Question Camping...

[Deebs]

Folks,

Been talking to one of my friends about doing some camping this year... I have never done any form of camping apart from when I was a child and I went with my parents in a trailer tent or whatever it was called.

Does anyone have any recommendations for the following:

• 2 - 3 man tent with a separate bedroom and awning including the waterproof rating - only looking at 3 seasons
• Sleeping bags - again a 3 seasons one

Been looking around the web but I have no idea which make is any good or what sleeping bags to buy. Guess budget is somewhere between 150 and 200 of our finest quids....

Cheers

 

[Nate]

I always liked the look of this one, no idea how useful it is though.

Lippiselkbag.co.uk - Lippi Selk Bag & Musuc Bag, MusucBag Sleeping Bag

And a tip for when it's dark and your outside, don't light a fire and tell scary stories. You won't wake up!!!!

 

[Raven]

Depending on your budget you can't go wrong with a Vango tent Vango Outdoor but for summer weekend camping Argos do some decent enough tents, sub £50. A note though, a 3 man tent will be extremely cosy for 3, you will probably be looking at a 5 man for 3+kit+comfort.

As for a bag, get yourself a 58 pattern army bag.

 

[Chilly]

tbh if it's during the summer any old shit will do deebs. The cheapest of the cheap is at minimum waterproof and you can always wear a coat if it gets cold. You'll need a carry mat as well, no need to spend much at all on one of those, they are just foam mats.

if you're planning to do yer own cooking out there too, grab a little gas stove and take a small pan along to heat yer beans.

pro rave tip: to cook a sausage on a fire, finish the can of beer in your hand, slice it in half lengthways and use it as a mini frying pan.

pro rave tip 2: poaching sausages in cider is a) pretty tasty and b) foolproof way to cook, as you cant burn them while there's still cider left in the tin.

 

[xane]

you will probably be looking at a 5 man for 3+kit+comfort.

Best advice ever, always go for 1 or 2 sizes higher than you need, today's tents are easy to assemble, the size difference is hardly noticeable when packed.

Even the cheapest sleeping bags are quite good nowadays, I'd just get an Argos special, especially for kid's use.

And get plenty of wind-up torches, save a fortune in batteries.

 

[Scouse]

I'm off this weekend in a little 3 man instant throw-up tent from Decathlon. Up a mountain in wales. I'll let you know how it goes and what I missed

 

[Shagrat]

yeah we've got one of those 3 compartment tents for when we go camping with the kids and its definitely sound advice to go one or two sizes bigger.

If we'd bought a four man it would be a tight squeeze, even just with me and the missus as the only adults, and then the 2 young uns.

We ended up getting one where you can unzip the front door, then use posts to put it up as a sort of sun roof. Thought this was a nice feature as well as it meant we could all sit outside even if it was raining a bit.

 

[TdC]

yello. my advice is to look for things as well ventilated as you can find them. if you can keep it dry, get an eider down sleeping bag, not one with synthetic fill, unless you plan to really rough it and sleep outside.

get the best possible mat you can find, of a decent thickness. DON'T fall for a quarter inch hi-tec thing, get a thick mat, something that is an inch or two thick, especially if you don't have to carry it about on your back. trust me, your old bones will be grateful. also, always always always sleep on the mat. one night with just the sleeping bag between you and the cold ground will destroy your back. also, self-inflating mats do not self inflate, but they are filled with nice insulating foam, which will keep you warm and comfy.

 

[Fweddy]

Whatever tent you get, make sure you know how to put it up before you go camping. It willl be far easier if you put it up for the first time in your living room instead of just as it's getting dark after a 5 hour hike up a mountain. Pay attention to how it was packed in the bag too.

I haven't tried those Lippiselkbag things but I suspect they're going to be bulkier and colder than an equally thick sleeping bag and if you take advantage of the mobility they allow they could easily end up very muddy. I still can't help but want one though.

 

[Tom]

Make sure whatever you get has a separate compartment for boots, clothes, pans, etc. It will also serve as an area you can sit in if it rains.

