Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more
Outdoor Activities => Other => Topic started by: VMCC on November 05, 2010
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I know there is an emphasis on wild or backpacking type camping on this forum but I'm very much a campsite camper. I use a car to carry all my gear, use a family sized tent (I think I have 7 tents including a 24 year Lichfield Challenger and a 40 year old cotton canvas Stanley Evans (very retro) and a cool teepee tent too), have a variety of beds to use from double height aerobeds to si mats and more often than not have an electric hook up, and a heater and kettle.
To some this might be 'glamping' but to me proper 'glamping' means a tv and/or games console and folding coffee tables, which is a definately a step to far for me. Glamping could also be fairy lights and bunting but I think camping is camping whatever form that takes.
I'm an avid member of the UKCS forum but am frustrated with things like the 'meet's' which I can't participate in because they're taking place in staffordshire or wherever. There is a N.Irish contingent on the UKCS site but they're all caravanners and I find they think that tenting is something you do when you can't afford a caravan. I can't stand caravans, for a whole variety of reasons and it's certainly not because of money or class.
I go weak at the knees over camping gear, moon chairs, the latest solar lantern, 12v coolboxes, and most of all tents. I would love to meet like minded people and I just wondered if there is a case for a subforum for people who go camping as a hobby, for the sake of camping itself. It is an outdoor pursuit after all and I find many campers are interested in walking and cycling and many are dog owners too. Camping and dogs seem to go hand in hand.
I was thinking if there was a camping subforum, I'm not sure what it could be called. 'Car camping' might not be obvious enough, 'Family camping' excludes couples and solo campers, so maybe 'Campsite camping' which isn't all that satisfactory either. Mmmmn, I'll leave you to ponder whether or not it's a good idea or not.
Thanks for reading.
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I to do campsite camping. When the wife comes she would never camp in the wild.
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My wife would never go wild camoing either.
Main camping for her only. Plenty of good sites around with all main amenities available.
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glamping! now if "transhumance" wasn't my word of the month already then "glamping" would be ;D
I love all types of camping, wild, car, family or even caravanning. My favorite has to be driving to remote spots in the Land Rover and camping there. Wild camping is only for 1 night for me (I like my facilities ::) ) Glad to see someone else collects tents, i've 8 now, just 1 caravan though!
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what on earth does 'transhumance' mean! ok I'll not be so lazy - I'll look it up.
I quite like the idea of wild camping but know I would feel vulnerable. I would love to go to Murvagh Beach in Donegal for example but the mechanic who last serviced my car said that when he camped there in a big group someone slashed their tent with a knife. I'd be camping with a 12 year old and a 14 year old in tow and I can't take that risk.
I prefer the security of a site but also the company of other campers who are a good bunch I find. I like to light up the barbecue and open a tin of cider or a dinky bottle of beer and have a chat with the new neighbours. My kids always make new friends and are away exploring or playing football.
It has to be said that the amenity block is an asset but I've camped in a field with chickens roaming freely, one portaloo and a belfast sink which served dual purpose of being for both dish washing and teeth washing. So I'm not that fussy, a scruffy field will do - but a warden on site is important to me.
I usually camp with my sons but occasionally treat myself to a solo camp (with the dog). I like going to Ballyness near Bushmills for that because I spend the Saturday walking the coast, get chips on the way 'home'. Then Sunday morning I walk into Ballyness to the Copper Kettle for bacon and eggs, sitting outside with the dog at my feet, watching all the bikes going past. The last time I did that I used my Quechua Base Seconds which is the standing room pop up tent, with it's inner which is bought separately. Everytime I use that tent someone comes up to me to ask me about it, but it is a bit weird looking, like a green egg.
Recently I bought myself one of the last available Vango Juno 500's - mine is purple and green. I'm thinking of going to the Sunflower Festival in Lisburn next summer, so the teepee tent would be perfect for that. It's only single skin so it's definately a fair weather tent.
