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 Topic: Please advise a newbie on basic set up?!
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04/6/2014 at 4:17pm
Location: Lake District
Outfit: 5m Karma Canvas bell tent
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Hello everyone,
Me and the husband are about to buy our first tent for car camping, and are looking at all the other bits we need...but there is so much to choose from that we need some advice! Please help us make this work, we don't have enough spare cash to make mistakes setting up!
As a bit of background, we have a small car and the boot will be filled with dog, and not much storage at home so space is at a premium. We live in the lakes where we will mostly be camping (at fairly basic campsites - no ehu), and we hope to be able to camp from Spring to Autumn, so need decent gear to stay warm in the colder months. Mostly plan 2-4 day jaunts, but the odd week or three thrown in here and there. We don't mind roughing it a bit at all.
I figure the basic things to focus on are shelter, cooking and sleeping, so I have split things into these categories...
Shelter
We are getting a 5m Bell tent from Karma Canvas with a 2 room inner and ZIG as a joint birthday gift from family.
We want to get a porch/tarp for cooking and eating under. We have the option of a second hand large polycotton one (which would match the tent), but if a nylon/poly one would be easier (less bulk, easier to dry I'm guessing) then we would take that? Would they both stand up to bad weather equally?
Cooking/dining
We want a wood powered cooker, and will mostly be boiling water for instant ramen/soup/porridge and drinking tea, but the option of frying the odd egg or heating up some stuffed peppers would be an added bonus - we can't choose between the kelly kettle or solo stove? (or anything else you experienced guys recommend?!
We figure we can pick up a table and chairs from any camping store. We thought if we put a heat proof mat on the table we can also use it to cook on, or is this crazy? Do we need one of the separate kitchen stand things?
We will take all the cooking/eating stuff in a large wicker picnic basket that we already have, as it can double as a low card table and dry food storage area for inside the tent
Sleeping
We have an airbed, and a pvc backed fleece rug to go over it for added warms. We want a double sleeping bag...it has to be wide as I hate feeling trapped in my sleep, and it has to be as warm as possible as hubby cannot stand the cold at night and I fear it would put him off camping all together if I don't get this one right! We have looked at both the Vango Starlight and Aurora Double, are these any good? Any other recommendations? We have about a thousand extra blankets we can add too, I'm something of a blanket hoarder!
We have already got a wind up lamp, rugs for the floor, washing up bowl, and will get a collapsable water carrier.
I'm anticipating that things will be added as we go, but does this seem like we have the basics covered OK to have a reasonably comfortable first few trips? Have I missed anything? Is anything unnecessary? Any recommendations?
Sorry for this super long post, and thank you so much for any help with this, we are so excited about it all, but have no one IRL who knows about camping to ask!
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04/6/2014 at 7:29pm
Location: Northern Ireland
Outfit: Bell Tent Vango Coleman and Quechua
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Sounds like you've put a lot of thought in to this, and you're definately on the right track. I'm not going to criticize, but I've been there done that and here's my two pennys.
Wind up light - that's the first thing you'll replace. They have a very disappointing performance generally. For non ehu lighting the best light I have found is a Varta Cree lantern about £21 from Amazon. I've been camping for years and only just got one (been on a wishlist for some time) and although it is really good I seemed to manage on a variety of battery operated lanterns and a headtorch each.
You'll find you're so knackered after all that fresh air you will be sleeping when it's dark anyway.
The basket sounds good (and pretty) but it is a unforgiving thing to pack. I use a Marks and Spencer bag for life, the big sturdy ones (about 80p) which will squish into odd spaces in the car. I usually have a couple, and right now I have two with a nice retro blue and cream design on the side.
The heatproof mat will do nicely and yes you can do without a kitchen stand alright. I use a red silicone mat designed to roll pastry out on, which is placemat sized and I got it in the baking section of a supermarket.
I use a single sized stove for everything which takes a gas cannister. Gas cannisters can be got in packs of 4 in B&M Bargains. Stoves don't perform all that well in the breeze, so I use the case it comes in (carefully) to block the wind. You shouldn't really cook inside but many do and are careful and use that thing called common sense. I personally don't mind boiling water in the entrance of a tent but draw the line at anything smelly which I cook outside instead.
All tarps and shelters need taken down in windy weather regardless of the fabric.
A rectangular washing bowl will act as a carrying vessel en route but a round one is harder to fit in the car.
The Airbed should be insulated under it as well as on top of it. If you have nothing else, use a big bit of cardboard, just ask for a big box at a local shop, and to be honest it's one of the best insulators around. Foam mats are good too.
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05/6/2014 at 7:53pm
Location: Northern Ireland
Outfit: Bell Tent Vango Coleman and Quechua
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You mention wiping off the plates, well try out a spork! I made a (half joking) comment about sporks last weekend at a camping trip with a few other people, that the great thing about sporks is that you can lick them and then stick it in your pocket. I got a 'yuck' all round but they were softie caravanners. You should have seen their faces when I mentioned 'bog in a bag'!
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06/6/2014 at 12:00pm
Location: North Surrey
Outfit: Bailey Unicorn Valencia S3
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As you have a dog, just let him/her lick the plates, etc clean and then they are ready to put away for next use
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Nick
2017
April - New Forest(9)
May - Dorset (9)
August - Camping Le Pin Parasol, Vendee (18)
October - East Mersea (8)
and five nights in the one man tent!
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Luckily we live right in the Lakes already so it's just a quick run up the A roads to get to some great spots. At a real stretch I could even do 2 trips in the morning (and by the time I got back hubby could have the tent up and a brew on). Not ideal, but needs must I suppose - I will get my camping! We would likely get a roof rack at christmas to make it easier, but can't afford it right now!
