Hello we're setting off for a two week holiday in France next week with our 3 kids (8, 5 and 2).
We've just done 1 night camping at Debden House and had a brilliant time (except for there being no pegs or pins with our lovely new tent . . .).
It did take us 2 hours though to get the tent up.
For our holiday we're doing a 2 night stop in the Loire Valley en-route to the Massif Central (and another 2 night stop going back). Would you put up your big tent for a 2 night stay adn hope we get quicker at putting it up?
Or take 2 little pop-up tents and squash in there for a couple of nights? Obviously we'd have to just hope there was no rain so that we could eat/sit outside . . .
What do you think?!
Thanks,
------------- Rosie x
July 2010 - Debden House
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if you are staying for two nights i suppose it depends on what time you get there and what time you want to leave, but if you consider it should take only about an hour to set everything up, then it would be worth it in your big tent, but what happens if it rains, everything will get wet and packing things away in the rain is bloody annoying,so whats your patience level like? but then again if you are an optomist like me, it's never going to rain on holiday. My advice is to practice putting up your tent as much as you can, keeps losing tempers down to minimum, certainly better than trying to squash into two small pop ups.
If you absolutely have to stay two nights, rather than just an overnight, then you really need to include those nights as part of your holiday, in the big tent not the little tents. Otherwise you've four days of discomfort out of a two or three week holiday - which is four days too many! With three children you really all need to be able to relax and enjoy the site, not be fighting over trying to find something in the pile of luggage still in the car, or cooking a meal for five whilst squatting in the doorway of a pup tent! Put the big tents up - but as 'art' says, practice at home first, so it doesn't take you as long, and be methodical about packing everything in the car so you know just where everything is and in what order it needs to be unloaded. My friends are campers and they pack with military precision, but they can be pitched up and unloaded almost as quickly as we can with the caravan.
If you were just doing a 'quick' overnight, then pop-ups would be a good idea, but not to spend two days in.
Have you looked at getting a Quechua Base Seconds 4.1 or 4.2 from Decathlon?
They are family sized popups.
The 4.1 has one really big sleeping pod which would be fine for you as your children are small or the 4.2 which is vis a vis ie 2 sleeping pods opposite each other with a living area in between.
They would be your ideal answer in my opinion and certainly comfortable enough for the 2 nigh stays. If you get one of these you certainly will not bother with your main tent.
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Don't think I would bother with a big tent for 2 nights, specially with traveling as well, but then with 3 young kids, could be a nightmare with pop ups?
The 4 man Quechua does look good, we are getting one for our last night in France, but we only have a 5 yr old so for 3 of us will be ok (I hope?)
we bought a sunncamp evolution 600D as we are off to france this yr and will be stopping off for one night each way, as there are 6 of us buying a tent, which we will then use as a quick and easy weekend tent was the cheaper option. We have had 2 weekends away in it so far and it is sooooo much easier than having to put the main tent up.
Have a look on a camp site shop and search 'weekend' or 'quick erect tents'
I used to go camping with parents abroad in the 70s. We had a big frame tent. When we had an overnight stop my parents just put up the frame and the tent, no inners, no airbeds. We slept on the folded up bedroom inners all in a line on the floor. My mum tells me it used to take less than 1/2 hour to put up (just don't let your small boy lock the keys in the car!)
I agree with ValA. It means you'll have a lot more room in the car.
I used to go camping with parents abroad in the 70s. We had a big frame tent. When we had an overnight stop my parents just put up the frame and the tent, no inners, no airbeds. We slept on the folded up bedroom inners all in a line on the floor. My mum tells me it used to take less than 1/2 hour to put up (just don't let your small boy lock the keys in the car!)
I agree with ValA. It means you'll have a lot more room in the car.
Also, do make sure you always put up the guy ropes, and peg in properly, even for only one night, but I'm sure you do that anyway!
We have slept in 2 small tents in the Loire rather than put the big tent up for 2 nights. Its OK but... and there is a but. The problem is that there is no room in the small tents to keep things in so you have to leave them all in the car. We did get the cooker out, table and chairs but had to leave all the clothes in the car and effectively live out of the car rather than a tent. Rain wasn't the problem for us it was the state of the car and the sheer hassle factor.
We now have 1 small 4 man tent to use for our stop overs this year so it isn't totally awful and it is a lot lot quicker packing up when you want to leave but having all the kit in the car needs to be considered.
------------- pork
Remember a good wife always helps her husband with the dishes.
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We've done the small tent thing for three nights on our way back through the Loire. The small tents took very little room. We also used the beach tent - which we had taken anyway - to keep the food cooking stuff in and a tarpauline to give us some covered space in case of rain.
Last year we took a second small tent with us for our 2 overnight stays on the way down to the Southern Ardeche, but after a long days drive it was far easiar to just check into a budget hotel for the night, which is what we did, and never got to use the second tent, so it just ended up taking precious room in the car, I notice that the Budget Hotel chain Etap are doing rooms at 39Euro from the 14th August onwards, now that is a dam good price for a Budget hotel, cheaper than B&B, Premier Classe, and even F1 in some cases.
AND - if you do decide to overnight in a hotel, don't forget to look up Chambres d'Hote! You can find details on the Gites de France websites - and they are often stunning places, competetively priced, and giving funds back into local communities rather than the coffers of the big hotel chains.
We've found amazing places to stay overnight - two nights in Les Mages, at the most attractive B and B - with lovely hosts, and as cheap as a Formule 1! Check them out first, they're so much better than an anonymous 'chain' hotel.
Whilst your youngest child is only 2, you are legally allowed to stay in a french 'travel lodge' type establishement designed to sleep only 4 occupants even though there are 5 of you. Children up to the age of 3 are ok to share parents bed apparently (unlike here in theUK, where the insurance stipulates how many individuals are allowed to occupy a room)
Whilst our youngest was under 3 we would stay in budget chain hotels for overnight stop overs, and take a thermarest mat and a sleeping bag in for little one (personally I wouldn't dream of letting them share our bed!!) and that worked fine.
Once she was over 3 we did the 'pop up tent' thing for stop overs and eventually decided to upgrade to a caravan.
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: big tent/little tents - what to do?!
