Hope you enjoy your trip, but as others have said, will be cold at night at this time of year , we bought small heater for tent that uses gas canisters, wouldnt be without it. plus those foam mats under airbeds, good sleeping bags and blanket on top. Warm pj's to wear and ,before bed, layers of clothing and hats etc.
For the loo we have bucket with lid, cheap and essential ( see thread about pee bucket, last week i think, you,ll get a laugh )
If buy chance its too cold or wet, and you are debating whether to go again, please try again next season when its milder and fine, its great fun, and you chat to some great people on holiday and on this site, enjoy.
Try using a duvet on top of the airbed, covered by a sheet - it keeps you lovely and snug. Whenever we have a new duvet at home, I relegate the old one for camping - a single just about covers a double air bed.
A portable heater (with safety cut out) and a few glasses of red wine help too....
I know it should be obvious but at the risk of teaching my mother to suck eggs remember if you use any naked flame heating devices in the tent then make sure it is well ventilated and NEVER have them burning through the night. Carbon monoxide is a silent killer and we don't want your first experience of camping to be your last. If you do buy an EHU (electric hook up) make sure it's a decent one from Go Outdoors or similar not one found on ebay for a few quid, it isn't worth the risk and some campsites won't even let you use them anyway. Buy the best you can afford and buy once if poss. If you enjoy camping at this time of year you'll love it any time but preparation is key. Keeping warm is essential, as is a good light (UFO shape LED lights from Wilko's are fab around £3-4). The fitted fleece thermal underblankets are great from Dunelm on your airbeds for keeping the cold from rising. If you have EHU a basic fan heater from Argos helps take the chill off as do electric blankets you can leave on all night. Remember you may well have to pack your tent away wet, do you have somewhere to dry it out at home? Good luck and welcome, you'll be addicted before you know it!
Jules x
Take a hot water bottle! Its suprising how damp everything can feel if you dont have EHU. My OH laughed at me bank holiday august when I produced two hot water bottles to put inside the sleeping bags... however it was him that got up 3 hours later, treked over to the washing up sinks and refilled them! They are now permanently living in our odds and ends box. Also try putting a fleecy blanket INSIDE the sleeping bag, that cold draught as you roll over can be a shocker! I also swear by ear plugs and a sleep mask.
What i did when we went a couple of weeks ago, was take a double duvet and put it on the blow up bed then get in and wrap it around you with a thick blanket on top. Dont put the whole thing over you get in the middle, if this makes sense?
We've only just started camping and also made sure we got all the comforts so that we'd enjoy it more. EHU, Kampa Khaza all help, but the best thing is our amazingly warm sleeping bag. It gets so warm I end up taking it off.
One little detail: It can be difficult to fall asleep with a cold nose! I solve the problem by sleeping on the side and using the sleeping bag hood as a little "cave" that gets warmed up by my breath, but my daughter, who only can fall asleep lying on her back, puts a light scarf over her face!
------------- Proud owner of a 1987 Sprite Alpine 370 EK, a cheap popup tent and a beloved retro Trio frame tent from the early seventies, called Giraffen.
Some good advice on here, but you would never find me family camping in the UK at this time of the year, or anytime of the year for that matter.
Although I do go camping, in the UK with my backpacking tents, either walking or cyclecamping, but that's a whole different ball of wax, to using a large family tent in the UK.
So for us camping with a large family tent, is pretty much restricted to a fortnight in the South of France, during July, when the day time temps are close on +40DegC, and the Sun shines all day long. (photo in gallery)
Each to there own of course, and I have done family camping in the UK, but decided, during a very rainey and cold camping August fortnight, in Cornwall back in 1978!, that I would never do it again, and I have stuck by that ever since!.
This time of the year can be cold at night and in the mornings so your best buy will be an electric hook up lead so you can plug into the campsite electrics and overcome the dark and cold. Read the sticky post on this site about having an RCD and about trying to use camping applances as often the AMP draw on domestic heaters is too high and might trip the system.
Sleep in socks , joggers, fleeces etc ...... the old fella will love the six hours of unwrapping :)
Pick a site from the reports on here, see campsite search for your area and then read the reviews... saves getting stuck at a bad one and being put off. If your only going for a couple of nights pre cook a few things like spag bowl, if your eating in .... then you can just warm it to go without all the hassle of a full kitchen.
Dont think you need to feel vulnerable on a good campsite , the other folk are better than any neighbourhood watch ! Think about where you pitch , look at the location and the trees, if they tend to bend one way you know where to head to be sheltered behind hedges and trees, if it gets windy having something to protect you and break the wind is a huge advantage........ but too close to overhanging trees can get messy if the feathered friends are busy.
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: First time camping
