Tent?

[ilovemarkb]

How common is it that people buy tents and all the gear etc etc. Then use it a couple of times then not bother using it! although seems a good idea at the time?

You might guess that we cant make our minds up! many pro,s and cons!! any advice welcome?

[ummmm]

Well....depends how much you spend. Last year we paid about £50 for a tent....and left it behind us rather than pack it away. And camping chairs...

[The-HouseHusband]

If you are just wanting to try camping dont go and buy everything you see in the shop, as you say not everyone takes to it.

Best bet would be to plan a weekend away and buy one of the starter sets from somewhere like argos or amazon:

http://www.argos.co.u...%3EFAMILY+CAMPING.htm

http://www.amazon.co....qid=1308579386&sr=1-1

Just remember you will need a stove and kettle for a brew in the morning, but can eat out at pubs/takeaways to save having to buy to much.

I am pro-camping, however I am a Scout leader and also run D of E Schemes so I am used to being in the outdoors all the time.

Give it a go and if it isn't your cup of tea then as long as you havn't splashed out to much you could always donate it to a local youth group and have that warm feeling from having helped young people have a taste of the great outdoors.

[Answerprancer]

"that walk from campsite to car at glasto on monday morning is a killer thou"
Not if you have a short-stay vehicle pass it isn't ;-) ;-p

[The-HouseHusband]

The walk on a Monday morning is far better than the traffic jams trying to get away on the Sunday!!! Much nicer to get up have a brew and pack away at a leisurely pace.

Plus the trolleys that my kids use for the free papers they deliver come in handy for moving all the gear back to the car

[Mosaic]

The cost of try-out camping gear has plummeted in recent years, and with camping becoming trendy again it means you can have a go and literally 'walk away' without the feeling that you might as well have stacked your money into a big pile and burned it.
Like others have said, you can get decent 'starter packs' - but I'd add, go somewhere with guaranteed sunshine. South of France is good.

[ummmm]

Shut up AP....!!!!!

[ChuckFickens]

I've got one that I bought 2 years ago and hasn't been used once!!!

[sitges]

I am sure that there are internet sites that sell used equipment from people that didn't like the experience and are trying to get rid of the items they have. Here in the US we have Craigs list that has all kinds of used items.

[ilovemarkb]

THANKS EVERYONE! AFTER MUCH DELIBERATION WE HAVE BOUGHT ONE OF THESE!
http://www.gooutdoors...vista-800-dlx-p183852

[237SJ]

Good choice re Vango. I spent £120 on one two years ago. It`s been in the loft ever since. My fault though.

[ummmm]

I'll look out for it on ebay....lol

[theshedman]

Hi, my son goes to a lot of these music festivals and takes his tent and for the walk to and from the car which can be long that triggerhippy mentioned he uses a sack truck. He says it saves him from carrying the tent etc and of course his beer supply. He bought cheap tents at first and at the end of the festivals he used to leave them there and the festival people take them down and give them to charities but these days with his sack truck he's bought a better one and now brings it home.

[ChuckFickens]

"and the festival people take them down and give them to charities"

Only very very few of them are given to charity, the vast majority of them are simply picked up with by a forklift running through the site and dumped in a skip.

[Old_Geezer]

I recall I have a tent I bought, stored somewhere. Bought it after one camping trip, never used it, or went camping again.

[theshedman]

Hi Chuck, when my son was at Download a few years ago he said that they put it over the sound system about the charity thing with the tents so only got that to go on.