RUNNING HEAD
Happy campers Mar tha Alexander EXPL AINS WHY IT PAYS TO BE PREPARED BEFORE VENTURING UNDER CANVAS EN FAMILLE
et’s go camping” they said! “It’ll be fun” they said. And suddenly it’s 9.30pm in a waterlogged field in the boondocks, and you’re ‘sheltered’ by a tent which is, you realise, too small for three people, even if one of them is a toddler. Rain is driven sideways by a hostile wind and the night looks set to be a long one, thanks to everyone being high on marshmallows. Your will to live is dying, much like embers of the pathetic fire you lit earlier – oh and the matches are all soggy too. This might be my first experience of camping with a toddler but this isn’t how it needs to be. And no, you don’t need to be Bear Grylls to get it right. But where to start? First off: don’t overwhelm yourself. If you’re not a typical outdoorsy type, it’s unwise to dive into a two-week survival expedition in the Cairngorms with nothing but your small family, a tent and a compass for company. Start small and head to a camp site for a weekend – one
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that has shower blocks and maybe even a little shop. Or you could go glamping – where a tent or yurt will have already been erected for you and cosy bedding provided. As your confidence grows you can seek adventures with fewer home comforts. Assuming you aren’t going glamping, you’ll need a tent. “Whether you’re taking an old tent or have bought a new one, I highly recommend testing your tent before taking it on your first family outing,” says David Scotland, camping expert and owner of familyrun camping retailer Outdoor World Direct. “It’s wise to have a trial run camping overnight in your garden, but if this isn’t possible, then at
least erect the tent to make sure you have all the correct components, there are no rips and tears and that you have adequate space. This will help you determine if you need any new equipment and adjustments. Although a brand new tent is unlikely to be faulty, it’s better to be safe than sorry.” We recommend one of those pop-up tents – like the Core 4 Person Instant Dome Tent which does all the hard work for you (although packing any tent up is always a different story, let’s be honest). It’s worth remembering that babies and toddlers might be best sleeping in a travel cot. “Camping beds and sleep systems are
PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK/BNMK0819, CHIYACAT
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