The Camping Thread #2

[Kazbah]

We're off tomorrow for 3 nights ... in the eagle (or is it a swan?) jayco. I love that it's all packed ready to go - all I need to do each time is back the dog stuff / clothing / food and we're ready to go - when we get home I do the washing immediately and repack it ...

This time we're heading back to Tarra Valley - best friends' holiday retreat, it's a dog-friendly place, like, made for dogs (the cabins are called scooby / snoopy etc) and some of the caravan and tent sites are individually fenced with a 1.2m fence - also great for toddlers. Have packed Pip's bike and I am so looking forward to him riding around the caravan park all day!

[Beach Mama]

Sounds awesome hun!! How long are you going for? We have an Eagle too - love it although DH is wishing for an Expanda with even less set up!! Hope you have a great time!!

[Miss.September]

Awesome Kazbah, we go there every year! Ralph and Coralie are beautiful and the dogs love it. The last two years we've been (end of Nov) it's absolutely poured with rain, so we're reassessing the time of year we go lol. Last time we were there, Ralph was laughing at us, saying he'd seen us in our tent, then into a cabin, now with the camper - the only thing left for us to do is to buy one of their on-site cabins ;P

[grub17]

hey girls,
any advice on tents (brand, size, configuration etc) for camping with dd 10 months old and ds 2.5yr old? We will need to take the portacot and mattresses for the rest of us
we have two tents atm but they are one room only and it will be very close quarters!!
planning on going for 2 or 3 nights and it's our first trip since a disastrous outing with DS when he was 4 months old.

[~clover~]

Evening ladies Just crashing!

We're planning a camping trip for next week/weekend! Very excited!! Heading to somewhere around Hopetoun, WA. There'll be me, the 4 kids & our dog, as well as mum & dad & their 2 dogs. The place we're looking at has toilet facilities, but no shower :/

Mum & dad have an awesome set up. Troopy with pop top. Double bed up there. Solar panels for power. Waeco fridge. Mini gas stove thingy. There are BBQ's at the site.
I have camp cots already for the kids. My brother has camper trailer & mum & dad also have a caravan with them, so I can choose between the 2. The camper isn't in great condition. We'll get it out in the next few days for a look, & the caravan only has 2 single beds. So not sure how we'll do it yet. Camper would have room for the kids, c'van won't.

Anyway, I can't wait! Been wanting to do a real camping trip in forever, but we never got there. I'll miss the shower, but I'm hoping the kids will have fun!

[Now we're 3]

Hi ladies - I'm in and looking for advice.

Looking to do some family camping with our DS who has just turned 3. Starting off we will probably stick close to Sydney and just do a night or two and depending on how things go we will venture further afield for longer. We've got a couple of other friends with littlies the same age who are going to join in the fun too.

Questions

- need to get a new tent. Make and/or model that you would recommend? DH was used to serious survival type camping from his early days in scouts and adventurers in UK but don't think we will need anything that can survive gale force winds or sub zero temps like he did. Saw one (think it was called a Huntsman) which had 3 bedrooms and central area which looked okay as was thinking one room for DS, one for us and another to stash stuff away leaving central area free if we wanted?

- air bed type matress or self inflating number from Dune or similar manufacturer? From pre kid (and I think even marriage) time we got an enormous one that was self inflating but seriously it literally needs its own trailer to be taken anywhere so we need to downside - I think it might even had been a queen! Air bed matresses I was concerned if there was any stones etc they could puncture. The self inflating numbers still seem to be quiet big. Would you recommend a double for DH and I or two singles or just go the matress.

- Any essential items you think are a must have?

Will have to go through camping stuff in garage to work out what we have since last time we camped - 6 years ago I'd say - and what still works lol!


Really looking forward to it. Will be fun and loving the idea of introducing it to DS and his friends. Want to make sure they don't grow up to be just "city" kids.


Cheers

[Doing my best]

need to get a new tent. Make and/or model that you would recommend? DH was used to serious survival type camping from his early days in scouts and adventurers in UK but don't think we will need anything that can survive gale force winds or sub zero temps like he did. Saw one (think it was called a Huntsman) which had 3 bedrooms and central area which looked okay as was thinking one room for DS, one for us and another to stash stuff away leaving central area free if we wanted?

- air bed type matress or self inflating number from Dune or similar manufacturer? From pre kid (and I think even marriage) time we got an enormous one that was self inflating but seriously it literally needs its own trailer to be taken anywhere so we need to downside - I think it might even had been a queen! Air bed matresses I was concerned if there was any stones etc they could puncture. The self inflating numbers still seem to be quiet big. Would you recommend a double for DH and I or two singles or just go the matress.

- Any essential items you think are a must have?

Will have to go through camping stuff in garage to work out what we have since last time we camped - 6 years ago I'd say - and what still works lol!


Really looking forward to it. Will be fun and loving the idea of introducing it to DS and his friends. Want to make sure they don't grow up to be just "city" kids.


Cheers

I thought that till last weekend.. We went away.. Was expecting a storm, but we had strong winds all night.. The tent was blowing in on us all night.. 2 nearby campers even packed up and went home in the middle of the night, haha..

I am joining this thread.. We took DD (5 in a few weeks) and DS (just turned 3) for their first camping trip last week, and they loved it, despite the gale forced winds.. We are in the market for a new tent as ours has done a few desert trips with dh and his mates, and is a tad small for the whole family.. DH and my brother are going to transfer our trailer into a camping kitchen and storage for the tent and stuff over the christmas break.

Wisywyg - we have a mazda 3 (so similar size to corolla) that we tow a trailer with no hassles. And while we are doing civilized camping (campgrounds on sealed routes), we will continue to use it.. We do have access to a 4x4, but for just getting away for the weekend with the kids, it isn't worth the extra fuel, IMO..

[Now we're 3]

Thanks ladies some great information and feedback here.

LOL about not using sleeping bags - I'm definitely a "taking the doonah" kinda girl - in fact when we used to go camping previously I actually had a doonah set that was spefically used for camping!

Will defo go the single bed line but am torn between the Dune and air matress. PO'd with myself as Annaconda has a brill sale with 40% off Dune which we just missed (ended last Sunday) so might go the air matress while we see whether DS actually likes camping before I shell out full price on the self inflating - that or wait another few weeks and check out the next sale!

Do have a question you mentioned about it being better to have the stretcher with the air matress as it would be too cold. Would this really be the case during summer? If so would be best of space and probably price wise just forking out for the self inflating? Starting off we will only be doing fair weather camping and for 2 nights max. As DS get older we can go for longer and could then "up grade".

Anyhoo will check out what else we need and then head to shops to start the purchasing! Thanks again

PS Doing my best - not going to let DH see your post lol - as otherwise he will be buying all the extreme gear in a flash!

[Nai]

Wysiwyg I saw a trailer tent hire place (advertised on the back of a trailer) the other day called johnno's which I think is in the northern suburbs. Maybe renting one would work for you?