THE WHEN WE WANDER BLOG

SPRING LAKES REVIEW

Sat, 17 Jun 2023 18:13:55 GMT

Location: Long Eaton, Nottingham, NG10 2FZ

We visited Saturday 3rd June - 4th July 2023

Apologies in advance if this review reads rather negatively... as we did have a lovely time.. there were just a few tiny things that when added up made it all a little bit of a frustrating trip... However, this is sometimes just how the cookie crumbles... and as I say we had a great time in hindsight, and I'm hopeful no one else will be unlucky enough to experience all of these downfalls, or at least through reading this review can plan accordingly for a better trip. So here it goes...

PRICE, BOOKING AND GENERAL INFO:

We booked through the website and paid for a grass non-electric pitch at £25 per night - this includes up to 4 people and 1 car.

you also have the option of; Hard standing pitches with electric are priced at £35 per night or Grass electric pitches are £30 per night.

It's useful to note that when booking the 'grass non-electric' information doesn't mention 'campervans' or 'motorhomes' - just simply ' Pitch your tent within the Spring Lakes Orchid grounds (without electric)' Because of this I rang up to check that we'd be ok and the lady said yes - it's just sometimes in the winter months it can get a bit boggy so vans can get stuck.

Note, there is a cost for additional items for example;

1x Small Pup Tent: £5
Awning: £3
Dog: £3 per dog
and 50p charge to use a hairdryer in the toilet block

All of this information (other than the hair dryer) can be found on the booking website.

It's also good to beware that the main website states check-in is from 12 noon on the day of arrival and departure is by 10am - however on the 'booking page' it states Check-in is from 1pm on the day of arrival and you are requested to vacate your pitch by 11am on your day of departure.

I asked about this when I rang about vans being on grass with non-electric and the lady said to arrive anytime after 12pm.

For the morning of departure, we had a slow pack down and left around 10.30am. No one came round kicking us off or checking, and other people were still mid pack down too so I reckon you'd be good till 11am.

DIRECTIONS

Google maps took us straight there no issues. However, the campsite is accessed through the back of the main entrance car park. Now, for those that don't know spring lakes - it's also a watersports activity centre with inflatable assault course activities for adults and children, pedalos, kayaks/paddle boards to hire, free swimming and wakeboarding lessons/ramps - so with us arriving at a Saturday lunchtime, in June and at 21 degrees c temperatures - as you can imagine it was busy!

There were car park attendees on - showing and directing people where to park - but neither knew where we had to go to camp/check in...

Looking back to gather the info to write this review I have spotted that on the booking page before check out it says "Please check in at our Wake Spring Lakes shop located towards the end of the car park or the beach hut" - but we totally missed this and it's not included/mentioned on the confirmation email either - which would of been handy... so our experience is as follows;

The first attendee said to head down to the bottom end and the attendee there will direct us and give us more info...

They said to follow the road around and we'll find the camping area - which we did...

We found the hardstanding, the grass pitches, the pitches for members only, the tipis - all of it - but no one to report to, or check in with or tell us where anything was...

So we turned around and drove back to ask the second attendee for more information - specifically checking in, where the water was, facilities etc - and he couldn't give us any of this info, and quite frankly looked petrified and shocked that we'd even asked... so we went back to the first attendee who also didn't know... but they advised we ask the Wake boarding cafe staff.

So, finally, and another two people later - HURRAH we found someone who could check us in and tell us all the info we needed to know. Which wasn't a great deal in all honesty...

THE SITE

The grass non-electric area is noted as the 'wild camping' area. But it's not 'wild camping' at all, there are facilities, all be it far away! But they've called it 'wild' as it's a 'free for all' area for you to pitch up where you like in amongst the trees and bushes.

We turned in just where the sign was, and drove down a little grass lane and pitched up in front of a row of trees and had this little lovely 'alcove area' all to ourselves. In all honesty, we were pleasantly surprised with how quiet the campsite area was considering the time of year, school holidays and the weather.. but our private little alcove didn't stay quiet and private for long as it did get busier later in the day - which I'll cover further down...

Because of this, and because we're boring and old, next time I think we'll pay the extra money to have a hard-standing pitch - as these were closer to the facilities/activities and also less chance of getting blocked in/space being invaded.

For any of you that have been to Coniston Hall up at the lakes district - this place has a similar vibe/setup - camp wherever you find space, fires, music, chill.

Facilities:

It states that there's facilities (and there are) - so we didn't bother taking our loo with us. Which was a big mistake - especially with my weak bladder! The toilets and pot washing facilities were the block opposite the wakeboarding cafe and a good 5min walk from where we were to camp...

Half of these also didn't lock, and i don't think have for a while as when I asked a worker walking by how to lock them in case I was just doing it wrong the guy responded with "just use the disabled, they've all gone a bit funny". And the morning we were leaving - one of the ones that were ok and did lock - now somehow was missing a toilet seat.. and the majority of the others had no loo roll...

The water tap we luckily drove past and saw - and this is at the back of the hardstanding pitch area. I didn't spot an elsan..

Facilities:

The water tap we luckily drove past and saw - and this is at the back of the hardstanding pitch area. I didn't spot an elsan..

WATERSPORT ACTIVITIES

If you have your own gear you can book a time slot online at £15 for 2 hours

Alternatively, you can hire equipment for 1 hour or book lessons.

All info is on the website and can be booked online in advance which I highly recommend as it can get busy/no spaces available if you leave it too late.

I also recommend signing the waivers in advance, and/or getting there early to do this as well as pumping up any of your own inflatable gear as all this soon eats into your 'on the water time'.

There are toilets and changing facilities up here also - all be it converted shipping containers - but they do the job!

Now, if you're camping.. the annoying thing is that you have to walk all the way to the other end of the carpark where you first entered to access the activity check-in area and board the water - there is no separate entry point/area.

The carpark is also large rough gravel - and painful to walk on in wetsuit boots/shoes - there are areas that are 'fake grass paved' specifically so you're not hurt your feet on the gravelled stones - but this does not cover the facility area.

So if you have a lot of stuff - I advise you either take a trolley, get up early and drive the car/van around and claim car parking space closer, or the other option is, you can aim to get there for the time of you're slot - and pitch up camp after - and this is why I think the site was so quiet when we arrived at 12 as most people were parked in the main car park doing activities.

For us, we carried all our gear and the Kayak down deflated in its carry bag... pumped it up and put anything we didn't want to take with us in our friends car in the car park. Spent 2hours on the water and then carried the kayak and gear back to the campsite - where we then deflated it. If I had been on my own - this would of been an awful experience as I'd of had to of deflated the kayak on the side and struggled to get it folded, wet back into its carry bag to then carry it back to camp.

The area on the water for Kayaking/Paddle-boarding was fantastic - and so much bigger than Holme-pier-pont or Carsington. You paddle out past the inflatable assault course and veer to the right around the corner and the lake opens out in front of you, you just have to be careful of the wild swimmers!

The staff are proper chill, laid back super friendly, and happy to help - they just didn't all know the relevant information.

and if you're lucky/unlucky enough - they may come and park up next to you after their shifts are done, start a fire, play loud music, with flashing lights, and tell their mates how good it is, so a golf buggy of another 6 people turn up with more beer and wine... and watch jack ass really loud till midnight and just generally just have a real good time...

Luckily for us, they didn't keep us up at all - and we were in bed by 10.30 with our own projector on - and asleep by midnight.

If we'd been in a tent I think it would have been a different story and I'd of either had to try and join in - or complain! So take ear plugs if you're a light sleeper.

OVERALL

amazing large lake to paddle on
lots to do for young and old
great vibe and atmosphere
onsite cafe/drinks
The car park is busy - so make sure you know where you going when you arrive - and this is the wake boarding cafe to check in for camping which is top left hand side opposite the facilities and a big empty marquee.
If you have a lot of gear - activity first - camp later
Take your own portaloo
book in advance if not local

and we'll be going back for sure - especially we now know what to do and expect.. just wish they had direct access/closer access to the lake from the camping area. and better facilities for campers.

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PACKING: CLOTHES FOR EVERY OCCASION

Sat, 11 Jun 2022 15:34:38 GMT

MY MUST HAVE ITEMS FOR EVERY OCCASION!

This obviously depends on how long you're going for, where you're going and what you're planning on doing whilst there – but as I'm an overthinker I always tend to pack for almost every occasion possible. And because I'm small, and my clothes are small - I can usually do this without taking up too much space...

So below is a list of the clothes I tend to always pack and why... and by always I mean, whatever trip we go on, whatever the season, UK or abroad, 2 nights or 10nights - you can guarantee I'll have the below with me as long as space allows, along with some top tips too!

Tights - 2x thermal and 2x normal - I always end up snagging or tearing a hole in a pair!

More socks and pants than you need – because you can guarantee you can never find them or they get wet – knee socks are great too for those cooler summer days

TOP TIP 1:

I often pack socks, pants etc in a separate luggage bag or clear pencil case for ease of finding on longer trips

A multi-way bra that works with every top

A bikini or swimsuit - just in case!

Pyjamas, I recommend leggings, a tee-shirt and a warm (thermal) jumper

TOP TIP 2:

Think about your PJ's - as if you don't have a loo in your unit - you'll be wanting something suitable/warm/protective from insect bites for walking to the toilet block in.

Vest top - standard strapy – good for base layer or if gets surprisingly warm

Vest top - that can be 'dressed up' for a meal out if need be

Skirt - that can be 'dressed up' for a meal out if need be

Shorts

A dress that's casual or could dress up for if it's sunny – t-shirt dresses are great to protect my shoulders from too much sun - especially if you've forgotten or ran out of sun cream!

Thin cover up for the sun

Walking trousers /Waterproof trousers

Quick-dry leggings (are a godsend!

When it comes to jumpers I always like to 'layer up' - as in the UK you never quite know what the weather will be like, so I have base layers that are suitable for sunny weather walks, then a long sleeve top for if it gets breezy but still warm, a small thermal jumper - I usually take one of these with me where I go - even nights out on the town - and then a thicker warm jumper and an emergency fleece in the backpack

If space allows I usually pack two coats - so if one gets mega wet and takes a day or two to dry out, you have another. They're usually dependent on the trip/weather, and one is a tad bigger/warmer than the other

Walking boots, flip flops/sandals, my Northface mules and a 'back up' pair of boots – usually my Doc Martens

A woolly hat, gloves and a sun hat!

A thin scarf - these are great as they're very versatile - they can be used as a sun protector, a neck warmer, a face protector, a bag tie, or in extreme circumstances... tied between your legs to form a pair of shorts for sliding off a mountain top on a rain coat! More can be read about that here !

TOP TIP 3:

Invest in some decent base layers and warm, quick-dry items

For example, thermal leggings are great as they dry quickly if it's been a rainy damp day - or you can even wash and re-wear!

TOP TIP 4:

Be a goth to avoid colour clashes��

in all seriousness though, packing outfits that have simple colours /patterns are great to avoid colour clashes/problems deciding what to wear in the mornings.

TOP TIP 5:

The more versatile they can be, the better! For example, casual items that can be 'dressed up' for those unplanned meals out are great.

You can find a full packing 'kit list' for a week or more away here

And template packing lists can be bought from our online shop here

Alternatively, for more on packing and planning see:

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BEECH CROFT FARM CAMPSITE REVIEW - BLACKWELL, PEAK DISTRICT

Sun, 22 May 2022 11:03:29 GMT

Location: Blackwell, Taddington SK17 9TQ

We visited Saturday 14th May 2022 and stayed for one night

This was a bit of a lucky last-minute find for us - as we'd actually planned to go elsewhere but they were fully booked (which often happens when you leave it until the day to ring somewhere on a nice sunny day) and I think it's one of the best ran sites we've been to!

PRICE AND BOOKING:

We Paid £23 for a 1 night's stay, with no electric hook up and booked via their webpage .

We did this the night before and received a confirmation email first thing the next morning.

It's worth noting here that on their 'Tariff' download page it states that there is a 2night minimum stay during peak season (3 over bank holidays) and the prices listed all included electrics – but when you come to book if you have a small campervan like us, then be sure to select the option 'campervan less than 5m' on the booking form as this gives you a cheaper option, due to being able to park in the 'tent field' rather than on one of the larger, hardstanding fully serviced (water, electrics waste etc) pitches. You can still have electrics in the tent field if you require, but they run off a 'pay as you go' meter - which I've never seen or used before so I'll be trying those out next time we stay!

£23 might sound like a lot, but most sites these days work at apx £7-10 per person, and that can just be for a field with a flushing loo and a lukewarm shower that you have to pay extra for! This site had EVERYTHING you could ever imagine needing.. even for me! and I'll list these in the 'The Site' section...

DIRECTIONS

The site is just off the A6 in Blackwell, which is a really good, wide road and trusty Google took us straight there, with no problems. There were plenty of caravans of all shapes and sizes there too! which indicates it's not too much a pain to get to if towing!

Upon arrival there is a large entrance area, so don't worry if you have a larger vehicle or caravan. If you have booked a hardstanding pitch, simply find one that's free and pitch up! Make a note of the pitch number and head to the reception to book in. If you're on the camping field, there is a designated waiting area to pullup and then head over to reception (This also features a motorhome service station to drain your grey-water or fill up with fresh)

THE SITE

As mentioned above this site had everything you could imagine and more! So for ease, I've listed the key things!

An on-site shop - selling food, ice creams – including a vegan AND gluten-free ice cream! – gifts, camping necessities, and firewood. Fire pits are available to hire too if you don't have one.

A cafe - offering breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, and again vegan options were available!

Goats! yes, they had pet Goats!

A 'camping hut shelter', which consisted of an undercover area that had bench seats, plug sockets, a microwave and a hot drinks machine (£1.25 each) Brilliant for those really wet days when camping in a small tent and no room to stay dry!

TWO children's play areas, one for toddlers and one for older - which had a zip line that even I wanted to try out! and there were surrounding grassy areas with benches so you can keep an eye on them too!

Free WiFi! - Which was actually quite reliable!

An 'enclosed' dog area - we didn't try this and with having a beagle we'd always recommend you check it is 'secure' prior to using.

Modern, clean facilities - the females had 2 really large hot showers, a row of toilets/sinks, a baby change area and even an area with plug sockets and mirrors for hair straitening! and the males had simular, with 12v shaver socket too.

Pot wash facilities, laundry facilities, disabled facilities, and there was even a 'unisex' building with large showers, toilet and washroom for when the others were being cleaned.

a recycle area amongst all waste bins - this shouldn't be such a big deal but it's surprising how many times we have to take the majority of our rubbish home with us because there is no option to recycle.

The grass 'tent' area was well kept, level and comprised of 3 medium-sized fields which were separated by well-kept hedges and connected via a 'through' road with a turning circle. The hard standing is on the other side of the site, but again all connected via a level paved road and the whole site had gorgeous views of fields and trees.

The site was pretty much fully booked, and considering how family-friendly it is - it was surprisingly quiet! So quiet in fact I even had a mid-afternoon nap!

The only negatives I could find, and this is me being REALLY picky is that the path to get down to the facilities, shop, etc is VERY steep - smoothly paved, but steep – you can avoid by going the long 'road' way around, but this could be problematic for the elderly/disabled so do take care. The taps on the sinks were too small/close to the basin making it hard to wash your hands. And due to the time of year and the weather, there were a lot of flies in the late evening - so be sure to take your citronella candles.

SURROUNDING AREA

The campsites website has a brilliant section on what's around - including a downloadable map of some local walks - you can check it out here .

But in short, you've got:

Pennine Bridleway
Monsal Trail - which is great to cycle on (all the way to Bakewell!) and a cycle hire shop is just a 30min walk from the campsite
Chee Dale stepping stones, and viaduct
Deep Dale Nature reserve
and Magpie Mine

Our initial plan was to set up and then head off on a circular walk to Chee Dale, via part of the Monsal Trail, follow the river path down to the famous 'Stepping Stones', and see the Buxton Lime Kilns.

However, it ended up being 22 degrees celsius with not a cloud in the sky or any breeze at all, so it was just too hot for Wander (and Dave) to have coped with such a big walk! So instead we had a well deserved lazy afternoon drawing, reading books, and napping.

Come 7 pm it had cooled and Wander was becoming mischievous (and loud!) so we decided to explore the area a bit closer to camp.

30mins later however, we were on the Monsal Trail and thought 'F*ck it!' and ended up doing a mini version of what we had originally planned. Me in sandals, Dave in a pair of Vans and one phone between us that only had 40% battery...

We survived though, and it took us just over two hours. You can read more about it here in our local walk section .

OVERALL

As mentioned already - I think this is one of the best - well thought out sites we've been too, and we'll definitely be visiting again!

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WALES CAMPSITE REVIEWS COMING SOON

Tue, 19 Apr 2022 19:38:44 GMT

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PACKING: THE NIGHT BEFORE CHECK LIST

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 16:59:56 GMT

As we all know, I love lists! So it should be no surprise that I do a 'night before packing checklist'

This is basically all the stuff that's flying about my head that I know WE CAN'T FORGET OR THE TRIP WILL BE RUINED type of list - teamed with anything I know that needs adding back in the van because it had been removed for whatever reason... and it will vary dependent on the type of holiday we are going on, and the time of year...

Bellow is our last minute – decided Thursday PM we were going Friday evening – first trip out in the van for a while New Year's Eve check list...

(it always makes me chuckle that the first thing I always add is the loo! ��)

Loo
Loo roll
Toilet blue
Drinking water bottle - full due to late arrival
waste water container
Bin/bin bags
food, milk, coffee, snacks -beer /wine
Duvet
Dog bed
Dog blanket
Dog food
Clothes
Toiletries - Make up Toothbrush & paste
Electronics - downloaded programmes/films
Walking Boots
Hike bag
Coats
Towel (dog/floor)
Pop Top cover + tarp
Ipropthen paracetamol

DON'T FORGET TO

Check if the gas is full
Charge the chargers
Download any Maps, Books, Netflix, Music etc

You can find a full packing checklist for a week or more away here and template lists can be bought from our online shop here .

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PACKING LISTS: WHAT KIT WE PACK

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 16:15:34 GMT

Having mild anxieties and the tendency to overthink well, everything can be a massive nuisance – but it can also be a great asset!

For example, when it comes to packing and trips away, I'm very rarely without something I need. BUT... it can become problematic when space is limited, so sacrifices have to be made!

Also, a lot depends on how long you're going for, where you're going and what you're planning on doing whilst you're there.

But below, you'll find a list of the all items I like to try and take with us, broken down into various categories depending on the trip's agenda, hope it helps.

BONUS TIP!

Leave what you can 'pre packed' either in a bag or a drawer/cupboard. For example, I have nail files, plasters, drugs, a hairbrush, shampoo moisturiser etc etc all pre-packed in our van ready to go! All I have to do is check there is an adequate amount of left for each trip we go on.

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CAMPING IN LLANBERIS CAMPSITE AND GLAMPING YURTS

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 15:28:37 GMT

Location: Llwyn Celyn Bach, Ceunant St, Llanberis, Caernarfon LL55 4SR

We visited 14th March 2022 and stayed for one night

PRICE AND BOOKING

We booked through the website and it was £11 per person, per night.

DIRECTIONS

The sat nav took us straight there, however the drive was single track with tight corners past a school so try to avoid 3pm ish (unlike us).

THE SITE

This site is not suitable for large motorhomes, or caravans, campervans are allowed but it would be pot luck if you get somewhere half decent/slightly level.

It was very boggy when wet. There is a reasonably sized gravel car park which you can park and stay in if in a van. We have a VW T6 SWB and opted to 'camp' in the car park. We were also the only ones there.

The field not level at all, but would be great for small tents in the summer months - with sheep were wandering free and hardly any light pollution - it's true 'back to basics camping'.

Showers cost 1 for 8mins, and the shower block not heated. The hot water took a while to get hot for hand washing so we opted not to shower as were only there for one night and off to a 'fancy' place next.

Possibly because it was out of season, but there was a lot of rubbish dotted about, like old broken machinery, and an upside down caravan.

We didn't see an elsan or waste water disposal.

SURROUNDING AREA

Most people visit Llanberis to see Mount Snowdon which is the highest mountain in Wales, at an elevation of 1,085 metres (3,560 ft) above sea level. It is the busiest mountain in the United Kingdom and the third most visited attraction in Wales; in 2019 it was visited by 590,984 walkers, with an additional 140,000 people taking the train.

The Snowdon Mountain Railway (SMR) is a narrow gauge rack and pinion mountain railway that travels for 4 3⁄4 miles (7.6 km) from Llanberis to the Summit station of Snowdon. It is the only public rack and pinion railway in the United Kingdom, and after more than 100 years of operation it remains a popular tourist attraction, carrying more than 130,000 passengers annually. Single carriage trains are pushed up the mountain by either steam locomotives or diesel locomotives. It has also previously used diesel railcars as multiple units. The railway was constructed between December 1894, when the first sod was cut by Enid Assheton-Smith (after whom locomotive No.2 was named), and February 1896, at a total cost of £63,800 (equivalent to £7,854,000 as of 2021). More information can be found here .

However, if you're in the area, don't miss

a short walk to see walk to see Ceunant Mawr waterfall
Llanberis Lake Railway
Dolbadarn Castle
Llafn y Cewri - Blade of the Giants
Llyn Padarn & Padarn country park
National Slate Museum
Dinorwig Quarry and Quarry mans hospital

OVERALL

This site would be ideal for small tents, and we would go back due to location. But if you're new to camping and don't like the cold I suggest paying more for a glamping or hostel option that they also have on offer.

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LOCAL WALK TIPS

freddiepfs@gmail.com (Freddie Pf) — Sun, 27 Feb 2022 19:40:37 GMT

There are lots of various apps available to download that can help suggest, direct, and track routes. However - do bear in mind that some apps/maps will be useless when you lose signal, or run out of battery. Therefore, if you are venturing a long way from home we always recommend downloading any maps you may need and taking phone battery charges with you - or even better - go old school and take an actual paper map!

Some of the apps we use are:

OS maps – as this is really good at showing footpaths and routes that aren't clear on google
Google maps
Kamoot and All Trails.

These last two apps work by you putting in your location - or the location you are intending to start from, and it brings up walks in that area. They are also 'user based' apps - which means some routes are 'official walks' where as others are random submissions from fellow walkers. This means you can find some right gems that you possibly wouldn't of found otherwise - however, some routes are also better than others. We have recently set up an account on All Trails, just search for "When We Wander' and our walks will come up.

Don't be scared to go to new places, try new things - after all who knows what you could find - and if it isn't right - you can always turn around! Below are two places we stumbled upon just by chance and heading off the beaten track - and these are right next to a road which we'd of usually walked down by default.

I know this is also a lot easier said than done - especially if you suffer from any sort of anxiety at all. To make it easier, I always take a bag with water, tissues, anti back and a pack lunch – and recently what with all the public toilets being closed - we tend to go in the van and take the portaloo with us! Alternatively you can also buy these nifty little bottles that expand and that you can wee into! No joke!

If you're after a bag - we have Stay Wild Tote bags in our shop - and backpacks coming soon!

SHAWN RIGGS CAMPSITE REVIEW – WHITBY

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 12:54:59 GMT

Location: 'Whitby

Shawn Riggs Caravan Park, Whitby YO22 5HW

We visited Friday 17th-Sunday 19th September - 2 nights

With us usually being 'spring/summertime' campers, we weren't sure how we'd fair to a January camp out. So wanted to book somewhere that had a pub close by - just in case it got too cold and we needed to take refuge by a log fire and sample some beer - this came up on our search and it was perfect!

PRICE AND BOOKING:

To book, we called the number that we found on google maps and spoke to the owner, who was lovely and very talkative. She explained that currently, they were only taking cash payment on arrival as it's been a pain for them to issue refunds due to covid cancellations. The cost is £19 per pitch per night, so it cost us £38 for the two nights, with electric hook-up , which is quite reasonable.

DIRECTIONS

The site isn't located in Whitby, but a small village just outside called Ruswarp. It's a quaint little village, but with plenty of amenities a short walk from the site - a bit more on this later. We used google maps from our house in Nottingham and it took us straight there with no issues (except for the usual M1 turning into a car park at normal rush hour).

THE SITE

The site is a Certified Site (CS) with the Camping and Caravan Club. It is quite small, with only 5, hardstanding pitches available . These are ample size pitches though, so more than enough space for a van with an awning. With this, the site isn't suitable for tent camping . Each Pitch also has an Electric hook at no extra cost . In regards to facilities, there is a Freshwater tap, an elsan point and a bin.... that's ya lot. No toilets or shower facilities here , so you will need to be self-contained or have a portable loo with you.

Directly over the road from the entrance, there is a small plot of grassland that is cordoned off, that is right on the river. It's owned by the site and people using the site can use this freely for BBQ's or just to enjoy the tranquillity of the riverside.

Now, as lovely as the site is, there are some things to be aware of. Firstly the entrance to the site is basically a small layby with a large gate . If like us, you are in a small camper then there's plenty of space to jump out of the van and get the gate open - if you are in a larger motorhome or a caravan, then there might be an issue with blocking the road a little while you do this.

The site is also situated right on the side of a road. Not necessarily a main road, but plenty of noisy vehicles pass at all hours of the day and night, so can be a bit loud. There is also a church nearby where the bells ring every hour... even through the night, so if you are a light sleeper like Trish, some earplugs might be in order .

Lastly, there is also direct river access from some of the pitches – so if you have children - or dogs - be sure to watch them at all times.

