Family camping summer 2015?

tessat

I have a bit of a thing for looking at tents. I love them, always on the look out for different styles and types.

We have a Royal Pescara 8 and love it. It is ideal for our family size and gives plenty of space for the inevitable rainy days. Hoping to get in at least 2 trips this year, if I get my way it will be more like 4 but just have to wait and see.

So what are you camping in this year?

sadie06

Hi there,

I'm a tent geek too. Yours looks great!

There are some great pages to follow if you are a Facebook user: Under Canvas and Camping With Kids. I love looking at other people's set ups!

We have upgraded after years in the Halfords Family Pack Tent (which in fairness, never let us down but didn't allow for comfortable living) to an Outwell Georgia 5p. We have only done a practice pitch in the garden, but we love it, especially the separate bedrooms for our kids.

We have a short break booked in Ballinacourty House in the Glen of Aherlow, and a longer return trip to Clifden Eco Beach Camping, a site we love.

Happy camping!

tessat

I have no idea how you coped in that Halfords tent, it's my idea of hell. You won't know yourselves in the new tent, the biggest difference is how much heat you retain in the evenings with the sewn in ground sheet. We've started bringing a heater now too as you can really keep heat in at night time and it makes for much more comfortable camping with kids. It means we can dry off damp clothes too. I hope you'll get many years out of it.

We're looking at getting an extra smaller tent for quick nights away as our tent is too big for short trips.

sadie06

tessat wrote: »

I have no idea how you coped in that Halfords tent, it's my idea of hell.

We're looking at getting an extra smaller tent for quick nights away as our tent is too big for short trips.

I'm sure we will notice a huge difference! We planned to upgrade a lot sooner, it just never happened. We are keeping the Halford for festivals, such as Electric Picnic though.

markc2951

Doing cliffs of moher,rose of tralee.killarney national park and a solo weekend in wicklow up near derrybawn..thats the plan anyway

sadie06

Wow Mark…..some going.

Report back in on the sites!

tessat

But markc2951, the all important question is, what will you be camping in?
Sadie, we sold our old tent to upgrade to this one, it was lovely tent, fit 7 very comfortably and you could have gone to 8-9 at a push, the new one just perfect for the 6 of us, we could maybe fit one extra at a push by moving the youngest in with us.
The amount of space we have is amazing, being able to cook in shelter is fantastic and the warmth in the evening so the kids can sit in with hot chocolate and marshmallows and a movie just makes it. The new tent was one of our best ever decisions.

markc2951

sadie06 wrote:

Wow Mark…..some going.

sadie06 wrote:

Report back in on the sites!

tessat wrote:

But markc2951, the all important question is, what will you be camping in? Sadie, we sold our old tent to upgrade to this one, it was lovely tent, fit 7 very comfortably and you could have gone to 8-9 at a push, the new one just perfect for the 6 of us, we could maybe fit one extra at a push by moving the youngest in with us. The amount of space we have is amazing, being able to cook in shelter is fantastic and the warmth in the evening so the kids can sit in with hot chocolate and marshmallows and a movie just makes it. The new tent was one of our best ever decisions.

I have the blade 200 2015 model..out last night in it and it held up well in the rain and wind,which im expecting at the cliffs of moher anyway..killarney and rose of tralew is not till the middle of august

NickTellis

Vango Langley 600 (2015) with ground sheet & carpet - first time campers so no doubt horrendous mistakes will be made

tessat

Very nice NickTellis, how many of you will be off in your lovely new tent? Are you camping home or abroad? As long as the campsite has decent facilities you should be safe from any horrendous mistakes. If you are using air mattresses bring patches and glue just incase, you won't get a shop open when you find out the bed has a hole in it. After that it should all work out for you.

NickTellis

It'll be myself, herself and our 3 kids (10, 9 & 7) - might be a bit 'cozy' in the pod but I don't mind sleeping in the living area if needed. Doing a few weekend trips at home this year before heading to Italy via France in the car next summer. Will be using self-inflating mats on top of fleece throws on top of foam tiles (room permitting in the boot of course).

tessat

You'll be grand, the lay out of that tent is excellent for space, use the first few trips to find out what items are essential for you, it varies for everyone.

