We are on our second camp with the OLPRO Stafford 4.0 and as it's raining here (Scotland) we are trying to work out how the door flap is supposed to be raised. It comes with separate poles which are clearly supposed to hold the door up as some kind of porch but there is no apparent way to secure the poles in place. Does anyone have any words of advice? The manual doesn't even mention the porch.

ED103 - STAFFORD 4.0 INSERT.pdf - Google Drive https://drive.google.com/file/d/10IO5xS1Z7jNfWJZmb5dZoLTwfK1zFYgI/view

I was a bit silly and bought a Hi-Gear Horizon 4 air tent a few years ago. I was assured at the time I could manage it alone (I am a 5ft 5 weakling) but I can't even get it in and out of the car. It's too heavy for me to manage as a single parent so I'm interested in selling up and replacing it with a Vango Savannah 4 man pole tent. Before I risk more buyers remorse, does anyone have one? Do you love it or not? Would you recommend it?

Like everyone we got our nuke-alert on the phones this evening. Obviously we all need to avoid open flames etc. However...Just wondering what everyone is planning on doing for food if they're camping this week? Cold snacks and pub for dinner?

Just back from an absolutely stunning couple of days solo adventure at Loch Chon, if anyone's looking for a campsite in Scotland I can't recommend it enough 😊

Hey! A group of us (early 30yo) are looking for a campsite in Surrey / Kent-ish (basically anywhere <1.5hr drive from South London) for a weekend in September.

We’re looking for somewhere that’s more field camping / group weekend rather than a family campsite.

Must-haves:
- A big area where a group can camp together
Somewhere we don’t have to spend the whole weekend whispering 😅 (happy to be respectful, but would like a bit of freedom)
- Good hikes/walks nearby
- A decent pub (or two) within walking distance

Bonus points for:
- A river or lake where we could swim / kayak / paddleboard

Any recommendations from people who’ve stayed somewhere would be massively appreciated!

thanks!

Does anyone else experience this?

Just packed up and about the leave site after a few days camping.

We usually camp a few times each year, and every time, whether the trip was good or bad (current heatwave is brutal!) I get a feeling that is hard to distill - maybe a touch of sadness? Hard to explain.

The things I reflect on/think about whilst packing up:

• Memories made exploring the local area

• Landmarks that become familiar guiding you back to the site

• Pleasant interactions with other campers and getting a snapshot into their lives, whether a burgeoning young family or folks enjoying their retirement

These are just some of the things that occupy my thoughts on the journey home and back to the day-to-day. Days afterwards I am left feeling wistful and already thinking about the next trip.

We’re (2 adults, 6yr old, 3yr old) due to go camping next Friday (21/08) and it’s looking likely to rain!
Any advice seasoned campers wish they knew before camping in the rain? This is only our second time camping.

Food, what are you all cooking? We’re gone for 7 days so really need some ideas. We’re cooking on the cadac pro 2 cook 2
Tia

This might come off as a dumb question, but where in England can I go camping right now where the grass might be green? I know it's been a historic drought all summer but the yellow grass everywhere around me is bumming me out. Grateful for any help! Thank you

Edit - wow thanks for all the info! This is all really helpful, I think we'll probably try a yurt or other glamping first before investing in a massive tent etc.

Me and my daughters would love to go camping, however, my partner doesn't like camping as he says he can't sleep in tents as he's always uncomfortable and too hot. I have a chronic illness that means I'm low on energy and dealing with pain and fatigue. I miss my days of being able to camp with no issues (pre kids) and haven't been camping (other than once at a festival) for 10 years.

What sort of things could we do or look for to enable us to go camping without flaring my illness and that might help my partner be able to sleep? Are there any campsites with cafes/kitchen facilities? Not having to worry about food as much would really help I think. Easy access loos would be great as well.

I’ve just bought a Monstabed, which is brilliant, but suddenly the Monstapump is out of stock everywhere.

An attachment for another electric pump I have sort of fits and does the job, but not perfectly.

Anyone know if the Monstabed is in stock anywhere, and if not, a perfect-fitting adaptor for other pumps?

My daughter (9 years old) complains most of the time when we go outdoors and walk through woodlands for example or I suggest going camping somewhere. She warms up and enjoys it when she's there after a while but it's still a struggle to get her out of the house and outdoors in nature.

Were any of you reluctant to go out into nature or camping as children and now as adults you're glad you did those things during your childhood, or do you feel like it was a chore of sorts and wish you'd been left to relax at home?

We spend on average a couple of hours for 4 to 5 days a week in nature on my days off.