SURROUNDING AREA

Ruswarp is a small village but with more than enough local conveniences. With a few mins walk from the site, you will find a local pub that serves food, a local small shop for the essentials, butchers and even a train station.

Within a 5 min drive, you are in the middle of Whitby. If walking is more your style, there is a path that starts at the train station and follows the railway lines straight into Whitby Harbour, which takes around 20 mins. This a really flat walk so suitable for all abilities. At night we took a taxi and it cost us £7.50 from the centre of Whitby to the Ruswarp train station.

Whitby is rammed with historic sites, pubs, boat rides, beaches and of course fresh fish and chips! There's plenty to do for all the family, or even for a night on the town.

For more on Whitby click here .

OVERALL

This is a great site to soak up the historical sights of Whitby with it being only a short drive or walk away. Its get everything you need for a weekend get away with plenty of amenities on your doorstep and is a reasonable price too. However, if you are looking for a site to simply chill and not move from, you may want to see what is closer to Whitby, but this will come at a cost.

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DUKE OF YORK CAMPSITE REVIEW

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 20:18:22 GMT

Location: 'Peak District'

Ashbourne Rd, Pomeroy, Flagg, Buxton SK17 9QG

We visited 21st-22nd January 2022 - 1 night

PRICE AND BOOKING:

It cost £25 per unit per night.

This may sound expensive to some, but this is for your own hardstanding pitch with electric hook up , a water tap shared between 2 units, a heated toilet and shower block , an outdoor pot wash and a pub !

We booked directly through their website and received a confirmation email with a booking number.

DIRECTIONS

We followed google maps and it was quite straightforward with your usual windy country roads. Be warned though if you miss some turns you may get re-directed down a narrow farm track - which due to it being dark, we opted out of and instead re-trace our tyres, as we've been caught out on these before.

The Pub is on the side of quite a main road, but has a large entrance and a substantial car park, so easy to manoeuvre about in if necessary. The campsite is directly behind the pub, and accessed through a secure gate.

THE SITE

The site has a barrier for which you need a key code, there is a sign saying to park up and report to the reception which can be found within the pub itself - we just went in and spoke directly to the bar staff there's not a separate 'camp reception area'.

We got given a map of the site, directing us where to the pitch - as there was plenty of space, we had the choice of apx 6 vacant spots - a magazine all about the peaks and a leaflet listing some local walks! Pub to pub walks!

The site has lovely scenic views behind it, but with us visiting in January and having low fog and mist - we can't advise where the sun hits or sets - but I imagine it to be beautiful in the summertime.

It is made up of 24 hard standing pitches, with grass on either side for awnings or a toilet tent (though these are charge extra per night on booking) and 7 grass pitches - all these have electric hook up and a water tap shared between two units. there is a well maintained gravel road connecting all the hard standing pitches. There is also an area for tents but this was currently closed off, partially due to the season and partially because someone had driven into their sheep field wall and they needed to house the sheep somewhere else. I'm not sure if they allow vans on this field in the summertime, so if booking with friends and a mixture of van's and tenst, its worth phoning ahead and cheking if possible.

There are automatic sensor lights on the outside of the toilet & shower block, are soft lights dotted about the site so you can see at night, however these do turn off at a certain time, so a torch would be good.

The site isn't massive and circles around, so it's not far to walk to the loos from any pitch - even I didn't demand we put up our toilet tent for this stay!

The toilet and shower block was so warm, we arrived after a long walk along a windy ridge at 2 degrees so this was very appreciative for us! The ladies had 2 showers and 4 loos, Blokes had 2 urinals, 2 loos and 2 showers. All very clean and modern - as we only stayed for one night and got up late the following morning we didn't use the showeers, so can't comment on heat or power, but I did notice there was no plug sockets or hair dryers - just 2 air hand dryers. However, as the site has electrics I guess you can always blow dry/straighten there.

There was a sink to wash pots, this was outside but, unfortunately both taps didn't appear to work - no water. This might be due to the cold weather and them possibly shutting off the water so as not to freeze but I never investigated, we just washed them in the van instead. If this is the case on you're staying and you don't have the option to wash in your van, there was a phone number on the handout to ring if you have any issues.

As mentioned, there is a pub!! and believe it or not, we didn't actually end up going as we'd got too settled and comfy in bed with the diesel heater on. I'm sure there will be plenty of reviews of their food on sites such as TripAdvisor, Google, Pitch up etc. But one thing we do know is that one section is dog friendly - and they advised pre-booking if want to take your dogs in and eat a meal as this area can get quite busy.

SURROUNDING AREA

We love this area of the peaks, there's so much to do and all not that far away from each other - especially if you're driving.

For example;

High Wheeldon, Chrome Hill, Pilsbury castle, Arbor Low Stone Circle & Gib Hill Barrow, Magpie mine, Lathkill Dale, Eyam Plague village, Bakewell, Chee Dale, Froggatt, Curbar, Padley Gordge, all less than 30mins drive away from the Duke of York.

For this trip, we drove up 'North' late Saturday morning and did a walk around Froggat and Curbar edge - if you've never done this, we highly recommend and more can be found about this here.

We were planning on doing a circular around Chrome hill the following day hence choosing to stay at the Duke of York a just 22 mins drive away. But unfortunately, we never made it to Chrome Hill due to being unfit, lazy and having a cold unwell doggo! But we'll definitely be back to visit the Duke of York, Chrome Hill and to do some more local walks nearer to the campsite itself.

OVERALL

Already planning our next trip there!

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NORTH FACE (YOUTH) TRACTION MULE (SLIPPER) REVIEW

Mon, 17 Jan 2022 20:16:20 GMT

WWW SCORE: 10/10

SO FAR....

BRAND: YOUTH THERMOBALL™ TRACTION II MULES

PRICE: £40 (Adults are £50)

I BOUGHT: one pair at £40 and another a size up for £32.50 as was on offer

NOTE: There are two versions of these slippers - the 'tent mule' which has a fabric base, and the 'traction mule' which has a rubber base suitable for outdoor use. I have finally purchased the 'Traction' base version.

I've wanted these for near on 2 years - but kept putting off ordering due to the price (£50!) They do appear on sale occasionally, so do keep your eye out - however, I got impatient waiting for the colour and size I wanted/needed and decided what the hell and treated myself for Christmas to the childs version - (saving £10).

TOP TIP: If you have a size 5 or smaller foot it's often worth checking out the childrens/youth section as they are always cheaper.

They do have a slightly different look to the adults slipper. As the childrens' have a larger branded 'hook tag' on the back and an additional one on the front too - which quite frankly I've found rather useful so no complaints here!

They're so warm and comfy, with good grip. I haven't had any rubbing and they kept my feet dry walking over damp wet grass to the pub (yes I wore them to the pub at the camp field).

The only issue I've had so far is that if you're wearing thick thermal/bed/slipper socks they can be hard to get on - to the point where I ended up treading the back down for 2am wee's which inevitably results in damp socks and cold feet if the grass is long! So possibly worth going up a size if you plan on wearing big socks with them - which brings me to my final statement of – they're so good, I've brought two pairs - one for the house and one (a size up) for camping.

I'm also not sure how long the back will stay 'snug' for - as it's just material and some elastic - so I will report back once I've had them a while longer... stay tuned.....

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BRASHER WOMENS WALKING LEGGINGS CLOTHING REVIEW

Sun, 16 Jan 2022 18:40:19 GMT

WWW SCORE: 6/10

BRAND: Brasher women's walking leggings

PRICE: RRP apx £66 often on sale for £30

I BOUGHT FOR: £25 from Go Outdoors with a membership card

I've been on the hunt for a decent pair of water-resistant, warm trousers/leggings that dog hairs don't stick to for a while now - and unfortunately, the search continues...

Don't get me wrong - these trousers are great and really close to being perfect. They're comfy, warm, water/dog hairs brush off with ease, decent zip pockets and they're skinny around the calf and ankle - but they just don't fit me right around the thighs, bum or waist.

Admittedly I have lost quite a bit of weight recently, so where I'm usually a size 8(UK) for trousers I could be a size 6 now - but size 8 was the smallest available in store and online - plus they fit fine in length and around the calf/ankle so could a size smaller have been too tight/short(?).

Overall for £25, teamed with a long coat/jumper and a good belt - I'm happy but if I'd have bought these for £66.00 I'd of returned them, so I highly recommend going down to a store to try on before purchasing if you have the option to do so.

THE DETAILS:

This info is taken from the Go Outdoors website;

Breathable polyester fabric
Deeper waistband - improves the fit for every adventurer
Rubber tip lockdown puller zip
Articulated knees
Twin needle hems
Lightweight design

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FIELDS FARM, BUXTON, PEAK DISTRICT CAMPSITE REVIEW

Wed, 05 Jan 2022 09:53:41 GMT

Location: 'Peak District'

Peak Forest, Buxton, Derbyshire, England, SK17 8EL

We visited 31st December 2021 - 1st January 2022

We had no plans for New Years eve (due to covid restrictions possibly changing) so decided to go away on a last minute trip in the van.

We were really excited, as it was the first time (currently) we'd ever camped in the winter months, so were looking forward to trying out the thermal pop top cover and diesel heater. We'll be writing a full review on these soon so do check the reviews page in the future.

PRICE AND BOOKING:

A lot of campsites do close for the winter season, but we used a website called ' Pitch Up ' to locate and book campsite that was open. A deposit of £6 was required and then the rest was to be paid on arrival (cash).

I was a little nervous using pitch up as we'd never used it before, but it worked seamlessly and the campsite owner phoned us a few hours later to confirm. He even warned us that the field was boggy and suggested putting us on hardstanding on his farm if we'd prefer – but due to needing a toilet tent we opted to risk the field.

The owner is absolutely lovely, he popped over to see us and makesure everything was ok, told us where things were located in the field, what was in the local area, pub opening times etc and wished us a happy new year. He was in no rush for payment but please make sure you pay him as he told us he'd had a few that just leave prior to payment, which is really unfair and gives the rest of us honest campers a bad name!

It is a little on the pricey side at £20 per night, per pitch - but if you think of it as £10 per person (based on two sharing) at a great location for hiking and a pub 2min walk away, you can't really complain. There is currently no facilities, but the owner has started making a small toilet/shower block. Once this is completed, I think the price will be quite reasonalbe.

DIRECTIONS

It took us 1hour 10mins to get there following Google maps, and it was easy to follow. Roads were quite windy and dark but nothing we'd never experienced before.

The camp is easy enough to find, as it just off the T Juncton on the A623 as you go through Peak Forest, turning right just after the pub. The main enterence is a Large wooden Gate that has a large sign on, go through this and you enter directly onto the field. When we went however, he advised us to take a secondary enterence that comes off his farm land, this was due to the field being boggy in certain areas and he didn't want us getting stuck in the night. Glad we did this, as the following day, a motorhome got stuck in the mud and needed to be towed out! The farm house is stunning, especially decorated with festive lights!

THE SITE

By the time we arrived (6.30pm) it was dark. There are a row a lights along the back of the farm house - but you will need a good torch/lantern.

We had the whole field to ourselves for the night, but camped near the top end where it was less boggy.

It's a medium-sized flat field, and at a guess would fit APX 20 vans comfortably. Facilities, currently there is just a water tap and an elsan point, but as mentioned above he is building a small toilet shack in the far corner which would make it a perfect stop for tents too. He also mentioned the possibility of installing some Electric Hook Up points too, so would be good for longer stays too.

SURROUNDING AREA

There is a general store located on the map next door to the site - note this is closed and no longer in business. Same I believe for the Camping and Caravan club site behind it.

After we pitched up we had food and wandered over to the Devonshire Arms for a drink. As it was New year's Eve the pub was quite busy (nothing like Nottingham city centre mind!) But we sat outside either way as it was quite mild for December and well... Covid.

Devonshire Arms itself also has a small camp field which fits about 3 vans. We tried to book here first but it said there was no space. They also do not have standard facilities, however, I believe you have access to the pub toilets all night through a back door, and if no one is staying at the static van on site, they also leave that open to be used as a toilet/shower block. We did not use either of these so cannot comment on them but there are plenty of reviews on pitch up and other sites if you require more information.

Both these campsites work as a great central location in the peaks, with the base of Mam Tor being just over an hour and a half walk away. But if you don't fancy the walk there's always road parking at the base or in Castleton village, where you'll also find Speedwell and Blue John Caverns. Hope Valley, Bamford or Lady Bower reservoir are also just a short (21minuite) drive away.

New Year's Day We planned for a walk to Mam Tor and over into Castleton and back round (APX 6hours). But due to having one too many drinks the night before, we overslept, meaning we'd run out of daylight for such a big walk - especially with our poor navigation skills. So instead, we walked to the top of Winnants Pass and back (took us APX 3hours with a few stops for a dog sniff) which was still a great walk over muddy sheep fields.

As it was New year's Day we also encountered APX 15 odd horses and hounds on their way back from a trail hunt - chaperoned by quad bikes. Though nice to see such well behaved hounds, compared to our own, we both had mixed feelings about this practice.

On the way home, it was a toss-up between visiting Bakewell - where we've been many times before! or Eyam, the English 'plague village' that sacrificed themselves in 1965-6 to stop the spread of the plague to neighbouring villages. I've not been here since I was at school so we thought let's try somewhere 'different'. Note the Museum is closed over the winter months and reopens in February 2022. You can read more about our trip to Eyam here .

OVERALL

We'll definitely be back and planing on taking some tenting buddies with us next time too if the toilet block is finished.

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HOW DO YOU PLAN YOURS - PART 2 : TRIP ITINERARY

Wed, 29 Dec 2021 09:18:08 GMT

Pre-planning for us is very important. This is not just because it makes the trip a lot easier and less stressful, but because it also helps to utilise our time, and helps us save money.

In 'How do you plan yours - Part 1' we spoke about how we utilise our holiday allowance by shortlisting a few areas (eg, Scotland, Wales, the Peaks etc) and then allocating a number of days we'd like to spend in each for each particular trip and the more days we have off, the larger the surface area we tend to cover as we rarely stay in one place for longer than 2-3nights!

So here we talk about how we decide how many days are needed in each destination, and how we fill those allocated days with activities.

So where do we start?

How we plan will vary depending on the nature and length of the trip, but you can guarantee it always starts with our pinned 'want to go' google map!

This free service from Google allows you to save and pin places of interest to a map for future reference. It's also super easy to share/collab on so if you haven't already got one – we highly recommend it - and our current map is FULL of places we'd love to visit.

Once we have a location, amount of days booked off and a substantial amount 'places of interest' to visit for the duration of our trip we'll save these out onto a separate google map or layer and start thinking about the most economical and logical way possible to get from one to another using the 'direction' tab and + destination for each key area/stop off.

For our trip to the South Island of New Zealand, we went old school and used a combination of printed maps, pins and string! This was because it was easier to see and pin the full island at a glance once printed - and we plotted the route with string instead of using the 'direction' tab and + destination for each key area/stop off.

TOP TIP 1

As soon as you stumble across somewhere that you think you may want to explore - note it down! We do this with a google map, adding to it over the months which we've found makes planning trips and days out so much easier as you're not having to always search or remember things!

The route and finding campsites

Once we've got our shortlisted 'activities/sights', and a rough 'direction' we'll have a think about how much time we'll want/need to spend at each place and which we'd be happy to do 'on route', then we'll locate and book campsites along that route. For this we tend to search Google maps, use a site called 'Pitch Up' or for THS/Club meets we'll use the 'Out and About' section of the Camping and Caravan Club Magazine or App – more on this below.

The reason we do it this way, and look for sites on a pre determined 'route' is if you have a small campervan as we do, it means you can sightsee on route to each destination which helps keep costs low as you'll be using less fuel not having to go back and forth from the same campsite over various days – and it also means that campsite costs will be lower as you'll need to stay in that specific area for less amount of nights, enabling you to see a lot more and cover more ground in the long run.

NB this way of travelling is not really feasible for a caravan or large motorhome, as most car parks won't be able to accommodate you. You can read more about this over in our 'size does matter' blog.

Occasionally, we might just have a nice campsite in mind and then research what to do in and around this area. But this is rare for us as we like an action-packed holiday 'touring' and covering as much ground as possible.

Cutting Campsite costs

As mentioned in a few other posts, we're members of the Camping and Caravanning Club and therefore have access to various THS or 'Club Meet' sites (for more info on these click here and here ).

These are great as they can be so much cheaper than some other campsites for example they can cost as little as £8 Per unit per night – and yes can include 2 adults, 4 kids and 3 dogs – but they rarely have facilities.

Therefore, for our longer trips away, we tend to spend a couple of nights at these cheaper sites and then every 2-3 days treat ourselves to a site with the use of some decent showers, electric hook up (and laundry dependant on the length of our trip). These types of sites can be anything upwards of £15 Per person per night - hence why we use them sparingly.

If you are not a member of the Camping and Caravanning Club you can join for apx £40 a year or you can still find cheaper, minimal facility stays at places like such as:

Pub stop over
Park for the night location
Some National Trust Carparks
Some tourist car parks

Just be sure to read the signs, pay accordingly and take home any waste with you.

TOP TIP 1

If there isn't a facilitated campsite available on the route - there are other ways you can grab a cheeky 'decent' shower. For example, in New Zealand, we teamed it with the 'hot spring' day and just showered beforehand. We've also been known to book the odd Glamping pod, Air B&B, or hotel with a Hot tub mid-trip - but I personally prefer to end the trip on these!

Tie it all up in a nice little bow

For clarity and ease - we'll also create a spreadsheet that houses all the information we may need before, during or even after that trip. For example; it will list the days we're away for, what our plans are for each of those days, the campsites we're staying at, flag if we've booked yet, booking reference numbers, postcodes/directions, costs, what facilities they have or do not have useful website links, contact phone numbers and lastly anything extra or activity-based/touristy/useful to do or see in or around that area if we end up with time spare.

It may seem like a lot of effort, but we find this great as it means everything is all in place, we can make the most of our time away, and get to see as much as possible in the area we're visiting rather than not knowing what to do/see.

It also helps to show at a glance how many days it might be that we'll have to go without a shower - so we can therefore decide to plan in /swap out some campsites with/without facilities sooner or later during the trip.

TOP TIP 3

Don't start your trip 'posh' - This happened to us – unintentionally I might add – on our recent trips to Wales - March 2022. The First campsite facility block was amazing - it was modern, clean and heated! But all our campsites after that in comparison were just cold 'sheds' with loos and a shower. Don't get me wrong, there was nothing wrong with them, the water itself was hot and I bet they'd all of been lovely in peak season, or when it's not lower than 6 degrees outside...

For more information on planning see:

HOW DO YOU PLAN YOURS - PART 1 : HOLIDAY ALLOWANCES

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WHAT IS A 'PUP' TENT?

Tue, 28 Dec 2021 20:43:09 GMT

A 'pup' tent is technically a 'quick to put up tent' and it is said (on Google) that the term originated from the armed forces style of tents, more specifically the Chattanooga Infantry who gave their tents the nickname “dog houses” to where the name then transformed into “pup tents.” - how true this is I do not know! It's also not very useful - or relevant for this post... so moving on...

A 'pup' tent is still technically a 'quick to put up tent' and according to ' Pitch up ' a popular campsite finder website – "A pup tent is a small tent pitched alongside the main unit, often used for storage or pets".

It also goes on to say that... " many campsites policies on pup tents vary - some sites accept them free of charge, some charge extra for them, and others don't allow pup tents at all". *

and this is where it gets a little confusing, as according to the description above - 'toilet tents' would be classed as a 'pup tent' yet some sites that say they do not allow 'pup tents' - do accept 'toilet tents'.

So if you require a toilet tent, and the site states 'no tents' or 'no pup tents' it's always worth asking - but bear in mind that the answer may be no.

I do know that The Camping and Caravan Club DO allow 'Pup tents' as long as it's within your designated 'pitch area' but they also go on to say... "Children's pup tents can be classified as an integral part of a unit, in the same way as an awning, when they are occupied by children aged 17 years or under, and included in the household membership. "

*Common reasons for not allowing tents could be due ground/grass conditions, or for risk of bad wind.

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HOW DO YOU PLAN YOURS - PART 1 : HOLIDAY ALLOWANCES

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 14:16:26 GMT

The average UK holiday entitlement (including public holidays) is 33.5 days. So how we chose to spend them is VERY important. Especially when there are so many amazing things to see and do in this country - let alone across the pond!

So how do we cram in as much exploration as we can - along side all those other commitments such as Birthdays, weddings, concerts and more? We plan!!

The best way I've found is to set aside some time to plan the whole year out in one go! and I personally chose to do this over the Christmas and New Year holidays (usually when Dave is hung over).

Now, when I say the 'whole year' - It's worth remembering that Holiday allowances start and end in either May or April dependant on your companies policies so it's up to you for whether you plan 'April-April' or 'Jan-December' just be sure you've worked out your allocations accordingly for whichever you pick. I tend to work Jan-December.

I start by filling in my self made 'holiday allowance spreadsheet' with all the pre determined holidays that I HAVE to book off - so any weddings, gigs, birthdays etc - and then at the end it will show me a tally of how many days I have left to spread around the year (picture example below).

To do this, I use a standard Google Sheets doc with basic subtraction formulas - but any form of list, paper or electronic will do just fine.

I then make a list / consult my list of all the main places we might want to go that year – for example, the Lakes, Wales, Scotland etc and allocate the appropriate amount of days possibly needed - including travel time – for each trip – even if they're a '0' - (Friday afterwork to Sunday PM trip)

TOP TIP 1

It's handy to keep a map close at hand for planing the travel time/days! As if you're lucky or clever with your planing and time you can utilise your 'travel days' to see more along your route. For example what do you have to drive past, to get to your final destination? and can you warrant a stop of?

Find out more in our 'How do you plan yours Part 2: Trip Itinerary' blog.

After, I print off a calendar – ensuring it starts on a Monday as its easier to see visually where the weekends fall – and lay it all down on a nice flat surface so that I can see the whole year at a glance - If you use something like Google Calendar this is great as it will already include all pre arranged engagements and birthdays to be aware of - If not, not to worry there are many free downloads available like this one here just make sure you add in all your pre arranged dates, birthdays and the relevant local Bank Holidays - such as Easter!

Easter is great as you can usually get 10 days away, by just using 4 days holiday - perfect for those further away destinations!

Then using post-it notes for the locations I slot them in where they'll fit around the other pre determined engagements and once Dave and I are in agreeance with what sits where, we'll transfer it into a hard copy and book off all the days we need from work. Job Done! and it's great knowing that there's always something planed in to do.

Yes things may and do change occasionally - and you obviously can't guarantee you're going to get nice weather but this is the UK after all - there's never a guarantee of nice weather! So we just make sure we pack and plan for all weather conditions - you can find more on this here in our 'top 5 camping in the rain tips' or here in our 'what we pack' post.

Find out more in our 'How do you plan yours Part 2: Trip Itinerary' blog.

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TOP 3 TRAVELLING WITH DOGS TIPS

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 13:20:32 GMT

Travelling with dogs can be difficult - especially if yours is quite anxious/nervous or gets car sick.

Bellow we've written our top 3 tips in the hopes that it may help offer a better experience for you and your pooch when travelling.

But most importantly , whatever you do - please ensure your pet is buckled in and safe incase of accidents.

TOP TIP 1:

little and often

TOP TIP 2 :

Listen to your dog, read the signals and adjust to make sure they're comfortable.

TOP TIP 3:

THINK ABOUT FEEDING TIMES

other tips

• Makesure water and treats are accessible

• Crack a window for fresh air flow

• Don't have the music too loud - they have more sensitive ears than we do

TOP TIP 1:

little and often

The best advice we can offer is to start off gradually.. small short trips, often, and build up to longer ones.

Just to the end of the street and back is a great starting point, then around the block, to the fish and chip shop - that sort of thing once or twice a week. Then build up to a nice park - their favourite if they have one - and spend a lot of time there enjoying it together, lots of sniffs and again with the treats to get back inside the vehicle.

If your pooch has had a bad experience, and backs away from the van and refusing to get in - try leading them out with biscuits and treats, entice them in but don't drive anywhere. Do this a few times over a few weeks and they'll soon start to associate the van with nice pleasurable experiences again and then you can start to build up the distance.

TOP TIP 2 :

Listen to your dog, read the signals and adjust to make sure they're comfortable

We had a van before we had Wander - so she's grown up with it which always makes things easier. But over the years we've definitely learnt what she likes and doesn't like when it comes to travelling in vehicles.

For example, when she was young/smaller she was crated, on not slip mats and packed in around our stuff to ensure she wouldn't slide around and we never had any issues, good as gold, slept most of the way, even up to Scotland - quite as mouse and always happy to go back in after a stop.

When she outgrew the crate we tried her on the back seat, safety buckled in – always make sure they are fastened in incase of an emergency stop! – with a cushion, but quickly learnt that she didn't feel 'safe' unless there was a lot of 'stuff' piled up in front of her, and bought her a new bed that had sides which helped. And occasionally she's sit upfront with us if we were driving solo.

When we got the new van we could sit three up front but there was a lot more space between the seat and the dash which made her nervous so bought her a little basket seat to sit in - which seems to have worked a treat in reassuring her.

Some dogs can't settle unless they can see out a window and others don't like to see where they're going.. so just watch, and learn and try and read what makes your dog happy, there are so many accessories available now too from booster seats, to crates, to baskets they key is finding out which is right for them.

Bellow are some pictures of what we have done and trialled over the years... and again I re iterate the most important thing is ensuring they are safe.

