If you had £500 to spend...
Discussion
... On assorted bits and bobs to make camping a better experience, what would you buy/wish you'd bought sooner?
Not necessarily looking for a big ticket item, but if you had a combined budget of half a grand ish, what would you recommend?
Looking at everything from chairs and tables, to stoves and tarps.
Bit general, but it's the situation I find myself in.
Not necessarily looking for a big ticket item, but if you had a combined budget of half a grand ish, what would you recommend?
Looking at everything from chairs and tables, to stoves and tarps.
Bit general, but it's the situation I find myself in.
Good advice, in fact part if the deal is that we are moving up to a six man for our family of four. The budget is exclusive of the tent cost.
The sleep thing affects Mrs Cjelli more than the rest of us. The last outing, she apparently didn't sleep at all.
Maybe a camp bed for her, just in case my air bed etiquette isn't up to scratch.
The sleep thing affects Mrs Cjelli more than the rest of us. The last outing, she apparently didn't sleep at all.
Maybe a camp bed for her, just in case my air bed etiquette isn't up to scratch.
Well I've done a bit of window shopping, and come up with the following bits and bobs. Bear in mind, this is filling in gaps in our equipment list, so may not reflect everything you were expecting. If you disagree with some of the quoted prices, bear with me, there are conditions which may be made transparent at a later time.
Cadac safari chef - £90. Because I've heard almost exclusively good things about them online. Love the idea of the flexibility and versatility. Will a safari be enough for a family of four, should I be looking at the next one up? Thinking about size as well.
Outwell ecocool coolbox - £90. Looks like a reasonable halfway house between an enormous fully powered one, and a freezer pack special. Obviously expecting to run it on freezer packs too.
Hi gear elite cupboard unit - £100. Storage and workspace in one fairly small (folded) package. Seems expensive to me, but the wife is convinced.
Outwell black hills chair - £52. Good sized chair for me, wife and kids already have theirs. Again seems expensive, but have to wear it.
Hi gear double picnic table - £35. Workspace/family dining.
Vango adventure tarp - £35. Flexible shelter add on.
Footprint for tent - £45. Think a footprint may be invaluable for a tent with a sewn in groundsheet. Never had one before, so maybe a bit belt and braces.
Air pump - £15. Set up three of our air beds with least hassle.
Camp bed - £20. Give Mrs Cjelli a fighting chance of a good nights sleep.
£482 so far. Not budgeted for the gas to run the cadac, what should I be looking at for that?
Cadac safari chef - £90. Because I've heard almost exclusively good things about them online. Love the idea of the flexibility and versatility. Will a safari be enough for a family of four, should I be looking at the next one up? Thinking about size as well.
Outwell ecocool coolbox - £90. Looks like a reasonable halfway house between an enormous fully powered one, and a freezer pack special. Obviously expecting to run it on freezer packs too.
Hi gear elite cupboard unit - £100. Storage and workspace in one fairly small (folded) package. Seems expensive to me, but the wife is convinced.
Outwell black hills chair - £52. Good sized chair for me, wife and kids already have theirs. Again seems expensive, but have to wear it.
Hi gear double picnic table - £35. Workspace/family dining.
Vango adventure tarp - £35. Flexible shelter add on.
Footprint for tent - £45. Think a footprint may be invaluable for a tent with a sewn in groundsheet. Never had one before, so maybe a bit belt and braces.
Air pump - £15. Set up three of our air beds with least hassle.
Camp bed - £20. Give Mrs Cjelli a fighting chance of a good nights sleep.
£482 so far. Not budgeted for the gas to run the cadac, what should I be looking at for that?
marshal_alan said:
Crafty_ said:
A cheap caravan. Getting up off the ground into a dry environment makes a big improvement imho.
Doesn't matter if its tatty you can tidy it up and redo the soft furnishings as you go.
agree with that, spend £250 on a snotter off ebay/gumtree £120 on new tyres, £50 on comsumables like grease, gas hose and sealant and treat it as a work in progressDoesn't matter if its tatty you can tidy it up and redo the soft furnishings as you go.
Well, I've been and collected my stuff today.
The staff at Go Outdoors Derby couldn't have been nicer.
Picked up pretty much my list from above, except a different, but similar priced chair, went up to a camp bed for £45 which was a full folding job, rather than the little one that you put together from a kit of poles and wire legs. Just felt it looked like a more serious proposition. It's not like size and weight are a huge issue for the sort of camping we are aiming for.
So a big thanks to Go Outdoors for running the competition, can't wait to get out there and use the gear in anger.
The staff at Go Outdoors Derby couldn't have been nicer.
Picked up pretty much my list from above, except a different, but similar priced chair, went up to a camp bed for £45 which was a full folding job, rather than the little one that you put together from a kit of poles and wire legs. Just felt it looked like a more serious proposition. It's not like size and weight are a huge issue for the sort of camping we are aiming for.
So a big thanks to Go Outdoors for running the competition, can't wait to get out there and use the gear in anger.
Crafty_ said:
vladcjelli said:
Ha! Nice thought, but not an option.
To explain, have won a competition, so have a value to spend up to in a camping shop, which I will happily name in due course. (Want to get my prize first!)
In that case your window shopping list looks ok.To explain, have won a competition, so have a value to spend up to in a camping shop, which I will happily name in due course. (Want to get my prize first!)
For the gas I would suggest you use 4.5kg butane bottles, the smaller "campinggaz" type bottles are relatively expensive to fill. Go outdoors refill 4.5kg for £15 and I guess you'll find a local supplier for the same sort of money, just get on ebay or gumtree to find some cylinders. I think the regulator that comes with the cadac is for the small bottles, so you'll need a new one, they aren't expensive.
The cadac didn't come with any sort of hose to connect it to a cylinder/canister. Fine, I quite liked the freedom to source whatever suited me.
But, due to the unique nature of the HP/LP models and variations, googling the right parts is proving more difficult than I expected.
What do I need to make it work?
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