Hi, up until this year we always had ehu, but this year we decided to go back to basics, so out when the ehu, coolbox, lights, heater, trailer ,kitchen tent, sofa etc..... and guess what.... we enjoy it more as we play board games with the kids, walk more and we all love having a small fire in the bbq after eating.We bought a smaller tent which easily fits in our car-we do have a roof box and we have bought a tarp and now we only take the neccessities and not the luxurys and its really enjoyable..
Quote: Originally posted by PigletandTigger on 09/7/2010
As has been said many time what many of us object to is the sweeping statements that one can't camp comfortably without electrics...it's clearly not true and leads new campers to believe that there is only one path to follow when this is not the case.
The whole "roughing it" thing has become a bit of a laughing point for many of us!
I agree with you wholeheartedly and only wish I was on the type of PC connection that would allow me to join in at greater length, lol.
However you'd laugh if you saw me now, Pigletandtigger....non-EHU I may be someimes but I'm sitting here in 36'C heat at 7pm in the Netherlands, for goodness sake, and I've got an electric fan on just to stop me from melting. I have clearly gone over to the glampers, however temporarily. Oh yes, and I'm on Hubby's Notebook. How sad is that??? Got to say though that any die hard electic pitch fan coming here might have a bit of a problem ...the site only has a 4 Amp hookup limit that wouldn't even power a camp kettle plus one other item, let alone a cooker ring.
But to get back to the OP, not being tied to EHU does give you the best choice of pitches, yup. The camping world is your oyster, especially in high season. Gas powered fridge, gas cooker, good gas and battery lamps, airbed pump running off the car ciggie lighter, phone chargers etc ditto. There's precious little you actually NEED EHU for. Except to run a fan in the tent, of course!
I never reply to these type of threads normally as I had my head well and truly bitten off by someone..........but now i've got over the shock I can say that I firmly believe in each to their own, whatever you want EHU or not, simple or glamping......you decide what's best for you and respect other people's views............simples.
------------- Carol x
Seasonally sited in Devon for the first time!!!
Quote: Originally posted by harrisc0 on 09/7/2010
Hi there - well trying to book something for August and was just wondering what people with a tent tend to go for - do you go for electric pitches or non electric? Seems to be soo much more choice for pitches without it. Thanks
There definatly is more choice without it yes, if I was you I would opt for non electric and see how you get on, there are many sites I have looked at and thought 'oh how perfect!' and then noticed no EHU so have had to decide against them.
The main reason I like electric is because we take a husky fridge with us for milk, marg cooked meats ect (am a bit fussy with ensuring everything is dead cold!) I know from this forum though that a lot of people manage fine with cooler boxes and things. We also used it this time for things that we could easily do without (Hairdryer, straightners, phone charging, cd player) but because we had the electric why not?
I wouldnt take a TV though simply because it is constantly on at home so I enjoy a break from it when camping!
I do not have issues with anyone who takes TV's so please dont tell me off!!
------------- One day your life will flash before your eyes, make it worth watching
It all depends. We definitely go EHU in France in the summer and rent a fridge to plug into it. But for the odd weekend we don't bother. We did have a leisure battery for a few years but didn't bother to replace it when it died. Even with EHU we don't take tv's and computer games. We don't have issues with people who do, but for us it's important to get our 2 weeks "off grid" in the summer.
I had to give up milk a few years ago and have found it really simplifies quite a few areas of life, one of which is camping. Hubster still takes milk and goes to some lengths to keep it cool for breakfast if without electric.
We have never had or needed EHU, but I can understand why people want it, I don't agree that it simplifies things though, having seen EHU campers lugging microwaves and deep fat fryers out of the car?
Camping without simplifies things? and allows for flexibility? I think so anyhoo, but in the great scheme of things its no biggy,
But I do think that its a choice that new campers should be given a realistic view of? this thread goes some way showing them?
I see GoOutdoors has a nice looking 3 way fridge for £149.99, with one of those little beauties you need never hook up again! You could cut that orange umbilical cord for ever!!!
(Yes, that's right Christine, I took your advice & left the Ikea coffee in favour of the tenacious tape & some rock pegs from GO )
Quote: Originally posted by nutgone on 09/7/2010
I see GoOutdoors has a nice looking 3 way fridge for £149.99, with one of those little beauties you need never hook up again! You could cut that orange umbilical cord for ever!!!
(Yes, that's right Christine, I took your advice & left the Ikea coffee in favour of the tenacious tape & some rock pegs from GO )
It's all a matter of priorities, you can get coffee in lots of places, even France lol.. tenacious tape now that's something else.
------------- Christine
2014
April -
BunRoy Fort William 3 sleeps
April / May
Invercaimbe Arisaig 4 sleeps
Bleatarn Brampton tbc July
We camped for a few years without electric then it was make or break, we either gave up camping or got EHU. We like it for the cool box and for lights in the evening as we all like to read and battery lamps just kept running out. We don't take a TV, its bliss having a week without it but I have to say that we will be taking a portable DVD player this year, and it plays CD's, which is great as I miss music more than the TV.
Each to their own though, there is no right or wrong when it comes to it I think. It's what you like or want that matters.
the lecky is useful for the coolbox. But I can cope without.
I hate battery operated lights, and scared of gas ones, so when i have lecky I like a light with a low energy bulb in it so I can see my hand in front of my face. Also like coffee alot so kettle is good. But can cope with no lecky and will be for 2 and a bit weeks come tuesday......
Because, in my wisdom, I booked a basic site, with no shower even! what was I thinking!
However I hope that my lack of dependency on EHU will have me in some beautiful spots I would probably not have considered.
I like the fact that we can seem to have more open discussions about use of ehu these days. At one time it seemed to be that anyone who didn't always camp in a 100% ehu reliant way was derided as roughing it, whereas now people can read about the variety of ways people camp with or without ehu to suit different needs and wants at different times and start to work out their own ideas .
When I started camping I had ehu and used it unthinkingly to take along every household appliance I could think of to try to make our camping experience more like our former caravan or even our house. As we started to appreciate actual camping more in its own right, and I got increasingly fed up of lugging tons of kit about, I worked out that the way I was using ehu was part of my problem. I sold the hook up lead and quite a lot of other heavy weight stuff and started again, aiming to achieve tenting comfort in other ways. I still prefer non-ehu camping but do appreciate its benefits and camp with ehu out of season when I can use it for a fan heater in the evenings.
------------- Tackling life the Western District way
Although I don't have EHU, like you Merry, I've started to "downsize" and question whether I need half the junk I take on my big annual family camp.
For the past few years without thinking I've been taking stuff I needed for my children when they were litte (the youngest is twenty one now), stuff for tents which died years ago etc: it's in the tub so in the car it has gone. I'm getting to the view if I didn't use it last year, it ain't going this year!
Out of season I tend to be on my own so if I'm near one I go to the pub in the evening, if I'm up a mountain I simply get in my sleeping bag if I'm cold.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Electric or not
I can say that I firmly believe in each to their own, whatever you want EHU or not, simple or glamping......you decide what's best for you and respect other people's views............simples.
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