Below is wander's new seat - as you can see she still faces the wrong way and hides on motorways and ducks for bridges etc - but she is getting loads better.

TOP TIP 3:

THINK ABOUT FEEDING TIMES

If you're on a long trip - try spreading the feeding out - travelling on a bumpy road after your dogs just wolfed down their dinner in 3seconds flat is not a great idea

other tips

• Makesure water and treats are accessible

• Crack a window for fresh air flow

• Don't have the music too loud - they have more sensitive ears than we do

Tips on travelling with dogs in hot weather can be found here

And general camping with dogs tips and tricks here

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WHAT ARE CL AND CS SITES?

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 20:01:09 GMT

A CS site is a Camping and Caravan Club 'Certified campsite' (CS)

A CL site is a Motorhome and Caravan Club (previously known as The Caravan Club) 'Certified Location' (CL) campsite

What this means is that the campsite is privately ran site by a Farm/Landowner, however, as it meets certain standards of the Club it's 'recognised' and therefore able to advertise as such.

This is great for the campsite owners - as there is often a lot of recognition and reassurance of the type of quality and experience you'd expect to get from a either of these clubs - so being recognised as part of this means that people will be more likely to stay as they know what they're going to get.

These sites are often a lot smaller than the main certified sites (some only having 5 pitches), and some may have limited facilities.

It is always recommend to phone ahead/book in advance due to the limited spaces.

Members and non-members can stay.

Like other privately ran farms/Campsites CS/CL Sites occasionally also have land available to 'hire' for Temporary Holiday sites (THS)/Club meets/Rallies or as I like to call them 'pop up campsites'. These often do not have facilities and you can learn more about these here or here .

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PETER STORM WALKING BOOTS REVIEW

Sun, 05 Sep 2021 16:36:27 GMT

WWW SCORE: 9/10

BRAND: Peter Storm - Breacon

PRICE: around £70 (often on sale)

I BOUGHT FOR: £50 in a sale

CAN BUY FROM: Millets, Blacks, Go Outdoors, Ultimate Outdoors, Amazon, Ebay

Originally, I wanted black walking boots - but for some reason I just couldn't find any that were waterproof and looked like they'd be suitable, in my budget.

I've had these bad boys for just over 2 years now, and admittedly I don't do 8 mile walks every week, but I do wear these shoes most days, (I even chose them over my Doc's now!) as they are just the most comfortable boots I've ever owned, and they don't look half bad either (until I tore the laces)!

These shoes have been fantastic for local street dog walks, muddy wood walks, and even beach walks - and with never a wet sock in sight! Until recently... I stood in a puddle to take a photo and my foot was drenched - after inspection I've realised that I've somehow managed to wear the sole down on just one side of the tread so much so that you can see through it.

The furthest I've walked in these boots in one go is from Whitby bay to Robin Hood's bay ( apx 12miles ) and there were no rubbings, blisters or swore feet!

The only issue I've had is that the 'lace hooks' occasionally catch against each other/ the other shoe - but this is because I walk with my feet very close together, and tend to trip on my own feet regularly. The seam on one of them looks like it's starting to go - and I'm disappointed the laces frayed so soon, and most recently the fast wearing of the sole now making these boots unfit for purpose.

overall, I loved these boots, and am very sad to see them go and would highly recommend them if you can get them at a discounted price. I score them 9/10 - if they were black or lasted a bit longer they'd of got a 10!

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NORTH FACE (YOUTH) WALKING BOOTS REVIEW

Sun, 05 Sep 2021 16:34:46 GMT

WWW SCORE: 10/10

SO FAR....

BRAND: North Face Hedgehog Hiker II

PRICE: £80

I BOUGHT FOR: £54 in a sale from the outlet store near York

This is my first item of North Face attire to own and I was doubtful of their boots as I'd read a review that they can be quite uncomfortable until worn in - and at £150+ I didn't want this from a boot brand when I can get others for half the price that are comfy from the get go - see my Peter Storm and Hi-Tec boot reviews.

So fair to say these were a bit of a whim purchase, as I just happend to be in the outlet shop and was disappointed that Vans didn't have the Made for Elements in that I wanted.. and I most definitely didn't need any more boots! (I already have two relatively new pairs!) But as soon as I put these babies on I was in love! And for £57 for North Face boots how could I not?

(It wasn't until I got home I realised they were 'youth' - but hey I'm not complaining as like I said Im in love with these boots).

This particular pair are so light and comfy it's like I'm wearing slippers. And the ventilation is marvelous - I did a 3hour walk in 20+ heat and my feet weren't too hot at all.

And they didn't even need breaking in.

I haven't used them in the rain or near water yet - because they're just too pretty to ditch - so I cannot comment on the waterproof claim - but with the breathable mesh I'm a bit doubtful on how dry they will keep my feet. I will however update on this when I have braved the rain in them as its inevitably going to happen soon with living in the UK.

Until then I am mightily Impressed, and will defo try more North Face boots after this.

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HAVING A CAMPERVAN AS A DAILY

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 16:16:07 GMT

As you might be able to tell, WE HAVE A NEW VAN!

This was a BIG decision, which happened really fast, but the time seemed right for a few reasons which I will go into a little later.

We always knew that we would eventually need to upgrade to a newer vehicle, but we just didn’t think that it would happen this soon. We always thought that when the time was right, we would upgrade to a larger motorhome/coachbuild once we got #vanlife out of our system. This may still happen in the future, just maybe closer to our retirement age!

So, why the upgrade?

Before the new van - we had a total of 4 vehicles: 2 ‘His & Hers’ daily driver cars, Our Nissan campervan ‘Urvan’ and a classic VW Beetle. My daily driver car (Dave) was a financed car on a PCP deal, which the contract was up for renewal - so I could either trade the car in for a newer vehicle or just end the contract and give the car back.

As I was researching my next shiny new car, the van, unfortunately, failed its MOT - on quite a lot of stuff. With this being a Japanese import, parts can be a little tricky to find. This, unfortunately, puts mechanics off from working on him and so I spent around 3 months researching parts, spending money and getting my hands dirty and completing the work myself.

Both of these incidents kind of made our minds up for us, so we decided to get rid of my car and put Urvan on the market to sell, which was not an easy one as he was like an extension to our family. We then found a campervan conversion company, that we really liked the interior looks and placed our order. A full tour of the van will be up on the site and our youtube channel soon, so watch out!

This little blog is just a quick review of using a campervan as a daily - practicality, Fuel consumption/Costs etc – so with out any further ado....

Pros:

Mobile office/snack room
Peaceful place to use a loo on the go.
Extra storage space for the whole family
Day trips on the whim
You will instantly look cool!
One less vehicle to Tax, insure and maintain etc
More driveway space

Cons:

Can be costly on insurance and your fuel costs may go up in comparison to a car
You may struggle to park in tight car parks - I tend to park further away, build my step count!
You will spend a lot more money on accessories that you definitely don’t need, but will definitely want!
Your partner can't pack it whilst you're at work!

And in more detail....

Overview

The Van is a 2016 VW T6 Startline - 2L Diesel - T28 102ps.

The van has not been remapped and apart from the whole conversion, the van is standard.

We have had the van for around 4 weeks now, we have been on 3 camping trips

and I have been using it as a daily driver to get me around for work too, so we have already racked up just under 1,000 miles already - which is a lot more than I would normally do in my old daily. Obviously, I am still getting used to driving the van (ashamedly, I have stalled quite a lot!) and I’ll probably update this blog a little later on once I break the van in a bit more.

Practicality

In terms of driving, I have not really noticed that much difference from driving my old car. I was a little nervous at first, as there is a clear size difference between my old car (Renault Captur) and the New T6, but soon settled in and honestly forgot that you are driving something so big. It also helps that the van has parking sensors on the front and rear as well, which gives extra peace of mind when getting onto the drive, or navigating cramped car parks.

The extra room is brilliant! I work as a support worker for people in their homes and so I have to do quite some travelling. This also means that sometimes I have space in-between visits where I can’t really go anywhere and I'm stuck sitting in my car for an hour. With the van, I can put up the table in the back, get my laptop out and even make a brew if I want to! (It also means I can have a wee in peace rather than having to find a toilet…. Or a discreet bush!).

Having the fridge also means that I can pop to shop and don't have to panic about getting the fresh food back home straight away. Now, I haven’t actually done this yet, we have only had the van for a few weeks now, however, having that peace of mind is great.

Fuel Consumption

I live just outside the city of Nottingham and a lot of the places I visit for work are quite built-up areas, so I do a lot of stop and start driving and spend a fair bit of time in traffic. It appears that I am averaging out at around 39mpg. Doesn’t sound that great, but the van isn’t light and this is a similar MPG to my previous car. On motorways or long country roads, however, the mpg increases to around 50/55mpg.

Other costs

Obviously, there are other associated costs for having the van on the road, such as tax and insurance. There have been some savings with this, not even with getting rid of two vehicles and replacing it with one, their costs haven't really changed much.

The insurance is more than I expected, but this is because it is bespoke insurance for a modified van and I wasn’t able to transfer my NCB over to the new policy. The new insurance was cheaper, but not much in comparison to both my car and the old van combined. The tax is about £240 - this is less than the van, more than the car, but quite a good saving overall.

I won't lie, it's taken a while to adjust to, and I keep checking the MPG - but I really do think it was the best decision for us right now.

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HOODLANDS FARM CAMPSITE REVIEW - SHEFFIELD, PEAK DISTRICT

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 12:26:19 GMT

Location: 'Peak District'

Fulshaw Lane, Penistone, Sheffield S36 9FD

We visited 27th - 30th August (bank Holiday) 2021

THE SITE /NEED TO KNOW

Hoodlands Farm Campsite could quite easily become one our favourite small, local sites what with it's breathtaking views of the Peak District National park and the Underbank reservoir. It's North East of the Peak District and also located not that far off the M1 so easy to get to - and not that it's a make it or break it kinda deal but phone reception is great - I was on Three Mobile and dotted between 4 and 5g! There is also a pub within walking distance too!

The only 'downside' is that it can get a bit windy as it's quite high and open, and some may say a bit pricey.

We went as a mini group - 6 adults 1 dog. Some sites don't allow 'groups' - so always worth bearing this in mind and possibly consider booking separately if there are a few of you.

PRICE AND BOOKING:

It is a Camping and Caravan Club certified site and you can find more about those here and we stayed for 3 nights over the August bank holiday weekend 2021 and it cost us £20 per unit per night.

It was booked through Facebook (very 21st century - which was great for me as I hate talking on a telephone) and it was required to pay in advance. I've never done this on a farm campsite before - however, this may have been because it was the August Bank holiday which is a popular weekend for campers so they wanted to guarantee your attendance which is understandable.

We went as a mini group - 6 adults 1 dog. Some sites don't allow 'groups' - so always worth bearing this in mind and possibly consider booking separately if there are a few of you.

Our 'mini group' consisted of 2 vans and it was going to be 2 small tents, however, it worked out cheaper to have 1 big tent with two compartments.

DIRECTIONS:

It's North East of the Peak District and also located not that far off the M1 so easy to get to and the Google Sat Nav took us straight to it. There is a steep hill and a few twists and turns but nothing that I think would cause an issue - plus the site had towed caravans and motorhomes on during our stay.

THE SITE:

All the top pitches come with electric. We did enquire for if there were cheaper rates if you didn't need or want electrics - and they did offer to knock £5 off the tent prices which was lovely of them - however - again it was cheaper to share in the end.

There is no 'reception/farmhouse/building' here - but on arrival, there is a noticeboard just past the gate with a phone number on to call where the owner then allocated us to a pitch.

The site is quite small, with only 12 pitches - However, there is a grass space at the bottom that isn't 'allocated'. The field is raised up in the open - hence the gorgeous views - but because of this, it can also get quite windy.

The field was a little bit on a decline but no chocs were needed for us. Tent goers, you may need an air mattress as a bit unlevel in some areas.

We had 1 pitch for all 3 of us and an Owner came to meet us with a 3-way splitter – which I've never seen before - but as the guys didn't need electricity we didn't use it so can't advise as to whether this has an effect on the power. The owner we spoke to was ever so lovely and welcoming and I imagine if you have any issues during your stay you'd ring this number and they'd come over to see you - alternatively you do see them dotted about the campsite for new arrivals, cleaning the toilets etc.

The toilets and showers are located in a little hut at the far end, as is the elsan and sink for pot washing. They were unisex, and with 4 toilets 2 showers, and with the fear of sounding a little 'snobby' like most farm campsites the facilities needed a little TLC. For example, one shower head had come off so you had to hold it and there was just one setting on or off �� but they do the job and I came out feeling clean and refreshed!

One important thing to note though is that there is a 12min time limit on the lights - so if you're like me and take ages to 'prep' or clean you may want to bear this in mind and take toilet seat covers/prep your shower gear before getting naked in case the light turns out on you��

Because of this and especially if you only have a small tent and don't need/want the electrics it may seem a little pricey. But for Vans/motorhomes/caravans if you compare it to other private farm sites we've been to which are apx £7.50 each a night for no electrics it's not that bad (However - I do think for us personally the cheapness of the £10 per unit per night at camping and caravanning club THS (no facility) sites and the new, updated posh official club site facilities have spoilt us ��) but as I've mentioned, the views, location and atmosphere here made it totally worth it, and we'd defo come back again!

SURROUNDING AREA

We love, love LOVED it here.. such lovely walks, with great views for all abilities!

We recommend doing the walk around the Langset Reservoir - which you can find on our AllTrials here .

We walked from our camp, down to the reservoir, and around. And our walk took us apx 3 hours - we did stop a few times for photos and had an hours picnic down by the water. SAFETY NOTE: it's advised that you DO NOT swim in the reservoir.

If you're not a big walker there is a car park close by that has some really interesting Damnbuster War History noted on some information pillars and pinpointing where on the walk that you can see things like bricks used for the Blitz, and target practice remains etc so be sure to check this out before you start (un like us having to play 'catch up' afterwards - which was still fun and interesting).

And if you follow the paths down from this carpark you can get to an area to see a view of the water. This is pretty level and easy so I'd say suitable for most abilities - we even saw a lady in an electric wheelchair - but I can't comment on how far along the path that it is/was wheelchair friendly.

There are two other reservoirs near by, Midhope and Underbank, We saw Midthorpe which was also lovely - but Langsett was my favourite and on our next visit, we hope to see Underbank and venture further into the centre of the Peak District.

I didn't see any 'local' shops, so be sure to take what you need with you - but there are local farms selling eggs and there is a local pub - which does take away pies!! Apx 10-15 min walk down the hill - but check opening times before planning your visit as we did a walk on Sunday intending to pop in on the route back but it was closed (6pm ish) also be careful not to drink too many as you have to walk back up the hill after �� - just kidding it's not as bad as it seemed in the car - honest. But there are a few picnic benches on the route also for if you needed a break.

OVERALL

We will definitely return to camp here - but as it's not too far from us we would aim to go up on a Saturday morning rather than a Friday after work just to save a bit of money.

Pack your walking boots, and check the weather - you may need extra layers, a windbreak, and or guide ropes due to being exposed to wind.

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WE HAVE A NEW VAN!

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 12:55:38 GMT

This was a real BIG decision for us - as we just love(d) Urvan SO MUCH and we've had the best 4 years with him touring all over the UK. I cried my eye's out the day he left (Gary you best be looking after him!)

(If you'd like to find out more about Urvan you can here , on the Vlog or by searching #urvanthecamper on insta).

But alas, due to us wanting to travel abroad for multiple weeks/months in the future, and Dave’s car lease coming up for renewal too, we thought it was the better time as any to upgrade (minus the COVID cost increase due to popularity of staycations and people not going abroad over the last 18 months).

We knew this day would be coming for a while (albeit a tad sooner than we'd planned for) so we had been researching /thinking about what our options were for a good year an half prior, whilst also keeping an eye on prices and visiting various campervan and motor home shows to get a feel for what size, spec etc we’d like next, and I cannot recommend this enough!

This is because we'd originally thought the next vehicle we'd get would be bigger, with a toilet inside, shower and maybe even a permanent bed fixture. But after seeing the sizes in real life, we quickly changed our minds for a number of reasons, but mainly because we didn't really feel like we were gaining that much and we would actually be losing much more (freedom).

Firstly - the Ducattos/Crafters/Sprinters etc would no way fit on our drive and we cannot afford to pay for storage! They'd be too large to use as a daily, and we didn't want to be limited to what car parks we can stay in due to height restrictions/ car parking bay size. It would also take me a very long time to feel comfortable driving something of that size.

The mid-wheel based vehicles were another option we considered, but we felt that this would still be problematic for a daily driver. We also found that the standard build conversions were quite 'cramped'. Many people may disagree here and if we were to self-build - I possibly would also, as there are a lot of clever spacious things you can do on a self build - but for the standard conversions we looked at, you couldn't actually bend down to get in the fridge! So we decided we were happy with a short wheelbase panel van and sacrificed having a toilet/shower inside for that extra spacious feel.

So basically - we've opted for the same set-up we had with Urvan, but a lot newer and for apx 5x the price.

This was a massive shock to me what with coming from a caravaning background, and I was adamant the next van we had would have a loo indoors - but the negatives outweighed the positives and fair to say I'm happy with an outdoor toilet tent!

You can read more about the sizes of vans and the pros and cons here .

So drum roll please and the bit you've all been waiting for....

We've bought a 2016 VW Transporter (T6) short wheel base.

I know, I know I've always said I wouldn't have a VW as they're not worth the money and you're only paying for the badge - well I caved...

So, why VW?

Dave has always had a love affair with these and he proper geeks out about them especially the older models - but that's not why we got one... and we were actually eyeing up the Fords, but for the age we wanted, they were coming out at a similar price, if not more expensive as the VW's.

The reason for shortlisting VW's and Fords is just because they are popular and familiar vans all around Europe so parts would be easy to find if we broke down either in the UK or abroad.

Who did we buy from/who converted it?

As mentioned above we'd been researching for a while, and the company we finally decided to go with was Woodstock Campers.

Why didn't we just buy a cheaper 2nd hand VW off Ebay/Facebook/Gumtree?

There were a couple of reasons.. The first being that unless you're a mechanic, you never really know what you're getting and the prices have just skyrocketed this year making it an even more risky time to buy. Especially a VW as people tend to add an extra £5000 on just because of the badge.

IF this is the route that you chose to go down - please ensure you check all MOT and service history, and always ask the seller if they would be willing to have it checked over by a mechanic of your choice, if they aren't - there's probably a reason for this. The AA can be booked in to complete an inspection for around £150-£200 depending on what type you are looking at.

The second reason was that we wanted the reassurance of knowing that everything was done and converted properly. Sounds silly, but as Urvan was a Japanese import it was so complex to try and rewire, alter or adjust anything, and Dave's VW beetle has had so many 'quick fixes' that have ended up taking so much more time and money to try and put right - we quite frankly couldn't be arsed with this. We wanted something with a warranty, and that would be straightforward to fix/upgrade.

why we chose Woodstock?

12 month warranty

The whole conversion comes with a 12 month warranty and I am so happy we've got this - if you continue reading you'll learn why

The price

As mentioned we'd been keeping our eye on prices for a while now, and we know VW's do tend to keep their value due to their following - and they most definitely weren't going down in price any time soon. Looking around, Woodstock were one of the best companies that we could find in our price bracket - whilst still looking like a decent build, more extras as standard than you normally get, and obviously having the warranty on the build helped sway our decision.

They source the vehicle for you

I personally found this reassuring, as all the vans they convert they put their name on. Because of this, they want to make sure they were all 'top notch' decent vehicles and not going to explode (slight exaggeration), or have any silly issues that could have easily been avoided. Because otherwise, this would result in bad business for them in the long run. They also provided us with a complete service history and MOT certificates etc.

You give them a call and let them know the rough spec of what you want (Millage - Trim level - Aircon etc...) and they give you a rough estimate in price and will search for the right van to fit your specification. We were quite lucky here as when we called to explain our needs/wants - they happened to have a van in stock and everything was spot on for what we wanted. However, I do believe if you're not happy they continue the search until you are - this just obviously delays /increases the waiting time until you have your vehicle.

customisation

Sounds silly, but it was great to be able to pick our own style/colours and make sure it was 100% what we wanted for the price we were paying - a lot of other companies don't give you this amount of freedom. You get to pick everything - Flooring style, cabinet unit/splashback/worktop colours, the wheels and even the stitching style you have on the seats and bed.

More about Woodstock CAMPERS:

Woodstock campers are based in Fenny Compton, just between Banbury and Coventry and at the time of writing this (2021) are a relatively new company, so their prices were coming out at quite a bit cheaper than the other companies we'd looked at that probably have a greater name behind them.

They are managed by Harry who was just 24 years of age when we bought our van - but don't let his age put you off. Harry's very well versed in all things camper as his uncle ran Big Wave Campers, where Harry learnt all he knew before deciding to start his own company doing the same thing.

How it worked was, we told them our 'wish list' for example we wanted a vehicle with no more than x amount of miles, in x,y,z, colours, parking sensors, air con etc and what our budget is. They then let you know if this is realistic or not and set to work on sourcing an old lease vehicle that meets your spec and budget best they can.

Once they find one that you are happy with - you pay a £500 deposit to secure it and they send you out samples and a build sheet to pick and chose your interior options.

They say the process can take anything from 6-9 weeks but this all depends on how easy/fast it is to source the van that meets your requirements.

OUR EXPERIENCE

We'd been in MANY conversations with Harry over the phone asking so many questions before we'd finally decided 100% on what we were doing - and I'd like to just say that Harry was amazing, he always had time for us and was so patient and helpful.

And, luckily for us - the day we actually decided to go for it - they happened to have a near on perfect vehicle in the forecourt waiting for his new home.

He was one of the 3 colours we wanted (Grey, Black or White obviously the goths we are!)
He was a little older than we'd of liked - BUT had a lot fewer miles than we'd specified
His service history/spec sheet was fantastic - recent cambelt change etc
and he had rear AND front parking sensors - which made me SO happy!

Aircon was unfortunately just out of our budget - which we may regret one day - but with having a dog and liking walking we don't plan on travelling in stupid hot conditions anyway, and if we did we'd make sure they were short journeys near to lakes, or take the portable Air conditioner with us. You can read more about dogs in hot cars here .

So we paid the deposit and excitedly awaited the samples and build sheet.

What was great for us, was that because they had already sourced the van it meant that they could begin the build sooner, thus meaning we'd trimmed weeks off the waiting time and the collection date fell a week before my birthday (June 22nd).

It was here, however, that the bad luck unfortunately started to happen. A lot of it is just what it is - bad luck - but some of it I hate to say could have been avoided.

As I mentioned above, Woodstock are a relatively new company - with not many workers, with the Covid 19 pandemic and the demand for campervans being so high right now - and their prices so good – I think they were run off their feet!

incident 1:

There was a bit of a miscommunication of our 'order' being confirmed and so it never went through on the system resulting in us not receiving the spec sheets when we were supposed to - this nearly delayed the build as Harry was waiting for our decision on cabinet colours etc to get them ordered, but we were waiting for the samples to arrive in the post. Cutting a very long story short - we ended up picking everything by looking at photos of past builds they've got on their Facebook/website and a PDF that was emailed to us.

we went with:

Wolfrace Vortex wheels

Anthracite grey carpet lining

Light grey and Black seats/Rear Rock and Bed with Diamond stitch

White speckle worktop and splashback

Gloss Grey cabinets

White wood effect floor

We Also opted for some added extras, which cost us a little more:

A panaramic sun rooof

A diesel heater

Awning multi-rail

and a solar panel - which we defo recommend getting if you can afford

It took us a while to decide a few items as it was hard to imagine and not being able to see any physical 'swatches' but I imagine IF we'd received the sample pack this would have been easier/less nerve-racking but we didn't want to delay the build.

And as you'll see with the pictures below - we've gone very minimal and grey on grey and it's quite dark - the reason for this was because of having the dog - and camping in the wet, muddy UK conditions we do, we thought we'd get less 'splatter' marks showing up and be easier to keep clean �� .

We did ask for progress shots to be sent over during the build - one so we could relax a little as we'd be reassured knowing it was all going to plan - but mostly for the blog. Unfortunately, we never got any of these - just the before and afters you can see below.

Incident 2:

Plans were all in place to collect and to go away camping on the following Friday with friends for my birthday. But 3 days before we were due to pick up the van we had a call from Harry to tell us that the upholsterers had messed up - and the wrong seats had turned up. They were 'similar' to ours - but these were for a higher spec vehicle - so came with armrests - but they were a different colour, stitch and pattern to what we'd chosen. We got offered these as an upgrade if we wanted them, and some others they happened to have but as the colour/design of these didn’t match our scheme we politely declined and said we'd rather delay pick up by a week and have the seats we'd picked. Unfortunate - but these things happen and for the price we were paying we wanted it to be perfect.

Incident 3:

Woodstock doesn't offer finance but they had recommended a Finance company called Total Leisure Finance. We spoke to a guy called Terry multiple times before finally deciding on what we were doing - and again he was so helpful and understanding - I cannot recommend him enough. He was so clear and open about what they can/cannot offer you - and they also ran prelim checks so to ensure nothing would affect credit scores.

We'd had all our checks done - and were told everything is set up and in place and all we had left to do was ring up 2 days before pick up and they'd press the button on the final paperwork which would release the funds to pay Harry.

However, before we could do this we had a call to say that our deal had been pulled.

