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 hi is there anyone out there in the camping world who has taken non campers away camping with them?

we are going to dorset for a week in a august, and the in laws have invited themselves, along with 3 children, they have never even seen the inside of a tent

They will be borrowing one of our tents, and sharing all our equiptment, as this is our main holiday this year, we dont want to be looking after their camping needs 24 hours a day

anyone have any advice to help us through it!!

Hi ste+em!!

good luck with that one, most important thing, do you get on with said inlaws?  Things will be x10 easier if you do...Here's my 3 point plan for sucess:

Pray for good weather as this worked for us when we took some camping virgins with us last year in Aug....(they loved waking up to the sun and the birdsong...)

make sure they take the right sort of clothes and other things like flip flops for the showers (we had to lend one of our friends some clothes etc..)

Be chilled yourselves and have a plan of who's gonna get what at breakfast-time etc..If they see how much you love it and how its no hassle, that'll transfer through to them.

Don't think you'll have any probs with the children....they're gonna LOVE IT!!! 

i would get together before you go (invite round for a few drinks) get around to talking about camping and drop a lot of hints about what meals shall WE cook, what shall WE take etc then offer the cool box. Do they have extra space in their car to help carry some of your equipment.

My advice is to sit down and talk to them before you go. Explain what they will need clothing wise and tell them that this is everyone's holiday and devise a rough rota for cooking the meals before you go as obviously things will change whilst there as you may grab a bite to eat if you are out etc, but if you have a rough rota at least you have something.

In my experience it is important to have some time apart, doing activites away from eachother, although I am sure that there will be activities you are wanting to do that they won't.

Most important of all though is relax, take each day as it comes.

Ply them with wine, the inlaws that is not the kids!

Take it easy and enjoy yourselves, just do your own thing and relax.

Happy camping.

Quote: Originally posted by Doddsy2978 on 30/7/2008

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I would say 'they invited themselves' and if it it all goes pearshaped - well thats a lesson learnt.  In other words - leave 'em to it!  Till, that is, there is some life threatening event!

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Ah, but that's not the campers' way - more like caravanners!

Give 'em good advice, but establish ground rules before you go. It'll help both sides.

Depending where the main 'cooker' is, I would ensure that the other party had a suitcase one, even if it is only to boil a kettle for the first cuppa of the morning.   There would be nothing worse than not being able to make yourself a cuppa because the others weren't awake.  Or wanting a big of a lie in,only to have somebody from the other party wanting to make a cuppa.    Milk for tea should keep overnight in a bucket of water.
Make sure that they know things like bedtime routine for kids goes out of the window when camping.   Explain to them that it is no good trying to get their kids to bed when every other kid on site is still out playing.
Expalin to them just how mucky kids can get, and advise that they take clothes that don't matter.    You don't want to stop your kids having fun, because the others in the party can't slide down the hill, because they will ruin their designer outfits.
As others have said, sit down and have a chat with them.  Tell them of any routines that you have - one of mine is tent up, and bedrooms set before we do anything else.  Kids know this.    Once we have the tent up, and somewhere to sleep I can take my time over the rest.
How accessable are things like the cooker?   Would it be possible to show them how to use it before you go away?    Just thinking that it might be easier to show them before you go away, rather than on site.    Quick run through of how various bits worked and a chat over a cuppa, rather than on site.

When away, ensure that you both have your own time - separate days out etc.   Maybe you go out for a meal while they cook at the tent and vice versa.    Last thing you want is to be in somebody elses pocket 24/7.

Hope everything goes well for you.

Find out what their expectations are... Be coy with them and ask how they think a day in the life of a family camper goes. How do they think campers store food? What food would they expect to eat while camping? How will they wash themselves?

You might be pleasantly surprised, or perhaps *they* will be!

I went this time two years ago with my brother and family - they borrowed an old tent and other bits of ours.  It rained and rained - brother hated it and went home early and to tell you the truth I was glad - I felt like I'd gone deaf after they'd gone.  All we could hear the whole time was him shouting at his kids or his kids moaning - don't get my wrong, I do love them all to bits but only in small doses!

My advice would be to spend time apart throughout the day too - go off and do your own thing for a day or two. 

We did have nice evenings though - I'm sure this was down to the kids being asleep and the beer/wine flowing :)