Hi there I recently camped at a festival. Bought some really cheap gear that done the job and now I have the camping bug! I already want to upgrade my gear really want to go cheap but decent if that makes sense. I live in Bromley south east London and there are a few camping shops here like blacks, decathlon, trespass and sports direct. I want to buy a better tent, sleeping bag, something to lie on, cooking equipment, recommended food to take with me and any other essentials you would recommend. I’ll be camping solo so a two man tent is what I’m after. Enough space for me and my rucksack. I’d prefer to go as light as possible as I don’t drive so want to keep everything in my rucksack.
Welcome to the Forum .
Go Outdoors and Decathlon sell good camping Hikeing gear all at reasonable prices .
For Backpacking Think of keeping your weight low .
For days walking Hikeing camping
Rucksack weight around a Kilo ,
look for Lightweight one with an Airflow .
Down Sleeping bag about 800Grams
Sleeping Mat 600grams .
These are all about Approximate weights .
Cooking ,MSR Pocket Rocket or Microrocket Gas & Stove ,About 300Grams total
Collapesable rubber Cup and Bowl very cheap +plastic knife fork spoon at Decathlon or G/O
For Tents Vango sell Good cheap Quality tents
Also Wild Country tents are Very good also .
For Lightweight Backpacking
Think in Grams
Weigh everything out.
Good Luck
And Most of all EnJoy
Keep an eye on Aldi/Lidl - they occasionally do camping gear. A few weeks ago picked up a compact self inflating sleep mat £13 (weighs 800g).
For cooking - take a look at small heat exchanger type stoves to see if they meet your needs eg OEX Tacana solo stove or planet x 900 (£30 - £35)
Also worth looking at kit recommended for Duke of Edinburgh award. Don't forget to check ebay/facebook/gumtree - there are some DofE camps over summer and some people will sell their kit afterwards.
There’s nothing like actually seeing tents set up and that is best done at somewhere like Gooutdoors or any other camping shop that has the space to demo their tents.
The other place is obviously a campsite where you get to see other people’s choices and see what appeals to you. Best of luck
hi, i swopped my 3 man tent for a teepee tent, it is lighter than the 3man as it only has one pole, and you can stand up in it. i got fed up with the "wet knee" camping of crawling in and out. but i am on a motorcycle, and not carrying it, argos have them, take a look, you'll be suprised by their compactness and light weight
Camping gear made for festival goers is cheap and expected to be disposable, if you are now a proper camper you want something better than a showerproof tent.
The next level up is summer holiday camping, it should withstand a thunderstorm and downpour but not be up to a week of continuous rain or snow. Expect bright colours.
The best stuff is meant for mountaineers, it will withstand torrential rain, high winds and snow. The fabrics will be hi tec and the poles aluminium, you'll get what you pay for. Expect green and grey colours that blend into the countryside.
Sleeping bags are one season (summer) three seasons (spring summer autumn) and 4 season. Unless you intend to camp in snow 3 seasons is good enough for the likes of you and me.
In the Falklands War British soldiers slept upon Karrimats(closed cell foam roll up sleeping mats). If you are going lightweight they are good enough for you. If you have a car handy a self inflating mat makes life warmer and more comfortable, your choice.
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: Camping newbie
via mobile 23/6/2022 at 8:06pm