Now, this wasn't just our deal - it was everyone's deal that hadn't been 'officially signed for'.

We're still not 100% sure what happened, but it was something to do with the banks deciding that they wanted to get/charge more interest on their loans. We put it down to Covid due to the timing of restrictions being lifted and the popularity of people wanting campervans/loans. And I won't lie I was fuming!

We did get offered an alternative deal - but it just wasn't feasible for us due to a 'balloon' payment at the end so we opted to source the money elsewhere and luckily were accepted.

Incident 4:

We had the money in place, and we were all rescheduled to collect and still make the birthday camping trip, however... A friend we'd seen the weekend prior came down with COVID and we got pinged by the NHS app.

Luckily our tests were negative but it was still a legal requirement to self isolate for 10days - so we had to reschedule the collection of the van AGAIN, and I spent my birthday indoors. Obviously this is nothing to do with Woodstock - Just stupid COVID being all stupid!

COLLECTION DAY AND ONWARDS

Collection day finally came (Wednesday 23rd June) and this was also the FIRST TIME we'd seen the van in real life. You do have the option of viewing the van prior - but due to covid and the distance, we were happy with photos - plus our old van was 30+ years old and this was 4 - we were expecting a few nics and scratches and we know full well we would be adding more to it, so weren't overly worried. We were however pleasantly surprised - it looked gorgeous and we were blown away!

Harry gave us a tour and showed us everything working – to a certain degree – and then gave us the keys and let us go for a test ride. We drove for about 10mins and then found a lay by to pull up in and have a good look over the van on our own.

As always with things like this you view with rose-tinted glasses due to the excitement and things get missed. But the great thing about Woodstock - and one of the reasons we picked them was that the conversion came with a years warranty - so any issues we found/find we can take it back and they'd rectify for us and fair to say we've had a few so far, Firstly:

INCIDENT 5. The Fridge wasn't working

INCIDENT 6. The internal water tank was leaking

INCIDENT 7. There was a small gas leak and the regular was too low to fit the sized gas bottle we had - this wasn't too much of an issue though as they do make smaller bottles

Harry was ace though, and drove over to us at his earliest convenience, did a direct swap of the fridge for us and fixed everything else there on our drive for us. The gas, however, he said we needed a new pipe and that he'd post one out to us - which you guessed it - never arrived - even after chasing for a week – so we just bought one from Go Outdoors in the end.

A weekend later we noticed more issues:

INCIDENT 8. One the curtains kept falling off its track due to the end bung falling out

INCIDENT 9. One of the screws weren't level on the curtain track causing a 'snag'

INCIDENT 10. The wastewater hose was too short, meaning that it caused an issue draining into the waste tank

INCIDENT 11. The bed wasn't 'popping up' like it was supposed to - and it had come away from the frame

...and the gas was still leaking even with the new pipe in - to be honest - we're lucky we didn't explode that weekend!!

There were a few other bits we've noticed after having it and using it a while too - like a few error screw holes, the pop-top isn't as 'black out' as we'd of thought it would have been, and the spotlights can't be on without the main bright strip light being on - but these either aren't major or aren't something we're able to fix now - but still I thought worth mentioning on this blog.

I also think a lot of the issues we've had are all down to them rushing to get it completed and out the door so they can start the next build. Which is a shame, but also as mentioned this company was apx £10-15,000 cheaper than the other companies we were looking at, we do have that years warranty and it is a gorgeous van we're just being really picky!

So anyway, we arranged to take it back to them this time with a list and got them to fix all they could. We also requested that they raised the height of the gas regulator in the lock box, which they did and we can fit a larger bottle in now too which is great. They also re-delivered it back to us 5 days later and even washed it and filled the fridge with beer for us!

However - This leads me onto incident 12 - due to them washing it, this resulted in us finding that the rear window or the pop-top holes for the solar panel were properly sealed and the van was wet inside and the carpet lining was saturated.

SO back on the phone to Harry, and he came out the next day bless him and resealed it all for us.

I just want to say - Harry has been great through all of this - there were a few times we struggled to get hold of him on the phone once the issues started to rise - and he apologised greatly that the van clearly was not properly checked over before leaving the warehouse - but as I said they are a new small company who have clearly been inundated with conversions and are rushing to fill the demand and we are just so grateful that they have that years warranty in place.

So, now - over a month after pick up - we finally feel like we can start enjoying it, stop worrying about it!!

Above are a few pics from our first trip out - and we'll be doing a walk around and meet the van post on the vlog soon - so be sure to follow us on social to know when this is live! (And for many more new van posts!)

We also haven't named this van yet - and as it was so emotional when we had to say goodbye to Urvan so I'm not sure I want to... we keep jokingly saying we're gona call him Harry - but we'll see. ..

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HADDON GROVE FARM, PEAK DISTRICT CAMPSITE REVIEW

Sun, 15 Aug 2021 12:25:53 GMT

Location: 'Peak District'

Haddon Grove, Over Haddon, Bakewell DE45 1JF

We visited 13th - 15th August 2021

THE SITE /NEED TO KNOW

This campsite is on a working farm - so lots of farm noises and smells to be had and seen. From cats to cows to chickens and not forgetting a few horses/pony's dotted about too - so if you have a beagle/dog best to keep them on a lead! There is also a no fires rule and BBQs must be raised off the ground.

PRICE AND BOOKING:

For us, a 2 night stay (no electrics or awning) cost us £24 - which breaks down to £5 per adult per night and then £2 for the 'car'.

However, if you're a family of 4, with electrics and an awning you're looking at £27per night... as children under 10 are £3 (under 3 are free). Awnings/gazebos are an extra £4 and if you require electrics that is another £5.

We didn't need to pre book - we just arrived and knocked on the cottage reception door to pay and picked our own pitch.

DIRECTIONS

Really easy to find - google sat nav took us straight to the entrance and the cottage is clearly labeled with 'reception'.

THE SITE

The site comprises of 3 large fields for camping, one for family specifically. But the Facilities are by the farm so depending where you park this could be quite a walk for a wee at 3am.

There are multiple water taps dotted about on the surrounding fences, as well as a few rope tree swings and couple of picnic benches dotted about too.

Where we camped was in the far right field - which is next to the cow field so we woke up to the sound of mooing. The grass was exceptionally long when we went - which hid all the bumps - as the ground was very un even. We saw a little Bedford come in and looked like they were swimming...

SURROUNDING AREA

The far right field backs onto a popular walk path for Lathkill dale following the river which was breathtakingly clear. However due to wildlife protection, there are signs stating that people and dogs are not allowed in the river.

We did a 10km circular walk from the campsite, down and across the field. Then a small scramble down off the edge until you find the river and followed it to the left. You can find the full route and details over on our all trails account here - but yes it does have a pub on route ��

This site is also just a 10 min drive from Bakewell which I highly recommend if you've never been before. But be warned it can be quite busy here.

OVERALL

We loved the campsite but not the fellow campers as we ended up with a group of families camped opposite us who decided to play rounders in the middle of the campsite. The ball hit our van once as well as a neighbours van. They apologised but the lack respect and common sense in the first place was shocking from both the children and the adults.

A lot of people also didn't have dogs on leads which could be an issue dependant on your dog and it's behaviour towards others.

We'd defo camp here again - it's just a tad unfortunate we had a bad experience this time.

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TOP 5 CAMPING IN THE RAIN TIPS

Thu, 12 Aug 2021 19:07:02 GMT

Camping in the rain isn't THAT bad as long as you're prepared for it!

Infact – some of our best adventures have been in the rain (although our expressions sometimes say otherwise)

Bellow you'll find my top 5 tips and tricks for making the most of our shitty British weather, my essential packing list for rainy day fun, and the best places to visit when it is raining.

Also, please do get in touch to let me know what you like to do, and what your best tips are for rainy trips away - sharing is caring!

TOP TIP 1:

If you're in a van - get an awning, it gives you a lot of extra room even if it's just for storage.

However, if you're not staying in the same place for multiple nights - it can sometimes be more hassle than it's worth putting up a big awning - for these occasions we have a 'toilet tent' - the pop up ones are great - go up easy, and you can throw all your 'bits' in out the way - (just makesure you can still get the loo for when you need it though!)

We also use those clear plastic storage boxes with clip lids - they're water proof, strong and fit nicely under our van - not to mention being clear it's easier to find stuff!

TOP TIP 2:

If you do put up your awning up or, if you're in a tent - ensure nothing is touching the sides (this breaks the seal and you'll end up with puddles!)

TOP TIP 3:

Ensure after your trip you wipe it down / don't pack it away damp - otherwise it will go mouldy and you'll be regretting it on your next trip away!

TOP TIP 4:

Take a clothes line, pegs, hooks - something to hang your wet coats/items up

(we didn't have an attachable awning until recently, so we used to hang our coats so they fell just above the foot well

- keeping the van dry yet still being easily accessible (it was also in front of our oven so they dried quick! - please be fire safe!)

TOP TIP 5:

There's nothing worse than bored children - or adults! So we make sure we have books, a tablet, cards, dominos etc in the van - you can pick up miniature versions of most of your favourite games too so they don't have to take up much space!

(If taking a tablet, be sure to pre download programmes/movies as if the weathers bad, the signal may also be bad!)

THE BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN/IF/AFTER IT'S RAINED:

01. WATERFALLS

Bigger, fuller, more powerful, easier to find and you're probably going to get wet anyway

02. THE BEACH / SCENIC
y ou can get some awesome stormy shots of the coast line and sky reflecting in the waters,
and again, you're probably going to get wet anyway

03. FESTIVALS

They often have a beer tent you can shelter in!

ESSENTIAL PACKING LIST:

a good quality waterproof coat

(suitable for the temperature)

waterproof boots/wellies

waterproof trousers

a hat

(can help to keep hair in place and your hood up)

spare socks and pants

poncho

bin bags

spare towel + towel for the dog

(micro fibre ones are great as don't take up a lot of space and dry really fast)

dog friendly air spray

(no one likes the smell of wet dog!)

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CAMPING/TRAVELLING WITH DOGS IN HOT WEATHER

Wed, 11 Aug 2021 13:24:06 GMT

Hot sunny days are great - for us - but they can be so dangerous for your four-legged furry friends and it's heartbreaking that so many Dogs die from something that could have easily been prevented.

So, to help us 'pawrents' make sure we are aware of the dangers so we can keep them safe - I've collected and listed a few useful bits below; sourced from Pets at home and other various websites.

Before your trip:

Give them a groom - they may not be able to take their coat off - but we can help 'thin it out' depending on the breed.

Make sure you have everything you may need - for example, plenty of water, bottles and carriers, cool mats, bandanas, paddling pools and fans.

Check/find out where the local vets are - quite a few pets at homes now have vets in the bigger stores, as well as there being various other vets 'chains'. If you're not registered as part of a chain - make sure you have your vets details and contact details on you in case you need them.

When travelling

Remember to take it steady with plenty of shaded stops/breaks

Ensure you have plenty of water accessible - not packed away so you can't reach it when you stop.

Aircon - this can be great if you have it - however– be careful because if they get too adjusted they'll suffer when leaving the vehicle

Windows and fans – these are great if the dog likes it - but our wander gets a bit nervy on main roads and hates the window being down so it's great to have a backup such as a cooling bandana/shade provider

Car shades/covers - these are great if the dog is in the back, but not so great for the driver if in the front as they won't be able to see out the windows! On a recent trip we did we had to wrap Wander in a thin white cloth to shade her and reflect some of the heat.

Front or back – Always think about where they are best positioned and ensure it's possible to swap/change if need be - eg sat up front with you may be great to start with as you have the cooling fans and windows, but they may also end up in direct sunlight. Whereas in the back with car shades /curtains drawn might start off cool and shaded but eventually heat up and they'll need/want fresh air.

When Camping/days out

Cooling bandanas / vests are great - a normal bandana or shirt can suffice - just make sure it's light weight and soak it in cold water. Alternatively – pouring water down their chest and back of neck works a treat too

Cool mats and shade tents are great too - especially if your dog likes them and uses them. We've started to try and teach Wander 'matt' to encourage and get her to use hers when she needs to.

Pools, fountains and take them swimming

Portable air con units/fans - we recently bought an ace mini air con unit that's battery-powered - review will be coming soon.

Frozen treats - but be careful here as this can make your dog worse if already suffering and eaten too fast.

Remember...

If it's too warm - your dog more than likely won't want or need a walk. But if you do, take it steady, take plenty of water and to prevent burning your Puppa's pads, check the temperature of the floor by using the back of your hand and avoiding pavements or roads in really warm weather.

after all - we've all been there on holiday running across hot sand and black pavements and stone slabs etc also get hot!

It's also good to note, not to just be aware of high temperatures, but also of high humidity. As this can also cause heat exhaustion in dogs.

Now for the most important bit...

make sure you keep a lookout for and monitor:

Panting – dogs pant to cool themselves down, this is normal. But excessive panting is not - if you think your dog is excessively panting - check out for the other warning signs below...

Clicking – is usually caused by excessive panting - indicating that they are too warm

Tongue and gums – If their tongue turns a brighter or darker colour than usual, then this could be a sign they’re too warm. Similarly, dry gums that become paler than normal can indicate their body temperature is too high. In severe cases – gums or a tongue can turn blue or bright red.

Hyperventilation
Drinking more than usual
Glazed eyes
Less responsive
Vomiting and diarrhoea
Excessive drooling
A rapid heart rate
Dizziness or lack of coordination
Fever
Lethargy
Loss of consciousness

BUT – Remember, every dog is different and may not show the same symptoms.

You know your dog - so always have a good sense check and ask yourself "are they being their normal selves?" if they are not, and or are showing any of the above signs...

Don't feed them ice cubes, this could cause their temperature to drop too quickly, leading to shock - ice cubes/chilled treats are more for fun and preventative not a cure.

If they're willing to drink, give them cool, fresh water. But don't force it.
I often find dipping my fingers in the water and letting wander lick it off helps get her started, and then I move on to scoops in the palm of my hand gradually lowering it closer and closer to her bowl. If they aren't drinking at all - phone a vet.

Move your dog to a cooler area, either indoors where there is air conditioning or in the shade under a fan.

If you're near water, let your dog take a dip to cool down. Otherwise, you can use cool, wet cloths or towels to help them out. Place your cool wet cloths on his neck, armpits, and between his hind legs, and you can also gently wet his ears and paw pads with cool water.

Use a rectal thermometer to check their temperature. A dog's normal rectal temperature is approximately 38.3-38.7°C. Heat exhaustion typically occurs when a dog's temperature goes between 39 and 41°C degrees. A temperature above 41°C places them at risk for heatstroke. If he's in the danger zone, call your veterinarian.

Get them to the vet. If you haven't already done so, call ahead so they can be ready to take immediate action as soon as you arrive.

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YORK DAY TRIP AND STAY CITY HOTEL REVIEW

Sun, 08 Aug 2021 21:10:30 GMT

7th - 8th August 2021

NEED TO KNOW

If you chose to be healthy and take the stairs - bear in mind that they come to an end on the second floor and you have to walk the width of the hotel to then access the remaining stairs for the further floors above. This to me seemed very problematic if there was a fire - so there must be alternative accesses, surely??

Take earplugs and a mask if light sleeper

Re assuringly for me - as we are still in the middle of the pandemic - the whole apartment smelt of bleach as soon as you opened the door.

A weekend is long enough to shop, sight see and get drunk. A long weekend is probably best if you're a history nerd.

PRICE AND BOOKING:

We booked through a Hen party package - Which all went tits up due to Covid so I can't really comment on pricing.

DIRECTIONS/PARKING

Very secured parking - relatively easy to find on sat Nav too - if you put the correct postcode in! (we didn't)

Validating the carpark ticket didn't work the first time - so be prepared to have to reverse out awkwardly if this happens to you - or just don't pre pay.

THE HOTEL

The 'apartment' itself was compact but with a spacious feel. Which was mightily impressive when you think about everything that it included. There was a sink, decent size fridge with small freezer compartment, standard oven, and microwave, small dishwasher, washing machine/tumble dryer, dinner table and 4 chairs, TV, and even the little things like oven gloves, tea towels, cooking utensils, cutlery, fairy liquid, dishwasher tabs, tea, coffee and milk sachets were even in included. There was however no vegan milk - but that's usually the case anyway.

We had a 4-bed apartment which was two singles and two sofas which were sofa beds.

The sofa bed was super easy to assemble and really comfy as it's a properly raised wireframe. The only downside is when made there is no where to put the 'back' sofa cushion so can clutter up the floor space (I didn't think to try and see if it would fit in the wardrobe as I'm guessing if you were there for a while this would be full of suitcases/clothes etc) Plus the bedding for both the sofa beds were stored in the wardrobe of the main room also.

The shower gets hot, but it wasn't the most powerful.

SURROUNDING AREA

I love York and if you have never been I highly recommend it. But if you dislike crowds - I advise avoiding bank holidays, school holidays, Christmas etc as it can very busy. Especially down the 'Shambles'.

But don't let this put you off because this truly is a beautiful city with so many stories to tell...

for example Visityork.org says that "York is a city with a dark past, its history is rife with tales of guts, gore, torture and ghosts. The International Ghost Research Foundation even declared York as the most haunted city in Europe due to its bloodstained history and over 500 hauntings within the ancient city walls."

And then there's The Shambles, which is (now) a quaint little cobbled shopping street with overhanging timber-framed buildings, some dating back as far as the fourteenth century (around 1350-1475) but it definitely has a different feel and vibe to it today than it did back then...

The street used to be full of butchers', shops and houses and the name 'Shambles' is thought to of derived from the word 'Shammel', an anglo-saxon word for 'the shelves' which were featured in the windows and I believe it used to known as 'The Great Flesh Shambles' because it was full of butchers, displaying meat on those shelves.

There wouldn't of been much waste sewerage disposal back then, and the butchers' would of had a slaughter houses at the back of their shops so the street would of been full of blood, guts and poo! Very different to today! indeed!

It is said also that at particular parts of the street if you stretch both your arms out you can touch both sides at the same time! Me being 5ft 4 I doubt this is doable - but worth a shot if you're down there one late evening when it's quiet and you're not Hobbit sized?!

I read somewhere that this, along with the overhanging timber framed fronts was to give the street shelter from direct sunlight as they'd hang the meat on hooks on the front of the shop or shelves in the window to entice people in to buy and if you look closely some hooks are still there today.

The street now comprises of jewellery, gifts, clothes and tea shops. It also has a slight resemblance to that of Diagon Alley from Harry Potter - so there are about 3 Harry Potter themed gift shops also selling wands and potions etc. and these are very popular and might require queuing to get into! But totally worth it!

Also dotted around on some of the older buildings are cat statues. These were originally placed to scare away rats and mice which were thought to be carriers of the plague in 1665/1666. Some have had to be removed, or replaced over the years - but it's still fun to try and spot them. More info can be found here .

As with most tourist places, there are open top tour buses you can book on, or even a Gosht bus tou r if that's more your thing! Or The Dungeons!

But even without knowing the history - just walking around and seeing all the old buildings made of wattle and daub, the Cathedral (one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe), the Castle / Clifford Tower , parts of the remaining City walls, and visiting the Viking museum is truly a magnificent day.

OVERALL

Highly recommend the hotel. And if you haven't been to York before - GO!

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UPPERTOWN FARM, CARSINGTON WATER CAMPSITE REVIEW

Sun, 01 Aug 2021 12:45:16 GMT

Location: Derbyshire

Uppertown Farm, Overtown, Hognaston, Ashbourne DE6 1NR

We visited 30th July - 1st August 2021

Back to basics camping. Great views. Cheap as chips. What more do you want?

PRICE AND BOOKING:

It cost us £10 per pitch, per night. To book, we rang the number listed on their website and we were informed that there were plenty of spaces, so turn up, pick a pitch and someone would be over later that day for payment. Like most small campsites - it was Cash only.

DIRECTIONS

Upper town Farm is located on the main road that leads down to Carsington Water car park. The camp site is well sign posted, as is Carsington Water which is around a 10-minute walk straight down the road; more on this later though.

THE SITE

There are two fields to choose from, totalling around 30 pitches in total and there are pros and cons to each field. The top field is much more sheltered, with large trees overhanging from the road. It's much more flat, so no real need for levelers or chock blocks, but there isn't much of a view of the reservoir. The second field is much less sheltered which is great for the summer sun and if you are lucky enough to get the right spot, you can get a perfect view of the reservoir. However, it is on a hill, granted it's not massive, but still something to bear in mind. The weekend that we visited, the weather hadn't been great and we camped in the 2nd field. Though it was well-drained, there was a substantial amount of sludge towards the top where the entrance was, so had to be careful when we were leaving not to get stuck on the slope.

One main thing to point out before we go any further, THERE ARE NO FACILITIES. If proper bogs and hot showers are what you are after, then this site might not be for you. There is a freshwater tap and an elsan point, so you will need to bring your own loo with you. Also, there are no bins, so you will have to take your rubbish home. I think that this is reflected in the price however, as it is only £10 per pitch. So even a family of four in the caravan will pay the same as a single person in a tent. No extras for dogs, awnings, gazebos and the pitch sizes are a really good size also, so you don't feel like you are penned in at all.

There is a another field directly over the road from the campsite, that can be hired out as a rally field. If you are a member of the Camping and Caravan club, keep an eye on the 'Out & About' app, as this is often used as a 'THS site' throughout the year.

SURROUNDING AREA

All within walking distance, there are a few local amenities on your doorstep if you are thinking of camping here. Heading back up towards Knockerdown is The Pudding Room and The Knockerdown Inn. They both have a great menu, including some good Veggie and Vegan options as well as a takeaway service from the Knockerdown Inn too.

Both of these places have campsites attached to them that also have facilities, so if you prefer having that extra luxury, then these might be best to look into - though we have not stayed here ourselves, so can't make comment on them.... yet!

Down the bottom of the road is Carsington Water. This is a Seven Trent reservoir and Watersports centre. There are loads of activities for the whole family to get involved in. If you have a paddleboard or kayak, you can pay a small launch fee to use them on the reservoir, Or there is plenty on offer to hire and enjoy the water. If this isn't your thing, you can take/hire a bike, or even hike around the paths around the site. The whole routeis apx 8miles, but there is plenty of perfect rest stops along the way to enjoy the views. There are plenty of other things on offer too, such as shops, cafes, an ice cream parlour and a children's play area.

See here for parking info.

We love this Campsite. It's got a really nice relaxed atmosphere and great for a few days break away, though a longer stay without a shower might be a bit tough so be sure to visit Carsington Water for a day of paddle boarding, windsurfing or kayaking - even if it just to use the showers afterwards!

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KIETH FARM, SEA PALLING, NORFOLK CAMPSITE REVIEW

Sun, 18 Jul 2021 11:34:43 GMT

Location: Norfolk

Clink Rd, Sea Palling, Norwich NR12 0UL

We visited 9th - 11th July 2021

NEED TO KNOW

Keith Farm is a Camping and Caravan Club Certified Site (CS).

A CS site is a privately ran site by the Farm/Landowner, however, as it meets certain standards of the Club it's 'recognised' and able to advertise as such. Members and non-members can stay. These sites are often small (some only have 5 pitches), with limited facilities so I recommend phoning ahead/booking in advance. The Motorhome and Caravan Club (previously known as The Caravan Club) have CL sites - Certified Locations. These work in the same way. More on these can be found here and her e

This particular site had facilities, eg toilets, showers, electric hook up and hard standing pitches available and these pitches range from £14-18 per unit per night. More info can be found on the Camping and Caravan Club website here .

Like other privately ran farms/Campsites CS/CL Sites occasionally also have land available to 'hire' for Temporary Holiday sites (THS)/Club meets/Rallies or as I like to call them 'pop up campsites' and this is where we stayed for our visit to Keith Farm.

There is a gate - but this wasn't locked (we arrived after 9pm)

It's quite a remote location, 1 shop (Premier shop/post office) and 1 bar apx 10min walk from Kieth Farm Campsite so we advise taking all you need with you for ease.

Beach 3min walk away via some steps over the bank

THE BEACH

Sandy

Clean

Grassy dune banks

Few rip tides, and waves are perfect for body boarders

During the months of May to September the beach is manned by Lifeguards who allocate a safe swimming area marked by flags.

Seals are often spotted

Dogs are allowed all season - but only in allocated areas (on far left) - there is a sign on the entry steps

Toilets are located near a small car park, with fish and chip shop, ice creams and gift shop selling buckets and spades etc.

There is a field around the corner for parking and a few folk also park on the country lane however I don't advise this as it's quite narrow.

OUR TRIP

The weather was forecast to be absolutely amazing - and I'd been craving to go to the seaside for almost a year now - so on Thursday evening, we jumped on the Out and About app and searched for a THS (Temporary Holiday site) that was close to the sea.

There were about 4 to chose from - but Sea Palling was one of my favourite beaches from the uni days so even though it had an extra hour drive time - I knew it would be worth it. The Stewards number was on the post - so we checked availability and it was away we go! Setting off Friday straight after work and arriving around 9.30pm. We had pre-warned the stewards of our late arrival, and they just asked us to ensure we had the correct money in a labelled up envelope with our club details and van reg on for ease.

It's useful to note that some THS's may have limited space available, as well as arrival time cut off periods - especially if there are any barriers - so it's always best to contact before setting off. More can be found about THS sites and the out and About app here and here or do get in touch if you have any questions.

