I've never posted on this section of the site before and I am wanting a bit of advice.
Me and my family have been camping for about 3 years - we have two children 11 and 9 - we usually camp in our family size tent, EHU etc. However this year we want to try something different.
This is our plan. Catch the bus from Sheffield to Bakewell and walk part of the Monsal Trail to a campsite we have stayed on before which is just off the Monsal Trail near Buxton. We are going to stay there 1 night and then walk onto another site yet to be decided for another night of camping and then walk the next day walk back to Bakewell to catch the bus home.
We have seen two 2 man tents me and my husband can carry and the children have said they can manage their own sleeping bags, mat, light weight clothes etc but here are the questions I've got - please forgive me if I sound naive!
What food do you suggest we take? - I've looked at the meals for back packing in Go Outdoors but it could work out quite expensive buying 8 of these meals. We also don't want to carry anything to heavy.
What do we do about breakfast - we won't have grill or be able to keep milk cool etc.
What chairs do you recommend - they need to be lightweight.
I do a lot of backpacking and get all my food from the supermarket. Partly because I'm a tight Yorkshireman but also because I tend to go at short notice and I live near a supermarket.
For weight, the best foods are dried. So packet pasta, savoury rice, couscous and noodles. For breakfast you can get little pots of porridge or go for the classic solution of meusli with powdered milk in bagged portions - just add water. Or you can use things like soya mince in a sauce. John West do tuna fillets in a sauce in a plastic packet.
I use light coffee mate for tea because it dissolves best in hot liquid.
Day food is tricky. Bread gets squashed so I go for robust or unsquashables like pitta or tortilla wraps. Those tubes of spreadable cheese keep ok. Peperami doesn't need refrigeration.
There are loads of things if you wander round away from the fridges. Just keep an eye on the weight because it adds up.
Firstly great idea but ditch the idea of seats chairs . Vango and thermarest do a covertion for there sims . Richard has somed up the food thing quite well just look in most super markets and you find quite good combinations of freeze dried and tinned food in nice neat packets . Vesta do complete meals freeze dried at a fraction the backpack equivalent . Even for four people two pans should be enough 2ltr and 1.5ltr .bowls no plates sporks and a sharp knife . We use a Swiss army knife so can tin and bottle opener are all in .
Not wanting to put you off but the Monsal trail is very busy . Another option could be train from Sheffield to Grindleford or Hathersage and walking to Edale with a camp at Castleton you can abandon and get the train from Hope and Edale plus the cafe at Edale and Grindleford
is a great start to the days .
There are lots of tips that you can get of the net. It's just a question of doing a lot of searching. The biggest thing is the weight issue. I carry about 17kgs give or take and that's for a two day hike plus one night hidden away so that I don't have to use a campsite. (tight, but bags more fun!). I would shop at the local supermarket and buy Uncle Ben's microwave rice in a bag, which takes minutes to boil. I use instant tea for my brew ( ) but it's saves a lot of time. Take dried packets of soup, things like that.
So, on the first day; sandwiches, made at home, + evening meal. Rice, fish/curry/chilli/etc
Second day; Bacon, beans, two hard boiled eggs (eggs will get broken otherwise) Sandwiches, again made from the day before. (I have found that a less crumbly cheese wrapped in clingfilm works ok, your choice).
Plus I take a trail mix that can be bought at most supermarkets, so there's no need to go hungry. You will also need plenty of water, water proofs, layers of clothes etc. Don't forget a stove to cook on. More than one in your case would be handy. I use a Swedish army trangia stove, but you can by stoves which fit into your pocket, again, your choice.
I suppose I would try packing all the stuff you think you will need because I haven't even began to list all the sundry items such as liquid soap, water purifying tablets, should you run out of water and need to drink from streams.
Really, I could go on for ages, but I always tell people that as long as you are going someplace where there are people, then you shouldn't run into too many problems. Above all else give it a go and I can promise you, it's the best fun you can have together, and the sense of accomplishment leaves you feeling incredible. Just pick the right time to go.
------------- The true test of fairness is how fair you are to those who are not
For dried food try somewhere like B&M or home bargains as they do loads of food that can be used for backpacking and are either dried or light.
Asda was selling the look what we made ranges of food quite cheaply (think it was about £1 a pack about a month ago) and these are nice filling meals that can be bulked out with pitta or nan. They taste quite fab too. These are generally what I take for night time meals when I'm away on a fieldtrip with uni.
Loads of people take porridge for breakfast and they already add the dried milk and sugar, if wanted, to them. Then all they have to do is add water the next day. Packet soups are also a warming winner. We generally take cup a soups as then there's no pot to wash, only a mug.
Smoked and cured sausages are fab to take as they don't need chilled and give an easy protein source.
We generally take a malt loaf (usually soreen) as it still tastes lovely when it's squashed.
As you are staying at a campsite does it have a wee shop on it? Can be good for getting easy protein sources like eggs.
Hope you have a fab time but be warned backpacking is addictive!
Thanks for all your advice - keep it coming please!
It has given me things to think about - we thought the monsal trail would be ok for the children but I will look at catching the train from Sheffield to Grindleford.