NickTellis

Looking at getting an led lantern to hang in the living area of the tent (Vango Langley). Anyone have any idea what the maximum weight of the lantern can be?

markc2951

Just back from a weekend trip to doolin where i stayed in nagles campsite,great site but very exposed as its right beside the atlantic..

Saturday was the wildest night i ever experienced in a tent.rain and high wind but my vango blade 200 done great.

Cliffs of moher is a great place for scenery although the car park is robbery a €6 a head.

Visited ailwee caves which is super..also done archery on site for kids and adults..€10 I couldnt refuse.

Drove a lot around the burren with a great view at a place called cork screw hill..mental piece of road with 5 or 6 hair pin bends uphill.

Also visited father teds house and got good photos...also visited la hinch which was very windy which the kite surfers enjoyed lol

All in all a great trip to co.clare !

sadie06

Wow, you got a lot done in a weekend Mark! Thanks for the update. Your tent is made of strong stuff!

I am filling up the hall at the moment as we are off to the Glen of Aherlow tomorrow for two nights. It's really a getting-to-know-our-new-tent trip, so plan to be on-site a lot, with a day trip to the Rock of Cashel and Cahir Castle on the cards.

Weather forecast not great, but not terrible either. Just need a break in showers tomorrow to pitch and we should be laughing.

I follow a few camping sites on Facebook and lots of UK campers swearing off camping in May ever again due to coldness at night, so we are bringing extra bedding for warmth.

markc2951

sadie06 wrote:

I follow a few camping sites on Facebook and lots of UK campers swearing off camping in May ever again due to coldness at night, so we are bringing extra bedding for warmth.

My bag is rated from 6-18 c ...it got down to around 6 on saturday night and i was borderline cold..

On a good note i know not to use it in autumn as it would be just not good enough.

Let me know how you get on

tessat

We have a lovely big Vango double sleeping bag, had to open it up on Saturday night as it was getting a bit warm.

We brought the brand spanking new Vango Mersea 3 out for the first time to Slane and it mostly survived the weather and the muck.
I was so disappointed with the campsite though, the toilets were vile and clearly not looked at by staff for the entire weekend. I was ignored when I complained by email when we got home, so the planned trip back up there with the kids at the end of the month is off and we're definitely going to Newgrange instead.

dixierip

Quick query folks. Family size has increased from 2 to 4 (courtesy of now two year old twins). Looking to upgrade tent to something comfortable for us all 2Adults 4 kids. Where do you find best for purchasing tents ?

markc2951

dixierip wrote:

Quick query folks. Family size has increased from 2 to 4 (courtesy of now two year old twins). Looking to upgrade tent to something comfortable for us all 2Adults 4 kids. Where do you find best for purchasing tents ?

53 degrees north is where i buy all my gear inc a recent tent.you wouldnt go wrong with a vango beta 550 xl.

There was one pitched beside me last saturday night during wind and rain and it was solid

tessat

We buy in O.Meara's, excellent value and if you go to the store you can walk around the tents so you can see the actual living space. Their customer service is second to none. They will take the time to walk around with you and find something to suit your family, We've a Royal Pescara but you'd need 3 adults or at least an extra "big" child to be able to pitch is so it wouldn't suit you.

You'll need something with a decent living space and probably a good sized porch for camping in the rain with smallies.
The Royal Atlanta range is very good and you can add a porch which is very handy for keeping the kitchen separate. I'd highly recommend going to physical shops and walking around the tents before you buy.

sadie06

I've bought camping accessories from both the places already mentioned and was very pleased with the customer service in both. I have also bought from Charles Camping in Blessington, who have a decent showroom.

sadie06

Just a quick update to give feedback on Ballinacourty House in the Glen of Aherlow. Lovely small site, exceptionally quiet (apart from the loudest and most spectacular dawn chorus ever) and seems to attract older groups in tourers who pull in for one night and head off again.

