# Camping



## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Do we have any campers on here?

Any excuse and I am off, usually cycling but often on a scooter/motorbike, minimalist, just a Quechua T2 tent, tiny sleeping bag and mat, I love it. :thumbsup: But, my family have been wanting to come along too and spoil my fun :thumbsdown: so, under duress, we went away for a few days, after I'd had to fork out for a "family" tent. 

Many swear words were used when erecting this tent, it took myself and Carolyn an hour, my Quechau is up in 5 minutes flat.










Nice view though.










Son number 1 carrying on his friggin virtual life, TV/DS/Mobile in a tent with a puke top and his underpants out of jeans. 










The result was that the family loved it and I hated every bloody minute, I camp to get away from everything, including them. :yes:


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## zed4130 (Jun 25, 2009)

very nice mate, i for many years did cycle touring and on my z1000,these days its family camping as well, they love it though , but i do like to get away by myself once in a while, hope you had a great time, :thumbup:

paul


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## Tom Radford (Apr 28, 2009)

Me and the misses used to a lot a few years ago, but since getting the dog we havent so much.

The quieter and furthest away from humanity the better!

Our only mod cons were a gas stove and a blow up mattress.


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## blackandgolduk (Apr 25, 2005)

Since changing jobs (and now working more w/ends) it's harder to get away. Me and the missus have a Quechua T4 XL, goes up in 10 minutes, in the rain, in the dark etc. - it's a brilliant tent, got it after I lent my old tent to a mate who then lost it. How do you lose a three man tent?

.

There's a group of us, mostly uni mates who live all over the country, who get together as much as possible. Cornwall, Devon, The Lakes, New Forest, Kent - we go all over. The dogs come, the babies come, tons and tons of cider and gin are consumed and many bbq's are held. A couple of good friends have a tent similar to that behemoth you've acquired - every time it's the same, 10 blokes, much swearing, "the fly sheet's the wrong way round", "it's wonky", "the guy ropes need tightening" and an hour of my life I'll never get back. I actually walked away from it once...

The only comforts (other than cider, ale, gin and a bbq/fire-pot are my Coleman petrol stove (gas? Pah!) and a small stove-top espresso pot. I'm then up at 5am, sitting in a chair in the back of beyond with the cows and a strong coffee. Bliss.

Edit: Should say that the missus loves camping and need nothing more than a thermarest and a sleeping bag, she's good like that, none of this inflatable matress malarkey. If I can't fit it in/on my 90L rucksack, then it's not coming...

...with the exception of the surfboards, of course!


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## Parabola (Aug 1, 2007)

Like it in principle hate it practice. Last three times we've been twice in summer 2008 and once in 2009 we have had near torrential rain on all three occasions and pretty close to storm force winds on the last one. Sod that


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## a6cjn (Oct 29, 2009)

I can't believe I'm saying this but I've been camping in various forms for over 50 years :jawdrop:

Started as a nipper in the cubs but then was thrown out for playing with me woggle :clown:

I got my first 'proper' tent in the 60's a Blacks Good Companion (still have it) which was just about back packable but a great tent. I remember me and a mate gave a demo at a local Fayre of pitching it blindfolded.

Got a larger framed tent when I got married and 'progressed' to a huge Cabbonon bungalow when the children came along.

I built an electronics box so that we could hook it to mains electric and in the begining had a lots of discussions with site managers who didn't want to allow tents on electric hook up pitches.

Finally succumbed some 15 years ago to a caravan and have been all over the place - and so have the family and really enjoy it.

I don't think camping equipment has ever been so cheap and there are now some fantastic sites in both the UK and Europe.

To me it's more of a mind set, you can make it as basic as you want, bushcraft it a la Ray Mears or have an air conditioned motor home/caravan, the main thing is you can please yourself what you want to do and how you want to do it.

Chris


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## a6cjn (Oct 29, 2009)

I can't believe I'm saying this but I've been camping in various forms for over 50 years :jawdrop:

Started as a nipper in the cubs but then was thrown out for playing with me woggle :clown:

I got my first 'proper' tent in the 60's a Blacks Good Companion (still have it) which was just about back packable but a great tent. I remember me and a mate gave a demo at a local Fayre of pitching it blindfolded.

Got a larger framed tent when I got married and 'progressed' to a huge Cabbonon bungalow when the children came along.

I built an electronics box so that we could hook it to mains electric and in the begining had a lots of discussions with site managers who didn't want to allow tents on electric hook up pitches.

Finally succumbed some 15 years ago to a caravan and have been all over the place - and so have the family and really enjoy it.

