Camping - Your hint's and tips.

[Hicky]

This is canvas/poly cotton - I do have some waterproofing spray (proper stuff - used on our canvas/polycotton sun awning) - so should I take some with me on the first camp, just in-case ? Unfortunately, first camp in it will be the first time we really get it out - it's too big for our garden.

Nope, it should never need it. There's loads of vids on weathering polycotton, essentially it needs a soaking to close threads up.....you might not get any water/mist through it the first time if you're lucky and that's it done. My Dutch pyramid was really heavy tenkate cotton and needed two soaking/drying sessions, after that I just used it and thoroughly dried it out after each use(which needs doing or it will rot).....oh check the guylines when camping as they'll need slight adjustment when you have inclement weather and the cotton tightens up.
As I said there's plenty of youtube info out there.

 

[fossyant]

Nope, it should never need it. There's loads of vids on weathering polycotton, essentially it needs a soaking to close threads up.....you might not get any water/mist through it the first time if you're lucky and that's it done. My Dutch pyramid was really heavy tenkate cotton and needed two soaking/drying sessions, after that I just used it and thoroughly dried it out after each use(which needs doing or it will rot).....oh check the guylines when camping as they'll need slight adjustment when you have inclement weather and the cotton tightens up.
As I said there's plenty of youtube info out there.

Ah well, we'll just have to get wet till it sort's itself. Just checked, they are pre-treated prior to the 'natural' expansion of the threads being 'needed'.

 

[derrick]

It's on the cards - possibly in 12 months. Looking to change my rarely used car and looking at either a 'used' run around leccy car for use at home or a used Rifter/Traveller type vehicle (traveller being a van). - Going to see how this year pans out, see how we manage, then consider something we can shove everything in, then possibly just sleep in for a night or so.

It's one of the best things we ever did, we converted it ourselves, when the fancy takes us we just go, Woke up to this veiw on one of our trips.

 

[fossyant]

It's one of the best things we ever did, we converted it ourselves, when the fancy takes us we just go, Woke up to this veiw on one of our trips.

View attachment 720376

Stop it !!!! If I go bigger, I'll make a fold out bed for the 'van' - they have three rows of seats, all removeable, otherwise if Berlingo/Rifter I'll do something like you have

 

[simongt]

but my can't go without gadget is my Jetboil.

Or in my case, my Trangia 27 - !

 

[fossyant]

Well that's Bala booked for 5 nights now. Dyserth 3 nights in April, Bala 5 nights in May and RAF Fairford for 3 nights in July. First two are EHU, one for keeping warm, the other for keeping food/beer cold. Bala will be swimming, bikes and SUP, so a very full car.

 

[Chief Broom]

Keep updated with what the weathers doing Its always tempting to find the most scenic spot rather than a sheltered one. I was at Glenbrittle on Skye and a storm was forecast...i hunkered down by a windbreak and got out my heavy duty Mountain hardwear. I felt a bit of a prat being in a Everest type tent when nobody else was....but ****it i know whats coming. In the morning theres was trashed tents everywhere and one guy was bailing his tent out like a boat. Completely unscathed enjoying my morning coffee I wasnt smug at all........

 

[fossyant]

This was in September - three of my wife's friends turned up in campers ! I had camper envy. Two were quite 'makeshift ex-vans, the other converted.

 

[Salad Dodger]

For us, the best acquisition were some heavy duty tent pegs, instead of the spindly bent wire ones that came with our tent, and a cheap club hammer to knock them in with.
The days of faffing around trying to knock in wire pegs with a rubber mallet, whilst the pegs bend all over the place were well and truly gone......
Oh, and take a pair of pliers, or a Leatherman type multi tool, so you can get the tent pegs back out!

Have fun!

 

[MichaelW2]

For us, the best acquisition were some heavy duty tent pegs, instead of the spindly bent wire ones that came with our tent, and a cheap club hammer to knock them in with.
The days of faffing around trying to knock in wire pegs with a rubber mallet, whilst the pegs bend all over the place were well and truly gone......
Oh, and take a pair of pliers, or a Leatherman type multi tool, so you can get the tent pegs back out!

Have fun!

The Coalcracker Bushcraft guy had a recent tip on how to lever up stuck tent pegs.

 

[derrick]

For us, the best acquisition were some heavy duty tent pegs, instead of the spindly bent wire ones that came with our tent, and a cheap club hammer to knock them in with.
The days of faffing around trying to knock in wire pegs with a rubber mallet, whilst the pegs bend all over the place were well and truly gone......
Oh, and take a pair of pliers, or a Leatherman type multi tool, so you can get the tent pegs back out!

Have fun!

went away Christmas, 40mph winds, i used these no problem at all.

View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Smith-Barker-Galvanised-Trampoline-Greenhouse/dp/B09Q6GWDTH/ref=asc_df_B09Q6GWDTH/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=570218499321&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15574025678797576320&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045985&hvtargid=pla-1605615938870&psc=1&mcid=076e341743c73ffab5f59d7b6af86eff

 

[Time Waster]

I've got a few that I'd recommend

Gibraltar Farm (Lancashire) - Lovely site, fantastic facilities. Its close by to a train station and the lovely villages of Silverdale and Arnside are close by.
New House Farm (Derbyshire) - Opposite of Gibraltar as its cold water tap only and eco toilets! But a fantastically large site, and fully working farm. Close to the High Peak/Tissington cycle trails.
Seatoller Farm (Cumbria) - A good site to get away from it. Although in the middle of the lakes I still think of it as remote as there is little close by. Cash only.

Any tips? Don't forget the pillows! I hate sleeping dead flat and must have pillows.

Gibraltar Farm is about 2 mile walk along country roads that get busy in summer. No footpath on most of the walk to the station. It's my neck of the woods and used to cycle round those roads a lot about 30 years ago. Ride elsewhere now but when younger it was quieter than now. I think as the Lakes became even more busy ppl looked more at the AONB in this area as an alternative. Visitors are often crazy drivers in a different way to local drivers.

It is a good site though and area is nice. Just thought I'd make the point to clarify. Mind you if you're using a bell tent that size i don't think you'll carry it anyway!

 

[wiggydiggy]

Gibraltar Farm is about 2 mile walk along country roads that get busy in summer. No footpath on most of the walk to the station. It's my neck of the woods and used to cycle round those roads a lot about 30 years ago. Ride elsewhere now but when younger it was quieter than now. I think as the Lakes became even more busy ppl looked more at the AONB in this area as an alternative. Visitors are often crazy drivers in a different way to local drivers.

It is a good site though and area is nice. Just thought I'd make the point to clarify. Mind you if you're using a bell tent that size i don't think you'll carry it anyway!

Probably not no! We did walk around to Arnside, we timed it right so the tide came in behind us (actually a bore due to the big moon that time) as we were walking along it and got a great view of it.

The Woodsman pub in Silverdale is excellent.

 

[simongt]

Been using 'groundhog pegs for years now. Hardened alloy with a coarse screw thread. Not let us down yet and a LOT better than the feeble wire pegs spoken of - !

 

[Ridgeway]

Must admit re tent pegs we’ve had some Peggy Pegs for a while now and they get some hammer (OK they get some screwing in😂) very good on harder ground. Also worth looking at the Colapz range, especially the bucket, that work well as a water carrier and folds very small afterwards.

Oh a Hammock isn‘t a bad idea, ours get used a lot and packs down very small in a stuff sac.

Had some great camping experiences in Devon and Cornwall last year and over the years in the Lakes as well.

Sounds like it‘s going to be fun.