Do you actually like camping?

Specifically for cycle touring subjects & questions
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pjclinch
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Re: Do you actually like camping?

Post by pjclinch »

rualexander wrote:
It's a Hilleberg Stalon, got it on ebay a few weeks ago, in brand new condition, I was looking for one to replace my old one which has deteriorated from UV damage over the last 18 years. Really wanted green again, but red certainly looks good in photos.


Nice one, I used to have a Saunders with a similar "transverse tunnel" layout, though my wife never really took to it so I sold it on :(

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
biscaystorm
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Re: Do you actually like camping?

Post by biscaystorm »

I have a love-hate relationship with camping.

Some of my most memorable stops on cycle tours have been camping with a tent at a campsite. You get to camp at great locations beside beaches, rivers, mountains etc and you get to meet fellow campers.

Having said that some of my most miserable stops have involved camping. From my experience, if in a hot country, your tent can become a bit of an ant-magnet in a day or two which is not pleasant. Then there are other annoying things about camping. For example, last time camping in Sardinia the mosquitoes kept me up till 2am and at 6am an extremely loud cockerel in a nearby farm did his cock-a-doodle-do routine for at least an hour leaving me with just 4 hours sleep. I was well pleased to be booking into a hotel that night.
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Heltor Chasca
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Re: Do you actually like camping?

Post by Heltor Chasca »

I do. Recharging batteries in the green room last night. Sleeping amongst the Tall People is very good for my health. 3 visits from badgers. Closest was brave enough to come up to 6 foot away. Short-sighted youngster. Too much media time down in the sett methinks.

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Sweep
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Re: Do you actually like camping?

Post by Sweep »

biscaystorm wrote:. For example, last time camping in Sardinia the mosquitoes kept me up till 2am and at 6am an extremely loud cockerel in a nearby farm did his cock-a-doodle-do routine for at least an hour leaving me with just 4 hours sleep. I was well pleased to be booking into a hotel that night.


:)

Out of interest (I know Sardinia well) can I ask where in Sardinia that was biscay? I trust you enjoyed the rest of the trip.

Me and camping - the girlfriend thinks herself above it these days and would only consider it with a portable set of dining room furniture, so its solo from now on.
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manybikes
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Re: Do you actually like camping?

Post by manybikes »

Usually but not this week. Manche to Med and its rain, rain, thunderstorm, rain
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Do you actually like camping?

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Up on Dartmoor several times this week walking with er indoors, she caught the bug of walking as well as camping.
I haven't camped except the camper for at least three years and I miss it, obsessed with others things at the moment and cant take my eye off the ball just yet.

Eyed up some suitable sites (wild of course) on Dartmoor for a bolt hole when passing on my bike, I tend to reuse the spots as I know I can camp without spending time looking in the dark.
Wild camping suits me as I tend not to stop till dark and I have no idea where that will be, I also like the freedom of self supporting, that's just me.
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Heltor Chasca
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Re: Do you actually like camping?

Post by Heltor Chasca »

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:Hi,
Up on Dartmoor several times this week walking with er indoors, she caught the bug of walking as well as camping.
I haven't camped except the camper for at least three years and I miss it, obsessed with others things at the moment and cant take my eye off the ball just yet.

Eyed up some suitable sites (wild of course) on Dartmoor for a bolt hole when passing on my bike, I tend to reuse the spots as I know I can camp without spending time looking in the dark.
Wild camping suits me as I tend not to stop till dark and I have no idea where that will be, I also like the freedom of self supporting, that's just me.


Good post [emoji106] Won't be long and you'll be out under the stars or under canvas again[emoji6]

It's amazing isn't it? People who wild camp have ther radars switched on all the time. I'll cycle past a good spot and think, 'Mmm that's a good spot. Must remember that.' An addiction?
biscaystorm
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Re: Do you actually like camping?

Post by biscaystorm »

Sweep wrote:Out of interest (I know Sardinia well) can I ask where in Sardinia that was biscay? I trust you enjoyed the rest of the trip.

