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 Topic: Novice Help please! What will I need ?
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29/6/2020 at 9:26pm
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no generators allowed on shell island, and from years of experience there do not pitch your tent sea facing! in fact as you go thr security turn right, go along the high leyllandi hedge and turn right again, this is the most sheltered field on the island, and when the wind will get up you will thank me for telling you this. as for the other stuff, you need something to cook on/in, take your pans from home, a decent cool box to store food in, nearest half decent shops are in barmouth or Porthmadog, you need your bedding. take your stuff off your bed with you. and what ever you don't forget to take crab fishing gear for your son, and last of all make sure you have seen a copy of the tide times before setting off from home, or it could be a long wait to cross
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30/6/2020 at 9:55am
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Camping is like having a series of picnics while sleeping overnight at the same location. You'll be facing whatever the weather throws at you so you'll need everything from swimwear to full warm and waterproof clothing.
Get your son a sleeping bag, you can use the double bed duvets first time.
Depending on whether you intend to make the odd cup of tea, heat up quick meals or have full 4 course dinners at camp, decide what level of camping stove you need. Use pots and pans from home first time, don't take your best china, unbreakable mugs and plates help.
The ice packs in your cool box will last a couple of days, the campsite may let you refreeze them but expect to go shopping for fresh food daily.
It's dark at night, you will each need a personal torch and it helps to have a group lamp. You probably have torches at home already, if not you can keep them for power cuts.
You can survive without tables and chairs, a camping stool is a step up but lacks back support. Cheap chairs are lightweight but get uncomfortable after a while. Expensive, padded, super camping chairs are available and amazing but cost a bomb and fill up your car. You can always use camping chairs in the garden so it's your choice.
Whatever you do or don't take you will forget something essential, you should expect this, if you can't do without it don't begrudge buying a new one locally.
After your camp decide what worked and what went wrong, you now have until your next camping trip to search the camping shops for the camping specific kit that will make all the difference.
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Enjoy the liveliness of the syntax.
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01/7/2020 at 9:31am
Location: Scotland
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Hi Clair
How exciting! I am uploading a picture of my camping checklist (obviously it is my list of my stuff ... you might not want/need any/all of this, but it is a good start. Warning: I like my kit, you can get away with a lot less).
Okay, as a (very) seasoned camper here is my advice for the first time. I was in exactly the same position as you 7 years ago. Reluctant partner, child (she was only 3 though) not much money. I had camped as a child and a student and used to love it. Remembered campfires, the sides of lochs, serenity, being in the great outdoors, being woken up by sheep. But with a non-camping partner and a 3 year old I thought I'd better not just pitch up in a farmers field. I found what I thought was a fab deal ... Haven at Filey ... it had a pool, arcade, restaurant etc so I thought it would satisfy everyone and it was a deal, 5 days for not much money. It was awful. I mean really awful. And satisfied no one. It was soooo bad (massive extended family groups drinking heavily, feral kids (not in a good way ... mine runs free on a campsite with whatever pack of kids she meets at the playpark but she wouldn't cause anyone any trouble, swear, vandalise etc), an apparent curfew which was not upheld. This was not the camping I remembered. It was sooo bad we left 2 days early.
So I have no idea what Shell Island is like - but it looks mahoosive and I wonder for your first trip you might want something a little smaller. The joy of camping is the kids will generally make friends in the park pretty quickly or over a football or a campfire. If the place is too big, it's hard for them to connect with the same kids a couple of times or to find them again just by pitching up at the park. I understand the pull of attractions but actually the best times we have had are on small sites with woods, a beach, a river.
Could you possibly go away for a weekend before you head off on the big trip? Pick a small site close to home and have a trial run. See what you all connect with.
On the matter of electricity - everyone has their own list of essentials. I like no electric because then there are no screens (or very little) tempting my now 10 year old. We have a 12v pump for the blow up chairs - we ditched blow up mattresses for the self-inflating ones a while ago. And charge phones etc in the car so we can call home etc but that's it My friend loves electric and brings a coffee machine, kettle, vacuum. I am about to have my first caravan holiday and am a bit overwhelmed at having electric!
So anyway, my reply is long but here are some final tips.
* have at least as many blankets/covers under you as over you on an airbed
* if it is cold at night, get into jammies with loads of layers on top early, put hot water bottles into the sleeping bags early. Once you get cold you stay cold.
* don't leave any food (ok maybe tins) out of the tent at night by the coast - seagulls will peck through crisp packets. I once woke to 10 bags of popcorn strewn around.
* take proper camping chairs - you'll get bored of lying on the ground.
* think about where you are going to cook if it rains
* take wetsuits (or at least for your child) so you can go to the beach on a rainy/cloudy day
* earplugs/masks/lip balm/hand cream/first aid kit
* snacks/drinks to hand for right after putting tent up
Have fun! 
Post last edited on 01/07/2020 09:35:15
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via mobile 29/6/2020 at 9:59pm
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