so I've bought the Tent now what else do I need......

[LordHaveMurci]

Don't forget your sense of humour!

[GAjon]

jdcampbell said:

Yes - last item

Reading glasses.

[jep]

hidetheelephants said:

Do you get bitey insects in the New Forest? If you were camping in Scotland you'd need tactical nuclear insect repellant to avoid misery.

Took some 3M stuff with us to France last week.... the warning said it contained only 34% Deet and not for use by children/U18's

Was great stuff, worked a treat and didn't get bitten once after slapping that stuff on!

[prand]

As for bedding, we take duvets, sheets, fleecy blankets and most importantly proper pillows.

If you have space in the car, using an uncomfortable sleeping bag is daft. We sleep on an inflatable mattress, kids (both under 4) have the very comfy Kampa airlock beds which keep them both very cosy.

A moka coffee pot is a great "essential" for breakfast.

Decent cooler box with lots of ice for a weekend's milk/breakfast etc. Small fold up table, some fold up chairs (ours were £5 from tesco direct).

Before you know it you will have filled the car.

Most important?

5 litres of scrumpy!

[blugnu]

Well we've added a trailer and a roof box to our list ...

[Pesty]

Usefull thread managed to buy myself a tent from ebay. Probably use it once.

[Meeja]

Pesty said:

Usefull thread managed to buy myself a tent from ebay. Probably use it once.

Which make/model?

Some great camping bargains to be had on the bay if you are patient...

[Pesty]

Meeja said:

Which make/model?

Some great camping bargains to be had on the bay if you are patient...

That's my problem I'm not. it's a skandika Gotland 6 £220 including shipping was bidding on a different one got bored did a speculative bid on that.

Was in a hotel in stoke last few days I was bored. Have since ordered all sorts including some of the suggestions above. Looking forward to the expresso kettle.

[Happy82]

Those silver foil mats are a fantastic wAy of keeping warm at night too, we found them an ideal solution to the coldness of sleeping on the floor.

[Meeja]

Pesty said:

Meeja said:

Which make/model?

Some great camping bargains to be had on the bay if you are patient...

That's my problem I'm not. it's a skandika Gotland 6 £220 including shipping was bidding on a different one got bored did a speculative bid on that.

Was in a hotel in stoke last few days I was bored. Have since ordered all sorts including some of the suggestions above. Looking forward to the expresso kettle.

Not one I am familiar with... although to be fair, I am an Outwell fanboy!

Good luck with the camping! Make sure you buy a Double Skillet. It revolutionises camping cooking.

Mrs Meeja was asked by one of her friends to make some suggestions for meals by one of her friends who is planning to go on a camping holiday but can't see beyond beans on toast and sausage and mash.

So I made a list of our evening meals on my phone... mostly cooked in the skillet.

Copied and pasted below.

Saturday

Pasta shapes with bolognaise sauce and garlic bread

Sunday

Tacos with mexican mince (turkey mince) sour cream, salsa, guacamole

Monday

Chicken stir fry with egg fried rice and medium egg noodles

Tuesday

Spanish Chicken with mini potato croquets and garlic bread

Wednesday

Spaghetti Carbonara with garlic bread


Thursday

Turkey curry with curried potato squares, egg fried rice and naan bread


Friday

Bangers mash and beans

Saturday

Turkey breast curry with curried potatos, egg fried rice and naan bread

Sunday

Tinned spaghetti on toast (couldn't be arsed)

[Pesty]

Right ill look for a double skillet

Dont know anything about tents. Just wanted a large tunnel tent( easy to put up) with sewn in ground sheet. 5000 hydrostatic head . It looks huge to me.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SKANDIKA-GOTLAND-6-PERSO...


Idea was odd weekend trip taking the dog soemwhere not sure if well use it that much. But we'll see.

[Meeja]

Slight downside with that tent is there is no "porch" type area, so when you get back to the tent in driving rain, you open up the living area to the elements just to get inside.

I presume fibreglass poles.... make sure you have a couple of spares in your kit... just in case.

Tunnel tents are not the greatest in strong winds... always guy it down well, and use decent pegs.

In the PH tradition of using over-engineered products, I use Delta Pegs to guy my tunnel tent down (Google them!) It has been exposed to seriously strong winds and survived where many on the same sites have failed....