Facilities are fine, but the campers kitchen could do with a clean. It wouldn't take much to make it inviting.

We ate in the restaurant onsite (a separate business apparently) and it was of a very high standard. Two tier menu of €22.50 or €32.50 for 4 courses.

It's all about the walks really. Loads of suggested loops of various levels of difficulty locally. Views are spectacular!

We also took a trip to the Rock of Cashel (and gained entry for free as OPW Sites are free to the public on the first Wednesday of every month…who knew?) and I would highly recommend the guided tour. Fascinating, and again, wonderful views from its elevated position.

Can't wait for Clifden in July, but might try to sneak a weekend in Wicklow before hand.

unkel

markc2951 wrote: »

53 degrees north is where i buy all my gear

Extremely expensive shop though, isn't it? Whenever I saw something I wanted in there, I found that I could get it for about half price (including shipping) if I browsed on line for a bit...

If a shop buys something for 10 and sells it for 30 or 40, that's ok with me. But if a shop buys something for 10 and sells it for 100, you have been ripped off. In my humble opinion.

markc2951

unkel wrote:

Extremely expensive shop though, isn't it? Whenever I saw something I wanted in there, I found that I could get it for about half price (including shipping) if I browsed on line for a bit...

unkel wrote:

If a shop buys something for 10 and sells it for 30 or 40, that's ok with me. But if a shop buys something for 10 and sells it for 100, you have been ripped off. In my humble opinion.

Anything i bought was the same price elsewere.
Maybe a tent online is €30 cheaper.reason being its last years model without you knowing..

sadie06

Just booked 2 nights in Morriscastle in Wexford for a sneaky break in July. Anyone been before? As the Glen of Aherlow was more suited to our taste, we thought we'd go somewhere a bit more lively for the children for a weekend.

I'm determined to get out and camp as much as possible this season, and to different types of sites.

Tabnabs

Morriscastle is terrific. It's one site that you will likely return to again and again.

markc2951

On a true wildcamp tonight with my son 7 and nephew 6..some random woods outside my village.midges are out in force

Tigerandahalf

In buying a cooler box is it best to get a car charger one, one that can charge off mains and car or just a basic one with ice bags. I see Halfords have some but the mains/car charger one is very big.
Here is the Halfords 40L box.
http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductMobileDisplay?catalogId=15551&langId=-1&categoryId=212490&productId=924835&storeId=11101
I see that the 12v car charger cable is over 2 metres long. Could this mean the cooler could be placed in the boot and the cable brought through the back seat. Thus no noise and not taking up space in the car.

Tigerandahalf

.

whelzer

sadie06 wrote: »

Just booked 2 nights in Morriscastle in Wexford for a sneaky break in July. Anyone been before? As the Glen of Aherlow was more suited to our taste, we thought we'd go somewhere a bit more lively for the children for a weekend.

I'm determined to get out and camp as much as possible this season, and to different types of sites.

We were their last weekend for 2 nights - our first time, kids 8, 5, 5. They had a ball. The dunes are lovely, facilities clean, niamh mgr on site is great.

This is our second year camping, last year we did Hidden Valley 2 nights, Silver Strand 3 nights, Eagle Point 8 nights and Nore Valley 3 nights.

Hope to hit Kerry, Cavan and Fermanagh this year and Nore Valley again in September...

schtinggg

Hey campers,
just back from a long weekend in Tramore. Newtown Cove site was pretty good apart from some noisy neighbors who thought the whole site would find their jokes funny. A right pain in the arse. Anyway, the heavens opened up with gusto on Friday night but the old 4 man Urban Escape held up fine. Whilst myself & the kids (9 & 11) have done plenty of off-site camping this was a first time on a site for me - never again. On the other hand - hats off to my wife who spent the first nights of her life under canvas. Before we took off I had visions of wobblies if no socket for a hairdryer could be found - but in all fairness, she was great. I'll tell you something else too: the cooker (double gas plate) we got from Aldi the other week was great. I'd usually bounce between a single burner and my trusty old army issue Trangia, but this thing was the business.
Here's to many more nights out with the clan.

sadie06

Interesting feedback from all. Whelzer you sure got around last year. Any feedback on the sites you visited? I looked at Hidden Valley for this year, but was put off by reviews on Tripadvisor that said they were cramming people in, bins overflowing, site not coping etc, basically being greedy.

