I got my first tent last week and went to Sunnybridge last Friday.
I,m hooked.
I didnt want want to spend alot in case camping was just going to be a fad.I need information on what and where to buy all the basic equipment ie, hook up, stove(gas),cooler,ect.what is a footprint?.
Any good sites you can recommend.
Thanks, Dave rotherham
A footprint is a groundsheet you use under your tent to protect a sewn in groundsheet and keep them clean. You don't have to buy a ready made one. We use tarp from B&Q and cut it to the correct size. Our tent is rectangular though so quite easy to do.
For electric hook up make sure you purchase from a camping shop and not off of ebay. You can pick them up for about £50 like this which are ideal.
A few websites I have used in the past and have been pleased with are:-
Welcome to the madhouse Dave. You don't have to be mad to use UKCampsite but it helps lol. A footprint is a groundsheet, the same shape as the tent. Good sites? If you look at "CAMPSITE SEARCH" at the top of the page ,then look at the reviews campers have left for the site you want,you'll be on the right track. Best of luck with the weather this season.
------------- Corpogreen esq
dead horse
and
donkey buyer
Hello and have a look at the equipment reviews also the basic checklist is by it.Keep reading the posts though as folk keep tempting with new stuff!!Its not cheep this camping lark!!
I found this campsite 2 months ago after coming back to camping last year after a 20 year break. I have learned so much from the posts on this site, I believe I have saved a lot of money from the good advice and have ended up buying what I think is the right stuff and saved a packet on unnecessary/below par gear. Take your time as chasing down good gear is a big part of the fun - and very addictive!!
Camperlands are currently selling a 3 socket ehu hookup for £39 (£5 postage) - it is a good brand and the best price I have found
------------- DD
May: Saint David's
Jul: South Devon
Aug: Scottish borders
As far as stoves go, I'm of the view that they're all much of a muchness - at the end of the day, you're looking at a nicely packaged bunsen burner in my book. The more you spend, the better you get, but cheap two burner stoves can be had for £20.
I've been researching coolers quite a bit, and it looks like Igloo Maxcold are the ones to get if you're willing to spend £50 (or £35 if you have a Costco card) and can fit one in your car. IMO a decent cooler is worth it, as you avoid wasting food and going to the pub just to get a cold drink, and it saves a lot of faff with freeze blocks. The igloo coolers don't plug in - they're just well insulated and sealed coolboxes. The consensus with the electric coolboxes is that you have to start spending a lot of money to get something that actually works well, and then you need to run it off an electric hook up or gas. If you've already got a coolbox, it's likely to not be in the same league - most just have a small air void rather than any proper insulation - try squeezing the sides!
As others have said, a footprint is just a groundsheet that's shaped to fit your tent. You can easily make your own by cutting up a tarp or PVC groundsheet, or even out of Tyvek sheeting. I prefer a PVC groundsheet if the tent doesn't come with groundsheets for the living areas.
However, one thing I would recommend before you buy *any* kit is to ask around your friends and family to see if they have any old gear they'd like to sell you. As an example, the other day I went out and bought a new two burner stove, and then found in the shed my uncle's abandoned 2 ring CampingGaz with a grille and a calor bottle, from his days of going car racing and wanting to be able to make his own bacon butties! So now the new stove's going back to the shop...
When you do buy stuff, I'd recommend Decathlon and Go Outdoors as places where you can pick up decent quality gear cheaply. Not everything in Go Outdoors is a bargain, and prices vary there a lot. Decathlon is more reliably cheap, IMO. Aldi also have a selection of camping gear in tomorrow, and their stuff is generally good quality and guaranteed for 3 years. I also wouldn't get too hung up on brand - the more you look at some gear, the more it becomes obvious that it's all coming out of the same factory and getting different people's badges stuck on it.
An obvious example of that are the single ring "suitcase" stoves which all appear identical to me.
Brand doesn't count for much either in my book - a Vango Force 10 is a brilliant tent, but their cheap range Venture 500 is known for failing in the wind.
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: buying equipment