It was a long drive – all A roads – but one we're used to and a breeze in a campervan. Halfway for us there was a McDonalds - so we stopped here for a toilet break and chips! Which Wander was very happy about. She is also most definitely a fan of her new car seat - so much more settled as it's given her a sense of security/something to lean on. She was, however, wary of the Kings Lyn bridge - ducking and cowering bless her... but plenty of cuddles and reassurance and she was fine again – More on travelling with dogs can be found here .

A mentioned, we arrived quite late (9.30pm) but the gate wasn't locked and the Stewards were expecting us.

They showed us to a pitch and we set up. It was a gorgeous little site and the THS 'rally field' cost us £10 per unit per night. It was flat, level, freshly cut, and apx a 3min walk from a gorgeous sandy beach seafront. The stewards were so lovely and welcoming as they always are, and you could hear the sea from the pitch.

After set up we headed over for a late evening stroll on the beach to see the sea and it was so peaceful - felt like we were the only ones on there.

Just head out the gate, turn left and follow the road down until you see some wooden steps, climb up, then down the other side and you're at the beach. NB: this access is not wheelchair friendly, and the concrete steps on the other side are quite steep. There is a ramped access to the beach a bit further along, this is also where the chip shop, bar and souvenir shops are.

Unfortunately, we got back to find the whole van smelling of gas. So we disconnected everything and opened all the doors and windows to air it out - and opted to use the BBQ for everything that weekend just to be safe! As we didn't want to blow ourselves up!

Overall we had a really lazy weekend and basically did nothing other than walk back and forth from the beach and the van.. and it was amazing...

Due to the weather, the beach did get really busy during the peak times of the day – but this was predominantly just near the main entrances – the beech is really long so if you keep walking you'll find it starts to ease off and you can get a nice quiet part to settle and swim/paddle in the sea without the noise and chaos of crowds.

There we a lot of swimmers, bodyboarders, rafters and paddle boarders, and we spotted a seal off in the distance too.

Unfortunately, there was also a dead seal that had been washed up (died of natural causes and had been there a while by the look and smell of it!) but what amazed me was how people had set up 'camp' near to it - eating their lunches - it was grim!!

Dogs are allowed on part of the beach even during peak season and this is still a decent stretch of the beach. in fact, it was quieter and therefore nicer than the other part of the beach and as we were so close to the campsite, we didn't need things like the toilets, shops, bar etc.

Just please if you are taking your dog on a hot day - ensure you have plenty of freshwater (Don't let them drink the saltwater - this will dehydrate them more and give them projectile shits - we know this part from experience) and shade for them and you pick up their doo doos!

On the drive home it got to over 30 degrees and I was a little worried about our fury baby as we don't have air-con - but we had plenty of water, I wrapped her in a cooling blanket, and we had the cold fans on max! But again - please be careful when travelling with animals in hot conditions, and if you'd like some tips on this - click here .

OVERALL

We'll definitely visit again, even if there isn't a THS on as the location - for us - was just superb.

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ROWTER FARM, PEAK DISTRICT CAMPSITE REVIEW

Sun, 11 Jul 2021 07:35:35 GMT

Location: 'Peak District'

Rowter Farm, Castleton, Hope Valley S33 8WA

We visited 9th - 11th July 2021

Rowter Farm is just outside of Castleton and off Winnats Pass. Meaning it's in a prime location for walks around Mam Tor, Blue John Cavern and Peveril Castle - yet we have never been turned away due to it being too full.

PRICE AND BOOKING:

We usually phone up a couple of days before - just to guarantee there is space for us - and it costs us £7.50 per person per night, so £30 for a 2 nights stay.

DIRECTIONS

Dependant on which direction you come, you may have to drive up Winnats Pass which is very steep and windy! So do check the route before hand if this isn't for you as you can come in from the top way instead... HOWEVER keep those eagle eyes peeled as the site entrance sneaks up on you and has a gate - so you may need to drive past it if it's not safe to stop and get out to open the gate. Also please ensure you shut it again behind you as there are farm animals around.

THE SITE

Upon arrival, you can either head to the reception farm house or go find a pitch on the field as they will come to you for payment later. They do have a sign outside saying that ice creams and eggs are for sale - but I have never purchased anything.

The site is made up of two large, relatively flat fields separated by a wall in the middle, but both fields aren't always open. The facilities are up by the farm house, but not that far of a walk from anywhere on site truth be told - however I still take my porta-loo for those late night/early morning pee's! You do have to pay to use the showers, this is a coin timer box on the wall, and it's £1 for 3mins. This is enough for a quick wash after a walk, but not for a good soak. Also, be warned - if you are the first to use the shower - it will be baltic for the first two minuets while the water warms up!

The sun sets along the back wall behind the tree line so if you like sun - camp away from here as it will start to shade before the rest of the field. It's also approx a 15-20 min walk to the top of Winnats pass. I would highly recommend taking an evening stroll across the top, with a tin of cider and taking in the gorgeous views.

SURROUNDING AREA

As mentioned above this site is just outside of Castleton and off Winnats Pass. Meaning it's in a prime location for walks around Mam Tor, Blue John Cavern and Peveril Castle - and depending on how far you like to walk you could even head to Hope. On our stay we did a circular up over Mam Tor and then back down through Castleton.

OVERALL

We love this site and have been back many times - highly recommend.

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1ST TRIP OUT IN THE NEW VAN - BAMFORD EDGE - PEAK DISTRICT

Sun, 27 Jun 2021 07:35:26 GMT

25th - 27th June 2021

This was Wander's first trip in the new van – and as we had a double seat up front now (and a bonnet and air bags!) we thought it would be best to have her up front with us rather than on the back seats - however we can see this may take a little getting used to for her! She also malted everywhere! Thank goodness it's not carpeted in the front cab!

We stayed stayed at Thornhill Recreation Ground in Bamford, on a Club meet THS (temporary holiday site) for our fist trip.

There were apx 15-20 vans and the site was ran by the Huddersfield and Sen group who were all absolutely lovely and by the end of the weekend I think we'd spoke to most people on the site.

Dave and I often joke about the funny looks we get occasionally when we arriving on a Club Meet. We think this is due to looking quite young, with tattoos and bright red hair – we have even been asked if we're in the right place before which did make us chuckle. But hey - that's just another one of the reasons why we started blogging about these types of sites - to get more younger folk interested and attending more!

So, how do you get on one of these 'pop-up' sites?

You need to be a Camping and Caravan Club member to attend and be 'self contained' aka have your own loo! and they are all listed on the Out and About app.

More on THS sites and the out and about app can be found on our Vlog here .

PRICE AND BOOKING:

This was £10 per unit per night, but as i say you have to be a member which has a yearly fee of £42 and there are no facilities.

To book there is a phone number listed with the ad on the Out an About app - we text and just asked if there was space for us. Upon arrival you report to the stewards who come out, take your membership details and payment.

DIRECTIONS

Really easy to find - google sat nav took us straight to the entrance.

THE SITE

As mentioned this was a pop up Club meet campsite on the local recreational ground so there was a children's' play park and it was opposite the Bamford Tennis Club. But there were no toilets, or showers on site. Just a water tap and an elsan point.

SURROUNDING AREA

The reason we chose this meet was because it was just a 40min walk to Bamford edge where if you ramble across here for another 40 mins or so you get an amazing view of Lady Bower Reservoir.

It's also close to Bamford Mill and the Adventure indoor Climbing Hub, and then there's the Childs play Park and Bamford Tennis Club.

OVERALL

We'd go back here again if there is ever another meet on in this field.

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PORTABLE TOILET TIPS & TRICKS PLUS REVIEW

Sun, 13 Jun 2021 18:16:15 GMT

ALDI, ADVENTURIDGE

It's not a pretty subject - but I often feel like it's one of the most frequently asked questions or concerns for new campers, and that is -"how and where do you poop"! and the answer is "how and where do you want to poop?".

For example, your options are:

Buy a caravan/campervan with an on board toilet – Depending on the size and age of the van, depends on the size / how 'fancy' this is - NB: you will need to empty this when full. Also bear in mind that you'll only be a few feet away from your family members when using.

Buy a portable toilet and toilet tent – The majority of portable toilets all have similar features and similar sizes - we have reviewed ours here for reference of what to look out for. Again - this will need emptying when full, and you'll have to find a place to store it when travelling.

Stay at a site with facilities – The majority of certified campsites will have facilities, and the age old saying applies " you get what you pay for". For example, 90% of the Camping Caravan Club sites come with modern toilets, shower blocks, laundry facilities and more - you can read more about those here. But also - remember not to judge a book by its cover - I had one of the best showers ever in an old cattle barn in the middle of no here!

Invest in a shovel and earth-friendly loo roll – this is pretty much the only option for 'wild camping' whilst hiking - as you cannot take as much gear with you as you would for weekends away. We've personally not braved this yet - but we do have a lot of friends that do, and we hope to try it this summer.

We personally opted for a portable toilet and toilet tent for our needs - this is because we don't have a loo in the vehicle - and me with my weak bladder and mild IBS - need a loo quite often - so it's nice to know we have one on board for long journeys if needed. But also as a member of the Camping and Caravan Club we love the option of being able to use the cheaper Temporary Holiday Sites - which don't always have facilities.

And yes - I have emptied it! Multiple times in fact – and it's not that bad!

Below are my top 5 tips and tricks as well as a review of our particular toilet so you know what to look out for when buying yours.

PORTABLE LOO

TOP TIP 1:

Invest in a good 'toilet blue' - this will help break down smells and matter making it easier to empty.
Try and keep your 'blue' in a bag incase of spillage as it stains and is a nightmare to clear up.

The difference between toilet 'blue' and toilet 'pink' is that the pink stuff goes in you're water 'flush' tank, and the 'blue' goes into the base tank, diluted with some water. Don't scrimp here on either, otherwise it will be harder to empty.

TOP TIP 2:

Unless you have a new fancy loo with built-in wheels and trolley handle - invest in a good/fold away trolley and bungee straps as some 'elsans' can be a little walk away.

TOP TIP 3:

Remember to stand back to avoid 'back splash'

Bonus tip: Wear shorts so you can wash/wet wipe/anti-bac your legs after!

TOP TIP 4:

Leaving emptying the loo till the very end of 'pack down' if no facilities are on site is obvious - so this tip is to leave anti bac/wipes/soap etc out/reachable for your return.

TOP TIP 5:

Don't leave it till its 'full' - it will a lot heavier and a lot less pleasant!

Bonus tip: Don't be scared to give it a good rinse and shake! you never know what's 'lurking'

Other top tips for having a portable toilet are:

If your toilet tent doesn't have a floor or 'shelfs' invest in a small collapsible table for things like loo roll, wet wipes, anti-bac etc as the grass can get pretty damp due to rain/condensation not wee!

Get a waterproof toilet roll holder

Keep a bottle of water nearby (labelled black water) to use if you need a stronger 'flush'

If your using a toilet tent, remember to turn your touch off at night time unless you want an Austin Powers movie scene on your hands!

NOW, LET'S TALK ELSANS

These come in all shapes and sizes dependant on the site you're at. For example a modern, well facilitated site, may have a proper 'sink' with wash hose, soap etc all provided.. where as a lot of the smaller, private sites can just be a trough or 'hole in the ground' with a man hole cover.

SIDE NOTE: Don't be bashful - as mentioned some elsans are 'open' troughs and everything can be on show until 'flushed' and whilst it's common courtesy to wait and use them one at a time, and you flush and rinse the area after - you can't always control a 'blockage' so just do what you can, and inform the site manager if need - after all, it may not of been you, but the person before you, we all do it, and no one ever seems to judge.

If a site we're staying at has facilities, we often still use the portable toilet (mostly for number 1's) as it's just closer and more convenient - especially at night time - so they can't be that bad to empty. And if no Elsan is available, we take it home and empty either down our own loo, or man hole cover.

SIDE NOTE ON FACILITIES: These again vary dependant on the type of site you're staying at. Some can be new and modern, and others a little run down - however all do the job! Also, try not to judge a book by it's cover - as I've had some of the best showers of my life in a toilet block that if it were a movie - looked like somewhere you'd get murdered.

ALDI, ADVENTURIDGE

WWW SCORE: 6/10

BRAND: Adventuridge, 14L Waste Water Tank/15L Fresh Water Tank (approx.)

PRICE: RRP apx £30

I BOUGHT FOR: £30 from Aldi middle isle - no longer available from this shop

CAN BUY SIMILAR FROM: Google shopping search, Millets, Blacks, GO Outdoors, Ultimate Outdoors, Amazon, Ebay

Our particular loo was £30 from Aldi, and we bought it to replace an old 70's style loo we had prior which was just a bit old and large.

Initial thoughts were it was a tad flimsy - especially the lid - so we don't advise sitting on it with the lid closed at all. The 'flush' is also crap - no pun intended. However, we've had it for 2 years now and had no issues. It lasts us a full weekend with only needing to be emptied the once (there's just the two of us) It's easy to carry, pack around and the lid shuts flush so doesn't 'leak' which is the main thing. I can't really comment on 'smells' as we have outside so it's very well ventilated.

We are looking at replacing our loo when we can - however, due to how poor the flush is.

score 6/10

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AIR VS POLE AWNINGS AND TENTS

Sat, 05 Jun 2021 15:37:00 GMT

OUR THOUGHTS

Air tents are becoming a lot more affordable now than they were when they first came out. However, they are still substantially more expensive than the well known poled tents and awnings. So the question is, are they worth it?

Personally - Yes!

Now, we've only had our air awning for a year at the time of writing this post, and most of that year was spent in a national lockdown.. but we did get to use it a handful of times and that teamed with the past experience of owning poled awnings and tents we can honestly say we LOVE the air.

It's so much quicker to set up / down and can withstand strong winds with no broken poles!! and I imagine if you get a tear or puncture, then you can patch up with tape - but the material is so thick and robust you'd have to of given it some force to tear.

I'd love to say it's smaller and lighter than poled options - but our particular awning is not! (see images below) and you have to carry the bulky pump with you!

So if you're travelling light (back packing/trekking) I'd - for now - stick with poled! Besides, you'll more than likely be wild camping, so you'd need to be small and incognito and therefore low to the ground and less of a target for strong winds.

Below is a video of our poled awning getting a beating from some strong Scottish winds - two weeks after this trip - the peg loops broke and we had to attach tie wraps to be able to still use it until we bought our new one.

For more pictures and to read all about our new, and current air awning click here

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KARRIMOR SALINA WALKING SANDALS CLOTHING REVIEW

Fri, 04 Jun 2021 20:20:21 GMT

WWW SCORE: 10/10

BRAND: Karrimor, Salina Walking sandals

PRICE: RRP apx £30 (often on sale for around £15)

I BOUGHT FOR: £15 from Sports Direct

AT TIME OF WRITING CAN BUY FROM: Amazon, Ebay, House of Fraser

This is my third pair of walking sandals - I love them! This particular pair was bought from Sports Direct for £15, and I bought these so I had a nice 'smart pair' to wear in black as my Regatta ones are grey.

I wore them for a days walk around Rufford Abbey - brand new out the box – with a spare pair of shoes, plasters and socks in my bag just in case – but these were not needed.

I did over 10,000 steps and only have one small blister at the top of my foot, wear the front strap sits - but I didn't even know about this or feel it until a day later.

The inside is shaped ever so slightly to hug your foot and has a soft warm material to it, which is nice. However - this does mean they're not the best sandals if you want versatility to paddle at the waterside.. for this, I cannot recommend the Slazenger sandals enough! You can read more on those here .

The soles are thick - with great tread - I didn't feel a thing on woodland terrain.

However, when walking 'off road' stones and debris can get caught between the skin of your foot and the sole - but what do expect in a sandal! I always find a quick shake of the foot and it tends to come loose if not these have quick and easy adjustable velcro straps to loosen and shake it out - and they just look lovely one with the Aztec style pattern.

Not much else to say really - for £15 I'm mega happy - just make sure you wear them in before you go on a big walk!

10/10

I will update again once owned for a few months/years

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COMING SOON

Wed, 12 May 2021 19:45:30 GMT

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CAMPING FOOD/MEAL IDEAS

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 20:56:59 GMT

A few people often ask us what we eat when we're away in the van for a long time - often followed by 'you cant live on BBQ burgers and sausages the whole time surely?' – and the answer – specifically being vegetarian – is no. We don't.

Below I've written our top 5 tips for camping meal success as well as a 13 day meal plan, and shopping/packing list that we've used in the past.

Please note: We have an oven/grill in our van, a gas stove and a Cadec gas BBQ so some of these meals may not be doable for your particular set up. If you're in a tent, you can pick up a portable camping stove pretty easily, and if you're staying at a site with facilities - there may be an option of a kitchen - however, this is pretty rare in the UK.

We hope it inspires you to get cooking!

Disclaimer: We're vegetarian, so when we mention items such as 'bacon' or 'sausage' we mean vegetarian alternatives. I also have to limit my amount of Dairy and Gluten so a lot of these meals are made with GF or Dairy alternatives too!

OUR TOP 5 CAMPING MEAL TIPS

TOP TIP 1

Plan, decide and prep your meals in advance to make it easier. For example;

Create something similar to the food plan table below
Make a batch chilli/Spag bol in advance and freeze
Pre chop onions/veg and put in a re useable container

TOP TIP 2

If you're away for a long time, or you don't have a lot of space, then a 'top up shop' may be required and we find planning this in with either our travel plans or daily itinerary works out best.

This is because as mentioned, we eat a lot of vegetarian/vegan and Gluten Free items which aren't always accessible in the local corner store on the outskirts of a village and so require a larger more 'mainstream' store like a Sainsbury's, Tesco or Asda which often results in us having to take a slight detour/longer route.

TOP TIP 3

Plan something easy for arrival day - aka warm it through on the van stove and 'voila' and same for the day you return home (although - we often treat ourselves to takeaway)

TOP TIP 4

Utilise local cuisines - fish and chip shop, pub grub on-site/short walk away

TOP TIP 5

Pack 'back up meals' something, quick and easy that can replace a meal disaster at short notice (ensure it has a good date on it, and ideally it's best if it's not needed to be re refrigerated).

OUR 13 DAY CAMPING MEAL PLAN

BACK UP MEALS

Ready-made Chili

Ready-made Spag bol

Tea/Coffee

Hot Chocolate

Cordial

Fresh Juice

Rice/Oat milk

'Butter'

Ketchup

Salad cream

Salt & vinegar

Cereal

Cereal bars/GF biscuits

Crumpets

Bread

GF bread

Cobs/GF roll

GF wraps

GF pasta

GF stuffed Tortellini

GF Garlic Bread

Pasty/Sausage roll

Naan bread

Curry trimmings

Sandwich filler (Quron slices)

'Cheese'

'Pork' Pie

Apples, bananas, oranges

Olives

Baked beans

Smash

pot noodle/cupa soup

Micro rice

Curry Jar

Chickpea curry packet

Jar of Pesto

Jam/Marmalade

Crisps/mini cheddars

Chocolate

'Sausages'

'Steak' /'chicken breast' /'pork chop'

'Burgers'

'Bacon'

'eggs'

Stirfry kit

Broccoli

Carrots

Onions

Peppers

Mushrooms

lettuce

cucumber

tomatoes

tin/bag of new potatoes

If have a freezer

Quorn pieces

Yorkshire puddings

Potatoe waffles

We also pack a lot of snack items too, like crisps, mini cheddars/crackers, chocolate, malt loaf/cakes - anything thats great at soaking up the alcohol consumption ;) !

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SETTING UP CAMP TIPS

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 20:30:03 GMT

The idea of packing, pitching up and packing down for many camping beginners can be a little daunting - but it really is a breeze when you get used to it! Especially if you manage to get the whole family involved - each with their own specific tasks!

let's start with a caravan...

The great thing about the caravan - and campervans/motorhomes - is that you can leave a lot of the gear 'packed' and ready to go. Making the packing process SO much quicker and easier! In fact, you could almost think of it as being very similar to a hotel/self catering cottage stay - mugs, glasses, kettle, toothbrush, hairbrush, toothpaste, hand soap, loo roll, some long-life food items and of course a minibar - all packed and ready to use. Except the minibar is prepaid and the rest of the items are all yours and no one else has used it prior - very handy in our current state of being in the middle of a pandemic! Which then just leaves the packing of fresh food, so bread, milk, etc and the clothes you require for the length of time away, the weather conditions and the activities you have planned to do. If you require tips/inspiration for this - then keep an eye out for future posts!

Pitch up is relatively straightforward with a caravan also..

ARRIVE

Dependent on where you are you may get shown to your pitch or have a choice. If you have a choice think about ground levelness, wind shelter/sun blockers etc. We personally always park away as far away as possible so Wander won't bark at all the children, dogs and passers-by.

CHECK LEVEL AND LEGS DOWN

This bit is possibly the most complex - but unless you want blood rushing to your head / your partner rolling on top of you and squishing you in the night - very important! So, with a spirit level - which you can get an app for nowadays - check how level you are before unhitching - this is because to adjust left to right you may need to use 'level blocks'. These blocks come in various sizes and are blocks that you drive onto to lift the necessary side of the van to the height required. You could try pushing the van - but I don't think you'll get very far! If it's severely unlevel, and you have the option, it may be best to look for another spot.

After unhitching, you will be able to adjust the height of the jockey wheel for levelling front to back and then wind the legs down. In some un level areas you may find that the legs don't actually meet the ground - don't panic - you just need to use 'blocks' /'chocks' under them.

TOP TIP: It was always mine and my brother's job to do the legs when we were younger - this got us out of the way and helping at the same time.

BONUS TIP: We loved it when dad got an electric drill adaption instead of the manual leg winder.

A few campsites have rules as to where to park your vehicle after unhitching. This is for fire safety reasons, and also to ensure space is used most effectively around the site.

WATER AND OTHER FINISHING TOUCHES

Once you're level and the legs are down, you can fetch the water - this is another great task for the kids to do, whilst you're levelling and adjusting legs/finding a beer.

NB: Caravans have an outdoor water tank called an 'aquaroll' - this is the brand name of the water barrels well known and used with caravans - it has two openings, one on the side and one on the top - and is built so it can be rolled to transport but stood up to 'feed' when a pump is inserted. More keywords for camping items can be found here .

Then there's connecting the 'waste water' barrel if yours isn't inbuilt, filling the porta loo with the required water and toilet blue for its size and turning on the gas (you can't travel with the gas on - this is dangerous and voids insurance).

If you have dogs, I either recommend leaving them in the car if they're settled whilst you set up - or alternatively attaching them to a ground spike (lead no longer than 3M). We personally have had to take our Wander for a little walk around the field before she'll settle for us (You can read more of our camping with dogs tips here ). So again, if there's a few of you be sure to delegate various tasks, as it may all sound like a lot - but when everyone has their own 'job' to do and look after it runs like a well-oiled machine.

Besides - the fun starts when you want to start putting up the awning/tents! And this really is where the kids come in handy, my brother and I used to have a designated 'pole' or 'leg' each. However if there is just the two of you, just start by raising the height gradually, one side at a time.

For campervans, it's a little easier. We literally drive up - hand brake on, beer in hand - to a certain degree.

This is because we have an onboard water tank which we tend to fill before setting off, and an inbuilt wastewater tank all we have to do is pick somewhere level, use blocks if required, open pop-top, turn on gas set up the toilet & toilet tent/inflatable awning and off load the gear out the van. Usually takes us about 30-40mins.

Tents and large pole awnings are a whole other kettle of fish! Especially if you arrive in the wind and rain! So I'll be writing top tips for putting up a tent soon so be sure to follow us on social media to be notified when it's live!

And if you'd like any other information at all about setting up don't hesitate to get in touch and we'll help any way we can.

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DECATHALON QUECHUA GAZEBO TENT REVIEW

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 16:53:30 GMT

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SIZE DOES MATTER

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 16:46:28 GMT

CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON - OR VAN IN THIS CASE - WISELY….

Don't trust what they tell you… SIZE DOES MATTER… especially when it comes to choosing your new adventure vehicle. There are 3 main options for you when it comes to traveling; A caravan/trailer tent - a Campervan - or a Motorhome (you could also state that having a tent is an option too, but for this blog we are going to be focusing on vehicles and we will talk about each option and go over a quick pros and cons of each.

CARAVAN/TRAILER TENT:

Caravans come in loads of different shapes and sizes; from Eriba 2-Berth, all the way up to large twin axle 6/8 Berth bad boys. They generally have everything you need to be self contained such as kitchen, living and sleeping space and cassette toilet or full bathroom depending on what you get. The great thing is that you can use the camp site as a base, set up your campsite and you have your car to travel around the area.

You can also get trailer tents; again, they come in various shapes and sizes and are great in terms of them packing down in a nice compact trailer and generally tend to be a lot lighter. However - the older ones specifically - not as well insulated.

The Pros to caravan life

The amenities on board, they are literally little homes on wheels. Now what you get depends on what size you get, but for this we will take a 'modern' family (4birth) size, single axle caravan, and with that you will normally find a small bathroom with shower, large seating area that will pull out into a full size bed, plus two seater dining area that turns to bunk beds for the kids. Each seat with storage underneath for things like bedding/clothes. A fully equipped kitchen consisting of sink with hot and cold running water, a large fridge, with freezer box, 2 burner hob, oven, plenty of cupboards to store pots, pans, cutlery, fold a way tables etc. and a Gas fire. They may have some added extras also, such as solar panels, electric sun roof, some even have TV's and microwaves for when on electric hook up! all of this comes at a cost though, obviously.

Space. This again will depend on the type you get, but overall there is plenty of space so you don’t feel overly cramped and will even have a little room to walk around and stretch your legs. This is great if you have a dog or little kids running around, especially if the weather is poor outside.