[tescorank]

Generator

[Pesty]

Meeja said:

Slight downside with that tent is there is no "porch" type area, so when you get back to the tent in driving rain, you open up the living area to the elements just to get inside.

I presume fibreglass poles.... make sure you have a couple of spares in your kit... just in case.

Tunnel tents are not the greatest in strong winds... always guy it down well, and use decent pegs.

In the PH tradition of using over-engineered products, I use Delta Pegs to guy my tunnel tent down (Google them!) It has been exposed to seriously strong winds and survived where many on the same sites have failed....

Yes I'm sure that's right any time I open the door rain will pour in. The other one I was bidding on had a porch and the doors had side bits bit was going for a bit much. Didn't want to go overboard for something that we may only use very little.

I've already ordered some of these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Blue-Diamond-Heavy-Duty-...

I remember those little pegs being rubbish I think you are correct about the wind too. In fact one review of this tent had it collapsing.

I'm only planning to go in fair weather for a few days so hopefully will not get caught in very ad weather. If we get into it I might invest a bit more.

Ps this little mocha coffee pot is ace. Although I think I've over done the cafine today.

Edited by Pesty on Saturday 17th August 13:44

[robpearson]

if you dont just boil water for coffee you might want to consider an aeropress:
http://www.hasbean.co.uk/collections/aerobie/produ...

[Pesty]

Well I've put it up today. It's bloody huge took about 30minutes but I had to tie on most of the guy lines probably 15 to 20 next time.

Tried the new intex air bed very comfy and made a coffee and a bacon sandwich on the cheapo burner which has turned out to be excellent. My whistling kettle whistles and the aluminium camping pans are great but the frying pan is a little small.

I want to sleep in it tonight how sad is that.

Edited by Pesty on Sunday 25th August 19:33

[blugnu]

Pesty said:

Well I've put it up today. It's bloody huge took about 30minutes but I had to tie on most of the guy lines probably 15 to 20 next time.

Tried the new intex air bed very comfy and made a coffee and a bacon sandwich on the cheapo burner which has turned out to be excellent. My whistling kettle whistles and the aluminium camping pans are great but the frying pan is a little small.

I want to sleep in it tonight how sad is that.

Edited by Pesty on Sunday 25th August 19:33

It's a beast! I bought a tent of eBay and it didn't fit in my garden (a width issue due to borders, hedges and so on) so you're way ahead of me - I had to go back to my parents wider garden to check I had all the bits

But enough of that - did you sleep in it last night?

[Pesty]

blugnu said:

It's a beast! I bought a tent of eBay and it didn't fit in my garden (a width issue due to borders, hedges and so on) so you're way ahead of me - I had to go back to my parents wider garden to check I had all the bits

But enough of that - did you sleep in it last night?

No I gave in due to the piss taking from the other three. Was in it till about midnight though happy as lorry I was stil getting the wifi. I'd happily live in there.

Got my gas heater on made coffee. Sorted.

It was a struggle same problem with borders ts 4.5 metres wide and 5.4 long

[blugnu]

Pesty said:

No I gave in due to the piss taking from the other three. Was in it till about midnight though happy as lorry I was stil getting the wifi. I'd happily live in there.

Got my gas heater on made coffee. Sorted.

It was a struggle same problem with borders ts 4.5 metres wide and 5.4 long

Shame! I had the camping kitchen set up under the gazebo in the garden for most of July but only cooked on it once - it's amazing how just being camping makes you a lot more relaxed about the time things take: when I'm away I don't care that there isn't enough power in the stove to boil water *and* fry onions at the same time (at least not with the thick bottomed pans we use) but when I was in the garden and there was a 'proper' stove a few metres away it seemed tediously slow

I don't know why it never occurred to me to make coffee on it!

Ours is 4 x 4.3 and seems pretty large, yours is palatial Where are you going in it?

[Pesty]

Idea is for now 2 hours or so drive from here.

Looking at North Yorkshire /Derbyshire. Found one site I like the look of near Dolby Forrest.

Would have gone this weekend but still can't take the puppy out yet. Unless we get an Indian summer probably won't use it this year. (Sorry I'm a fair weather camper)

You been anywhere in yours?