You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Got two nights booked at a great (& expensive so we're def going 😂) local campsite Fri & Sat, really looking forward to it, forecast is pretty shite though. Saturday not looking too bad maybe, drizzle throughout the day, Fri evening/night looks like heavy/constant rain although not high winds.
GF keeps mentioning weather forecast 😃 I have conceded to take the van rather than cycle as per original plan as it looks like it'd be pissing down the whole way there, so can take some extra stuff. Don't have an awning but thinking of popping to Go Outdoors and picking up something like a Coleman Event Shelter or similar (they have the Fast Pitch version on offer at the moment, don't know if it's any good)? At least we'll have somewhere dry-ish to cook/hang out under.
Any other top tips?
Any other top tips?
Book a hotel.
Booze.
make sure you have easy access to a good pub!
Hotel... that is plan B if it's really biblical tomorrow 😃
Booze... check! One advantage of taking the van is a fridge full of cold ones!! There are a couple of decent pubs in the village a mile or so away as well.
Don't mind the rain myself as long as you can stay warm/dry.
Coleman Event Shelter
I was going to suggest this. We often use a tarp + poles when we are short of space, but the event shelters are great. You can get sides to zip in - not sure if they come with or not.
I'd much rather be under a Coleman shelter than sat in a hotel room. Might as well be at home.
The sides are called 'sunwalls'. Lolz!
cool, thanks. Which one(s) have you used? They have the regular one in stock at my local GO, as well as the FastPitch which allegedly has a higher RRP but is currently cheaper as it's on sale. Groundsheet and/or sides recommended?I’d much rather be under a Coleman shelter than sat in a hotel room. Might as well be at home.
We camped last weekend and survived in the OMG-cancel-or-close-everything winds/storms.
I added one of these to our stupid porch-less tent and it worked well;
https://www.vango.co.uk/gb/tent-additions/849-family-shelter.html
Did consider the Coleman Family Shelter but was £270 by the time you added sides, and still would have left uncovered ground between the tent and the covered outside space. Also had previously experienced issues with a friends Coleman shelter in high winds.
cool, thanks. Which one(s) have you used?
I don't know which model it was. My sister brought one to one of her gatherings a few times, everyone sat under it most convivially instead of their own tents. Probably a ten year old model I'd guess by now. I'd recommend sides, as wind shelter if nothing else. But I don't know how sturdy the sides are. I wouldn't imagine a groundsheet is worth it - it's a shelter not a tent.
we're camping this weekend
we've changed plans on friday night from BBQ to pub.
That is all.
A few of us have just bought one of those event shelters between us. Not really tested in yet in any real weather.
Either of those Coleman's is fine. The fast-pitch one does give a little more room as the legs are part vertical. The walls help if windy but otherwise not necessary. 2 would do.
Other stuff - firepit / washing machine drum / etc
Hatchet/axe/saw for above.
The event shelter will need the walls, we bought a Vango Odyssey Hub which is better value IMO as it includes the walls. We stayed under my brothers event shelter and it seemed as thought there was a lot of overhead exposure, however this could be due to the way its pitched. You can make them wide and low, or narrow and tall - the latter giving more overhead coverage as the open sections don't splay as much. Otherwise a tarp and poles will help. In addition to that a doormat to put your shoes on stops the ingress of water in to your tent, and a spare / mucky towel you can use to wipe up wetness is useful. Consider wellie, or Crocs are better as they'r easier to slip on and off but not waterproof and warm like the wellies are.
Don't forget the power generator, turbo trainer and Zwift hardware. 😉
I'm looking forward to camping with my daughter this weekend. If the weather is bad we will stay in the tent and play board games. I love the sound of rain bouncing off the tent whilst we are dry inside. I will have a small stash of beer in case it's too wet to walk to the pub.
We've got event shelters at Cubs, they are great but we've had two damaged in strong winds when the poles have folded.
We've got the coleman fast pitch big version. It's a quality bit of kit but if you're thinking fast pitch/60 seconds then think again. Up done and pegged properly in 8/10 mins with two people. Quicker than it's predecessor yes but by no means fast!
A large umbrella is also useful
My zwift setup is iPad and Tacx Neo (which can act as a dynamo & power itself, why don't they all do that?!) so Zwift in a field is perfectly feasible 😂Don’t forget the power generator, turbo trainer and Zwift hardware.
cool reckon I will go for one of these. OK in the wind?We’ve got the coleman fast pitch big version. It’s a quality bit of kit
beer & board games, good shout 😃If the weather is bad we will stay in the tent and play board games.