Also, get yourself a decent thick sleeping mat, the difference between sleeping on one of those and the groundsheet is amazing.

Oh and make sure you pitch your tent on flat ground, because sleeping on a slope is a right pain

 

[Jupitus]

Don't know about kit, but I do have some sound advice. If it is dark and stormy, and you think you can hear howling noises nearby, make sure you never stay together... split up and each go in different directions, thus negating the danger of one of you being attacked and the others actually being there to assist!

 

[TdC]

ah slopes, lol Tom. if you *must* sleep on a slope, make sure your head is upslope

 

[Tom]

Silly Teeds. Everyone knows you can't make a cup of tea on a slope!

 

[old.user4556]

one Viagra before bed, that'll stop you rolling down slopes.

 

[rynnor]

Get a people carrier and sleep in that - no tent to carry but gets cold so bring a thick sleeping bag...

 

[Wazzerphuk]

if you're planning to do yer own cooking out there too, grab a little gas stove and take a small pan along to heat yer beans.

Or do it real man style and put the can of beans directly in your fire, which of course you started using lighter fluid since it's quickest.

 

[TdC]

Get a people carrier and sleep in that - no tent to carry but gets cold so bring a thick sleeping bag...

mmmm white van with mattress in the back! Deebs'll be used to that

 

[Deebs]

Thanks guys, will certainly take on board what has been said. Do any of you have actual links to equipment that you would suggest I purchase?

I've been looking at the Halfords site and this one caught my eye:

Urban Escape 4 Man Tent Pack from Halfords Was £339.99 Save £170.00 Price £169.99 Up to 50% Off All Tents and Tent Packs Plus Half Price Cookset (122807) When You Buy Any Tent Or Tent Pack

Comments??

 

[Raven]

Overpriced imo. Never heard of them. I wouldn't buy any camping gear from Halfords tbh

Coleman Waterfall 5 Man Tent: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Leisure

Vango Tigris 400 4 Person Tent 2010: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Leisure

A cheap one but good enough for summer camping.

Gelert Tornado 5 Man Tent - Red Clay/Charcoal: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Leisure

A really good 5 man tent, a little pricey but it will last.

Vango Artemis 500 tent- smoke- new for 2010: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Leisure

 

[Deebs]

Ok, looking at this shopping list...

Vango Icarus 400 tent- Laurel- New for 2010: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Leisure

Vango Adventure XL 5 cm DLX Self inflating mat (Moss): Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Leisure

and either

Highlander Echo 400 Sleeping Bag: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Leisure

or

Highlander - Echo 350 Sleeping Bag: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Leisure

Any comments??

 

[Raven]

Both bags are good (I have a couple of bits of Highlander kit) though they may be a little warm for the summer. It depends on you really, you can always open the zip if you get too hot. If like me you "run hot" then you could get this for summer,

Highlander Voyager Tropical Lightweight Sleeping Bag: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Leisure

Also check the height and width on them, will it fit you? Being over 6 foot and wide shouldered I had to buy a larger bag as most others come up to my armpits.

The mat is good, much better than the cheapo foam ones. I have a highlander half length one as it fits in one of the side pockets of my backpack. A thing to note on the self inflating mats, they aren't truly self inflating and you do need to blow them up a little bit which can be a little fiddly as they don't have a proper valve like an airbed. If you store them at home unpacked (under the bed or something) then they are much better.

A good place to get some good tips is BushcraftUK: Community Forum

 

[MYstIC G]

Don't know about kit, but I do have some sound advice. If it is dark and stormy, and you think you can hear howling noises nearby, make sure you never stay together... split up and each go in different directions, thus negating the danger of one of you being attacked and the others actually being there to assist!

More sound advice: if you end up in a village and the town mayor just died and was called Will, better kill everyone you see as they're guaranteed to be wolves.

 

[TdC]

remember you can unzip a hot sleepingbag, but you can't magically make a cold one warmer.