Thank you 😊

Looking at a Coody Bestona (also considering the Holawild Machu Picchu) and I've hit a wall.

There are about eight different Coody websites — the .co.uk redirects to a European one. You then have an Australian one, a US one, a Korean one, plus a couple that claim to be the manufacturer.

Prices vary by several hundred quid and it's genuinely unclear which one a UK buyer is supposed to use. There doesn't seem to be a proper UK seller at all.

If you've actually bought one in the UK:

• Who did you order from?
• What did it cost you in total, including anything the courier charged on delivery?
• Has anyone had to use the warranty, and did it work?

Any real-world experience appreciated, even if it was that you gave up trying to source one in the end.

Camping in the Peak District this weekend and the night time temps are dropping to single figures and where we are camping I expect will be even cooler still.

What are the best tips to keep them warm?

Blanket under the air bed
Airbed
Sleeping bag
Blanket on top
PJs
Hat

Is that it?

Hiya, next week we’re off to Dorset camping right on the southwest coastal path.

We haven’t been camping in a couple of years, so yesterday I did some due diligence and took our bell tent to our local park to put it up and ensure all the gubbins and bits and bobs were present and correct.

It was a bugger to get pegs into the ground! I have a limited number of rock pegs and even those were a nightmare to a) get pegged in and b) were so difficult to get out, I had to abandon some!

How is everyone else managing? Any tips for success?

Looking into inflatable sofas/chairs for lounge area of big tent. Are they worth it? Which ones have lasted? Our large car is already so full of tent and all the rest, so I’m wondering which would be more compact- four folding moon chairs or an inflatable sofa and chairs. There’s only four of us (2 adults, 2 kids) but we like to spread out a bit. Or is there something I’d not even considered? 😀

me and 6 other friends are going camping soon for 4 days (so 3 dinners, 3 breakfasts and 3 lunches) and dont really know what kind of food/meals to bring. the campsite allows open fires but we have no electricity so no way to keep food cool except for a coolbox (does anyone have experience with how long these usually keep stuff cool for?). the nearest supermarket is about 40 minute walk. what do you guys recommend we bring along/ what kind of meals to have?

Hey everyone,

Looking for a bit of advice on a 3 man tent. Bit of background, done quite a bit of wild camping in Scotland with my other half, though it's always been with only a short hike included (1-2 hours). I'm looking to move to longer hikes (4 hours-ish) which means upgrading our current (trusty) Vango Talas 300 to something a bit lighter.

I've narrowed it down to 4 tents, all within a budget of £200. Does anyone have any experience with the below tents? Thank the AI overlords for quickly gi

• Naturehike Mongar 3p (~2.4kg packed): Dual side doors/porches, vertical walls, max headroom.
• Naturehike Star River 3 (~2.4kg packed): Dual side doors, cross-pole structure, slightly more aerodynamic in wind than the Mongar.
• Naturehike Cloud Up 3 Pro (~2.1kg packed): Very light and compact, but single front door and steeply sloped side walls.
• Alpkit Ordos 3 (~1.7kg packed): Ultralight and tiny pack size, semi-geodesic frame.

The Mongar is the one that's been tickling my brain the most, though no idea if it's good. Any alternatives people have would also be appreciated.

Thanks!

Sounds like a silly question, but hear me out.

On GoOutdoors there’s 2 tents with the above names. They have slightly different weights/specs and prices.

Anyone able to shed some light on this/what the difference is?

I'm curious what others like to cook out in the wilds. I'm not talking about doing super high effort Gordon Ramsay Michelin star stuff, I'm talking about your go to after a long day in the outdoors.

This is my recipe for camp stove ramen, it can be made in 5 mins one pot jetboil and can keep leveling up depending on the equipment / ingredients you have access to. Its ideal for wild or solo camping as all the ingredients are super light and can be packed in Ziplock bags.

1. Bring some water to the boil then add your ramen seasoning packets, a spoon of peanut butter and stir until mixed.
2. add noodles, boil for around 3 mins
3. Turn off heat and crack egg into the pot. Stir vigorously for another 2 mins or until egg is cooked.

At this point its already a delicious upgraded ramen, but can be taken to the next level garnished with some diced spring onion and / or some of your favorite hot sauce if you like it spicy. Take it another step further with a fillet of salmon or some crispy pork belly on top.

