Camping advice

w3bbo

w3bbo

w3bbo

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Up North
My lad has finally got me to agree to take him camping. Not been camping since cub scouts some 30 years ago so I'm a little (very) out of touch.

Booked a site in the Lake District for 3 nights this BH weekend. I have had the some of kit loaned me, 6 berth tent inc canopy, carpet, ground sheet etc which will save me a few pennies as I don't want to buy expensive new kit if we hate it.

So far my list of kit to buy from 'Go Outdoors' tomorrow is as follows:

2x sleeping bags
2x airbeds
gas stove
gas bottle
2x chairs
1x table
Rucksack for day trips/walking
Insect repellent
Frying pan
Tent lantern
Board game/entertainment for rainy days?

Anything else that I should look at getting? /i don't want to go overboard on quality kit but at the same time I don't want to buy kit that will only last a couple of days:o. Total novice with this so any help/advice is appreciated :).
 
Does the campsite you are going to provide power? If so you will need an adaptor, not much else, last time I went camping we took a cheap gazebo with us to us as shelter when eating outside etc... But it did blow down on the fourth day due to heavy wind :p you will also need a pump fir the airbeds either a cheap foot pump or a car cigarette lighter one.
 
Normal torch each. Bog paper. Pocket knife, inc tin opener. Ear plugs (bank holiday weekends can often get 'noisy').

Are you eating out and just doing breakfast, or are you planning on cooking dinner too?
 
Check out go outdoors anyway. Sometimes they do some really good deals on tents and sleeping bags. I think a friend paid like 200 quid for a tent with four sleeping bags and 4 ground mats. A 6 man tent is a little over kill for 2 people but i suppose its borrowed so cant really complain sometimes the larger tents can be a bit of a pain to put up is all. I wouldnt get a gas stove and bottle unless you like camping get one of the little gas camping stoves i`m sure that will do for a few cups of tea and to warm up some beans or fry an egg just get some extra gas. If you decide you like it you can always get more expensive stuff later. They sell these chairs in a bag they have always been quite good but make sure you dont get the cheap ones without arms on since I ditched mine as they were uncomfortable to sit on.

I have always been the kind of person that always plans to spend the smallest time i can in the tent and more time out of the tent enjoying the area and stuff but always end up spending more and more time around the tent even more so at night so make sure you talk something to keep you occupied. Maybe something you and your son can do together like cards or a board game or some puzzles/magazines books. Spend some time looking into the area that you are going to and organise some stuff to do becuase when you get there its easy to just stay in the tent and not do anything.
 
How about taking a BBQ?

If the weather is good or even mild, then how about taking cycles or something to take advantage of the outdoor surroundings?

Make sure you have adequate lighting in the tent - don't just rely on torches.

Decathlon / Go Outdoors / Lidl are good stores for low cost extras.
 
You need a water carrier. A 5l plastic folding one will do. They're only cheap.

Wind up torches are good, and have really come down in price. Wind up radio would be useful too, but not necessary. Means you can have it on low in the evenings without disturbing other people much.

Do you have a kettle you can use on the stove? Camping mugs arnt necessary, but they are a lifesaver. Ive knocked over my fair share of brews in a tent, only to be saved by the lid on the mug :)
 
Hi W3bbo. :)

Keep things to a minimum. You will find you don't use half the stuff first time.

Get spray on cooking oil. Full on cooking oil is heavy and bulky. Spray on cooking oil will do you many trips.

2 x Sporks. All you need utensil wise. And 2 x mess tins for eating/cooking from. Cheap and effective. :)
 
Take a good towel that soaks up water well. If it rains, putting down and packing a wet tent is much easier if you wipe off the excess water as you fold it up. If it doesn't rain then is can be used to wipe away condensation inside the tent before packing it away.
 
a proper LED torch with good reliability and a low mode with decent runtime.

My girlfriend is off to reading festival this weekend so i lent her one of my torches, high mode for about 30 minutes, which is bright enough to light up half a football field or low mode for more than seven hours which is bright enough to light up the tent comfortably.

without a proper torch you may find yourself very literally in the dark, which is never fun.
 
As others have said torches are very useful, particularly a headtorch.

Make sure you get a sleeping bag with the season rating which will suit you best for where and when you will most often camp.
 
w3bbo said:
2x airbeds
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I would look at camp beds rather than airbeds. So much more comfortable.

w3bbo said:
Anything else that I should look at getting? /i don't want to go overboard on quality kit but at the same time I don't want to buy kit that will only last a couple of days:o. Total novice with this so any help/advice is appreciated :).
Click to expand...

A tent? :)

Water carrier is a good idea and possibly more than just a frying pan to cook on.
 
bods said:
Matches to light the stove ;)
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A decent (even decent cheap one that takes gas cartridges as opposed to a burner on top of a bottle, which are crap) stove will have a spark built in.

Halfords actually have a good deal on their single burner stove, and deals on multibuys on the A4 sized cartridges.

Don't know if you have a Millets nearby, but they are having a huge "end of summer" sale. I got a decent sized 3-man tent for £50 down from £179.99. They are also doing buy 2 get the 3rd item free on all their sale items, so a good way to get a free 10L water carrier ;)
 
Make sure your mate lending you the tent shows you how to put it up properly! It can make a big difference between a warm and dry first night and getting angry at a tent with several new holes in.
 
misterPK said:
a tent with several new holes in.
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This reminds me; DUCT TAPE! you must have a roll of the stuff it you've not camped in a long time.

it can temporarily patch up a tent hole, fix broken tent poles and all manner of damaged camping gear to a satisfactory level for use.
 
Forget the supplied pent pegs, buy some 10" nail tent pegs.. These aren't going anywhere and don't bend.

I found this out a few years ago when our tent last year flew down the road breaking the poles.. I had to tie part of the tent to the car.. then drove off forgetting it was still attached.. The kids thought it was highly amusing..
 
Admiral Huddy said:
Forget the supplied pent pegs, buy some 10" nail tent pegs.. These aren't going anywhere and don't bend.

I found this out a few years ago when our tent last year flew down the road breaking the poles.. I had to tie part of the tent to the car.. then drove off forgetting it was still attached.. The kids thought it was highly amusing..
Click to expand...

i think this calls for one of your epic Huddy Stories™
 
That also reminds me, take a mallet for the pegs. Last time I went I ended up using a shoe with a rock in it. Not fun.
 
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