I notice in your bit of writing at the side of your posts that you've got an ebay tent. If I were you I would ask at work if they'd mind if you left it up for a night to test how waterproof it is.
I've just discovered this fab site. I've just upgraded my camping gear. Had a tiny 2 man flimsy thing with no room to swing a cat (not that the dog would have been amused!! ) and a single gas stove. Have just bought a 3 man tent for just me and the dog. Nice sturdy job with space to sit inside, cook etc separate to the bedroom area. Great for those rainy days. Not so good memories of sharing a tiny tent with a soggy, smelly dog! Amazing how much space a cairn terrier can take up! Gave me a great excuse to rush out and buy my first 'proper' stove. Two rings and a grill...can't wait.....can boil the kettle, fry the bacon and do the toast all at the same time
Only thing is the more space you have.......the more stuff you can fill it with....lookin at portloos & tent tidies now....must calm down!
Kate:
Thanks - I am sure they will. I half-heartedly tried it out on Skye last year and it was blowing a gale with driving rain. It stood up ok apart from one of the rubbers broke. I then got the hump and booked a b&b (I know, I was young and foolish!) so it's only had one night's use. I'll give it a go this weekend
Muddydog:
I thought it was just me! I've been going ebay- and millets-crazy since I booked my trip. I must check the limit on the c/c! I bought a sleeping bag today and that's enough for one day. Soon be tomorrow though
Reading this site and all the links is bad news for your credit card! Haven't thought about the weight limit yet....just thought I could put the back seats down and cram more in. Must remember to leave room for the dog.....if you see a car bursting at the seams with camping gear and a cairn terrier strapped to the roof rack......that'll be me
Next trip off the the Yorkshire Dales end of May Love the walking down there. Then thinking of Nth Wales but have yet to pick a site. Don't like noisy over commercialised sites. Great for people with kids but like my peace & quiet! So if anyone out there can recommend a nice quiet site in Wales??
Hi Andrew and welcome to the site i am a relative newby too but everyone has been great ... I have a 5 berth tent and there is only 2 of us but we manage to fill it with all our stuff.
Hope you have a fab time - you'll soon become a camping obsessed loony like me
Muddydog - sounds fab, about the same time as I'm going away - enjoy!!!
Blue_bumble: thanks very much, I've been pleasantly overwhelmed with how nice and friendly everyone has been. The way I've been (getting giddy etc) makes me think I am halfway there already!!!! Where are you off to this year?
We have 3 planned so far ... we are off to france just outside of Paris in June for 10 days, its our first time camping abroad but i am sooo excited i cant wait ... then lake district in july for a week with our family we have opted to camp they are staying in a cottage ... then peak district in september for a week ... then hopefully some other weekends too ... where u off to?
Sounds fantastic... will you all be getting Mickey Mouse ears? I'm booked at Glencoe and Loch Ness at the end of May and cheekily booked the High Bentham Meet in July. I'm new to this tent lark and thought it'd be good to hopefully meet new pals, get some tips and have a good old giggle - that's if my anxiety doesn't relapse!
As a rule of thumb, certainly with smaller tents, when a manufacturer calls a tent '3 man', for example, as a rule of thumb I tend to think of it as '2 man + kit'.
Obviously, it depends on the design and overall size of the tent, as many now have relativley small sleeping compartments, but plenty of living space.
We have a 9/12 berth for the 3 of us all because I was put off camping as a child/teenager by my mum and step-dad.
Those hikes to the communal shower blocks (the ones with REAL communal showers) - no make-up on, no hair done and in my PJ's (eewww!!). Sleeping in a frame tent with people I didn't really like with no room to bring a cat let alone swing it. Sitting in folding chairs with dinner on our laps - no protection from the sun (or wind).
Hubby dearest convinced me to return to camping. I'm still not happy with the trudge to the shower blocks, but thanks to some nice home comforts in our and outside tent it is more enjoyable - we can even hook up our portatable DVD player on miserable days . Now all I have to do is find a campsite with individual shower blocks on each pitch and I'll be an ecstatic little bunny