I don't think camping equipment has ever been so cheap and there are now some fantastic sites in both the UK and Europe.

To me it's more of a mind set, you can make it as basic as you want, bushcraft it a la Ray Mears or have an air conditioned motor home/caravan, the main thing is you can please yourself what you want to do and how you want to do it.

Chris


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## Andy Tims (Apr 13, 2008)

As a formerly very keen (addicted) rock climber I used to camp circa 20 weekends a year. It was always a "go light" situation as we used to get 4 people + camping & climbing kit in a hatchback & head for the cheapest campsites within striking distance of both the climbing & a pub.

I donâ€™t go climbing very often, but am still quite happy to go basic & do so every year at Le Mans.

The wife on the other hand will only go to a campsite if sheâ€™s staying in a â€œmobileâ€ home or Chalet with private bathroom & air-con


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## thunderbolt (May 19, 2007)

Just got back from an absolutely glorious week in Barmouth. 24 degrees plus every day! :beach: First time out in our trailer tent. It was blissful a week with no tv :yahoo: no internet :crybaby: just a radio for some background music.  It amazed me just how many people I saw setting up a tv ariel for their tents! :dntknw:



















Sleeps 8.










All mod cons.










The 710 in her domain! h34r:










Camping is no barrier for anyone, our youngest daughter loves it.


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## lewjamben (Dec 4, 2007)

A few weekends ago, myself and the 710 went camping. We stayed on a fantastic site near Caermarthen in Wales.










The view from the site was amazing:










The main reason for our trip, was to walk up Mount Snowdon:










Although I've been camping with friends as part of walks in Derbyshire, I've not really done so as an actual break/holiday away until now. It's something we definately intend on taking up. I guess it's this culture of "staycations" which has born from the economic situation.


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Thanks for the replies, some nice pics too. John, how long does your trailer tent take to set up?

I have found, that like with cycling, you meet a lot of interesting and intelligent people when camping. :yes:

This is what I normally camp in.


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## thunderbolt (May 19, 2007)

MarkF said:


> Thanks for the replies, some nice pics too. John, how long does your trailer tent take to set up?
> 
> I have found, that like with cycling, you meet a lot of interesting and intelligent people when camping. :yes:
> 
> This is what I normally camp in.


Thanks Mark, as it was the first outing with it we took just over 2 hours to set up. With a bit of practice that should come down to about 90 mins. 

The campsite we stayed on was lovely, although talking to some people on there I thought I was in a suburb of Wolverhampton. :lol:


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## blackandgolduk (Apr 25, 2005)

thunderbolt said:


> The campsite we stayed on was lovely, although talking to some people on there I thought I was in a suburb of Wolverhampton. :lol:


Ahem, and what, pray tell, would be wrong with that?










Thur ay nuthin' wrung wi' us, aer kid. Wor dun yow pop in fer a scoop er too afore eddin owm?


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## thunderbolt (May 19, 2007)

blackandgolduk said:


> thunderbolt said:
> 
> 
> > The campsite we stayed on was lovely, although talking to some people on there I thought I was in a suburb of Wolverhampton. :lol:
> ...


Nothing at all?  It's just that most of the inmates campers seemed to have originated from that fine city. 

I'd love to drop by for a pint or several, it looks like a gorgeous spot. :yes:


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## blackandgolduk (Apr 25, 2005)

S'awrite aer kid, om ownly pullin' yower leg.

To be fair, that spot's about 10 miles out of Wolves, but it wor a bad place, un we day arf av un aksunt in them bits. It's the village of Penkridge, if you ever fancy it. 16 pubs at the last count, so pretty good for a pub crawl! Barmouth did used to be a magnet for Midlanders, I seem to recall.


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## thunderbolt (May 19, 2007)

blackandgolduk said:


> S'awrite aer kid, om ownly pullin' yower leg.
> 
> To be fair, that spot's about 10 miles out of Wolves, but it wor a bad place, un we day arf av un aksunt in them bits. It's the village of Penkridge, if you ever fancy it. 16 pubs at the last count, so pretty good for a pub crawl! Barmouth did used to be a magnet for Midlanders, I seem to recall.


Still is a magnet by all accounts.


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## thunderbolt (May 19, 2007)

thunderbolt said:


> blackandgolduk said:
> 
> 
> > S'awrite aer kid, om ownly pullin' yower leg.
> ...


16 pubs. Sounds like a great place to drink and be merry. :cheers: Sounds very much like Conwy. 8 (I think) pubs & clubs just within the town walls each no more than a 5 inute crawl from the next!


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