Just back from Morriscastle. The kids absolutely loved it. The beach, games-room, loads of other kids to play with. It wouldn't be for us, but that's just personal taste. It's unbelievably busy, literally guy-line to guy-line! The site facilities cope very well, and staff were excellent at all times, but it's too busy for me to get any sense of relaxation.

We had to pack the tent away wet for the first time ever also…a total pain, so dealing with that now.

Roll on Clifden in two weeks. Schtinggg, if you ever consider going on-site again, Clifden Eco-Camping may be for you. It's a happy medium between wild and on-site camping! We love it.

whelzer

Hidden Valley was ok for 2 days, kids had a ball but its not really camping (I wouldn't go back, didn't find it dirty, just not cup our of tea...

Silver Strand is the total opposite, very basic, but in a lovely location and the beach - simply stunning.

Eagle Point was great - we had booked 5 nights but stayed 8, (this is the most, it is humanly possible to stay in a tent!). We were right on the shoreline, bit windy at times and it rained but there is lots and lots to do both on site and nearby. Fishing, boat trips, history sites, a local pub runs a bus to and from the site which meant we got a few hours out and a "proper" meal one night!

If you go to eagle point, I can not recommend Ewe Gardens enough, it is one of the most magical places I have ever been. In fact it alone was worth the drive from Dublin!

Nore Valley is very nice, the smallies got to feed all the farm animals and there is a lovely river walk...

Planning on doing Lough Ramor in Cavan this weekend if the weather improves at all. It is amazing how "good" you get at camping, thinking back on last year, the first few trips were mental, we have packing the car, pitching the tent, etc down to a fine art at this stage....

sadie06

Thanks for all of that Whelzer. Some great tips. I'll be googling...

You are right…you get better as you go along. Both of our families think we are cracked! Nobody else is into camping, but for us it is the ultimate downtime.

We are staying in a city campsite for the first time in August to do Belfast for two nights. It should be interesting and a totally different experience again as it is tiny and basically unmanned but apparently very secure. I'll report back on it afterwards.

Anyone not from Dublin thinking of a city break should consider Camac Valley Park. It's right beside Corkagh Park (one of my favourite parks in Dublin) so perfect if you have children/dogs. Although there is traffic noise from the N7 it's in a great location and is really well kept. I took a walk around out of nosiness! :-) I was intrigued and looked up the Tripadvisor reviews, which are favourable.

markc2951

I done tramore 2 weeks ago and what a dive of a campsite.not naming names but it's in tramore..no facilities and found kids from the travelling community interfering with my tent.left after one night and went to hidden valley in wicklow.

Awesome spot great for kids and plenty to do

iggy

Booked our first camping trip to River Valley this Fri and Saturday.
Never camped before so looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time. Two adults and two kids aged 6 and 4 so hoping it'll be good.
Is river valley similar to hidden valley? I was told hidden valley is too cramped where with river valley you have your pitch and bushes separate you from next campers?

markc2951

iggy wrote:

Booked our first camping trip to River Valley this Fri and Saturday. Never camped before so looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time. Two adults and two kids aged 6 and 4 so hoping it'll be good. Is river valley similar to hidden valley? I was told hidden valley is too cramped where with river valley you have your pitch and bushes separate you from next campers?

