Just wondering, with the economic climate have the old hands on here noticed more new campers? It seems that a lot of the camping stores have sold out of the more popular tents this year.
Wouldn't have believed it judging by the lack of tents at the campsite in Devon we were at last week, I was very surprised. The field we were in was practically empty, I was very surprised.
I do think that the camping shops seem a lot busier when you go in, of late. I only live down the road from Outdoor Megastore, and when ever I have popped in for a nosey, or a few bits it does seem really busy - even driving past the car park always looks fairly full.
I am wondering if lots of people are buying tents, with the intention of going camping, taking one look at the weather forecast and not bothering.
It was the same last year,everyone looking for a cheapo holiday with their cheapo Halford/Aldi/Asda tent package.Weather was awful,tent package long since gone in bin.It will be the same this year.
------------- Sue & Phil
--------------------- I Love My AeroBed
We had a weekend of amusement a month or so ago watching "newbies" attempting to put up obviously new tents/windbreaks etc/bbq's. The amount of kit on show by individual parties was amazing and most of it really expensive stuff (the kind of kit it took me a couple of years to get to!) and I remember thinking I'd see a lot of it on ebay in a couple of months!
I work at a caravan retailers, ok not the same as camping, but they laid loads of staff off in November in anticipation of a crap year, and they have apparantly been busier than ever, so maybe people are deciding to stay in the uk.
Good on the newbies, I say. Room for everyone, fancy kit or cut price gear.
I'm a newby and after a hideous first attempt at putting up the tent in a uk campsite (where we were watched by several sniggering "oldies") we've just retuned from a fantastic three week trip to France - no sniggering as we know what to do now... kinda, but one dreadful argument (in French, yikes) over a boat on our pitch! My whole family is now completely hooked. We loved it and will be camping again later on this summer and have already planned next year's jaunt. Lots of brit families on the sites we visited, some old hands, many, like us, camping virgins. But you couldn't really tell which was which.
And it wasn't a cheapo holiday, much to my horror: petrol, peage costs, campsite fees, exchange rate traumas (making supermarket shopping and eating out a scary exeperience). It all added up to much more than I thought...
Don't we all have to start somewhere, with whatever tent and equipment we can afford/fit in the car? And you never really know if you'll like something until you try it.
Hello lullabelle, I meant amused in the nicest possible sense. The amount of kit that came out still had the creases on everything and almost nothing had been tried out in advance which meant hours putting up tent/extensions/canopies, hours assembling bbq's etc while the kids got wet and bored. We also would never watch someone struggling without offering our help - and I'm sure some of those would have hated the experience enough not to try again. Have also been there and done that and I'm sure we would have been the source of amusement to some (although our stuff was probably second hand and in bits and not tested out by us which would have made things worse when we discovered there were missing bits!)LOL
I defy any newbie to not get bitten by the camping bug - we did last year!
I think its busier because of the economic climate but also after the lovely met office told everyone it was going to be a fab summer - why would you queue at Stansted if you could be in Norfolk in the sun in 1.5 hours?? I admit my theory falls down due to the distinct lack of sun, but at least in the UK everywhere is equipped to deal with 4 seasons in a day!
At Culzean last week the tent area was packed. Everytime someone left another tent appeared. It seemed to be a wide range of types of tent and kit. Some were well kitted out and clearly old timers, others were obviously new and giving camping a try. Strangely ours was the only utility tent on site.
i was at Sandford Park this weekend and fully expected to se loads of halfords set ups as they have been going cheap lately. Didn't see one but did see loads of brand new Outwells with brand new kit. It seems there are a lot of newbies that are spending a lot of money on new kit. I suppose if they give it a try and don't like it there'll be bargains on ebay for the rest of us in November!
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: More Newbies?
