Beginners Guide to Camping
I always get asked, "I want to go camping, how much will it cost and what will I need?"
I usually reply with a "guide to bed and breakfasts in the area you want to go, and a credit card" No, only joking! Camping in one of those great back to nature things, whether you are doing a wild camp in the Lake District or you are on a commercial campsite in the South of France. There is nothing more enjoyable and peaceful than sitting in your tent at night listening to the rain on the fabric or waking up to the dawn chorus and seeing the mist across the field and the dew on the grass.
So what do you need to start camping?
A lot depends on what you are going to do and where you are going to do it. Camping is great for family holidays; the kids love it (so I'm told). Once you have bought the kit, you've got for a long time, as long as you look after it.
Kitting up for family camping need not be expensive. The main things you will need are tent, sleeping bags and sleeping mats.
What type of tent do I need?
Tents come in all sorts of shapes sizes and styles. You may have heard of ridge tents, dome tents, pop up tents, patrol tents, geodesic tents, and bivi tentsÂ… to be quite honest there are dozens of them. Most tents nowadays are semi geodesics. That means that they have flexible poles and are based around a dome type shape. Most will have a sewn in groundsheet in a bathtub style, i.e. the ground sheet goes part way up the inside walls in case you pitch it in a deep puddle. Try not to, even if the idea of a waterbed may seem appealing!
The three main things to think about when choosing a tent are; space, what weather conditions will it be used in and how much it will be used.
Space – most tents are quoted as to how many people they hold and can range from 1 to, well, dozens! Even with some half sizes thrown in for good measure. They can also come with various different porches, front and back. This is very useful for storing outdoor gear, mountain bikes, dogs and wet outdoor clothing. This is especially important if you are going to a music festival. You can even get some tents with separate rooms.
Weather – this is very important, if you buy a tent for summer use only and take it out in autumn, you could be asking for a lot of trouble. Think about when you will go camping. If it's only the summer, cheaper summer tents are should be fine. Though be aware that of you are using them in windy places they still may not hold up to British Summer weather conditions.
Tents are mainly rated 2,3,4,5 seasons. 5 Season I hear you say? We don't have 5 Seasons. Well try taking it up a mountain, 5 season tents tend to be classed as mountain tents.
For the average person or family that is starting off camping at low levels in a European summer a 2 season tent would be the ideal choice.
What type of sleeping bag do I need?
You need a sleeping bag that will keep you warm, but not too hot. Though on most sleeping bags, you will be able to open them out along the zip to allow air to circulate and keep you cooler. Most sleeping bags are Mummy shaped i.e. the sleeping bag narrows towards the foot for extra warmth and less bulk. However, you can also get square foot one where perhaps warmth isn't a big issue, these tend to be used for car camping (out of the car) caravans, rounds houses and travelling. The other great thing about square foot sleeping bags is that they can usually be opened up as a duvet and easily be joined together for warm cosy couply nights in the tent.
Sleeping bags, like tents are generally rated by the season.
Sleeping mats, what are these?
Sleeping mats are important to insulate you from the ground, not just for comfort. The ground will suck more heat out of you than the air, so is very important. Sleeping mats are sometimes known as Thermarests, Karrimats, Roll Mats and Ground Mats.
The rest depends on what you want to do. You may want to cook, so think about what type of stove you will need, if you are family camping, pots and pans etc can come from the kitchen at home. But don't forget the washing up stuff!
Gareth Sear Walk and Travel Ltd
I always get asked, "I want to go camping, how much will it cost and what will I need?"
I usually reply with a "guide to bed and breakfasts in the area you want to go, and a credit card" No, only joking! Camping in one of those great back to nature things, whether you are doing a wild camp in the Lake District or you are on a commercial campsite in the South of France. There is nothing more enjoyable and peaceful than sitting in your tent at night listening to the rain on the fabric or waking up to the dawn chorus and seeing the mist across the field and the dew on the grass.
So what do you need to start camping?
A lot depends on what you are going to do and where you are going to do it. Camping is great for family holidays; the kids love it (so I'm told). Once you have bought the kit, you've got for a long time, as long as you look after it.
Kitting up for family camping need not be expensive. The main things you will need are tent, sleeping bags and sleeping mats.
What type of tent do I need?
Tents come in all sorts of shapes sizes and styles. You may have heard of ridge tents, dome tents, pop up tents, patrol tents, geodesic tents, and bivi tentsÂ… to be quite honest there are dozens of them. Most tents nowadays are semi geodesics. That means that they have flexible poles and are based around a dome type shape. Most will have a sewn in groundsheet in a bathtub style, i.e. the ground sheet goes part way up the inside walls in case you pitch it in a deep puddle. Try not to, even if the idea of a waterbed may seem appealing!
The three main things to think about when choosing a tent are; space, what weather conditions will it be used in and how much it will be used.
Space – most tents are quoted as to how many people they hold and can range from 1 to, well, dozens! Even with some half sizes thrown in for good measure. They can also come with various different porches, front and back. This is very useful for storing outdoor gear, mountain bikes, dogs and wet outdoor clothing. This is especially important if you are going to a music festival. You can even get some tents with separate rooms.
Weather – this is very important, if you buy a tent for summer use only and take it out in autumn, you could be asking for a lot of trouble. Think about when you will go camping. If it's only the summer, cheaper summer tents are should be fine. Though be aware that of you are using them in windy places they still may not hold up to British Summer weather conditions.
Tents are mainly rated 2,3,4,5 seasons. 5 Season I hear you say? We don't have 5 Seasons. Well try taking it up a mountain, 5 season tents tend to be classed as mountain tents.
For the average person or family that is starting off camping at low levels in a European summer a 2 season tent would be the ideal choice.
What type of sleeping bag do I need?
You need a sleeping bag that will keep you warm, but not too hot. Though on most sleeping bags, you will be able to open them out along the zip to allow air to circulate and keep you cooler. Most sleeping bags are Mummy shaped i.e. the sleeping bag narrows towards the foot for extra warmth and less bulk. However, you can also get square foot one where perhaps warmth isn't a big issue, these tend to be used for car camping (out of the car) caravans, rounds houses and travelling. The other great thing about square foot sleeping bags is that they can usually be opened up as a duvet and easily be joined together for warm cosy couply nights in the tent.
Sleeping bags, like tents are generally rated by the season.
Sleeping mats, what are these?
Sleeping mats are important to insulate you from the ground, not just for comfort. The ground will suck more heat out of you than the air, so is very important. Sleeping mats are sometimes known as Thermarests, Karrimats, Roll Mats and Ground Mats.
The rest depends on what you want to do. You may want to cook, so think about what type of stove you will need, if you are family camping, pots and pans etc can come from the kitchen at home. But don't forget the washing up stuff!
Gareth Sear Walk and Travel Ltd
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