You are able to camp at places without facilities as you are self sufficient. – Most sites will accommodate a toilet/shower block as well as a small shop. Some go even bigger than that with children's play areas, saunas and hot tubs. But if you are a part of a 'Club', then you can attend the members only 'meets' and 'Temporary Holiday Sites'. (More about clubs can be found here ). These are generally in a field, with a tap for freshwater on one side and a place to dump your waste (black water) on the other. That’s it. Simple. With being self-sufficient though, you can spend time here, explore the local area and save loads of money as these are a fraction of the cost of certified, permanent campsites.

Having a caravan also means that you can get to a campsite, set up your base for the weekend and have your regular car to drive out and see the sights, nip to the shops or grab that late night takeaway with ease.

As with everything, there are Cons.

First on the list is towing. Caravans aren't small. Even the smallest of caravans are still the size of a medium hatchback car and pulling that behind you can be quite daunting. There are also restrictions to towing, such as the trailer width must not exceed 2.55m and vehicles with a weight up to 3500kg can only tow up to 7m in length. You will also need a towing licence if you are a young ‘un too. You can find out more about this on the GOV website. It also means that you need to ‘Plan’ more about where you go, the roads you can use and you are restricted to just stop off anywhere you want. You also may need to upgrade your car too, aint a chance of pulling a caravan behind a fiat 500.

In the pros, I mentioned using your towing car to get out about and using the van as a base. But, if you are wanting to travel around from place to place on a short time scale, towing a caravan is not exactly ideal as you are not able to stop off on the spur, most tourist car parks will not accommodate a caravan either, let alone a small local Tesco carpark.

Storage when not in use. Again, these are not small units and if you are not lucky enough to have a large driveway, you will need to pay extra for storage. There are plenty of places that offer this now with an array of different price marks as well which depends on the type of storage that you go for, some as little as 40p a day! You may also be able to store your van at a local campsite of your choosing when not in peak season, but this can be quite costly.

MOTORHOMES:

Commonly, motorhomes are created using the front cab and chassis of popular large vans, such as Peugeot Boxer or Fiat Ducato and build the living quarter onto that, otherwise known as a coachbuild. There are also larger vehicles that build simply on the chassis of a van, and build the home vehicle on these, meaning that the cab is incorporated into the living space. These are classified as A-Class motorhomes and are right posh! You can get American style RV’s too, similar to A-Class but with a bit more brass. They aren’t that popular over here, as they are massive and generally run on petrol, so it will rinse your bank account in fuel costs.

As with Caravans, motorhomes come in a variety of shapes, sizes and sleeping capacity, but no need to tow and it's all in one drivable unit.

Most motorhomes that you see on the road are also below 3.5 ton, meaning that anyone can drive them that has a full UK driving licence, so no need for extra qualifications. In saying that, these vehicles are massive, so if you are not so confident in manoeuvring such a vehicle you can do lessons in building your confidence by driving them.

The most important difference from a caravan is the lack of an alternate vehicle for quick trips/visits. These are massive vehicles both in width and height. So plan-plan-plan when it comes to making your journey to not only make sure that the roads are safe for you to use, but any tourist destinations that you are planning on popping into as you travel can accommodate you.

If you are looking at making the change for a caravan to a campervan/Motorhome - check out my top 5 tips of changes/things to bear in mind here .

The Pros to Morothomes;

No towing. Probably the most important really. Unlike caravans, you can chuck some food, booze and pants in the back for the weekend and off you go. No need for a motor mover, lining your car up and the fear of detaching from your little home half way down the M1. On saying that, some people do like to tow a little car or trailer for a motorbike - more on this a little later, as we find this as a Con…

They have everything you need to be comfortable. As with a caravan, this depends on budget/ which type of motorhome you get. The bigger you get, the more creature comforts you will find. But typically, this will include a toilet/shower room, kitchen, a large double bed and all the storage you can ask for. They will typically sleep 4 with ease. As with caravans, you will be self-sufficient - so no need for posh campsites with facilities, so you can save a few quid.

Space. This again will depend on the type you get, but overall there is plenty of space so you don’t feel overly cramped and will even have a little room to walk around and stretch your legs. This is great if you have a dog or little kids running around, especially if the weather is poor outside. This also goes for storage too, a lot of motorhomes have a ‘Garage’. This is usually a large compartment found at the rear that can be accessed from both inside and the outside of the vehicle. Great for BBQ, chairs, tables, luggage etc…

And the downsides…

These are all in one unit, whether it be a coachbuilt, A-class or American RV - so the living space cannot be detached from the vehicle. This isn’t a huge issue in itself really, but if you are planning to travel from place to place and stop off at sights along the way, you really need to plan your routes in advance. A lot of car parks are height restricted and won’t accommodate for motorhomes to just pull into.

same if you are at a campsite for a full five days for example, make sure you know if there is a shop in walking distance - as your motorhome is going to be your only form of transport to pick up that pint of milk (or bottle opener) that you forgot to pack. Some people decide to tow a small town car so they are able to get around with ease, but personally, if you are going to do that - just buy a caravan, it’ll be cheaper in the long run. – My top 5 tips of changes/things to bear in mind for owning a motorhome /campervan can be found here.

Storage when not in use - same as a caravan, unless you have a massive driveway, you may want to look into storage of the motorhome. They are cheap these days and there are loads of places that do it, but it's just another added annual cost to make you aware of.

CAMPERVANS:

Probably the most iconic when you think of camping and especially if you want to get involved with #Vanlife. Again, come in a range of sizes and equipment.

The most popular van for conversions are Volkswagen. Even from the 60’s with first Type2 VW split screen through to modern T6.1 /Crafter with all the modern bells and whistles. But these also come with a hefty price tag - especially brand new! (£55,000). A t the moment the market is saturated with a variety of different campervans, professional and self builds! This is because you can basically choose any van that you like the look of and bang a bed and kitchen in the back. Depending on the size of the vehicle you chose, depends what you get, mainly just because of what you can fit in it! So I'm going to break this down into two sections - standard and large.

Standard ranging from a small Ford connect or Nuggets, VW caddy or Transporters, or older Toyota Hiaces and Mazda Bongo etc.

and Large being the VW Crafters, Mercedes Sprinters, Fiat Ducatos, etc.

Standard usually have everything you need for a getaway, such as a basic kitchen with sink and hob, a fridge, a pull out bed and plenty of storage, and for anything you don't fit in the van - you always have the choice of an awning or toilet tent, or cooking outdoors. Most conveniently (and what we love the most about them) is with them being small in size, it means that you can fit into standard parking spaces and under parking barriers, so need to worry when on your travels.

A Lot of people are also now using these as daily vehicles during the week and adventure vehicles at the weekend, saving on driveway space, insurance and tax too!

Downside is space. In the VW, you have enough space to sit or sleep and that's about it. If you have a pop-top or high roof you can stand, but there is not much walking room. You need to make the outside space around you a part of your camp by adding an awning to utilise the extra space, more on that later. You will also rarely have a built in toilet, so a cassette toilet and tent will be needed, or a campsite that has full facilities.

The larger vans have everything mentioned above, but often also a shower/toilet cubicle, more storage however - depending on the 'build style' these can still feel quite cramped inside when you are in them. And also come with parking limitations due to height/size of vehicle again. So if you are wanting or needing something bigger than a medium van, then jumping up to a motorhome may be the better option - as these are often in a similar price bracket to the Volkswagens anyway and you will get SO much more for your money!

We highly recommend a trip to the Camping and Caravan Club's 'Camping, Caravan and Motorhome Show' where you can have a look and sit in and get a feel for a lot of the different shapes and size of vehicles available before committing.

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REGATTA AZUMA JACKET CLOTHING REVIEW

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 09:28:18 GMT

WWW SCORE: 9/10

BRAND:

Regatta Womens Azuma II Padded Jacket

PRICE:

RRP apx £50+ (often on sale for £30)

I BOUGHT FOR:

£20 at the NEC Camping Caravan show

CAN BUY FROM: I Believe this particular style has been discontinued

but similar style jackets can be bought from : Millets, Blacks, GO Outdoors, Ultimate Outdoors, JD Sports, Amazon, Ebay

Anyone that knows me, knows that I'm ALWAYS cold - or fear I'm going to be too cold!! So this jacket was bought to replace/reduce all of my 'back up' jumpers and jackets I take with me on a 'spring/summer/autumn walk. The idea being that this packs down small in a bag - and can be put on top of the hoody/fleece/jumper I'm already wearing if I get cold. And by golly does it do the job!

During lockdown as we can't go far - I've been using it for my runs - and every time ended up too warm! Me too warm? I know, shocker right! For example today, it was 2'c and I had on a thin thermal top, and this jacket - and was too warm! (side note: I'm new to running and only on week 3 of the couch to 5k so the majority of my 30mins outside was actually walking!)

The only downsides to this coat so far are is that there is no hood and it's white at the top half, so my makeup has transferred onto the collar! IF you are after a jacket like this with a hood, look at my Peter Storm Blisco Jacket review .

THE DETAILS:

This info is taken from the Regatta website for a similar coat : Mens Azuma II Heavyweight Insulated Hooded Jacket Seal Grey so facts may differ slightly:

Lightweight 20d polyamide fabric
Durable water repellent finish
Ultra warm and super soft Atomlight insulation
Easily compressible
Heavyweight fill
Inner zip guard
2 zipped lower pockets

machine washable at 40'C

100% Polyester

I highly recommend something like this to be in your jacket collection. It's a great jacket that is really warm and comfortable and packs down small enough to pop in your back pack as a spare, for those chilly evening walks. I score this 9/10.

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EUROHIKE TOILET TENT

Thu, 18 Mar 2021 21:38:05 GMT

PRODUCT REVIEW

Simple. Effective. A peaceful place to poo.

NB: At time of writing, these are currently unavailable - however alternatives are available from highgear and outdoor revolution for a similar price.

As with most smaller campervans, we don’t have a toilet in our van. This isn’t so much of an issue if you are planning on using campsites that have facilities, or if you fancy some wild camping and don’t mind digging a hole and… well… you know. However, if you are fussy about this and want your own privacy, we recommend investing in a portable toilet and good toilet tent.

Previously we had a pop-up shower tent. They are great as there is no assembly required, you take it out the bag, let it go and boom, it’s up. Pop a few pegs in and you're off. However, there are some serious downsides, such as the structure being quite flimsy so it leans a lot in the wind, the material is generally thin and tears easily and they can be a sod to get back in the bag. After our third pop up in as many years, we decided to upgrade to a Poled tent and took a punt on the Eurohike toilet tent, and it’s great.

The tent comes with two tent poles, 8 pegs, two shelves and the tent canvas that has inbuilt guy ropes. It’s pretty self-explanatory on how to put up, but there are some instructions that come with the bag. Instead of having to thread the poles through a sleeve like with an ordinary tent, you simply pop the poles into the locking pins, bend them into position and clip the outer tent to the poles. There is a full size door, so no struggling to get in and out and this can be rolled up and toggled in place to keep it open if required.

Inside there are two vents with inbuilt fly nets, this helps to keep the shelter cool in the summer, prevent condensation build-up and keep the inside smelling fresh… which is essential if used as a toilet tent. There are two shelves provided that clip on the inside. They are not big by all means, but enough to store loo roll, anti-bac gel and other small items. You’ll also find a clip on the roof to attach a light, though we would not recommend having the light on at night whilst changing or using the loo - unless you want to give the rest of the campsite a little silhouette show!

The size is great, boasting a 1.3msq floor space and 2.1m in height, there is ample room to store a toilet, have a shower and change your clothes. We often use this as a store if we are jumping from camp to camp rather than setting up the larger awning. We can easily store all our chairs, luggage, water containers and other random tat that we take with us - all while still having room to sit down and use the loo!

It also packs down to a reasonable size bag, measuring in at 12x55cm, perfect to slip in the boot, under the bed or wardrobe without taking up too much space while traveling. It’s incredibly sturdy being a poled unit, especially while using the guy ropes. It’s also waterproof and fire retardant, though, as with any tent, we would not recommend using any sort of naked flame inside.

Personally, the only downside with this is the pegs that come with it. They are fine for soft ground, but if you are on a gravelled site - I would recommend investing in some heavy duty pegs that are much less likely to bend. We have a set from Aldi that cost us around £12 that came with a carry case and peg puller and they are brilliant.

If you're new to camping and portable toilets make you feel a little nervous - we have a post here with tips and tricks on emptying and keeping it smelling fresh!

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VANGO ECO LANTERN

Sat, 13 Mar 2021 16:54:56 GMT

PRODUCT REVIEW

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THERMACELL MOSQUITO REPELLER

Sat, 13 Mar 2021 16:51:11 GMT

PRODUCT REVIEW

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PETER STORM BLISCO JACKET CLOTHING REVIEW

Sat, 13 Mar 2021 16:13:08 GMT

WWW SCORE: 10/10

BRAND: Peter Storm Women's Blisco Hooded Jacket

PRICE: RRP apx £60 (often on sale for around £20)

I BOUGHT FOR: £22 from GO Outdoors (need a £5 annual member card)

CAN BUY FROM: Millets, Blacks, GO Outdoors, Ultimate Outdoors, JD Sports, Amazon, Ebay

This jacket is very similar to the Regatta Azuma , but I bought this one also because it's yellow and yellow cheers me up!! And as it was bright I thought it would be a good running jacket for those darker, colder evenings. And by golly does it do the job! In fact, I get too warm and have to unzip/roll up sleeves at 2-7°c.

(side note: I'm new to running and only on week 5 of the Couch to 5k so I'm pretty much 50/50 walking/running)

However, as mentioned in the Regatta Azuma review I'm also, ALWAYS cold - or fear I'm going to be too cold!! So this jacket will also be useful to replace/reduce all of my 'back up' jumpers and jackets I take with me on a 'spring/summer/autumn walk. The idea being that this packs down small in a bag - and can be worn on top of the hoody/fleece/jumper I'm already wearing if I get cold. And bonus for the over-thinkers - It's yellow - so if you fall off a mountain you should be easily spottable!

As an added bonus to the Regatta Azuma jacket - this one has a hood! so running in the rain was actually fun as the hood stays up. It even has little toggles to tighten if necessary and the pockets have zips to keep everything secure such as headphones, or a spare face mask.

The only downside I've found of this coat is that the cuffs are a little narrow, so if you have a few layers on underneath and want to roll your sleeves up, it gets a bit tight on your forearm.

THE DETAILS

Hood with adjustable toggles – and stayed up during my 5k runs
Toggles around the waist to help seal in warmth and stop drafts
2 external Zip pockets to keep phones/money safe
Elasticated hem and cuffs- as mentioned these are a bit narrow so hard to roll up if wearing multiple layers
Mens/children's sizes are also available

(according to GO Outdoors website):

The jacket has been designed with filament synthetic insulation, which means it is much better at handling moisture than a down jacket, and it will dry much quicker if it gets wet.
The all-over-body horizontal stitching is filled with synthetic polyester and you can draw-in the hem to ensure you’ll stay warm in the cold.
Filament synthetic insulation
Moisture-wicking
Durable polyamide outer fabric
Polyester lining
Fabric: 100% Nylon 40D

I highly recommend something like this to be in your jacket collection. It is pretty much exactly the same as the Regatta Azuma jacket, but with a nice fitted hood. that reason, I score this 10/10.

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TOP 5 CAMPING WITH DOGS TIPS

Sat, 30 Jan 2021 17:05:01 GMT

If you're either new to camping as a whole and you plan on taking your furry friend with you - or just new to camping with dogs in general - then this post is for you! As here we cover all the little things we've learnt over the last 3 years, camping with a beagle.

Beagles are well known for needing a lot of attention as otherwise they can get quite restless, noisy and destructive. So being cooped up in a confined space with a limited amount of treats or toys can sometimes be a challenge, especially if you have a noisy hound and close by camping neighbours!

And not forgetting that the types of places you can now go to explore will have to change/be adapted to suit - as you can't exactly leave your furry best friend in a car/van/tent for hours whilst your out exploring without them.

So without any further delay - here are our TOP 5 TIPS FOR CAMPING WITH DOGS!

TOP TIP 1:

PLAN YOUR ACTIVITIES FOR THE TRIP IN ADVANCE - Research things to do before you go – Obviously, you've got your walks where the 'majority' are dog friendly, and most countryside pubs tend to be also which is great! In fact, some pubs we've been to even cater for dogs and do 'doggy roast dinners' or 'puppy parties'. But when it comes to exploring and seeing sights our main advice would be to plan ahead and check they accept dogs. For example, we went to Bakewell a few years back for the weekend, didn't plan at all as it was last minuet and discovered that Haddon Hall does not accept dogs anywhere on the site, even the garden grounds.

Most National Trust places etc allow dogs on the grounds, but not inside the buildings or cafes. So you can still go and visit, (and on the plus side it may cost you less!) but make sure you wrap up warm as most of your time will be spent outdoors. We also often take our own lunch and a coffee flask too as it works out cheaper/more convenient for us as if we're not sitting in the cafe, we can find a nice peaceful spot mid walk for lunch.

The other thing just to bare in mind is the terrain of the walk. As I say most walks are dog friendly, however, there's been a few times we've been caught out where we've had to carry our Wander over stepping stones, a metal grate, styles, over bridges, and even 'pass her over' a rocky decline as she just refused to go herself - which for us with a beagle is not issue at all - but if you've got a larger breed - this could be a lot more problematic.

Don't be disheartened by this, as we've seen and taken our Wander to some great places over the past 3 years. We've seen castles, stately homes, giant head sculptures, got lost in mazes and even been on boats and steam trains with her - and this year we're hoping to try her on a rowing boat / kayak! (Disclaimer: please only do what is safe for your dog, and ensure they have life jackets etc).

If you're in a caravan or have space in you're van you also always have the option of popping out for an hour or so without your dog, just make sure it's safe to do so, eg: not too warm or cold, they have plenty of water and no toys or collars on that could be dangerous.

TOP TIP 2:

INVEST IN THE RIGHT 'KIT' TO SUIT YOU AND YOUR DOG - below I've listed our main must-have dog accessories for when we're at the campsite and out and about (this will obviously all depend on how you are travelling and the amount of space you have)

A waterproof backpack with poop bags, spare lead, water bottle, treats, collapsible water bowl, and wet wipes! This usually also houses our lunch, extra layers/waterproofs, first aid kit, a torch and we take it whenever we go on a walk. It also keeps everything stored away tidy in the van/tent (although we have to remove the treats/any food and put them in a sealed box so she can't sniff them out). We love the Jack Wolfskin Back packs as they're great for long walks for all our gear and Wanders. You can read the review on them here .

A ground spike and 2m wire lead - these are great as they can stay out on the grass and doesn't soak up water - but always please supervise your dog, and be careful - they can hurt if you trip or get tangled. Also, even though the lead has a plastic coating on, if your dog is a chewer, the wire can become frayed and cause injury to the dog's mouth, so best to keep an eye on them. Most campsites request that dogs be kept on lead at all times, so these are great to hook your dog onto so you have free hands for more beer/gin drinking.

A dog towel, some air spray to defuse the wet dog smell! and yes - a raincoat of sorts for the dog - Let's face it - the UK weather is 85% chance of rain and quite chilly all year round! And dogs don't smell pretty when they're wet! So a little rain coat just to take the worst off is fantastic! Our Wander also loves to climb into bed with us/cuddle on the chairs - so anything we can do to help prevent her being cold and wet the better! We also have a little jumper for emergency days when we're out a lot and it's bitterly cold. This is breed of dog dependant - just keep an eye on them and see how they're adapting and get them what they need - most dogs don't need jumpers as they have thick layers of fur - but if they're shaking and clearly uncomfortable - it's worth a shot - especially if they like swimming in rivers in the day but it drops down to single figure temperatures in the evenings.

A dog bed with a waterproof bottom - Somewhere for them, they know it's there's and they can rest after that 10mile walk you've just done - and so you don't need to worry about it getting wet if placed outside on the grass. The bed we have for Wander is a Wainwright one, and she loves it as it has sides and she can curl up in it. We place this at the bottom of our bed in the camper with a blanket over the top and she usually sleeps here till apx 6am when she decided she wants to join us in our bed. We also bought our princess her own chair - as we found when we were out in the evenings she wouldn't settle as the floor was too cold.

We also take an extra blanket as you can guarantee to wander always steels ours!

A windbreak - if you got an over-excitable or nosey and noisy dog and have space, I highly recommend taking one - as they're great to block distractions and give you that little bit of privacy so your dog can relax.

Take plenty of dog treats, and toys with you . We specifically like something we can stuff (such as a Kong toy) and she can chew on for an hour or so in case the weather is bad and we can't get out and about anywhere.

And lastly - if we're away for like a week or more - I like to take a mini dustpan and brush to sweep up the living quarter of dead grass, dog hair and dry mud- but I'm well fussy

TOP TIP 3:

GPS TRACKER AND A SPARE LEAD - Due to the nature of the beagle breed, we don't let Wander off the lead, so this isn't so much of a problem for us. However, we do know a lot of beagle owners who do, and therefore hear a lot of stories of them hunting for hours to re claim their pooch after they've ran off chasing a rabbit scent - hence a GPS tracker being a god send! It can also interesting to know how much ground they cover!

If you do let yours off lead, I highly recommend the Tractive Dog Tracker , so you can monitor where they are and locate them if they do runoff, in realtime straight to your mobile phone. There are other cheaper alternatives out there, but this is the one we use.

There is other dog-tech you can buy, such as the Pit Pat Tracker - this doesn't have locatable GPS in it, but it does monitor the dogs activity for the day so we know how far they covered.

Speaking of scents and animals, a lot of walks in the country have public bridleways that pass through farmers fields that have roaming live stock. It is an offence for dogs to scare livestock as it could hurt them. You may come across signs that state that 'dogs must be on leads at all times when passing over the fields, and any dogs that are seen by farmers scaring livestock can be shot...' So best not to risk it. This is also why we take a spare lead with us - just incase one breaks and we need another - we have also had two re-tractables break on us in the past!

TOP TIP 4:

BE PATIENT AND LISTEN TO YOUR DOG – If camping is still new to your dog - then remember they may take a while to get used to it and to adjust - try to stay patient with them and understand what they're going through. For example, we once arrived at a site late one Friday after work, so Wander only had a quick 30min walk around the filed and then it was bedtime. But she would not settle - and I was up every 20 mins due to her crying to go outside. I eventually gave up at 1 am and took her for an hour walk in my PJ's and soon learnt that the field was littered with rabbits! so no wonder she couldn't settle!

If your dog is crate trained, it may be worth taking this with you if you have space. Crates can be really comforting for your four legged friend and can help destress them in their new surroundings. Also, if you are in a tent, it gives you a little more peace of mind that they haven't chewed through the side of the tent and legged it while you are fast asleep.

TOP TIP 5:

BUILD UP TO LONG JOURNEYS AND TAKE REGULAR BREAKS – Find what's right for you in terms of 'traveling'. Wander's always been fine when traveling in our car/van - but they've always been the shorter journeys, so when we got our van and we started doing longer trips, it was a whole other story and it took her a while to adjust.

As a pup she was only comfortable traveling long distances if she was in her crate - so we had to 'pack' it in with the rest of our stuff to make sure it didn't move around. Eventually, starting with really small trips, we got her used to sitting on the back seat. Over time we've learnt she's happy here, if she feel's 'secure' - so we have a seat belt attachment, and we also pack the rest of our gear in close to her, so there's not a massive 'gap' or 'drop'. We've also recently bought a bed with sides which seems to help. If you are in a car and going tenting, you may not have this problem as much, just make sure there is enough room in the boot/backseat for your dog to relax and isn't cramped in with all your gear. Roof Boxes are great for storage on cars when doing a camping trip for all your gear (Not the dog!).

We also make sure we stop regular for breaks, roughly every two hours at a service station or a lay-by so she can stretch hers legs and have a drink.

Unfortunately its just going to be a bit of trial and error until you find what works for you all - but please ensure, if they're not in a travel crate you have them attached with a seat belt/headrest to a harness - not a collar - think about what would happen if you had to do an emergency stop!

We've not yet had the experience of camping with a dog in a tent, but we do have friends that do! So if anyone has any tips to share, please do get in touch to let us know what you do and how you manage.

Lastly one campsite I cannot recommend enough if you have dogs is the Oskada campsite near to Filey... you can read the review on it here .

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JACK WOLFSKIN BACK PACK

Sat, 30 Jan 2021 17:04:44 GMT

PRODUCT REVIEW

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TOP 5 PACKING TIPS

PAR002_123@heg.com — Sun, 06 Dec 2020 19:23:14 GMT

From someone who always wants to take the kitchen sink!

HERE ARE MY TOP 5 TIPS

TOP TIP 1:

Pack in advance - and lay it all out so you can see what you have - this helps visualise outfits and also gives you time to wash or locate anything you've may need

TOP TIP 2:

Chose your 'hold all' based on your needs for the location/type of travel - nothing worse than struggling to find or access your clothes. More on this can be found below

TOP TIP 3:

Disposable shower caps work great as shoe/boot covers

TOP TIP 4:

Be a goth to avoid colour clashes! Everything goes with black

TOP TIP 5:

Use clear bags to separate items that you want to locate easily such as knickers and socks

(pants fit great in those long clear pencil cases) or I'll separate various days/outfits into suitcase organisers for ease of finding when rummaging in a holdall

BONUS TIP

I also always take extra socks and pants as well as a 'thin' scarf - this saved my life when hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in New Zealand!

