me as it happens. Their displays have dozens of all kinds of tents from one-man lightweight to things as big as a house, all erected in a field so you can see them. It would probably be a good idea to see that. They do some cheap tents and they sell the display examples off at the end of the show. Tents tend to get expensive when they are very light, for backpacking. You probably don't need to worry about the weight if you're using a vehicle so you can aim cheaper. I actually prefer the groundsheets in the cheaper tents as they're that bit heavier and I think a bit tougher. I have several very cheap tents, some of which I've bought from Yeoman, and I'm happy with all of them. I have an expensive lightweight tent and I don't like it at all. If you're going to have a camp fire give serious thought to getting a canvas tent, it's less likely to be holed by hot flying embers and safer in my opinion, especially with kids around. It will be heavier, especially when wet, and will need more care.
You'll sometimes be very glad of wind breaks and a porch, awning or tarpaulin. Of course you might be heading off to southern Spain and things might be different but it will be a longer trip.
Gotta do some work now, sorry...
Yeoman Outdoor have a list of their shows on their Website but unfortunately the last one this year finisheS on 27th September and it's in Darley Dale, very near me as it happens. Their displays have dozens of all kinds of tents from one-man lightweight to things as big as a house, all erected in a field so you can see them. It would probably be a good idea to see that. They do some cheap tents and they sell the display examples off at the end of the show. Tents tend to get expensive when they are very light, for backpacking. You probably don't need to worry about the weight if you're using a vehicle so you can aim cheaper. I actually prefer the groundsheets in the cheaper tents as they're that bit heavier and I think a bit tougher. I have several very cheap tents, some of which I've bought from Yeoman, and I'm happy with all of them. I have an expensive lightweight tent and I don't like it at all. If you're going to have a camp fire give serious thought to getting a canvas tent, it's less likely to be holed by hot flying embers and safer in my opinion, especially with kids around. It will be heavier, especially when wet, and will need more care.
You'll sometimes be very glad of wind breaks and a porch, awning or tarpaulin. Of course you might be heading off to southern Spain and things might be different but it will be a longer trip.
Gotta do some work now, sorry...
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Depending how much you are thinking that you might go camping it may be worth joining The Camping and Caravan Club. You get a massive book of sites and a monthly magazine. Members pay less on the plush club sites and there are thousands of (often more basic) members only small certificated sites that normally charge by the unit (ie. one tent or caravan and as many as it will sleep) and can be as cheap as £5 per unit per night. At those rates it doesn't take many nights to make enough of a saving over a commercial site to cover the membership fee.
The list was great thanks
Thanks for the rest of the advice....Ive started to have a look around at bits and bobs. All of your suggestions have been very helpful. I never realised there were so many options and choices etc! lol
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