Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more
Outdoor Activities => Northern Ireland Camping and Bushcraft => Topic started by: RedLeader on June 28, 2011
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As nuts as it sounds, it looks like we're having our first ever car camp (http://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2178.msg22880;topicseen#msg22880) with no other walking / activities planned. Usually we either hike to a camp or park, then hike/canoe or suchlike. So what the blummin flip are we going to do to pass the time? Assuming we get there early afternoon that's quite a time to fill in before cocoa and bed!
So what fun things does everyone suggest for around the campfire / campsite?
My initial thoughts:
* Making bannock
* Fishing from the coast down at Bloody Bridge
* Walk up the Bloody Bridge Trail for some playing in the pools
* Lie around on a sun lounger soaking up the sunshine (only joking - this is Northern Ireland! :P)
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the donard race starts at 2pm so you could pop round to Newcastle and watch the frontsrunners come down at 2:55pm :o
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Would you believe this crossed my mind as well. Popped into Decathlon to see if they had any campsite based entertainment recently but they had surprisingly little in the way of novelty fun stuff.
The kite on top of Commedagh was pretty ace so I think it needs to be packed again for this weekend!
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Will do. I'm open to any gaming suggestions. Wonder could we make an Xbox work :P
Would you believe this crossed my mind as well. Popped into Decathlon to see if they had any campsite based entertainment recently but they had surprisingly little in the way of novelty fun stuff.
The kite on top of Commedagh was pretty ace so I think it needs to be packed again for this weekend!
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Wonder could we make an Xbox work :P
Generator + Projector + Guitar Hero = ;D
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I can take you bouldering.. Just layer up.. Kids will need helmets, I have three that they can use.
Bonus would be if they have PFD for jumping into the big pools.
Team games..
I could maybe borrow a curling game, although it needs a flat surface for it to work.
Kites sounds good.
Football...
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hard to beat an oul kickabout with a football!
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Geocaching, great fun
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bouldering sounds like a great call along with the fishing
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If we could find a way to do both at once I think we'd have invented a new sport...
bouldering sounds like a great call along with the fishing
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Geocaching, great fun
I'll be bringing my GPS if anyone wants to have a go :)
There appears to be a few in the area.
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I will bring my chalk bag and boots if we go and do some bouldering
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We could have a show and tell ;D
I could bring my Leathermans and the few knives I have. Maybe some Maxpedition bags.
I'm sure you guys have some cool gear to show off.
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Hi Lenny,
The bouldering that I'm talking about would involve water..
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Hi Lenny,
The bouldering that I'm talking about would involve water..
Deep water?
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There are two jumps into pools that would be deep, but mainly the water would be up to your waist.
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I always take my wee mini Boules camping,
and I've heard that a game called 'football' is a popular pastime among the working classes. http://www.qwhatis.com/what-is-football/
Oh and making bows and arrows and swords helps pass the time. and pooh sticks isn't just for toddlers.
and VMcC posted a useful link on the "civilised camping" forum: http://www.campgames.org
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There's two activities called 'Bouldering'
Lenny's talking about Bouldering,
Everybody else is talking about Canyoning.
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I'm goping to try and set up a slackline with spartans help. :)
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Lol 'civilised'....
Anyway, what do we do at camp all day. I get up and make a cup of coffee and take my book (whichever I'm reading) out to the car and let the campsite 'wake up'. Then I'll make another cup of coffee and start hasseling my two teenage sons to get out of bed. Then I'll read some more. Finally about mid morning I've crowbarred two reluctant teens out of bed and force fed them weetabix (or if I can be bothered, bacon and eggs) we'll go 'out' for the day. This usually involves a geocache, a castle, or some other local attraction, lunch in a pub/coffee shop/or even local Tescos and then more sightseeing in the afternoon. Late afternoon stop at a shop for some supplies. This might be a steak for myself and some burgers or chicken breasts for the boys, and a few salady things or barbecuey things. Maybe another stop off at the off license for a couple of bottles of beer or a bottle of wine for me and maybe a bottle of cider each for the lads.
Once back at base the barbecue gets lit which is a pleasure to do in itself (I love lighting fires) and it all takes a good while to get going and get our things cooked by which time we'll either go for a short dander, mooch about the site (kids are kicking a ball by this stage) or if it's raining we might go to the cinema. We tend to go to bed a bit earlier than we would at home, but then I'd be up early too. We stay awake/sleep the same number of hours (exept my teens who will sleep 24 hours a day if let).
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If we could find a way to do both at once I think we'd have invented a new sport...
bouldering sounds like a great call along with the fishing
I think that is called falling in while fishing lol
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There's two activities called 'Bouldering'
Lenny's talking about Bouldering - Climbing on Boulders with a fall mat underneath.
Everybody else is talking about Canyoning - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canyoning
Just wanted to go back to this..
Most Outdoor centres in NI call walking up a river 'Bouldering'
It is not as technical as canyoning as I have done both and take groups up said river and also the Ballagh which is down from Bloody Bridge but non longer in use.
As we do not have any canyons or gorges in the Mournes, and since the Bloody river is filled with 'Big Boulders' I believe that is why it gets the name lol..
:D
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There's two activities called 'Bouldering'
Lenny's talking about Bouldering - Climbing on Boulders with a fall mat underneath.
Everybody else is talking about Canyoning - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canyoning
Just wanted to go back to this..
Most Outdoor centres in NI call walking up a river 'Bouldering'
It is not as technical as canyoning as I have done both and take groups up said river and also the Ballagh which is down from Bloody Bridge but non longer in use.
As we do not have any canyons or gorges in the Mournes, and since the Bloody river is filled with 'Big Boulders' I believe that is why it gets the name lol..
:D
DryBag is right thou :). I did mean bouldering as in climbing.
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I knew what you mean't, that's why I explained in a previous thread that it was wet bouldering as Bloody Bridge river is renowned for Wet bouldering..
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Is canyoning an Americanism? It seems to have been a more recent term, to me anyway.
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Yep I believe so.. See the wiki link..
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yes I did hesitate to say canyoning because, well, we don't often use the word canyon. but apparently they call it canyoneering in the US.
but bouldering has always been a way for climbers to improve their technical skills without the risk of falling from great heights.
http://www.fairheadclimbers.com/pages/bouldering/bouldering.htm
it's only recently that I've heard the word used to describe walking up a river that has some big stones in it.
but we're wandering slightly off topic here. My kids are happy with a hot chocolate outside the tent. They get extra excited if they're allowed three marshmallows in it.