I've got the stove covered I can borrow one from work (secondary school) and they have them for DofE.
I think we've just got to go with the flow - I worry about the children and what they will eat - my and hubby will eat anything but if the children are hungry enough they will eat anything too!
We are really looking forward to it - we will be going sometime in August in between "normal" camping holidays - we're trying to get away as much as possible during the Olympics!
Our daughters are 8 and 12 . Eldest will eat any thing young one more fussy but ok when she's really hungry . I keep thinking of a meet for peak district Borders . With a backpacking or light weight theme . I know my kids are kinda up for most silly ideas I've come up with and it only my health that's restricting us at the moment . It would be nice to meet some like minded parents and kids ???? Lol . A lot of our friends ether have older young or not bothered kids or are just not in to the outdoors thing quite in the same way ! Just look at my photo's .
Re the milk problem..We used to keep milk in a bucket of cold water before we had a coolbox...I'm thinking the same for you if you don't like powdered milk...Small carton of milk kept in a small collapsable container with water in over night might give you real milk for your morning cuppa/cereal....Small net bag(I'm thinking Onion bag here) with milk in dropped in a stream(If one is handy) would do the same job...And not add too much to the weight you carry...
Jelboy.
------------- Campers of the storm,Into this world are born
2-3 handfuls of rice boiled in the pan...1 stock cube veg or chicken to flavor rice..1 tin of hotdog sausage..1 packet of chorzio(sp) 1 Mattisons pork sausage (both broken roughly by hand)dropped in the pan as the rice softens 1or 2 tomatoes chopped and added...and we added a tin of chilli to the mix..Very filling meal cooked over(in our case) an open fire...
Jelboy.
------------- Campers of the storm,Into this world are born
Hi
My guess is to carry all the food + gear you would need for a family of four on a three day backpack would add up to a fair amount of weight and bulk. The food could be done with what has been suggested so far, with some good meals as said by others. But if you plan ahead and work out which campsite you will be staying at the end of eath day. Why not organize some food parcels and post/drop off at each campsite you plan on staying at? Which to me would make the trek more enjoyable carrying lighter packs plus theres no need to be too fussy on what food you can have.
Quote: Originally posted by jelboy53 on 09/5/2012
Re the milk problem..We used to keep milk in a bucket of cold water before we had a coolbox...I'm thinking the same for you if you don't like powdered milk...Small carton of milk kept in a small collapsable container with water in over night might give you real milk for your morning cuppa/cereal....Small net bag(I'm thinking Onion bag here) with milk in dropped in a stream(If one is handy) would do the same job...And not add too much to the weight you carry...
Jelboy.
Or if you don't want to carry the collapsible container (or their isn't a stream handy!) and you don't like dried or UHT milk, you might be able to find condensed milk in toothpaste-type tubes. It does have a high sugar content though, if that's an issue.
Quote: Originally posted by Hacksaw Bob on 03/6/2012
Or if you don't want to carry the collapsible container (or their isn't a stream handy!) and you don't like dried or UHT milk, you might be able to find condensed milk in toothpaste-type tubes. It does have a high sugar content though, if that's an issue.
As Bob says This tastes great in tea or coffee as a substitute to real milk, you can also get full cream milk powder (normally found down the world food aisle of tesco, or at Asian supermarkets) tastes a lot better than usual milk powders we can buy, marvel, pints plus etc.
Quote: Originally posted by Hacksaw Bob on 03/6/2012
Or if you don't want to carry the collapsible container (or their isn't a stream handy!) and you don't like dried or UHT milk, you might be able to find condensed milk in toothpaste-type tubes. It does have a high sugar content though, if that's an issue.
Before you decide that you definitely don't like powdered milk, give Nido a try. Comes in a tin and usually found on the Asian aisle in supermarkets. It is a full-fat milk powder and, reconstituted, it is pretty darn close to fresh milk, honestly. It's excellent for porridge and in tea and coffee.
i gave up on milk - none of the alternatives actually tasted like milk, and keeping 'normal' milk fresh, or just throwing it away every day just got on my wick.
for backpacking i make up bags of porridge/museli before-hand with powered milk and sugar in them - just lob it in a mug with some hot water and we're off. dinner tends to be packets of couscous with something lobbed in - tuna, or the 'look what we found' pouch meals.
couscous gets used because it comes in so many flavours, its much lighter than rice, and it uses far less fuel to cook than rice or pasta . supa-noodles are another option, but we don't find them as filling. if you stay
at commercial campsites most have a shop - you can ring them in advance to 'save' stuff. its much easier to pick up two tins of chicken curry when you check in than to carry the buggers for a few days...
for drinks we just take squash - its advantage is that its good for both hot and cold drinks. oranges and apples play a big role in daytime food - they don't go off, and they cope quite well with rammed into rucksacs.
we take just one gas stove - trangias are very bulky - no chairs, just rollmats, sleeping bags, and two sets of clothes each (a walking set, and a mooching at the campsite set).
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Walking and Camping
) but it's saves a lot of time. Take dried packets of soup, things like that. 
