Camping Tips/Advice
Having been on many camping trips over the years, you get to work out what's a good idea and what's not, further down the page you can read our camping story so far, but below are a few of our tips. These tips are not necessarily the best options to suit you and there may even be better options/ideas out there, however we like to share them, as they may help others when starting out camping.
Sleeping
We initially started out with a double airbed and thick duvet, but it wasn’t long before we changed them and got single airbeds and sleeping bags. Not only do single airbeds stop you waking your partner up every time you turn over, it also means if it gets a puncture, only one of you gets a rough night.
A lot of tents now come with an optional carpet, however that doesn’t usually include the bedroom, so we take a picnic mat and lay it down in the middle of the bedroom, this helps reduce the cold and is nicer to stand on first thing in the morning.
We initially started out with a double airbed and thick duvet, but it wasn’t long before we changed them and got single airbeds and sleeping bags. Not only do single airbeds stop you waking your partner up every time you turn over, it also means if it gets a puncture, only one of you gets a rough night.
A lot of tents now come with an optional carpet, however that doesn’t usually include the bedroom, so we take a picnic mat and lay it down in the middle of the bedroom, this helps reduce the cold and is nicer to stand on first thing in the morning.
Table
There are now a variety of tables out there, we prefer the fully collapsible ones, rather than the folding flat ones, as they are easier and we would always advise getting 2 singles instead of a double, as this will give you more flexibility, if you have kids then the picnic style might be a good option, however it is unlikely to fit inside the tent, meaning in bad weather it's unusable.
There are now a variety of tables out there, we prefer the fully collapsible ones, rather than the folding flat ones, as they are easier and we would always advise getting 2 singles instead of a double, as this will give you more flexibility, if you have kids then the picnic style might be a good option, however it is unlikely to fit inside the tent, meaning in bad weather it's unusable.
Storage
We used to use the collapsible crates, cheap easy to store/transport and large, however we've found they have too many places for bugs to hide in and they're too large for keeping on the table. We've now opted for a picnic cooler bag, it's collapsible, has carry handles and fully zips up to keep bugs out and has small feet if we need to put it on the floor.
In addition, we also purchased a collapsible washing up bowl, previously we carried the crates with the mucky pots in, however as mentioned, they were quite bulky to carry, the bowl is ideal and takes up minimal space.
We used to use the collapsible crates, cheap easy to store/transport and large, however we've found they have too many places for bugs to hide in and they're too large for keeping on the table. We've now opted for a picnic cooler bag, it's collapsible, has carry handles and fully zips up to keep bugs out and has small feet if we need to put it on the floor.
In addition, we also purchased a collapsible washing up bowl, previously we carried the crates with the mucky pots in, however as mentioned, they were quite bulky to carry, the bowl is ideal and takes up minimal space.
Pockets/Organiser, you know the ones I mean, those designed to hang on the back of doors for shoes etc, well I’m considering making my own. By designing and making my own, we can have specific size pockets for plates, cutlery, tea towels etc and I can make it fit the width and length I need to hang neatly in the tent, made from material it will also roll up neatly and can be washed.
Lighting
A torch us always handy to have, choices are endless, I don't need to go into detail. If you have electric hook-up whilst camping, then mains powered light is preferable. There are also a variety of choices, you simply use a car inspection lamp style light on a lead and hang it up in the tent like we have previously done, however there's storing the bulb and carrying a spare.
The latest, most popular option is obviously led, but what do you buy? You can buy more expensive kits aimed and described as camping lighting, however you can but a kit for around £12. I bought a kit online, it's a waterproof led strip, RGB means colour changeable, but I only chose this option as it came with a remote, meaning you can turn it off once in bed and it comes with mains 3 pin plug on a decent length cable. As you can see in my picture below I have stuck it onto a strip of wood, put in some closed ring hooks and threaded an old tent guy rope through to hang it inside the tent.
A torch us always handy to have, choices are endless, I don't need to go into detail. If you have electric hook-up whilst camping, then mains powered light is preferable. There are also a variety of choices, you simply use a car inspection lamp style light on a lead and hang it up in the tent like we have previously done, however there's storing the bulb and carrying a spare.
