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Subject Topic: single parent AND first time camping...
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11/7/2010 at 10:36am
 Location: None Entered
 Outfit: Quechua llll Bell t
View Liverbird08's Profile View Profile   Reply to Liverbird08 Reply   Quote Liverbird08 Quote  
Joined: 29/3/2008

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Hi Dools70, I often camp with my young daughter and am now accomplished at carrying and putting up bell tent alone and lighting fires.
One thing I always do is to make sure the tent,poles,mallet and pegs are the most accessible things, ie don't pack everything else on top. If it rains then you can grab your tent, set it up, leaving the kids in the car.
Kids can then help making the beds once set up whilst you set everything else up.
Also, freezing bottles of pop/milk/water and then putting them in the cool box keeps other stuff cold and constant cool drinks.
I also do things like wrapping treats up in tin foil, hiding them and then the kids use the torch to find them (perhaps when yours are a little older.)
Even on a freezing Feb night in the rain, I couldn't get the kids back inside until they had found all of them!!
Enjoy, and if you are struggling for help getting you tent up, don't be a proud male, ask for help. It also means you won't be trying to manage a huge windsail whilst chasing your kids around the site!

-------------
2011-
Dec/Jan -Cornwall nr Padstow (cottage)
Feb - our garden (tent)
March - Llangollen (cottage)
March -Town Farm, Bucks.
April - garden..again..need to get out more...
May - Acoustic Festival of Britain Uttoxeter


25/8/2010 at 10:39pm
 Location: W. Midlands
 Outfit: caplan 5
View dools70's Profile View Profile   Reply to dools70 Reply   Quote dools70 Quote  
Joined: 07/7/2010

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UPDATE:.... So how did it go?...

Just thought as I'd had so much great advice I'd share my experience of our trip....

in no particular order...

1) The kids LOVED it... freedom, football, new friends, so much laughing... Good times

2) I got the tent up on my tod in the wind (with a bit of help from the kids 'til they lost interest)... so much for loads of offers of help though - even had a guy in the caravan next to us make himself a tea and settle in by his window to watch me battle it (cheeky sod!)

3) Glow sticks were a great idea - night lights & fun.

4) kampa khazi - needed and used, but BLIMEY it's big!

5) EHU = just enough comfort (in form of cooler & fan heater for chilly nights) =

6) Cooking stove with butane... not great - ok to warm things but didn't seem to be able to heat enough in the slightest of wind. Fine for heating things like beans (nb - not related to wind comment)

7) Clothes - packed WAY too many!

8) Airbeds with foam mat underneath - v warm, quite comfy and very tempting as trampolines - no matter how many times I told the boys they weren't!

9) Next time will bring a clothes line or airer to help dry swimming things etc.

10) Everything's TWICE the size when you come to pack it away (weird!)...

11) Who needs a TV?!... books & colouring stuff when raining!

12) The tent's a base - the kids loved exploring - the site, the beach, crabbing by the harbour... anything - every day was different!.

13) Fold-up table and chairs were great for eating and activities when the weather was poor

14) I had EHU but bought a kettle for the stove... DUH! - poor weather = no tea...

That about does it...
Was it fantastic? - yes...
Were the kids unhappy when it came to pack up? - yes
Will we be doing it again?... definitely!

Thanks again for all your tips - it really helped!



25/8/2010 at 10:57pm
 Location: coventry
 Outfit: Avondale pearl Adonis
View dylan1975's Profile View Profile   Reply to dylan1975 Reply   Quote dylan1975 Quote  
Joined: 11/7/2010

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glad you enjoyed it now look through the sites listing and get booking again the more you do it the more you learn and enjoy the trips out

-------------



25/8/2010 at 11:25pm
 Location: East Yorkshire
 Outfit: Hyundai i800 Jamet Arizona TT
View roofie41's Profile View Profile   Reply to roofie41 Reply   Quote roofie41 Quote  
Joined: 13/8/2007

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So glad you had a great time!
Where you off to next then?

Ruth


25/8/2010 at 11:52pm
 Location: Sunderland
 Outfit:  Vango Icarus 500
View Narraback's Profile View Profile   Reply to Narraback Reply   Quote Narraback Quote  
Joined: 18/8/2009

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I take my kids camping on my own, and we LOVE it. The most often asked question in my house.....

Dad.....When are we going camping again?

Everybody on this site knew you'd have a great time.



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26/8/2010 at 12:34am
 Location: 
 Outfit: 
View victoria1's Profile View Profile   Reply to victoria1 Reply   Quote victoria1 Quote  
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Have you figured out yet that if you take the inner bucket out of the kampa khazi you can turn it upside down and pack loads of stuff inside?

Great to hear you all had a great time. I hope you have many more successful camps.



26/8/2010 at 7:04am
 Location: South London
 Outfit: Cabanon Aruba Force 10 Crux Storm
View Rik Brooks's Profile View Profile   Reply to Rik Brooks Reply   Quote Rik Brooks Quote  
Joined: 09/6/2004

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Quote: Originally posted by kyoto49 on 10/7/2010
As a single camper the worst part for me is arriving and finding everybody watching me trying to get the tent up!


I used to feel a complete idiot putting up the Aruba on my own trying to remember what pole goes where and with it all flappping around in the wind but so many people have expressed admiration at my getting a largish tent up quickly on my own that I quite enjoy it: I don't enjoy getting the thing sown in the rain on my own tho'!

R


26/8/2010 at 9:02am
 Location: Tean Staffs
 Outfit: karsten 300
View ybyatt's Profile View Profile   Reply to ybyatt Reply   Quote ybyatt Quote  
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glad you had a fab time, knew you would. where next?

-------------
TTFN
Vonnie
______________________________
KARSTEN CAMPERS DO IT WITH INFLATABLES (OO ER!)



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