Hope this is the right area to post in! Apologies if not.
Completely new to the site, not to mention completely new to camping! My girlfriend and I have had an interest in camping in the back of our minds for about a year now... however we never took the plunge and did anything about it.
Today however (not sure what made us) we bought a Vango Tigris 400 so we could at least plan something. Seems to get decent enough reviews for a first timers tent! Please feel free to tell us if we couldn't be more wrong.
Anyway, we are just about to plan our first camping trip for a weekend (somewhere close). I had every intention of just driving to the lakes, or to Snowdon etc... walking a few miles, and then pitching tent. However, one of my friends has passed comments that pretty much everywhere is illegal to camp in now. Is this the case? Are camp sites what most people actually opt for?
If you are new to camping it may be better to start on a commercial campsite first to get used to all the gear. Wild camping is still possible in many parts of Snowdonia and the Lake District but there are quite a lot of restrictions and stuff to get to know about regarding hygiene, water supplies and backpacking gear. It usually takes some time to find a good wild camping spot.
The land in Snowdonia and The Lakes is all privately owned, you can't just pitch a tent in the nearest field. If you're interested in wild camping have a look Here, it's a fairly specialised business though.
once you have got used to camping on a campsite- with people around to give advice not to mention ammenities, then you should go wild camping in Scotland- a new law came in to make in legal everywhere in the national parks. obviously you have to leave it all how you found it and i believe not be in site of any buildings or roads 9or something like that) i expect if you google wild camping in scotland you will find the full rules.
good luck with it though, i am sure you will love the world of camping- and this forum which as you can see i am also new to but lovin!
Thanks for your replies... much appreciated. Looks like i will have to find a campsite for the weekend then!
Just wanted the whole 'wild-camping' experience straight away. I think I was expecting peace and quiet, fresh water lake, private waterfall, warm star lit night, a roaring fire, eating marshmallows and singing kumbaya lol.
Will stick to Snowdonia for now... so will search this site for a decent campsite round there.
We,too, are new to camping and have just bought a Vango Tigris 400! Seen quite a few mentions of the larger Tigris models(600, 800) but not much about the 400. Be interesting to compare notes once we have a trip under our belts! We have not yet camped in it due to work, weather, health and family obligations, but I'm getting more and more excited... Also getting more and more stuff: airbed, sleeping bags, table, some very comfy chairs, picnic rugs...the list is growing!
Anyway, wishing you a brilliant trip with all the marshmallows and starry nights you could possibly want;that's what we want too, I wonder what the reality will be?
TBH, I don't think you would find walking somewhere to camp with the Tigris much fun given it's weight. And whilst wild camping is technically illegal in Eng and Wales without the land owners permission it is generally considered an acceptable practice on open land away from habitation - so you would have to expect to walk a reaonable distance.
And camposites don't have to be all hustle and bustle, look out for simpler, smaller more basic sites in nice locations
I you are looking at Snowdonia,ISTR that we camped a few years back at a nice basic little site atGarthyfog Farm. Though it was with a little backacking tent, dunno how the site is now or for bigger tents
I didn't think the Tigris was all that heavy, 17kg on the box... which i suppose is easy lugging round the kitchen for 4 mins, and not hiking up the side of a mountain for 2hours, so fair point. Will see how my first camping experience goes this weekend! I looked at many other tents, biger and smaller, and i didn't find any that met our needs for anywhere under the sort of 15kg mark
Sparepeg... will keep you posted on how it fares up (will be a very novice review though!). I've not bought a single thing for it yet (except a dead blow hammer), so will get busy this week buying loads of crap i'll never need or use. Whats your posh extension?
Its just dawned on me that i've never ever put a tent up before. Ah crap. Practice run required i think.
I didn't think the Tigris was all that heavy, 17kg on the box... which i suppose is easy lugging round the kitchen for 4 mins, and not hiking up the side of a mountain for 2hours, so fair point. Will see how my first camping experience goes this weekend! I looked at many other tents, biger and smaller, and i didn't find any that met our needs for anywhere under the sort of 15kg mark
Sparepeg... will keep you posted on how it fares up (will be a very novice review though!). I've not bought a single thing for it yet (except a dead blow hammer), so will get busy this week buying loads of crap i'll never need or use. Whats your posh extension?
Its just dawned on me that i've never ever put a tent up before. Ah crap. Practice run required i think.
I was just about to post you a link to the lynn gwynant site, I've camped here loads. The facilities aren't much to write home about, just the basic toilet and shower block, but the setting is fantastic. At the bottom of a valley at the side of a lake with a stream running along the field. The views are exceptional and if it's peace and quiet you want this is the place. You can have camp fires but they have to be on the raised fire pits that are provided free and you have to buy your firewood from the site owners( this is to stop people going in to the woods and ripping branches off trees). Definitely on the wild side of things with a bit of reassurance just incase. Enjoy!
Should come down to Dartmoor! Bit of a trip for you but we've had many a great trip by driving somewhere and then just picking a bearing, walking until we find a nice spot and then pitching.
------------- Aug - Parkers Farm, Dartmoor
Sep - Llanberis, Snowdon
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: Hi / New to camping / Advice