The latest, most popular option is obviously led, but what do you buy? You can buy more expensive kits aimed and described as camping lighting, however you can but a kit for around £12. I bought a kit online, it's a waterproof led strip, RGB means colour changeable, but I only chose this option as it came with a remote, meaning you can turn it off once in bed and it comes with mains 3 pin plug on a decent length cable. As you can see in my picture below I have stuck it onto a strip of wood, put in some closed ring hooks and threaded an old tent guy rope through to hang it inside the tent.
I'm now considering improving on this, our new Vango Capri 400xl (our review and pictures here) tent has loops at each air beam, meaning my current light will hang up like a fluorescent tube style, but I can hang more than 1, therefore I’m considering buying some shorter lengths, already on a rigid mount and placing one in the bedroom as well, more details will follow.
Update July 2018
I have now made a new light, this time buying a set of four led strips that are already in aluminium housing and can be all connected together or separate. They come with little brackets to hold them in place, so I have taken some tent poles and attached them to the poles, allowing me to hang them up in our tent, (as seen in the picture below) and take them apart from transporting. They are controlled by remote, so we can adjust the brightness and have found that 2 strips are adequate, plus using a postal tube for storing, both strips fit in easily, along with the power cable, remote and central hanging clip, so it's all kept together.
I have now made a new light, this time buying a set of four led strips that are already in aluminium housing and can be all connected together or separate. They come with little brackets to hold them in place, so I have taken some tent poles and attached them to the poles, allowing me to hang them up in our tent, (as seen in the picture below) and take them apart from transporting. They are controlled by remote, so we can adjust the brightness and have found that 2 strips are adequate, plus using a postal tube for storing, both strips fit in easily, along with the power cable, remote and central hanging clip, so it's all kept together.
Chairs
Most people probably have what we know to be camping chairs, there handy to have, however again there's a mountain if choices and prices. We initially went with the more common material arms with cup holder, but the arms eventually sag and the cross frame presses into your legs, making them uncomfortable for lengthy periods. We looked around, my wife looking at the comfort aspect, me looking at the practical size and portable aspect. We eventually both agreed on the Outwell Goya, they have solid arms, no frame directly under your legs and fold into a tube shape bag as previous, although a little bigger than I initially wanted, they are comfortable and more supportive, whilst not breaking the bank balance. |
Camping - Our Experience
We started our introduction to camping with a Bedford Bambi campervan, pictured right, which was an experience we will never forget! Travelling to campsites was not the most pleasant, in such a small vehicle, with a small engine, carrying that weight on its back; we definitely did not enjoy the travelling part. Once we arrived on site and after a few laughs and stares, setting up was quite easy and quick and gave us all we needed, including a hob, sink, large double bed, toilet and with our hook-up cable, we had electric. We also had an awning, which was free standing, giving us and extra room.
We only survived a year with our lovely little campervan, it took too long to get anywhere of some distance, was not a very practical second vehicle and was too stressful a drive, especially in windy conditions! However, our camping continued the following year with a tent! |
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We bought a Coleman Magellan 9 tent, which was massive!! Giving us 3 bedrooms, we had a room for us, a room for family/friends and a room for getting changed in/bags etc and decent size living area, which we had a folding table, cooker and 4 folding chairs in and we had plenty of room. We had this tent for a few years, but the size did create problems when booking sites, as some pitches were not big enough to take it, so they wanted to charge us for 2 pitches. We did manage to put the tent up with only 2 of us, but 4 made it a lot easier and quicker.
Camping has given us some great holidays in the UK and is something we continue to do, but it’s not for everyone. We bought a tent with sewn in groundsheet to avoid the creepy crawleys, but we never thought we’d wake up floating!