Bonus Top tip for dog owners!

Pack your clothes folded inside out and keep PJs in a separate bag to avoid dog hairs!

For more on what clothes we take click here

More... on bags

Over the years, I've found the key is finding the perfect carry bag/holdall that's right for you. I've got a couple I use for various occasions which I've listed below.

OPTION 1:

My trusty DropDead 'tube' bag which I use for weekend/long weekend camping trips.

I love this bag as everything can be folded and placed in stood 'up right' so to speak - so you can 'scroll' through your items and find them easily - that is unless all your clothes are black like mine so all merge into one another anyway! I also put my pants and socks in a separate bag so again, then can be located easily. As this is a small bag - I also have to take additional 'carry bags' for coats and shoes.

OPTION 2:

The age old favourite 'trolly case'

I find these a little overrated, as due to the mechanisms of the 'handles' you don't get that much room in them. Also if using as hand luggage on a plane to prevent checking in baggage - you may still have it taken off you if the over head storage gets full.

OPTION 3:

The 'back pack'

I struggle with these as there's usually a minimum of 3 different pockets or areas so you can guarantee I'm always loosing things / forgetting which section I've put it in! But they are great when you need to take a lot of stuff and if you're going to be on the move a lot.

We've recently just purchased a 80-120L duffle that is also a back pack, in the hopes it will fit both our clothes in for a week plus and a review on this will be coming soon.

OPTION 4:

The hard shell suit case

obviously a bit overkill for a weekend away - but I love my hard shell cases. We have two sizes, a medium and a large and we took these with us when we hired a campervan in New Zealand for 2 and half weeks. Might sound crazy but it was amazing. They fitted in all the stuff we needed for all the weather conditions, there was room to 'rummage' and find things. Easy to store and move about the van, and the hard shell meant we could just through them outside on the wet/damp grass when we needed more space.

OPTION 5:

The classic 'tote bag'

Obviously not big enough for a weekend away etc but more of a necessity and an extra addition as they're always useful to have on you - I find them especially useful on walks, or at airports as I often find myself getting un expectedly warm with no where to store my multiple jumpers/hats and scarfs that are no longer needed - why not check out the 'Stay Wild' tote we have in our shop?

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HI TEC WATERPROOF WALKING BOOTS REVIEW

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 18:56:32 GMT

BRAND: HI TEC ALTITUDE ALPYNA WP WALKING BOOTS

PRICE: around £85

I BOUGHT FOR: £70 in a sale

CAN BUY FROM: Millets, Blacks, Go Outdoors, Ultimate Outdoors, Amazon, Ebay

WWW SCORE: COMING SOON

YAY! a pair waterproof of almost black boots to go with my black everything else!! And bonus surprise - they came with a dark set of shoe laces also! which is good as I was planning on replacing them for something a little less 'bright'.

I'm still trying to get over the fact that I've spent close to £100 on 'Hi Tec' shoes - and without being forced into it by my mother - as I'm sure many other 90's kids reading this will remember that Hi-Tec were the trainers you used to get off the market for £10 and got teased for wearing at school �� – oh how times change!

These only arrived today - and I've only wore them for about 5 minutes so far - but on initial review - comfy! They even have an arch support and state that they are waterproof - which I'm sure to put to the test in the next few weeks...

UPDATE: As with all new shoes - it's advised to wear them in gradually, so on Saturday I wore them for our dog walk - and did apx 3km with no issues whats so ever! very comfy and no rubbing! But I was wearing thick socks just incase!

To be continued...

Also, if black walking boots are what you are after, try North Face, TressPass and Karrimor - as they had some black options - however some weren't 'waterproof'.

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HI GEAR STORAGE UNIT

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 17:53:59 GMT

PRODUCT REVIEW

WWW SCORE: 10/10

BRAND: Hi gear Elite 4 Cupboard

PRICE: around £30-70

I BOUGHT FOR: £47 from Go Outdoors

CAN BUY FROM: Millets, Blacks, Go Outdoors, Ultimate Outdoors, Amazon, Ebay

We'd been looking for one of these for a while now - but originally, the larger one with a wardrobe section. These were about £70-£80 when we first started looking, so when we saw this one in Go Outdoors for £60 we jumped at the chance to go and see it 'in the flesh' so to speak to check pack down size etc.

After seeing both sizes we decided the larger one would be too big for our space, in both pack down transit size as well as when erect, and decided upon just the cupboard.

Since purchasing these have gone down in price again, and can be picked up cheaper on eBay or Amazon - which is frustrating - but I do not regret it at all. As even at the price we paid it was worth it for the tidiness, extra space and peace of mind it brought us.

It's so easy to set up, just fold out, velcro the legs apart, click the top in place and slide in the shelf's. It has a net door and back so air can flow though, as well as light so it's easy to see what's inside, and the shelf size is incredible.

For the extra amount of storage it gives you, you'd expect it to take up a lot of room in your awning, but it really doesn't. In fact, ours fits perfectly in our 'tunnel' out of the way, and adds another surface for things like lanterns, bread bins, water bottles etc. which is always useful - especially if they're out of reach from the dog!

It also fits nicely in our toilet tent too for those trips when we don't out the big awning up.

You can pick up the self assembly ones for cheaper - but after having one we realised we never take it anywhere due to the hassle/time it takes setting it up.

Admittedly we've only used this the once so far - so cannot comment on how 'durable' or 'long lasting' it is - but looking at it - I have high hopes! and will update accordingly if necessary .

TOP TIP: get some 's' hooks and some none slip matting and you can hang your coat or dog leads off it too ��

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MABLETHORPE CAMPSITE REVIEW (C&CC)

PAR002_123@heg.com — Sun, 11 Oct 2020 17:18:36 GMT

9th - 11th October 2020

THE SITE /NEED TO KNOW

This is a Camping and Caravan Club site - you do not have to be a member to stay - however it works out cheaper if you are - more about the clubs can be found here .

PRICE AND BOOKING:

2 nights (October 9th-11th 2020) cost us £38.70. That was for two of us with electric hookup, which is really reasonable.

October is classed as 'out of season' and prices tend to be cheaper during this period.

There were signs on the entrance to the site stating 'Advanced bookings only', but this may well be because of the current Coronavirus Pandemic, but I would still advise booking in advance / phoning ahead to check that pitches are available - especially if planing to visit during the peak summer season.

DIRECTIONS

The sat nav took us directly to it, the road does look like a dead end, and there is no 'brown sign' indicating there is a campsite at the end - but there is! and this road in fact follows round a bend which then leads directly to the sea front.

THE SITE

Suitable for all units - tents, motorhomes & caravans and offers hard standing, grass and electric hook up pitches.

There is a barrier upon entry, which you get a code for on arrival so you are able to reenter after a day trip. There are also full, quite modern facilities including toilets, showers, pot washing, Elsan point as well as laundry. Free wi-fi is also available onsite, however it was weak where we were in the middle of the field. On the plus side, we both had strong fast 4G on O2 and Three mobiles.

As it's a club site, certain rules apply, for example;

- you cannot arrive before 1pm, and have to vacate the pitch by 12:00pm

- dogs on leads at all times

- no fires (off the floor bbq's only - there were frames available to use for disposable BBQs)

- quite after 11pm

- more can be found here

This site also had a small wooden children's play park, a separate enclosed ball field, and enclosed dog walk.

There was no shop on site during our stay (but this was during the COVID Pandemic - so we weren't allowed in the 'office') – however there is a small 'corner shop' about 10min walk from the campsite.

The whole site was very flat and level, with well kept grass, however, I did spot the odd wild mushroom or ten - so keep an eye on scavenging dogs.

The sun rises and sets along the back of the field - behind the distant wind farm.

The site had very minimal lighting (predominately just on the electric posts and facility block) so I advise taking a torch - and your binoculars if you like to look at stars - as due to it's location there is minimal light pollution. If you're lucky you may also spot the odd bat or two too!

NOTE: if using electrics - make sure you read the unit correctly - we went without electrics for the first night as Dave thought our unit was broken - but he'd just not turned the switch on properly.

SURROUNDING AREA

It's an approximate 20 min flat paved walk to a gorgeous soft, golden sand beach with a chip shop and cafe right on the corner. The beach is long, dog friendly out of season (I believe one side is dog friendly in season also) and has a row of colourful little beach huts dotted about. If you head left from 'Coral Cafe & gift shop' it takes you into the main centre of the town - where there are more cafes, shops, a few rides and a bouncy castle. If you like birds - this beach was very popular with adorable little Sanderlings - fascinating to watch as they scutter about so fast!

Just behind the sea front (Inland obviously) there is the Queen's Park which has a miniature ride on railway, crazy golf, paddling/splash water park and a boating lake where you can hire rowing boats or 'paddle swans'. There is a little 'town' which had a few amusements and 'touristy' shops, along with a large indoor market and a big co op. There was also quite a few guest houses/B&B's down the main road - so I imagine it to be a very busy and popular place in the summer time.

There were plenty of parking areas down by the beach's and the Queens park. The main car park was a coins only machine but you can pay via mobile. Alternatively if go out of season there's a few 'on street' places you can park, especially on a Sunday.

There is also a Seal sanctuary apx 10min drive from the campsite. We did not visit due to not being able to leave our pooch alone in the van, however the website states it is a tourist attraction which works to rehabilitate sick and injured seals. They also have meerkats, reptiles, birds of prey and cats which you can meet, feed, and even be a keeper for the day! link here .

OVERALL

We visited out of season and during the Covid Crisis - and I'd definitely go back again - out of season. The beach was so quiet and clean, and just the right amount of shops and cafes were open. I imagine in season and when not threatened by a deadly virus this would be a great place for families, however due to the amount of holiday parks, guest houses, and activities for children I would also assume it will be very busy/popular in the summer months. So, if you prefer the quiet life (like us!) then maybe avoid in peak season.

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LAKE DISTRICT RAVENGLASS CAMPSITE REVIEW (C&CC)

PAR002_123@heg.com — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 19:52:44 GMT

17th - 22nd September 2020

THE SITE /NEED TO KNOW

This is a Camping and Caravan Club site - you do not have to be a member to stay - however it works out cheaper if you are - more about the clubs can be found here .

PRICE AND BOOKING:

5 nights (September 17th-20th 2020 - peak season) cost us £137.25. This was for two adults on a hard standing pitch with electric hook up. The pitch we were allocated was big enough for out van and awning but, the whole site was hard standing, which was unfortunate as we have an awning with a base, but more about this later.

I advise booking in advance / phoning ahead to check that pitches are available as this site was very popular due to it's great location and easy access for walks in the Lake District - this may have been also due to the Pandemic and campsites had only been allowed to open for a short time by this point too.

DIRECTIONS:

The sat nav (Google maps) took us directly to it - however there was a road apx 20mins prior to arrival that said 'not suitable for caravans' which we were directed down, we saw the sign before the turn off and thought better of it. However, we took this on the way back - accidentally, as it was not signed - and I'd definitely avoid taking this route. It takes you off the A590 to follow a narrow, twisty road up the hills that are littered with sheep, so you can only realistically drive around 15-20mph at most. It does offer gorgeous views of the landscape( and due to the weather conditions it was like driving in a cloud) but it added an extra 30mins onto our journey so personal thoughts are it's not worth the drama unless you're in a small van/car - you definitely ain't getting a caravan over that road though.

THE SITE

Suitable for motorhomes & caravans, but only offered hard standing electric hook up pitches during our stay. There is an area for grass only/tents and this is listed on the club site to book - however this was cornered off due to bad weather - so I advise checking/booking in advance for tent pitches. Also - the hard standing pitches were all concrete/stone so if you have an awning with an attached groundsheet be careful not to tear it. The site warden upon arrival allowed us to park further to one side so we were able to put the awning on the grass as we had a corner pitch next to the road - however the next day - another warden came and said we should move it \ not allowed to have it there due to fire regulations (all vans have to be 6 metres apart) but as we were next to the road, he agreed to let us keep it as is - this time ��‍♀️ - so I advise taking a thick groundsheet to use as a base if you have a thin bottomed awning that may tear.

There is a barrier upon entry, which you get a code for on arrival and there is a one way system for driving about the site. Toilets, showers, pot washing, laundry, and a motorhome service station ( fresh water tap and a grey water drain). It looked like there was a small shop on site too - but due to Covid restrictions, it was closed - so I couldn't tell you what they stocked. There was free wi-fi on site too and the signal was really good, there were a few masts dotted about which we think we're boosters.

As this is a certified Camping and Caravan club site - certain rules apply, as on all club sites for example;

- you cannot arrive before 1pm, and have to vacate the pitch by 12:00pm

- dogs on leads at all times

- no fires (off the floor BBQ's only)

- quite after 11pm

- more can be found here

Overall the site was a gorgeous and peaceful place to stay, clear stary skies at night due to not much light pollution and we had late September sun all day. The site is surrounded by sheep fields - so you wake up to sheep sounds all around you. The sea front and 2 pubs are just a 10 minute walk away, which is the perfect place to watch the sunset - I think we went every evening.

SURROUNDING AREA

Ravenglass 'village' - if you could call it that is tiny and so quiet – almost Erie especially when you spot the old sign by the sea about bombs. One evening we also heard the faint sound of gunfire whilst watching the sunset - Wander got scared bless her and sat on my knee.

There is a great pub here to watch the sunset - called The Inn at Ravenglass. We saw what looked like a post office selling bread and milk etc - and also was the only shop we saw in walking distance to the camp site, however this was closed every time we walked past (Granted this was mainly in the evening). The Pub didn't seem to open in the evenings mid week - or at least it wasn't whilst we were there.

Note that it is technically a Estuary -where a river meets the sea - not the actual sea front. When high tide there is no beach and at low tide there is no sea! Also take care when walking on the sand far out, as it starts to get very sludgy – I nearly lost a shoe (and scared myself by over thinking what if there's quick sand patches!)

The walk way is quite concealed but if you leave the site and turn right, there is a footpath on the left just after the BT shack and before the red and blue house. Follow this and it takes you to past a children's play park, and playing field, over the bridge for Ravenglass train station and into a pay and display car park by the Ratty Arms pub. (There is also another car park just for the train station and museum). Keep going straight and access to the sea is on the left through a street of gorgeous cottages. Or if you go right and then straight on you come to a green grassy area with benches over looking the sea and sands.

There is also a Roman bath ruin just a 7min walk from the campsite. Come out the gates and turn left and walk until you see it. The road is flat - but a little un even under foot, with the occasional car that drives down.

Muncaster castle is also in walking distance from here, just follow the road past the ruins for an extra 20-30 minuet walk (we didn't manage ths however, as Dave was still waiting knee surgery).

STEAM TRAIN TO DALEGARTH

The main tourist attraction at Ravenglass would be the little steam train and museum. Here you can get a little steam train all the way to Dalegarth - a perfect hiking destination.

We were a little apprehensive about this at first as Wander hates anything loud and was proper cowering, trying to run away when we were just stood on the platform. However, after talking to the ticket office and being re assured we'd have a carriage to ourselves as well as requesting one with closing doors and as far away from the engine as possible we thought we'd give it ago - after all, she was fine on the boat last year, and it was only a 40min trip. You'll see by the photos below - it took her a while to get used to it, but eventually she settled and wanted to look out the window and sniff all the sniffs out the door.

Ticket's cost us £36 (£18 each, dogs were free - even got a poop bag and biscuits for her ❤️ ) Due to Covid regulations you needed to pre-book and it was one family per carriage - which worked perfectly for us and Wander. Some carriages were all enclosed, with windows and doors, perfect for dogs/small children and others were open bench seats perfect for the photographers amongst us. There is also a museum, cafe, shop and toilets.

more information can be found here .

At the other end there are two pubs, offering food and drink, a water mill - which is only open on 2 days of the week - so plan accordingly if you want to visit this and a couple of ice cream shops. There are multiple walks you can do from up here, more info can be found here - however as we visited during Dave's Knee injury time, so we just had a drink in the pub and headed back.

WAST WATER LAKE

one of the UK's deepest lakes – is just a 25minute drive from the campsite which is a very popular sight seeing place, and good location to start or end a hike. The roads can get quite narrow and windy to get there - there are passing places, but we got stuck due to sheer amount of traffic as there was a treasure hunt event on at the same time which we didn't know about, the 2 Ball Rally. - if we had of known we'd of probably planned to join in! We also saw another Urvan campervan! which was a treat! as they're very rare over here! When you get so far around the lake, there is only one narrow road in and one road out, again with passing places - and parking signs saying no stopping.

At the end of the road there is there is a National trust campsite and and Inn and camp site for tents only, but no camping for caravans or campervans and a car park 'Wastwater Car Park for Scarfel Pike' . The car park was very busy, and muddy, so many tourists had parked on the roads - ignoring the parking signs. We must of seen over a 100 cars that had parking tickets - at £30 a ticket that's over £3000 for one day's work!! Impressive!

We parked where the road spits (the sign post) before the single road and parking notices and I believe as long as park sensible you won't get ticketed.

WHITEHAVEN

As we needed to find petrol and a supermarket - we decided to have a day trip out to Whitehaven . Here there was a big Tesco and Asda, and we drove past a Morrison and B&M Bargains on route. It was a lovely little fishing and mining village, with the buildings being built to look like a castle, resulting in old ruins dotted about. As well as an old knocked down bath house. however everything was closed due to it being a Sunday - and in the middle of a pandemic. Plenty of parking approx 5-2 minute walk from the docks - all seemed to except mobile payment however note if you park in Strand St car park, you only have 10 minutes to get your ticket - it took use about 14 minutes before purchasing a ticket as the machine was not accepting cash, and we had to make an account to pay on our phone and we arrived home to an eye-watering £100 parking fine! (we argued this and had it wavered but best to avoid if possible)

ST BEE'S BEACH

On the way back to the campsite we visited St bees beach - and put the wrong car park in the sat nav and ended up again having to drive down a narrow residential road, with minimal passing places - ending at a carpark that had a 1.9m height limit bridge and a car behind us with no turning space - we know we could clear 2.1m barrier - but this was nervy - especially as it was on a slope - luckily we cleared by like 3inches - and oh so ever grateful for a small van! We keep trying to remind ourselves we need to plan our routes before we travel. If you do want to visit this beach, there is parking in the main town which is further up the beach, the opposite side of the golf course.

MORECAMBE BAY

On the route home to the midlands we broke up the drive with a stop off at Morecambe Bay which was 1hour 30mins from Ravenglass and 2hours 40 from Nottingham. Whilst there we saw the The TERN Project, which is a Nature Trail to celebrate the birds and wildlife of Morecambe Bay featuring a series of sculptures along the promenade for you to discover.

And of course had my photo taken with the famous Eric Morecambe statue. There is also a lovely panoramic sculpture of the mountains that can be seen across the way.

The place was quiet, most things were shut, predominately as it was just out of the summer season and (again) we were in the middle of a pandemic (bloody COVID!) It's a very typical seaside town - chip shops, arcades, gift shops - so worth a visit if you are in the area, but personally, we wouldn't go out of our way to visit.

OVERALL

We absolutely loved our stay - it was quiet and stress free - minus the narrow busy roads and low bridges! And we're planning on visiting again once Dave's knee is better so we can do some walks around Scarfel, Wastwater, and Dalegarth. But unless you enjoy walking and hikes - it is sort of a once you've done it - you've done it kind of destination.

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ONE WEEK IN RAVENGLASS, LAKE DISTRICT, 2020

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 16:50:54 GMT

17th - 22nd September 2020

It's very rare for us to stay in one location for longer than 3 nights - as we like to get about and see as much as possible in our short time away from work. But due to the Covid pandemic that hit in 2020, travel (amongst a lot of other things) got a little more complicated and stressful - so when the restrictions were lifted we decided to plan a nice relaxing week away in the lakes, and we chose the Ravenglass Camping and Caravan Club site to do this. We'd never been before, we had no idea what was around the area - the pictures just looked nice and it was by the sea* in the Lake District... and we were not disappointed!

*Note that it is technically an Estuary - where a river meets the sea - not the actual sea front. When high tide there is no beach and at low tide there is no sea! Also take care when walking on the

The site was gorgeous and a really peaceful place to stay. The surrounding fields had sheep in them so we wake up to sheep sounds all around us, which wander found fascinating.. and we were lucky enough to have the late September sun all day on our pitch. The sea front with 2 pubs was just a 10 minute walk away, our favourite was The Inn at Ravenglass, it was perfect for watching the sunset - which I think we did every evening and at night, the skies were beautifully clear and full of stars due not much light pollution.

We had a hard standing pitch, but there was 'grassed area' for the awning.. so if you have an awning with an attached groundsheet be careful not to tear it. The site warden upon arrival allowed us to park further to one side so we were able to put the awning on the grass as we had a corner pitch next to the road - however the next day - another warden came and said we should move it \ not allowed to have it there due to fire regulations (all vans have to be 6 metres apart) but as we were next to the road, he agreed to let us keep it as is - this time ��‍♀️ - so I advise taking a thick groundsheet to use as a base if you have a thin bottomed awning that may tear.

For information on price, booking, directions - please see our campsite review .

(Thursday 17th September 2020)

We had a lazy morning, packing the van and the Lakes from where we live is about a 4hour journey - so we set off about 2ish, had a few toilet stops for the dog and arrived around about 7pm Thursday evening. So after setting up and mini dog walk we were about ready for bed!

(Friday 18th September 2020)

With arriving late and in the dark, we took today to familiarise ourselves with the campsite and the surrounding area and plan what it was we wanted to do for the next few days.

Ravenglass 'village' was so tiny and so quiet – there was a particular street, with row of gorgeous cottages, and a boarded up shop that lead to a boat access area for the estuary that I did find to have an almost eery feel to it - especially when you spot the old sign by the sea about bombs! One evening whilst watching the sun set Wander (and I) got scared by the faint sound of distant gunfire too which probably didn't help!

This 'eery' feel may just of been due to the fact that we visited during the middle of a pandemic and we'd all just come out of an isolated lock down, so it would be interesting to re visit and see if it changes at all, as it also disappeared once you got to the Train station and museum - guessing because it was a lot more touristy here (just a 5min walk difference).

Walking distance from the campsite we found a Roman bath rui n (just a 7min walk) which we visited, and we also saw signs for Muncaster castle which was said to be just an extra 20-30 minute walk (we didn't manage this however, as Dave was still waiting knee surgery and we weren't sure about them allowing dogs).

(Saturday 19th September 2020)
WAST WATER LAKE

We decided to have a day trip out to visit Wastwater - Englands deepest lake which was just 25minute drive from the campsite. It was our first time to here – and fair to say it's become my favourite place in the Lake District so far!

We did however have the most traumatic experience ever trying to get there as the roads are quite narrow, one lane tracks with rugged stone walls and trees either side, and it ends with a dead end - it is not a through road..

..and to make it worse, there was a treasure hunt event on at the same time which we didn't know about, the 2 Ball Rall y . So we got stuck due to sheer amount of traffic. If we had of known we'd of probably planned to join in! or planned to of visited on another day!

We did see another Urvan campervan though which was a treat! as they're very rare over here!

At the end of the road there is there is a National trust campsite and and Inn and camp site for tents only, but no camping for campervans and a car park 'Wastwater Car Park for Scarfel Pike'. The car park was very busy, and muddy, so many tourists had parked on the roads - ignoring the parking signs. We must of seen over a 100 cars that had parking tickets - at £30 a ticket that's over £3000 for one day's work!! Impressive!

We parked where the road spits (the sign post) before the single narrow road and parking notices and I believe as long as park sensible you won't get ticketed.

(Sunday 20th September 2020 )
WHITEHAVEN

ST BEE'S BEACH

(Monday 21st September 2020 )
STEAM TRAIN TO DALEGARTH

The main tourist attraction at Ravenglass would be the little steam train and museum. Here you can get a little steam train all the way to Dalegarth - a perfect hiking destination.

more information can be found here .

(Tuesday 22nd September 2020 )
MORECAMBE BAY

And of course had my photo taken with the famous Eric Morecambe statue. There is also a lovely panoramic sculpture of the mountains that can be seen across the way.

OVERALL

For more on the Lake District, click here .

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CADEC SAFARI CHEF 2 GAS BBQ

Sat, 12 Sep 2020 18:53:48 GMT

COMING SOON

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YELLOW REGATTA WATERPROOF JACKET

Sat, 12 Sep 2020 18:48:18 GMT

COMING SOON

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'THE LODGE' - NEAR SCARBOROUGH

PAR002_123@heg.com — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 16:58:16 GMT

We stayed here from Friday 4th September to Tuesday 8th September 2020

the year of the 'virus' and 'lockdowns'.

NEED TO KNOW

This is a Sykes Holiday Cottage near to Scarborough.

2 keys - 1 lock box

There is a note pinned to the blackboard on the wall with checkout info as well as a file on kitchen work top

Gate didn't lock - was just string looping over the top

Drive was gated and comfortably fitted 4 cars and a small van - had to block each other in mind

Sleeps: 17 with 8 bedrooms

1 double bedroom on the ground floor

A day bed is through one double

and one double is only accessible through a room with two singles

and there are quite steep narrow stairs to top top floor

No grocery shops in walking distance

It is dog friendly - but I'd say this depends on your dog breed and how much you're prepared to watch them - more on that below

It was very noisy on the week days due to the main road and single glazed windows

- so suggest taking ear plugs or claim a room on other side of the house if you're a light sleeper

As it was wet during our stay, and we had dogs - we found the tiled floor was getting quite slippery at times

- so I advise taking a matt of sorts if you have elderly/young children that might slip

We unfortunately had lots of flies in kitchen - so advise taking fly spray

The main toilet downstairs is a saniflow - and the one upstairs blocked easy

There is a hot tub �� - so take your swim gear - I also recommend if not packing light you take a dressing gown for after.