Me and camping - the girlfriend thinks herself above it these days and would only consider it with a portable set of dining room furniture, so its solo from now on.


It was Maddelena. Nice site run by nice people with a first-class restaurant on-site (only open in evening but even the locals came here to eat). I think camping no matter how perfect the campsite will always be less comfortable than bricks and mortar accommodation, especially when you're in an ultra-light tent.

It was a nice trip but (as has been said here already on this forum) the towns in Sardinia can be quite boring places. Sardinia excels in terms of beaches with crystal clear waters, mountains and down-to-earth hospitable locals. And of course if you're a history buff it has quite a few stone-age relics.
gloomyandy
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Re: Do you actually like camping?

Post by gloomyandy »

Having just had a wonderful week of sunny weather in Scotland I'm currently feeling pretty good about camping! It reminded me how good it can be at its best. Great locations and views, warm evenings that you can sit out and enjoy. Freedom to stop pretty much when and where you want. I was even able to get clothes washed and dry and the tent went away dry pretty much every day!

Having said that waking up one morning to see the dreaded sight of the inside of a fly sheet alive with midges reminded me of the not so good side!
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sabrutat
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Re: Do you actually like camping?

Post by sabrutat »

I watched some of that last night, Mercalia, and actually felt quite sorry for those people. Even if money was no object for me, I'm pretty sure I'd still cycle tour and wild camp. I think it's the best way to see and experience the world.
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Vantage
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Re: Do you actually like camping?

Post by Vantage »

Thats my idea of hell to be honest.
I'm lying next to Pam in our new tent with the sun beaming down on us, my girls in their tent chatting away to Pam's son in his tent, birds singing all around us, sheeping baa-ing in the farmers field, clean air in our lungs, clean water in our tummies and not an ounce of bling in sight.
The millionaires can have their wealth and nasty bling......this is real happiness :)

Our little setup for the weekend :)
Our little setup for the weekend :)
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Penfold
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Re: Do you actually like camping?

Post by Penfold »

Love it....But it does send me a bit daft....Or is that the beer?

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Scottishgaucho
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Re: Do you actually like camping?

Post by Scottishgaucho »

robing wrote:Serious question. I've done a few tours now with camping gear. I like the idea of camping - it's cheap or even free, gives you freedom. But in practice I don't really enjoy it. It's uncomfortable, often noisy, too hot/ too cold, midges, mosquitoes, no fun in the wet, etc. I just wonder sometimes if it's worth the hassle of carrying all that extra weight, setting up and taking down your tent etc. In some places a hostel or cheap hotel may not cost that much more.


On my longer tours in the UK and abroad I always carried camping gear as I enjoyed - as you say - the freedom it affords. Downside is of course the weight of having to carry all the gear so I made sure I used it most of the time. Every few days I would 'treat myself' and find lodgings in order to have a good wash of myself and gear. One of the most memorable was staying in a beach hotel in Washington State where a scene from the film An Officer and a Gentleman was filmed. It had a jacuzzi out on the balcony and a bed with a massage facility...both totally wasted on me. I like a bit of luxury now and again but do prefer camping especially when the weather is fair. Weekends away in Scotland were always spent wild camping or staying in a bothy.
It wasn't until I got married that my nights under the stars became less frequent. The wife found life without the comforts of home a bit too much especially the lack of a hair dryer. :D

I much prefer wild camping and would rather pay for a B&B than pay to stay in a camping site.
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bigjim
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Re: Do you actually like camping?

Post by bigjim »

i was perusing campsites the other night. I am considering doing a bit of car camping so I can carry a bit more of the luxuries that I miss out on when dragging the load around on the bike. I could therefore take a nice light road bike, discover some new rides, maybe even join a local CTC group for a day. I'd have a decent sized tent with, heaven for me, a proper pillow, plus good cooking facilities. I was though, a bit shocked at how much the rental of a piece of grass costs these days. £17 to £20 on a lot of sites! I can understand costs for site owners will have probably shot up and have to be covered, but they do not now compare well with staying at a hostel IMO.
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