Report back on how you get on.hidden valley was grand when I was there

iggy

markc2951 wrote: »

Report back on how you get on.hidden valley was grand when I was there

Came back from River valley yesterday after our first camping trip ever. We stayed two nights.
We all enjoyed it. Two kids aged 6 and 4 had a ball.
The pitch space was a good size.
It was very busy and by Friday evening it was packed.
Mickey Finns pub on site and we ate there on Saturday afternoon. Food was lovely.
I don't have anywhere else to compare it too so not sure how it rates.
Kids did archery, football golf , pedal cars and a little train that goes twice a day around the site.
So now we want to try somewhere else so am looking for suggestions. Not too far from Dublin. Thinking of Caseys in Dungarvan?
The Vango Farnham 500 I bought was great. Plenty of room but I had to pack it up on Sunday morning in the pissings of rain.

markc2951

iggy wrote:

Came back from River valley yesterday after our first camping trip ever. We stayed two nights. We all enjoyed it. Two kids aged 6 and 4 had a ball. The pitch space was a good size. It was very busy and by Friday evening it was packed. Mickey Finns pub on site and we ate there on Saturday afternoon. Food was lovely. I don't have anywhere else to compare it too so not sure how it rates. Kids did archery, football golf , pedal cars and a little train that goes twice a day around the site. So now we want to try somewhere else so am looking for suggestions. Not too far from Dublin. Thinking of Caseys in Dungarvan? The Vango Farnham 500 I bought was great. Plenty of room but I had to pack it up on Sunday morning in the pissings of rain.

Sounds like a good spot..bin to a good few campsites and majority are great with loads of activities..Some of them go a long way to keep you there when you arrive eg food on site..playground..archery..waters ports etc

tessat

I've been off for a while just checking in to see all the new posts of people off to different parts of the country.

I loved Caseys, right on the beach and good clean facilities, plenty to keep the kids busy, great playground. You can't book it though and it does get very busy.

I'm terrified to try Hidden Valley, I've heard you can't bring your car to your pitch and that doesn't sit well with me, we have so much equipment that it would be impossible to carry it is we were any distance from the car park, can anyone confirm?

We went to River Valley for the first time earlier this year and really liked it. We did feel like we were always putting our hands in our pocket for activities but still a lovely site, plenty to do and nice and clean. Didn't like the lack of Fridge/Freezer.

I've mixed feelings on Morriscastle, we spend a good bit of time there as the facilities are good and kids can run off up the sand dunes, but I felt like we were an inconvenience this year. I'm reluctant to go back but in saying that, we go with a group every year and I have found many sites aren't taking groups anymore but Morriscastle do. We have a mix of ages of kids (under 1 to 14) and don't make a mess or much noise, bed early with the little ones, don't want to travel too far from Dublin so any suggestions for next year would be appreciated.

Hoping to get one more trip in before the end of the summer

markc2951

tessat wrote:

I'm terrified to try Hidden Valley, I've heard you can't bring your car to your pitch and that doesn't sit well with me, we have so much equipment that it would be impossible to carry it is we were any distance from the car park, can anyone confirm?

The car park is right next to the pitching area.I parked close to where I was pitching.I mean close by about 10 car lengths away.Im not certain but I think you can camp at a bay where there is electric and pull on right beside your tent.

Hidden valley is hands down the best one I've bin to yet

tessat

Thanks for that Mark, to be honest 10 car lengths is too far, if it was very busy we could be even further, our tent is 75kg, and traipsing back and forth with kitchen, fridge, heater, tables, beds and all the rest just does not appeal at all, I'd rather do a day trip and enjoy the facilities.

We do need electricity, does the camping field not have any points? Our tent is too big to fit on the grass part of a hard stand.
I think I should just take a trip up and have a look around and see if it is suitable.

EDit

Interesting to see the comments on River Valley as we really didn't like the place (went about 2 weeks ago). In fact, it is the only time we came home early from a camping trip. In fairness, they have some good facilities (although you do have to pay for everything), but we just felt very crammed in...it was very busy and the pitches were small IMO. We are a bit more use to the "open-plan" set up like you get at Doolin or Camac Valley.