Sometimes I tour, spend a few days here and a few days there. Driving doesn't bother me and I like to explore new places. This year my kids and I went to Somerset, then over to London, then finally up to Cannock Chase before catching the ferry in Liverpool again. It was an epic journey but we saw so much and experienced so many new things. Cider in Somerset, Theme Parks for the kids (and me) in London and a really nice campsite in Cannock Chase with course fishing pools on site and my pitch right beside the water.
Anyway hope to meet some of you on site next season. I'm not hardy enough to be a winter camper it's april - september for me.
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My wife would never go wild camoing either.
Main camping for her only. Plenty of good sites around with all main amenities available.
Is there a place you find a list of campsites that are open all year round?
Incidently,a year ago on a campsite in France, the fellow in the tent next to me was robbed while he was sleeping by cutting the side of his tent with a knife. We all woke to try and help him but he was very shaken.
On some treks I want to leave my tent onsite (relatively safe) and walk to nearby places. I think the idea of a campsite subforum would be useful.
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The best place I've found for campsite searching is here http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/ which gives the ability to search with criteria such as all year round opening or sites that allow campfires. It shows quite a good list for NI and I'd say it's fairly comprehensive.
I also love the forum which is here http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/ and tend to use the 'tent info' subforum, the 'Camping under canvas' one and 'camping and caravanning equip' one. There is a lightweight/backpackers subforum too. It's a great forum but UK based so has it's limitations for us. There is a group of NI people on that forum under the local section but they're all caravanners and as you might have guessed by now, I have a slight fetish for tents
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Incidently,a year ago on a campsite in France, the fellow in the tent next to me was robbed while he was sleeping by cutting the side of his tent with a knife. We all woke to try and help him but he was very shaken.
On some treks I want to leave my tent onsite (relatively safe) and walk to nearby places. I think the idea of a campsite subforum would be useful.
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Sounds horrific, luckily I've never had any problems on site and I've been all round France too. I get asked loads about security on site and about things like putting a padlock on the tent. I always advise against putting a padlock or cable tie on the zip because it just gives the impression there's something worth nicking. Anyway, like you've said all they need is a sharp knife. There's safety in numbers so I don't chose an isolated part of the site. One thing I could do is have a rape alarm nearby at night time so if someone tries to nick my stuff at least I'll wake the whole bloody site.
The other thing is I put expensive things like the laptop locked in the boot of my car at night.
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Thanks or the links Victoria
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Hi Victoria, I'm trying to get my wife into the camping lark. She likes her 4 star hotels, problem is they cost money. I keep arguing the point that if you hold out for that you never go anywhere. I'd rather go under canvas and see round me as opposed to to never going at all. I've come to the conclusion that if I just start heading off with the kids without her I'll break her will!!
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Why don't you head off on your own with your kids. It can be a great bonding experience and the kids will love it.
Or, you can tempt your wife by getting the best of everything. Double height Aerobed with normal bedding, Lafuma Chairs, a big well spec'd tent and only go to sites with a wifi connection and a pub nearby that serves good food.
I'd be tempted to try the first one first, because your OH will probably agree because she'll get a weekend 'off duty' but the reality is that when she sees a few rosy cheeked kids coming back she'll wonder what she was missing and want to go the next time.
My friend who is single with two kids won't go anywhere but luxury hotels either. As a result she hasn't been on holiday in 9 years. I have been on holiday 7 times between April and August of this year, one of those was a road trip around England, the others were weekends in Portrush and the Share Centre in Fermanagh, and one was an overnighter in Bushmills. Who's better off?