In June 2007 there was a lot of rainfall, causing floods all over the UK and unfortunately we were camping in Mablethorpe at the time. We arrived on the site the day before in glorious sun, but during the night, the rain flooded the site and our tent, it’s an experience we now laugh about, but at the time it was very stressful, spoilt our holiday and damaged our tent. We have also battled with the wind on many occasions camping, You can see in the picture above the tent pitched the day before and then below/right the flooded site. |
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Up until July 2017 we had two tents, a Gelert Horizon 6, which was a great size tent for me and the wife, especially when we remove the other bedroom, meaning we had a really good sized living area. In addition we also bought the canopy as part of the deal, which was great, giving us an outside sheltered area and was especially useful on rainy days, as having a side entrance, means water would run down the doorway. Our first experience with that tent was spoilt by the wind, leaving us no option but to pack up and go home, however our camping expedition at Parkers Farm Holiday Park, we had fabulous weather and had a perfect setup with this tent, however our only issue was ventilation, the previous Coleman Magellan had a roof vent, similar to having a chimney, it could be left open even on rainy days, meaning in the heat, hot air would rise and escape out of the tent, but the Gelert Horizon doesn’t have such great ventilation, well actually it’s a very poor design when it comes to down to air vents and window positioning.
Our second tent was another Gelert, the Seattle 4, but was much smaller and mainly used for shorter weekend breaks, however it was an ideal size for putting up. In July 2017 we bought a Vango Capri 400XL, which is an airbeam tent and was purchased to replace both previous tents, to provide us with a better size and design to suit us, you can check out our review and pictures here.
Our second tent was another Gelert, the Seattle 4, but was much smaller and mainly used for shorter weekend breaks, however it was an ideal size for putting up. In July 2017 we bought a Vango Capri 400XL, which is an airbeam tent and was purchased to replace both previous tents, to provide us with a better size and design to suit us, you can check out our review and pictures here.
Which Tent?
Tent displays are the best places to look, then you can have a good look around inside and out, however as we found in July 2017, tent displays appear to be less and less and you're better suited to going to several outlets. When viewing tents, check how light or dark it is inside, what ventilation it has, can you stand up and be realistic, does it have enough or too much space? If it happens to be a windy day when your looking, then look at how it reacts to the amount of wind there is.
We made the mistake first time around of buying a massive tent to give us more space, however it also meant it was harder to put up, more weight, more space taken up in the car and when it rained, it was harder to find somewhere to leave it to dry out (tents will go mouldy, if left packed away wet).
A sewn in groundsheet is what we would recommend, it will keep out most creepy crawleys, stops the wind blowing through and it pitches in one, but this comes down to personal preference and if possible choose a tent that has fly mesh on the doors to also block out those pesky flies!
You wouldn’t necessarily think about the doorway that much, but with the Vango Capri 400XL, we used our experience to choose a tent that has a front central door, with the all important fly mesh, meaning better ventilation into the tent and unlike side entrances, which usually let water in when it's raining as it runs down the tent (unless it has a small canopy above the doorway), this has a canopy you can stand under. If you’ve chosen a sewn in groundsheet, it will most likely also have a lip at the bottom of the door, meaning water won’t run into the tent, however you do have to remember to step over it as you come in. Position of doors also influences where you place items inside the tent, so take into account what you have or are getting, tables, chairs etc to ensure you’ll have enough space and good access in and out of the tent.
Tent displays are the best places to look, then you can have a good look around inside and out, however as we found in July 2017, tent displays appear to be less and less and you're better suited to going to several outlets. When viewing tents, check how light or dark it is inside, what ventilation it has, can you stand up and be realistic, does it have enough or too much space? If it happens to be a windy day when your looking, then look at how it reacts to the amount of wind there is.
We made the mistake first time around of buying a massive tent to give us more space, however it also meant it was harder to put up, more weight, more space taken up in the car and when it rained, it was harder to find somewhere to leave it to dry out (tents will go mouldy, if left packed away wet).
A sewn in groundsheet is what we would recommend, it will keep out most creepy crawleys, stops the wind blowing through and it pitches in one, but this comes down to personal preference and if possible choose a tent that has fly mesh on the doors to also block out those pesky flies!
