Me and Luke (my 12 year old son) are off camping next weekend in a tent that my friend has given us. We are very excited cos it's our first time. If we enjoy it I'm planning a couple of other weeks away during the summer.

I've just joined a "tenting" website to get a few tips and who knows I might give them a few tips once I'm an expert!

Do we have any other campers who do it under canvas? What are the best things and the worst things?

Mr SB and myself have been campers for years and really love it. One of the things we do is make a " camping list " of all the things we need to take with us. This is kept on the computer and printed out each time we go. It`s just really the little things that you always forget. If possible always choose flat ground, sleeping on a hill or slope is not comfortable. No matter how hot the weather is always take something warm for the evening/night because once the sun goes in and the grass starts going damp it will be cold.

Give it a few goes before you decide if you love it or hate it. You don`t want to buy loads of gear after the 1st time out to find out a few weeks later it`s not for you.

The weather of course makes all the difference when camping. Sitting out late into the night and enjoying early morning sunshine is far better than being stuck in the tent whilst it`s lashing down.

Have fun

Roughing it eh Dol! It's great fun camping, just don't do what i did once and go camping in Cornwall when gale force winds are about.

Hope you and your son have great fun.

I love those huge teepee's - have you seen them?, the hippies use them, i want one of those.

Ooo I love camping :applause: ...do you have a stove Dol? I have one you can borrow but you will need to get gas!

I was under canvas most of last month and have to say the only draw back is....bugs! The ruddy mossies get in everywhere but provided you slap on the old repellent you should be fine!

Have a fantastic time! :wink2:

do you have a stove Dol? I have one you can borrow but you will need to get gas!



All those beans she will be cooking, she will have plenty of gas.:w00t:

I lived on pork and beans and pasta while I was away...yes I did poot alot! :laugh:

Hmmm Dol...camping food you must have (cos they don't need to be kept cool):

Smash potato
Beans
Pasta
De-hydrated mince (you can get this in the same part of supermarket as the smash potato and it comes in various flavours...I particularly like the chilli one!)
Tinned potatos
Cereal bars (for breakfast cos you don't need milk which will go off quickly even in a cool box/bag)
Powdered milk for your tea/coffee in the morning
Hot chocolate in sachets...get nicking them from the office supplies girl!
Marshmellows - you can toast them over the grill if no fire is available!

I love camping food!

Looks like you're going to have a scorcher of a weekend Dol :cool: ...just right for a couple of camping virgins!

Have a fantastic time...:bye:

Any update on how it all went?

A most marvellous weekend! I was BORN to camp!

we did have brilliant weather which must always be a bonus. The campsite was clean, well laid out and very family orientated.

We will definitely be going again ... SOON!

Photo's! Photo's!

A most marvellous weekend! I was BORN to camp!

we did have brilliant weather which must always be a bonus. The campsite was clean, well laid out and very family orientated.

We will definitely be going again ... SOON!

Horrah...horrah! :yahoo: Another convert...well done you for surviving your first camping adventure...:thumbsup:

Glad you had a great time Dol. :applause: I've done it in my "yoof" but now I need my home comforts :blush:

We've just bought a tent but haven't used it yet. It's a whopper that is claimed to sleep 8 which should be nice'n roomy for the 4 of us. It's an 'Indiana 8' for those in the know. What surprised me is how relatively cheap these tents are. We went to a camping store in Frensham that had about 50 tents on display outside which made it easier to choose. THe one we went for was priced at what I thought was a reasonable £220, but then we came home and found an ex-demo one on the internet for £120.

One thing we're not sure of is what to sleep on. We have an inflatable double mattress at home, I think we'll buy a plug-in pump and use that.

If you are going to have electric SF a George Foreman is great; I have used mine a lot on this holiday;

We've just bought a tent but haven't used it yet. It's a whopper that is claimed to sleep 8 which should be nice'n roomy for the 4 of us. It's an 'Indiana 8' for those in the know.

Good idea buying twice the recommended size...you always need more room and the tent you have purchased will certainly do the job you require!

Have a fantastic time and...if it's likely to be a bit nippy when you go I also recommend a thin foam mat to go beneath your lilo to increases the insulation...don't ever buy a canvas campbed unless you have super warm sleeping bags...the cold gets underneath and freezes you...I speak from experience...the closer to the ground the better unles you splash out on a really expensive insulated camp bed...or lay foam mats on top of the canvas!

Or get yourself a large plastic bag to sleep in - that's an experience i can relate to - having slept in one under a parachute by a railway in winter.:photo:

:shocking: Flip Secrets...it must have been brassic! :cold:

I spent one night in a bin liner but that was in the middle of summer as me and a few chums laid out on a large taup star gazing all night...my body ached like a granny the next morning!

I hope you enjoy your camping SF. Your kids will love it. I only wish I'd been able to do it years ago when Luke was younger.

look! look! what I've just bought!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/doloresredd/ridgeline4.jpg

I'm very excited and have just booked up three campsites over the summer!

So will our next meet be under canvas? There are a couple of sites in Surrey (Chertsey) being one of them that's not too far from you Dave ... do you fancy it anyone?!

Looks great Dol. Hope you have many happy nights in it. :thumbsup:

Nice one Dol I'm sure you will have loads of fun. When we were on holiday even though we had the van to sleep in we took a tent to shove things in and I did spend a very restful night in it.