Yep all good in the wind but its not been exposed to anything ridiculous, comes with some hefty nail type holding down pins for the feet, which I angled in then tushed another standard tent peg the other way. It was on offer at the time and we were feeling flush so we bought 3 (sun, ahem) walls and the door wall. Daughter used it for a party on the lawn last summer and had a dj set up, mini fridge and table and about 20 of them perched here and there at one point. We used it at camping about a month ago with just two walls on and the ladies were happy to be out of the breeze, Mrs ws has reynards and is nesh as **** and she was well chuffed with it. Got the usual places to hang a light etc and you can lower it right down with the quick release legs if so desired.
We had a good look at most stuff that was available and ended up going with the Decathlon blow up one for our daughter.
Works well and is very robust in the wind
[img] 
[/img]
Yep all good in the wind but its not been exposed to anything ridiculous, comes with some hefty nail type holding down pins for the feet, which I angled in then tushed another standard tent peg the other way.
Thanks. Just got back from Go Outdoors with one now! Got the L not the XL, even so it’s chuffing massive (they had one set up in store). Big enough that I’m not worried about having an open fire going in the middle of it 😀 🔥
Stupid games* ,wellies and more dry socks than is reasonable.
*eg-tent basket ball! 1cup , 10 tiny screwed up balls of paper per player. Put cup in middle of tent, take turns to “score”. Simple and addictive with our lot! Ha.
Oh & Alcohol required for adults in the care of children obvs.
Chill in the van and feel sorry for the people in tents and look down on the shed draggers. Good book and a pee bottle.
Absolutely pissing it down here 😂 this thing is the best money I’ve ever spent 😀
[img] 
?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&fidelity=medium[/img]
Local campsite too expensive to cancel so you've bought something? 🤔
You should pitch your tent inside it.
Tents are the reason god invented hotels and rental holiday cottages.
How much has all this cost you so far?
Coke and hookers Money?
You could have had a blinding night staying at home! 😃
Yer just a soft southerner Binners.
Absolutely pissing it down here 😂 this thing is the best money I’ve ever spent 😀
I've done my qualifications in camping in the rain/wind/generally shite weather. This is the best money I've ever spent....
Doesn't matter much about the weather unless the site floods & takes everything with it. Which IS possible!
I’ve done my qualifications in camping in the rain/wind/generally shite weather.
Me too. Which is why I book a lodge with a hot tub.
Lodge yes, hot tub ..no..
The lodge owners don’t refer to them as ‘dirty sex ponds’ for nothing.. 😉
Which is why I book a lodge with a hot tub.
& they are how much per night?
Just had 4 nights up your neck of the woods Drac. Nunnykirk CAMC site, £15 a night.
You need a caravan or MH before you can go though, so that's extra £'s obviously!
& they are how much per night?
Depends but about £500 for a weekend for 6 people.
Don't need a caravan, awning or a car to tow them.
Nunnykirk very nice.
Depends but about £500 for a weekend for 6 people.
Don’t need a caravan, awning or a car to tow them.
Nunnykirk very nice.
What if you don't like the other 5 people? Can you always get 6 people to go at the same time?
You might need a car to get there/travel about the area?
Great area, Rothbury not far. Taalk queeor thur, they rrrurrl their r's ya naa.
I used to ride MC trials up that way years ago, old stamping ground innit.
What if you don’t like the other 5 people? Can you always get 6 people to go at the same time?
You don't book with them. No so you book a smaller one or go in a hotel.
Yes I used a car but not a one that also needs to pull a box on wheels a few times year.
Yes I used a car but not a one that also needs to pull a box on wheels a few times year.
12 times last year, 8 up to now this year.
You done 20 hotel visits in the last 2 years?
Don't answer, I know you ****ing hate caravans & all who have them.
Glad the shelter has earned it's money on its first outing. Happy camping 👍
No, I haven't as I've not chosen to.
I'm just done with camping. I did Hadrian's wall this weekend in torrential rain wading through water. For £45 for 3 nights I stayed in a bunkhouse with comfy beds, hot shower and central heating to dry my shoes for the next day. The original plan was to camp thankfully we changed our minds or we'd have had to abandon the walk.
Done plenty of camping in the rain over the years, from backpacking to full on family holidays, to Scout Camps. As fun as camping is, you’d not get me picking family tent camping over holidays in the dragging shed. We once trial packed for a fortnight camping in France & knocked it on the head in favour of the tin shed. Was just easier.
Game changer for camping though are these big event shelters. And tents with canopies giving a dry covered area to take off boots & coats. Even caravans are crap without some form of awning or basic shelter to cover the door.
We have a few of the Coleman event shelters at my Scout group, they really are excellent.
Absolutely pissing it down here 😂 this thing is the best money I’ve ever spent 😀
Amazing!!
Well, the shelter & the whole weekend was a great success 👍 Yes, it was a fair expenditure (a weekend in a spa hotel probably would've been cheaper although personally I prefer the craic of camping anyway 😂) plus I have it now so'll hopefully get a lot of use out of it!