Guide to camping

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Guide to camping
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sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 05 4:23 pm Post subject:
Whatever 'kit snobs' tell you, the vast majority of Millets own brand stuff is fine. Practise pitching your tent before you go away. You really don't want to find out that your new tent is missing a bit when you're x hundred miles away from where you bought it.

otatop

Joined: 01 Jun 2005
Posts: 1425
Location: North London

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 05 4:46 pm Post subject:
we haven't been able to get away this year for various reasons, so all this camping talk is making me feel wistful. Next year I really am going to have a go at making a hay box cooker.

Lozzie

Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 2595

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 05 5:01 pm Post subject: Re: Guide to camping

Andy B wrote:

I know this is going to seem a bit extream green but on a site such as this should we encouraging flying / big road miles. Gets away from the think local bit.

I think you have a very good point Andy, although my personal situation is this: Whereas I try in my day to day life to be as "green" as poss, I did still take a holiday in a friend's house in rural Normandy (by car and ferry. I do NOT advocate flying).

I reckon many people are like me in terms of how they make their lifestyle choices, and thought it might be useful to share a few thoughts about how you can work towards lessening your environmental impact whilst on holiday, either in the UK or another country.

However - if people think it is not a good idea to be apparantly promoting holidays abroad ... I will defer! What do people think?

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28235
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 05 5:07 pm Post subject: Re: Guide to camping

Lozzie wrote:

Andy B wrote:

I know this is going to seem a bit extream green but on a site such as this should we encouraging flying / big road miles. Gets away from the think local bit.

I think this is tricky, I know I am hypocritical on this score. I know the damage air travel does, but I have an urge to travel that is only constrained by my inability to afford it

I would not like this site to get overzealous in condemning a vice that I bet is shared by a lot of us!

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 05 5:11 pm Post subject:
Hey, I thought we were non-prescriptive here. It's not for me or anyone to tell people what they can eat or where they can go on holiday or what they should buy. Downsizer is great because it is a place to share information, find out about alternatives - so you can then make up your mind for yourself

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 05 5:23 pm Post subject:
Just to add that I've been to LIDL today where they had a set of stainless steel camping saucepans (you know, the ones with the detachable handles, that double as bowls) for about a fiver.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 05 8:47 am Post subject:
Crikey, this has taken off a bit, thanks everyone, lots of very useful advice. Does anyone do much camping "off site" so to speak, or are those Famous Five days in the past?

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 05 9:05 am Post subject:

Depends what you call off site. Not often, or really properly. Have done lots of festival type camps in past (compost loos and wooden solar showers - fine on holiday, wouldn't like to be mucking about with them before work) for short holidays, one just doesn't shower (although a bed bath with a couple of wet ones makes a big difference to air quality!) and hopes for plently of handy hedges in the night. Generally we camp in friends fields these days, so there's a shower in the house, and plenty of handy hedges. Camping this weekend in a chicken field. Hmmmm.

I don't really do compact and light, although we have been camping a silly sports car with two dogs, and that was a squeeze enough for me. Now we take the surf, and fill it up with comfy bedding and firepits (communal cooking though). I like to be warm and reasonably comfy.

Anyone tried those cylinder bbq's that turn into two halfs? My self inflating thingy was �20 from millets. Needs a couple of sheepies, but then we take them anyway.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 05 9:08 am Post subject:

wellington womble wrote:

Generally we camp in friends fields these days

I could count on one...well actually on no fingers, the number of my friends who have fields

twoscoops

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 1924
Location: Warwickshire

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 05 9:28 am Post subject:

I�d agree with Sean about kit; there is little point in spending a fortune if you will only use it once or twice a year. I can confirm that my camping days are pretty much over, although I am tempted by a pal�s suggestion of a Norfolk beach barbie later this year. I bought really expensive kit for walking the Cotswold Way and had as miserable a time as when I walked the south Cornwall coast path. I reckon you are likely to pick up untold camping bargains at car boot sales. It doesn�t matter how much you spend, you will still wake up freezing with a full bladder, you will still have to either a. empty full bladder into beer can/wine bottle (male) or b. go out into the night (female), and you will still wake up at 5am with the burning sun piercing a hole in the side of your face.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 05 10:02 am Post subject:

wellington womble wrote:

Anyone tried those cylinder bbq's that turn into two halfs?

We had one. It worked well as a barbie, but the hinges corroded and broke very quickly. To be fair we used it on the beach quite a bit. However I would like to repeat my support for the Weber portable jobbie.

belfast-biker

Joined: 09 Aug 2005
Posts: 9
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 05 11:21 am Post subject:

Twoscoops wrote:

you will still wake up freezing with a full bladder, you will still have to either a. empty full bladder into beer can/wine bottle (male) or b. go out into the night (female), and you will still wake up at 5am with the burning sun piercing a hole in the side of your face.

So, where's the downsides?

Northern_Lad

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 05 11:26 am Post subject:

Twoscoops wrote:

...you will still wake up freezing with a full bladder...

I just put that down to the fact that I was camping in winter and had had a 'few' cans the night before.

I did once wake up feeling really refreshed to discover that I'd had snow-pillow all night, on the inside of my sleeping bag. I never sleep in anything more than underware, and by bag's a 2 season.

twoscoops

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 1924
Location: Warwickshire

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 05 11:29 am Post subject:
[quote="Northern_Lad by bag's a 2 season.[/quote] No wonder you've got a cold.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 05 11:33 am Post subject:

Northern_Lad wrote:

I'd had snow-pillow all night, on the inside of my sleeping bag

Eh? Or do I not want to know?

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