You wouldn’t necessarily think about the doorway that much, but with the Vango Capri 400XL, we used our experience to choose a tent that has a front central door, with the all important fly mesh, meaning better ventilation into the tent and unlike side entrances, which usually let water in when it's raining as it runs down the tent (unless it has a small canopy above the doorway), this has a canopy you can stand under. If you’ve chosen a sewn in groundsheet, it will most likely also have a lip at the bottom of the door, meaning water won’t run into the tent, however you do have to remember to step over it as you come in. Position of doors also influences where you place items inside the tent, so take into account what you have or are getting, tables, chairs etc to ensure you’ll have enough space and good access in and out of the tent.
What do I need?
Tents will usually come with guy ropes and pegs, in previous years we would have recommended changing the guy ropes for more visible ones, like bright yellow, helping reduce the chance of someone tripping over them, however most modern tents now come with the more visible guy ropes. We would also recommend getting some hard ground pegs, these will not bend so easily, are usually easier to hammer in, however they are not always so easy to pull out, whereas the standard pegs usually have a hook end. Also remember to take a hammer/rubber mallet to knock the pegs in with.
Most sites have facilities (toilets and showers); however it is wise to check before you go. If you intend to go to a site that doesn’t have toilets, then you will need a portaloo, otherwise this is your personal choice. We had one with our campervan and we have decided to have one in the tent, as we didn’t want to be waking up at 4am, getting dressed and then walking to the facilities. It’s not the nicest job to do, but these do have to be emptied before you leave at the chemical toilet point, you also need to remember to purchase both fluids to go in them.
If you have decided on a sewn in groundsheet, you may want to consider another separate groundsheet, not all campsites allow them, but we have used them under the tent to protect our tent from uneven rough ground and also spreading out under the doorway, which helps to stop the wet mud being brought into the tent and most modern tents have this an optional extra known as a footprint, which means as the name says, it will fit the exact foorprint of your tent.
Tents will usually come with guy ropes and pegs, in previous years we would have recommended changing the guy ropes for more visible ones, like bright yellow, helping reduce the chance of someone tripping over them, however most modern tents now come with the more visible guy ropes. We would also recommend getting some hard ground pegs, these will not bend so easily, are usually easier to hammer in, however they are not always so easy to pull out, whereas the standard pegs usually have a hook end. Also remember to take a hammer/rubber mallet to knock the pegs in with.
Most sites have facilities (toilets and showers); however it is wise to check before you go. If you intend to go to a site that doesn’t have toilets, then you will need a portaloo, otherwise this is your personal choice. We had one with our campervan and we have decided to have one in the tent, as we didn’t want to be waking up at 4am, getting dressed and then walking to the facilities. It’s not the nicest job to do, but these do have to be emptied before you leave at the chemical toilet point, you also need to remember to purchase both fluids to go in them.
If you have decided on a sewn in groundsheet, you may want to consider another separate groundsheet, not all campsites allow them, but we have used them under the tent to protect our tent from uneven rough ground and also spreading out under the doorway, which helps to stop the wet mud being brought into the tent and most modern tents have this an optional extra known as a footprint, which means as the name says, it will fit the exact foorprint of your tent.
Electric?
Having an electric hook-up makes life easier, you can have a fridge, TV, charge your mobiles, use your hairstraighteners etc, but remember site electric is not like you have at home, it’s usually limited, therefore, it’s not wise to have higher wattage items, like kettles, plugged in at the same time as many other items, as it can trip the electric. We use ours for a light in the tent, the fridge and charging mobiles, but you can ask the site for details and then check what items will be fine.
Having an electric hook-up makes life easier, you can have a fridge, TV, charge your mobiles, use your hairstraighteners etc, but remember site electric is not like you have at home, it’s usually limited, therefore, it’s not wise to have higher wattage items, like kettles, plugged in at the same time as many other items, as it can trip the electric. We use ours for a light in the tent, the fridge and charging mobiles, but you can ask the site for details and then check what items will be fine.
Trailer
If you do have a lot of stuff to take, which is quite easy to achieve, especially when you have kids, then you may want to consider buying a small trailer and most campsites will allow trailers to be left on the pitch with the tent, but do check, as it will also depend on the size of the pitch.
If you do have a lot of stuff to take, which is quite easy to achieve, especially when you have kids, then you may want to consider buying a small trailer and most campsites will allow trailers to be left on the pitch with the tent, but do check, as it will also depend on the size of the pitch.