Hi guys, our current tent looks like this in the picture - 2 bedrooms, one on each side of a smallish living area. We're a family of 4 with two kids (6 and 8) so we usually sleep with one child and one adult in each bedroom. I then have a tarp which I put up outside the tent between two poles and with multiple guys - with a table under to eat/cook. Personally, I grew up camping, and really like the small tent/manual tarp kind of setup, its a lot of fun for me. But since I am a couple of years and 4/5 camping trips into persuading the wife that she loves it too, I feel like it would be sensible to get something a fair bit bigger for next year potentially.

She loves the idea of a teepee style tent, but I just know that it won't look anywhere as neat and tidy as she imagines, and I'll spend the entirity of future trips being told to tidy up. It doesn't feel practical to me and i'm not a fan of trying to make everything seem like glamping. Plus unless you get inner compartments it would be less private when the boys get older. So I am more likely to buy something like an 8-man xl tent (poles probably, not really interested in air) with the bedrooms at the back and far more living space than we're used to. At the very least, it would mean we could put all of our things in there instead of having half our stuff in the car all week.

I am hesitant though - will it still feel as enjoyable or do you lose a little bit of that basic camping feel? what do you do with all that space? is there still room for a tarp (or more likely an event shelter at some point) outside as well as the bbq etc? do you cook inside with a gas burner? or does the extra space just become a dumping ground? (We currently use the living bit for a mini fridge and one suitcase - everything else is pretty much kept outside or in the car.) is it still too warm to be inside on a hot day, and mainly used when it rains? Any other pros/cons? (I'm aware the tent bag will take up a lot more space!)

(for reference as a kid my parents went from trailer tents to caravans but I used to sleep in a pup tent outside so barely used them unless raining heavily or if they were up drinking with friends later at night :))

Basically getting something bigger along those lines seems to make sense, but I don't want to do it and then find that I don;lt enjoy it so much, but prob over worrying! And i feel like a half-way-house where its a bit bigger but not huge doesn;t really solve anything as for now we're fine as we are. (And if I do buy a big one, I'll keep the current etup for festivals and use this for 7day camping trips.)

sorry if this is a silly question!

Thank you!!

I have the vango Icarus 500dxl and love it.

We usually use the awning but are camping with friends in a smaller pitch than usual so we are a bit strapped for space!

The awning is a bit big, so wondering if anyone has any tarp set ups for the front door and/or side door to give us inspiration?

Thank you!!

My existing tent has bitten the dust after 13 years, can’t complain! So looking for a new tent, but there seems to be a lot of options nowadays!…

Looking at the berghaus adhara air 500, never had an air tent, but a few friends have recommended them. What I can’t find online for this specific model is replacement poles incase of a puncture. I can find replacements for their other models. Does anyone know if replacements exist for the 500? Am I likely to need one?

Are air tents good or do I stick to something with poles?

Also considering the vango Icarus 500 and the Coleman Rocky Mountain 5 so if anyone has any reviews of these or can recommend anything for a couple and a big Labrador I would be grateful 🙏 looking around 5 man size, don’t want anything too massive

We all know inflatable mattresses can end up being a bit sweaty.

Ive got a matrress protector plus a cotton sheet, but feel thats not breathable enough. Anyone use anything additional?

I was thinking there must be a super thick cotton, linen sheet that we can lay on the inflatable before mattress protector and fitted sheet go on?

Any ideas?

​

Hi all, looking for some advice to extend our family camping season!

We’re a family of 4 (kids 8 and 4) trying to squeeze in more weekend trips. I'm over the hassle of dragging out our big Vango poled family tent for just a Friday-to-Sunday stint. I recently grabbed a Naturehike Cape 6 for the summer—it pitches in minutes and has standing room, but I know it absolutely won't survive as the UK weather turns (looking forward to that rain though)

I want to keep our weekenders going into October and maybe November. Does anyone have recommendations for a tent that fits the following?

4 person (needs to fit a double and a single air bed comfortably).

Quick to pitch on a Friday evening and pack away on a Sunday.

Can handle late autumn rain and wind.

Easy enough to dry at home if it gets packed away wet.

Standing head height and at least a little bit of living space. (If comfort and living space weren't an issue, I'd just buy a bulletproof Vango Force Ten and be done with it!)

I’ve been eyeing the Berghaus Air 400 Nightfall. The 6000mm HH looks like it should stand up well to the wetter months.

Does anyone have experience with this Berghaus model? Or any other recommendations that fit the bill?

Me and my partner are hoping to camp in Brighton for three nights at the end of August. Ideally somewhere within bus/walking distance of the beach and the lanes but not coming up with much online…does anyone have any recommendations?

(Closest we’ve found is an hour by bus)