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Interesting thread! I love wild camping but not for the exercise, for the fact you can light a fire - something as a general rule you can't do in organised places. I don't mind campsite camping in the slightest and am always happy to spend a night in an organised site - it's nice to be able to load the car and not have to worry about how the hell you're going to carry all your stuff. During the summer we camped in Meelmore Lodge and hiked to Slieve Commedagh to watch the Red Arrows, then back to the campsite for a BBQ and that was a great night. It's nice to have a toilet and sink you can use plus sleep safe in the knowledge that you don't have to hike 3 miles carrying all your stuff the next morning :D
However, and it is a big (and possibly contentious) however - I genuinely feel much, much safer wild camping than I do in an organised campsite. For all the nights I've spent on mountains and in forests I've seen exactly zero problems with other people, whereas in an organised campsite there's always a few scary chav types about making noise and messing. Plus it's all good having a warden about but in my experience, later on they only tend to only deal with the worst offenders as they're generally not paid quite enough to sort out a dozen boozed up teenagers. When you had to walk a few miles carrying all your stuff you don't find many alcopop guzzling teens at the other end as they just don't have that sort of energy :)
Can't argue about it being good for the kids being in an environment that has other children plus playparks etc for them to amuse themselves on, but if I wanted to take the kids to a playpark theres one just round the corner. When we wild camp there's a shedload of stuff for them to do that they would never do at home from lighting fires to cook on to climbing trees, bullding shelters, playing in rivers and exploring, all in the wild away from the comforts of civilization where they have to learn all sorts of new skills. We give them a walkie-talkie, a glowstick and whistle and send them out to find their own excitement. Plus since we usually travel in a crowd there's generally other kids about to keep them occupied. One of the biggest plusses is that since it is a good hike carrying gear then exercise carrying wood and water etc, then when we get home I don't have to worry about them spending too long infront of the Xbox since they've already had more exercise than the rest of their class will all week!
We had planned a campsite camp over the summer as a way to get everyone out for a weekend regardless of level of fitness / gear etc, but to be honest there wasn't a huge amount of interest so we cancelled it and did a wild camp instead. Maybe we should try for another!
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I completely agree with you, the chav element is a problem on campsites. Ok there are many reasons but one of them is how cheap a tent is, Argos have alot to answer for.
If you go to slightly more expensive campsites then that element gets weeded out, or an isolated campsite that isn't close to a town. I wouldn't go to Six Mile Water which is practically in Antrim for example, but I might go to the new site near Dungiven which is half way up a mountain and is accessed by a long country track which, the owners say, is tricky to negotiate! (I haven't tried it yet) Sounds perfect to me.
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I wouldn't go to Six Mile Water which is practically in Antrim for example
When I was a kid I stayed with my parents in our touring caravan at Six Mile Water. We just stayed one night on our way back from a longer trip in Ireland, and it was horrendous. There was a big car park nearby and all night we spent lying in our sleeping bags listening to yobs joy riding in the car park. As a child I was, quite literally, terrified! No idea what its like now, but I wouldn't fancy going there again...
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A girl in my office takes her caravan to Six Mile Water in Antrim every other weekend, she loves it!
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It's fine for Caravanners. I was very incensed to find that the wardens at Sixmilewater have moved the camping site further away from the amenities in order to discourage tenters. But since I've no intention of going there anyway I suppose it shouldn't bother me, but the attitude of the wardens did.
here it is....
http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=28&TopicID=209018&PagePosition=1
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A girl in my office takes her caravan to Six Mile Water in Antrim every other weekend, she loves it!
In fairness it was easily 15 years or more ago that we were there, so I'm sure its changed a lot since then! And there is also a chance we just got a bad night, but sure that can happen anywhere.
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but I might go to the new site near Dungiven which is half way up a mountain and is accessed by a long country track which, the owners say, is tricky to negotiate! (I haven't tried it yet) Sounds perfect to me.
hmmm, sounds interesting, any more details of that site?
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I'd not heard of that site before but came across it whilst doing a campsite search for campsites open all year round and who allow open fires. The blurb says it's a new site.
Hillfoot Campsite Dungiven - no reviews yet
http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/details.asp?revid=10055
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I was in Dungiven today so drove up near the campsite, looks like some nice views with a mountain close by (Benbradagh?) for some walking, didn't go into campsite though, assumed it was closed for winter as there were no signs up.
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I found that campsite using the tick box for 'open all year' but I'm sure they're not exactly busy at the moment. It sounds really good I'd love to give that site a go. We've another storm due for this weekend (starting today apparently) so might have to wait til' another time