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Hi lee.1boy

cant say what its like to camp having never done it either.  We were in the same boat earlier this year with holidays abroad and in this country getting more expensive and with kids as well its just something we could not afford very easily so took the plunge and got a camplet.  We are now in the process of getting in all our gear now as we are going on our 1st hol on may bh for 3 nights for £48 including ehu which I thought was good value. 

We looked for weeks on ebay and did see a sunncamp 350se just around the corner which we bid on but was outbid by £20.  If you do go for one off ebay you will probably get some extras thrown in, but it is really essential that you see the product up and running before you bid and you obviously dont want to travel far to see something and dislike it.  (see liddenham post re ebay)

Hunt around on the internet for camping shops and ones with displays, camperlands, gooutdoors, jrleisure are to name but a few.  It really does help narrow it down by seeing the size and whether you can cope in it for just a few days or two weeks.

We decided that on something that is easy to set up by one person while the other keeps an eye on the kids.  Also, sleeping off the ground was important too.

Have fun shopping!

We have been camping for 3 years and love it - it can get cold at night - so plenty of warm night attire required - it can get expensive but it really depends on what you need - we do EHU camping (electirc hook up) so we have spent quite a bit over the years - we started with the basics and once we decided we liked it - we upgraded the tent and bought some creature comforts

You will find plenty of good advice on here.

B

Couple of things to think about, dont be tempted by the camping packages offered by the likes of Halfords, much better to tailor the stuff you buy to your own needs and if you shop around you'll see the savings aren't as great as they're made out to be anyway. You dont say where in the country you are but there are loads of really good camping shops around, many of which will have tents erected on display, go and ask questions of the staff and dont impulse buy!!!! Shop around and have a look for any items you find and like on the internet, prices are usually cheaper in general. Hope you have fun.

Hi Lee,

Have you changed your mind about purchasing a caravan to a tent instead ???

Hi, We're new to camping too.  We've got everything we need now & our 1st trip is booked for Spring Bank week.

I reckon we've spent around £700 but have so much stuff - fridge, EHU, kitchen cooker, table, chairs, beds & sleeping bags, lights, heater etc.. etc... etc... 

We bought our tent (Vango Diablo 900) from one of the private ads on this site for £175 - new last year & only used twice.  That saved us a fair amount.  Other things have come from ebay, Go Outdoors, Loot...

There are 5 of us & our youngest is only 2 so I wanted absolutely everything & no excuses not to enjoy it!!  Have probably gone way overboard as I don't do travelling light very well.

The initial outlay may seem like a lot but still way cheaper than a holiday for 5 would be & once you have it you just replace/upgrade bit by bit.  Site fees for May with EHU were £175 - £35 each for a weeks holiday!

Just counting the days til we can try it all out now!!!

Welcome to UKCS - as you can see there are lots of us on here who think that camping is a great holiday choice. Like all things you can choose to do it on a shoestring at first in order to make sure that you like it. There is no need to go mad with your bank balance and get a full set of state-of-the-art equipment, when you are not sure if it is really for you. In fact, if possible I would recommend borrowing stuff, if you have friends or relatives who camp, in order to try it out first; cos you sond a bit unsure in your posting!

As Val says, you can kit youself out with a mixture of good quality stuff ( the things not to skimp on are the tent, the sleeping kit and the cooker) and perfectly good cheap stuff ( folding chairs, lanterns, picnic plates etc) which you can get from many poundsaver type places. Also, you can use stuff from home - your pots and pans, for example, even quilts at first. But even if the outlay is £500+, that is stil not as much as a week abroad for a family of 4.

Some of the appeals of camping are that it is flexible - you can find sites to suit every taste and budget, from holiday camp types with pools, childrens activities, a bar, evening entertainment etc, to the traditional farmers field with a tap and not much else for £2 a night.......and all kinds in between those two extremes. So you also need to decide what it is that appeals to you and what kind of holidays you and your family are likely to find enjoyable.