Another annoyance is that they advertise themselves as "family-friendly" with all these notes about being quiet after 11pm and no bicycles after 8pm, but we had kids cycling around outside the tents until midnight and noise from groups having parties went on until at least 2 or 3am. Now don't get me wrong, we aren't fuddy-duddies and we have had our share of trips away with such party groups, it mores the fact that they seem to pride themselves on these rules that are clearly not enforced.

tessat

EDit, as you go in the gates of the camp site in River Valley there is a strip of sites in front of you, we pitched there (you've to drive down as far as the toilets and head back up)
It was lovely and quiet. We had tonnes of space (we need it) It was also very close to the little animal enclosure so the youngest could head up there and remain within view.
I did find there was no security keeping the noise down on site on the Friday and was very annoyed, but it was much better on Saturday after we mentioned it to reception.

markc2951

tessat wrote:

Thanks for that Mark, to be honest 10 car lengths is too far, if it was very busy we could be even further, our tent is 75kg, and traipsing back and forth with kitchen, fridge, heater, tables, beds and all the rest just does not appeal at all, I'd rather do a day trip and enjoy the facilities.

tessat wrote:

We do need electricity, does the camping field not have any points? Our tent is too big to fit on the grass part of a hard stand. I think I should just take a trip up and have a look around and see if it is suitable.

Jesus that's some tent 75 kg...you could get lucky and get a space beside the grass and just haul it across the footpath.

I'm not sure about points on the camping site of it I didn't need any..my setup is more based around hiking and lightweight so I can put all my stuff into a rucksack..tent,pillows,sleeping bag etc..

I wouldn't rule it out as it's top notch for me anyway..as you said take a day trip down and see

guil

It's a good bit away but I can't recommend woodlands park in Tralee enough. This is our second year down there. Last year ourselves and another family of 5 went and this year another 2 families went with us.

There is plenty of space for a car and trailer and we had 2 gazebos between the 4 tents and a small tent for the kids to mess in and they didn't mind at all.

tessat

Guil, it's been on my list for the past 3 years and we still haven't made it. Delighted to hear a review of it. Maybe next year.......

markc2951

guil wrote:

It's a good bit away but I can't recommend woodlands park in Tralee enough. This is our second year down there. Last year ourselves and another family of 5 went and this year another 2 families went with us.

guil wrote:

There is plenty of space for a car and trailer and we had 2 gazebos between the 4 tents and a small tent for the kids to mess in and they didn't mind at all.

I've stayed there loads of times..not a bad spot but I was there 2 years ago at rose of tralee and 2 tents were asked to leave due to noise..which is understandable.

You can also pull your car right up to your campsite

Family run business wife husband and daughter..nice people

silverharp

Took junior on a 5 day canoe trip down the Barrow , from Athy down to Gregnamanagh,wild camping along side the river. Compared to normal wild camping was able to bring more stuff but on the downside lighting fires wasnt normally an option as the banks were either paths or impossible to land. Great experience though

EDit

tessat wrote: »

EDit, as you go in the gates of the camp site in River Valley there is a strip of sites in front of you, we pitched there (you've to drive down as far as the toilets and head back up)
It was lovely and quiet. We had tonnes of space (we need it) It was also very close to the little animal enclosure so the youngest could head up there and remain within view.
I did find there was no security keeping the noise down on site on the Friday and was very annoyed, but it was much better on Saturday after we mentioned it to reception.

Thanks tessat, yeah we saw that area and it did look like you could effectively create your own plot and also didn't look suitable for large groups (as its a long thin strip), but by the time we arrived it was full (got stuck in traffic on N11). If we did ever go again, I think we'd try to get down earlier on the Friday and probably avoid high season.

whelzer

We had two nights in Nore Valley - weekend just gone.

3 adults and 6 kids in an Atlanta 8 (getting such a big tent finally justified itself!).

It was our second time there - kids had a ball, was quite busy on the Saturday but emptied very quickly on Sunday morning...Could not find fault with the place!


For update purposes...we also did two nights in the Trading Post "near" Enniscorthy - around 3 weeks ago.
It was fine - google maps did not inspire me as it was right on the old road btn Wexford and Gorey but it did not bother us that much.
Not a whole lot for the kids but it is spacious, clean and very handy for off-site activities.
Like ourselves a lot of people tried Morriscastle first but it was full!