Also the provided 'guest towels' are the standard white - so if you have dyed hair that runs like me - I suggest taking your own

GENERAL

The house is lovely - it has large spacious rooms, gorgeous tiled floors, a massive garden for the dogs/kids but it is a little 'tired' and could definitely do with a lick of paint and some TLC - for example some doors needed re attaching to their hinges, skirting and banisters scuffed, and there was very little decor in the front rooms. Not to forget that the bottom gardens needed quite a lot of work - but under the circumstances - and with it being a 'holiday house' you can see why it's the way it is.

The pictures on the website are a bit old now - as we had what looked like brand new grey IKEA furniture in all the rooms, new faux leather dining chairs around a long wood table and different bar stools - which was different to the photos provided on the Sykes website.

There were 3 toilets and 2 showers downstairs - 1 toilet in the outhouse (I'd avoid using this loo!), 1 toilet and shower room accessible for all just off the dining room, and the other through the second sitting/TV room. 1 toilet, shower and bath on the first floor, and a toilet and bath on the second floor - all showers were modern and amazing!

The outhouse - which is to the right of the dining room door outside has a tumble dryer and washing machine

A vacuum cleaner, mop dustpan etc were available in the cupboard under the stairs on the ground floor, and plenty of hand soap was provided throughout - but we did get a bit low on loo roll

There are 2 large front rooms, both with a Smart TV so Netflix, Prime etc all ready to log in to - One room had an electric fire, whilst the other had a wood fire with kindling provided for one night - this particular front room leads to a tiled corridor with coat hooks - which perfect run for a small dog on a wet day, or to store wet muddy atire, and then a toilet, shower room and double bedroom at the end.

The lower floors of the house were warm, the central heating kicked in automatically - and the little electric fire warmed the room up lovely. However the bedrooms in the 'attic' were a little more chilly - but an electric fire was provided.

All rooms had doors, including the kitchen, which was great if you needed to separate children/dogs/just want a moments peace

Two high chairs were located in the dining room, a long with baby plates, bowls, cutlery etc in the kitchen

The house had decent BT WiFi - and we received good signal all over the house (although I didn't check on the very top floor floor)

THE KITCHEN

This kitchen had that proper 'farm house' vibe and feel - it was gorgeous - and it was where most us tended to gather as you do. In the middle there was a huge wood work topped island, with 4 'bar stools' - there was a note about how you can't use products on word worktop - which was possibly why there were so many flies in there! Again - take fly spray!

There was a decent family sized fridge freezer, two kettles, two 4 slice toasters and a large dishwasher - dishwasher tablets, cleaning sprays provided under the kitchen sink. A large oven and gas hob - plus another xxxxx type oven in the dining room. Plenty of mugs, plates, cutlery, and cling film, kitchen foil, cooking utensils were also provided - although we had 4 BBQs on the go - and we had to borrow a set of tongues and a spatula from our van as there wasn't enough

THE GARDEN

It states 'enclosed garden' - and it was enclosed at some point - but unfortunately for us part of a wall had collapsed and so it just had metal sheets blocking a very large hole which leads onto another property's garden. The gate also had quite large gaps, so if you have a small dog - this may be an issue. We had staying with us a beagle, a German short hair Pointer and a Staffy/Lab cross - and we panicked a fair few times that the beagle (our Wander) had got out - she hadn't she was just rummaging inside the bushes and under the garden waste pile, but personally, I wouldn't recommend leaving the dogs un attended in the garden, and at night - we took them out on leads - just to be safe. Also to note, we heard the distant sound of hounds and gun fire shots one night - so again didn't want to risk our Wander trying to get out to investigate/hunt them down.

Another important thing to note in regards to dogs is that there are a lot of fruit trees and bushes in the garden. From apples, pears, and raspberries, to unknown berries and mushrooms! So be careful if your dog is a scavenger - as there may be quite a few rotten ones on the ground depending on the season.

There was a table and 4 chairs outside, plus plenty of benches, and the Hot tub was raised up two steps on decking. The top 2 lawns were beautiful, and are well kept - but bottom two need some work as mentioned above.

There is also no 'outdoor cover' so we took a pop up gazebo with us as we all know how un predictable the English summer weather can be.

THE SURROUNDING AREA

The house is located next to a doctor's practice - so no risk of annoying neighbours

There was no convince store in walking distance - but there was chippy who we were told sold milk, and newspapers

We used 'Just Eat' on first night and had pizza delivered

Decent - and vegetarian friendly - Indian restaurant 'Spice For You' located in Pickering village 15mins away via car and they do orders for collection

There were 2 pubs walking distance

A Spar and Petrol station 10min away via car

A Morrisons was 25mins way via car

the Snainton riding centre is situated down the road, so you tend to get a fair few horses coming past.

'The Lodge' was 20mins from Scarborough and 40mins from Whitby. We didn't go in to either due to the beaches not being very dog friendly whilst in the summer season. However, Filey is only 30 mins away away and has an amazing beach that is always god friendly. We are going to Scarborough camping in October though, so we can update you on this later ��

Flamborough edge and North Landing were 40mins away via car and we visited these on our way back home. There were lots of wasps at Flamborough for some reason, and they kept trying to land on us, so be careful if allergic. There was a small gift shop, restaurant, bar and public toilets at both. We were also very lucky to find some seal swimming inland to! Parking £1.40 for 2hours.

North landing £1.30 for 2hours. It has a steep slope with built in steps to get onto the small beech area - so take care.

OVERALL

This property has SO much potential to be amazing - and personally - I thought it was a tad expensive for the state it was in. It did however serve it's purpose, and have everything that we needed/wanted, and we'd love to go back if prices were cheaper. The area was quint, albeit quite a lot of through traffic, but was a great location for plenty of seaside towns, as well as inland walks. The locals were friendly and the pubs were had decent ales on for reasonable prices too!

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OLPRO DRIVE AWAY AWNING PRODUCT REVIEW

PAR002_123@heg.com — Sat, 05 Sep 2020 14:13:33 GMT

September 2020

WWW SCORE: 9/10

BRAND: Olpro Uno Breeze

PRICE: around £300

I BOUGHT FOR: £199 from NEC motorhome show

We chose this awning for a couple of reasons. The most important for us was that it has a sewn in groundsheet and full zip doors both sides – perfect for dog owners as you can unleash them and they can't go anywhere! (unless the dig/eat through it anyway which could be the case for some beagles �� ) but also our last pole awning got destroyed in some Scottish winds a while back so we wanted to try an air awning - and this was one of the only sewn in groundsheet, air drive-away we could find in our price budget at the time. You can read our thoughts on pole vs air awning here

I was a little shocked at the size of it when it arrived in the post - especially compared to our old Decathlon gazebo tent thing, and it unfortunately will not fit under the bed like the old one used to... however having it 'attach' to the van, and that little bit bigger, sturdier and faster to put up definitely makes up for it.

we bought ours for £299 from the caravan and motor home show held at the NEC in February 2020, as it was a pre order it took a while to turn up, and then covid hit so no one could go anywhere or do anything. As covid didn't seem to be going away anytime soon, we got the awning out in the back garden to just have a play - and noticed it had a torn ground sheet due to the pegs being packed too tightly inside. Olpro were fantastic though, and even though it had been over a month since purchase, they exchanged it for us with no problem.

For the second attempt we took a day trip out and we were able to put it up properly in a field for a few hours - which sounds like a lot of effort but it really wasn't - as the name says it was a 'breeze'

Just lay it down, place it apx just under a metre from the van, peg in and start pumping - took 1min 32 seconds to inflate - I timed it - and apx 60 pumps of the pump. (The pump is quite a large and Cumbersome bit of kit to carry, and next time we go away were going to try it with a battery pump as they're a bit smaller to pack\store so we'll update the blog on how that goes!) I'd also recommend that someone is inside guiding up the tubes while someone else pumps else the air can get trapped and the tubes get caught on each other.

The awning has three ways of attaching the tunnel to the van:

1) There is a built in strip for figure eight or attaching to a wind out awning (such as a Fiamma). You can buy magnetic awning adapters that attach to the top of your van to make the attached for figure 8. We have personally never used these, but have heard mixed reviews, especially when in use in high windy conditions, they can easily slip off the van.

2) A sleeve for a pole and clamp, this is the way we attach to our van. The pole slides through the sleeve and drops into the guttering on the top of the van and uses three padded clamps to keep it in place. We find this to be a really secure way of attaching the awning, however most modern vans don't have external guttering, however you can buy rails to attach to a modern van for reasonable price for use of pole and clamp, and figure 8. They look stylish too and don't stick out like a sore thumb.

3) Finally, the awning is provided with storms straps, 3 of which can be attached to the tunnel. The straps then go over the top of the van and are pegged into the ground on the other side. It works quite well, but it's not the most secure methods. It's also not a viable option if you have a full length pop top, as the straps can't go over the top, but work well with a 'tin-top' van.

And un like our first time using a pop up toilet tent we had no one clapping us when we'd finally accomplished our task!

A few months later camping restrictions were lifted and we were able to really try it out at our trip to Cannock chase for 3 nights. Where it rained none stop Friday night, and most of Saturday evening\night - perfect weather for testing an awning.

Our only issues have been puddles/drips where the strip/rail attaches to the van gutter - we think this is because our van is quite short so gravity is pulling the water down rather than flowing off the sides - same with the sides of the 'tunnel' because our vans small we have to have the sides tight which leaves a big over hang of material - which you need to make sure folds outwards so that it doesn't catch the rain and pour into your 'tunnel' area. I don't think this would be an issue for taller vans mind (our van is just under 2m tall)

Other little, tiny, niggly things that I found was that the material tends to get caught in the zip quite a bit when opening and closing, but I think that's just me being rather heavy handed\always rushing. If you ensure you pull it quite taught it prevnts it from sagging into the zip and getting caught.

I love having a proper window to see out of and the option of having the 'curtain' at various heights is a great, as it means we can avoid distractions for the dog but still let light in/see the trees. And the fact you have windows in both sides mean you can ensure you get a 'the view' whichever way you park.

Ideally it would be better if it had a door in the 'tunnel' as trying to get out to go for a wee in the night was a pain, as there are 4 doors/zips to go through (2 of which are fly screens) but when camping on our own (not with friends) we got around this by putting the loo in the tunnel - which also saves us having to put up the toilet tent as well.

We left the site one day folded down the tunnel. It comes with toggles to pack the tunnel away pretty safe and sturdily preventing it from flapping around the in the wind. For ease of re aligning upon our return we placed markers (the unused chocks) level with where our tyres were before which worked a treat, and it was back re attached within 2 mins.

Overall the extra space of having the 'tunnel', the airiness feel, the ease of setting it up and packing it down, and the bag not being a tiny fiddly thing to get it back into definitely outweighs any negatives - and leaves me to say the only thing I dislike about it really is that it's blue!

Olpro uni breeze air inflatable awning - 9 out of 10!

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STAFFORDSHIRE - CANNOCK CHASE CAMPSITE REVIEW (C&CC)

PAR002_123@heg.com — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 14:12:34 GMT

28th August - 1st September 2020

NEED TO KNOW

This was a Camping and Caravan Club site - so certain rules apply, for example:

• dogs on leads at all times

• no fires (off the floor bbq's only)

• quite after 11pm

more can be found here

We stayed August bank holiday weekend, site looked pretty full so recommend booking in advance

It cost is £81.90 for a 3 nights, grass only no electric pitch. This works out to be £13.65 per person, per night - Personally, I find Club sites can be quite expensive, for not a great deal extra – so it's always worth looking around for alternatives. More information on the club site prices can be found here

Take chocks with you for this site and a decent hammer as the ground is solid!

WiFi signal very weak in some areas and we both had no phone signal so download any playlists\movies before hand

Take eye masks and ear plugs if you're a light sleeper

THE SITE

The site is easy to find and 'brown sign posted' from the road. It has a barrier opperated by a keypad code which you get upon arrival. You can't arrive beofre 1pm, or after 8pm - however if you are running late/early - you can call and they will do what they can to assist you. This site does have a reasonable size car park before the barrier which you can stay in for the night if needed.

The club site lady met us at the gate and gave us all the usual jargon/info about the site, and pointed in the direction of the water, waste etc and then showed us to our pitch. Pitch 53.

It was a great pitch as we had a little bit of land all to ourselves. She recommended we went in one way which we disagreed with due to how un even the ground was and the amount of rain meant the ground was very soggy, but she was happy for us to park to suit our needs as the whole area was ours.

We were however right next to the main road which was quite noisy, and the facility block which had lights on 24\7 (which was quite handy for the awning at night! And didn't effect us with our curtains in the van, but this might be an issue if you were in a tent). It also meant we had people walking past to wash the pots quite a bit too (however due to the covid restrictions this was a lot less than it normally would if been). We also appeared to be the only spot that got practically no sun throughout the day. However, it was not the worst pitch on the site - as one was right next to the elsan\toilet waste disposal unit (this was however the nicest and poshest toilet waste area I'd ever seen!)

So if you're fussy maybe request avoiding these areas upon booking\arrival.

The site also has 'motorhome service points' (a drive to water fill-up and waste disposal area which is handy if you need it) a couple of 'glamping pods' for hire, a designated 'bike wash' stand - but no water outlet so take a bucket - and a dog walk area with various dog poo bin scattered about the site also. Due to covid reception, shop, toilet blocks and child's play area weren't open.

There was a notice board with walks and places of interest pinned to it and the location is perfect for walks and bike trails, but there's not much else in walking distance.

SURROUNDING AREA

Unfortunately for us and Dave having been off his feet for 5 weeks due to a bad knee we weren't able to go far - however we did one walk that was recommended, the 3mile circular to 'Castle Ring'. The walk was a lovley, lots of sniffs, and a lake for wander however the final destination was a little anti climaxable �� - we expected some form a ruin, or bricks on the ground but it was just a raised circle path around some plants and a noticeboard in a car park.

On our second day we took a drive out towards Rugley to find some waterfalls we'd seen on Google maps. We parked at the Rugley leisure centre, cut through a break in the hedge, and then headed down the left hand side of the rugby field until you meet a gravelled path the 'heritage trail' which you follow to the left. It was an apx 10-15 min walk to the first 'Slitting Mill'.

About another 10 mins for the other 'Rising Brook' - this was a lot harder to find as you have to take a left off the path through a metal kissing gate, and then continue the same direction (right), and you'll hear it before you see it.

Re 'Rising Brook' the pictures uploaded too google look very similar to the first - don't be fooled / give up! There are two different mini falls to see. Also Google maps may say you've gone past it, when you haven't just keep walking and listen out for it.

On a dry day you can access both waterfall's 'pool' by going down a cut in the trees and down a muddy bank – be sure to take care on much wetter days! They both also have a bridge so that you can walk over the top of them and see them from above.

This little walk is great /suitable for all - especially families with small Welly boot wearers, bike riders or dogs that like a paddle.

After 'Rising Brook' we continued on this side of the river to the fishing lake 'Duttons Pool' to re join the path and cross the river further down and to head back the way we came.

On the way back the the campsite we visited Marquis visitor centre however Dave was in quite a lot of pain by now with his knee so we just had a short stroll around the main field.

I did however log a few bits of useful information for other passer by's such as it was very busy and popular. The road was full on the lead up to he car park, and carpark was only £1 for 3 hours or £2 for over 3hours. However the carpark did shut at 4 - which might be why most folk had parked on the road.

There was a small cafe, play area, and toilet block and benches dotted about also. The park was full of families/friends taking chairs and tables to have picnics or dog walking but mainly mountain biking. There appeared to be a lot of biking trails running off from this central location. Going from what we saw, these trails looked suitable for people of multiple ages and experience. One track looked exceptionally fun - this was called 'follow the dog' and was marked 'difficult'. There was maps and marker signs dotted throughout, giving details on the trails and the Difficulty.

Monday morning we packed up - (you have to be off majority of sites by 12pm) and on the way home we attempted to visit chase water which was apx 15min drive from the site. The carpark was busy, so we drove all the way to the end and got to see the steam train - then we left. This is because the whole place was just swarming with little flies that looked like midges. And I mean swarming - there was no way we'd of been able to sit and have a coffee and a little enjoyable stroll whilst those things were around so we decided to call it a day and head home.

OVERALL

To summarise - it was a lovely site, clean, well kept and ample facilities (obviously the circumstances can't be helped of having to have some closed) and with the camping and caravan club you get what you pay for - which is the re assurance of a good, quite, family friendly campsite. It's just a shame that it costs SO much, and that Dave was injured so we couldn't make the most of the scenic walks. Because of that we'd defo go back if there if a club meet/THS site on in the area.

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BULGARIA - BOROVETS - HOTEL ELA

PAR002_123@heg.com — Sun, 05 Jan 2020 13:48:44 GMT

4th -11th Januray 2020

ONE PICTURE CAN SPEAK A THOUSAND WORDS

(WORDS BELOW)

OVERALL

The Hotel was nice, Clean and relatively modern, and majority of the staff spoke really good english.

There is a bar and social area in the reception, equipped with a log fire, and the restaurant is opposite which has the breakfast and dinner included in the price, with seatings times between 7-10 and 5.30-7.30 check.

There is ski and snowboard storage at 18lev for the week, as well as a sauna that is free to use between 4 and 6pm, a gym (old and dated, but a gym none the less) and a pool table.

The overall cliental for the hotel was a mixture of ages, but I'd say majority were quite young (65%). This is based on the amount of noise level we experienced between the hours of 12-2am. But nothing some good ear plugs couldn't fix.

One last thing to point out to be aware of is that the lift doesn't have an internal door! So ensure to stand away from it when entering – and don't do what I kept doing – which was waiting for the door to open automatically after it had stopped!

THE ROOMS

The rooms were clean, and well equipped with extra pillows, (which is good as the pillows were really soft) a blanket, plenty of plug sockets – close to mirrors and the bed, and a TV but I couldn't find any english speaking channels. Unfortunately there was no kettle in the room - we did ask for one, and the lady at reception said she'd see what she could do, but one never arrived and I think was because there just weren't enough for every room and it was luck if the draw if you got one of not. Although, all three of our rooms did not have one, so I advise taking your own if you definitely require one. There was a fridge, that states it's a mini bar - however this was empty. And I didn't spot a hair dryer - but to be honest, I didn't look, and I know Neil had one in his room.

The shower was powerful and hot! as was the radiator in the bathroom - perfect for drying any swimsuits or damp gloves.

The room I had was on the front of the building and due to the season, there were Christmas lights up - which looked lovely – however, one of them was a flashing white strip light which meant that my room was a very subtle disco at night when all the lights were off. It took two requests but eventually I managed to persuade the hotel staff to turn the top light off over night. Goes to show there's always no harm in asking!

There was also a little bit of an issue with Andy and John's room booking, as they had been given a double bed rather than two singles. To start with they were saying that there was nothing they could due to the hotel being fully booked, which if you saw the size of Andy and John compared to the size of the bed you'd see why this was not going to be an option! So we stuck our ground and a few more options were eventually put on the table. One of those was to get 'camp style bed' to put on the floor.. now the rooms were of a decent size for what they were, but I've no idea where they thought a camp bed was going to fit!! Anyway, somehow a room upgrade became available that was on the lower floor, with two twin beds, a door to the outside, and an area with a table and sofa perfect for card playing and it was only an extra £25 for the week! No brainer really!

THE FOOD

I learnt during this trip that the Bulgarians are big meat eaters! So if you're a meat eater, you'll be fine, and it did look amazing!! But for vegetarians/vegans – being brutally honest, the hotel restaurant was a bit crap.

Tea, coffee, juice or water is only available for the breakfast time sitting, if you require a drink for your evening meal, you have to order it from t he bar or discreetly take your own.

Breakfast is pretty good for the meat and dairy eaters, I spied scrambled, fried and boiled egg, baked beans, sausages and bacon, along with toast, jam, cereal and plenty of fruit.

For the evening dinner, there were things like chips, wedges, potatoes, meatballs, chicken nuggets, meatloaf, fried chicken, grilled vegetables, salad, cheeses, cold meats, potato salads, and two soup options (one vegi one not) on everyday. But the difficult part was making a good hot hearty 'meal' out of the selections offered, as when you've been out snowboarding in minus degrees all day, the last thing you want is a cold salad for tea.

One day I had cold potato salad, with hot mash potato and grilled veg, followed by potato soup because I was still hungry.

Another day I had onion rings and potato frittas,

and then one evening we had a pasta and sauce which looked amazing, but it was served lukewarm so went cold very fast.

Talking to friends who stayed in other hotels, it seemed to be a similar occurrence that there was plenty of salad or veg options, but not much to make a 'hearty meal' out of for the vegetarians. Also, that a lot of the dishes were either lukewarm or cold with the option of reheating if required in a microwave (fyi - we didn't have a microwave in our restaurant).

For Neil who was vegan, it was even harder, as staff didn't understand when we asked if something was made with dairy (for example the potatoes or the soup) so he pretty much lived off chips, fruit or toast for the whole week.

Eating out is fine for vegetarians, as long as you like cheese, or aren't afraid to ask for something without - for example the sausage mash and Yorkshire puddings - without the sausages from Black Tiger were amazing!! (no idea if the gravy was vegetarian, I just turned a blind eye and hoped for the best!) But I think poor Neil survived off chips or the vegan Subway patty for the whole week!

CONCLUSION

YES – I'd stay there again, as it was very convenient and the price was really good! However, I would look around for alternative options nearer the time due to the food situation... (even though friends reviews of their hotels have not filled me with hope!) I'd also make sure I'd pack my ear plugs and eye mask again, and pack a travel kettle and some some food with me, or eat out more than in the hotel

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SCOTLAND - LOCH NESS SHORES CAMPSITE REVIEW (C&CC)

PAR002_123@heg.com — Mon, 30 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Location: Scotland

Monument Park Lower, Foyers, Inverness IV2 6YH

We visited 2nd - 4th July 2019

ONE PICTURE CAN SPEAK A THOUSAND WORDS

(WORDS BELOW)

THE DETAILS

Loch Ness Shores is a Camping and Caravan club site

For more information about the Camping and Caravan club see my blog post on the tips and tricks page or click here to visit the site

We visited in July 2019 and arrived at 7pm (the front desk closes at 8pm).

You don't have to be a member to go, However it is a little cheaper if you are.

We are members and stayed for 3 nights and it cost us £60.

The roads to get to the site are rather narrow and windy – which made us grateful we don't tow!

It is also advised on the Camping and caravan Club website not to use a sat nav to get there.

I have copied their directions below:

Access and SatNav Advice - Don’t use a satnav to access this site. Approaching on the A9, turn off at Raigmore Hospital and follow the south ring road (B8082 Sir Walter Scott Drive) until you see a roundabout with a green Loch Ness Monster on it. Turn left on to the B862 to Dores, and join the B852 to Foyers along Loch Ness. As you approach Foyers, you will see on the right hand side what was the old hotel (now called Foyers Lodge). Turn right 100m further on behind the No Entry sign, which is signposted for Lower Foyers and follow the signs to the campsite. Approaching from the South, leave the A82 at Fort Augustus and follow the B862 to Whitebridge. Approximately 1 mile after the Whitebridge Hotel, turn left on B852 to Foyers. Approximately 1 mile after Foyers Stores turn sharp left to Lower Foyers and follow signs to site.

THE SITE

The site was easy to find, and the staff were really friendly and helpful, and best of all you have direct access to the Loch side. (Unfortunately we did not see the Loch Ness Monster during our stay).

When looking at pictures of the site, it appears like you'd be able to see the Loch from most pitches, however this is not the case. The site is surrounded by trees, and there are some new camping 'huts' which have been built that block the view from the top field.

It was well maintained, with new clean facilities consisting of one master toilet and shower block with access to pot washing and laundry, but also a few smaller individual toilet facilities scattered about the site, also perfect for changing and cleaning teeth.

There is a shop on site that sells some every day essentials like preserves and tinned food, as well as being a typical Scottish gift shop selling various short bread and Tartan clothing. But be warned, it's pretty pricey, so I would recommend stocking up from the local town prior to arriving.

Next to the shop is a small indoor wi-fi room where you can go to escape midges/rain etc. It has tables, chairs and charging ports for laptops and phones, so you can check all them important e-mails, contact family or post a selfie from the side of the Loch along with maps and leaflets for things to do in the local area.

In regards to midges - the site has direct access to the Loch, so midges will be around (as they like damp areas) so it will be luck of the draw for how bad they are. The grass was well kept and there are plenty of indoor areas to escape if need be. However, same as for anywhere in Scotland I highly recommend taking a good insect repellant with you. Our first night was quite bad between 8pm and 9pm so we escaped to the shower block and by the time we returned it had calmed down.

SURROUNDING AREA

As mentioned, the site has direct access to the Loch and from Easter to the end of October motor boats (with fishing permits) and kayaks are available to hire. It also states on the Camping and Caravan Club website that other activities are available on site during school holidays such like archery, bushcraft and den building, as well as wildlife and heritage walks.

During our stay we visited Foyers Falls which is apx 30min walk from the campsite, and if you continue down the main road there is an excellent farm cafe where you can see highland cows and horses.

The site location is on the 'quiet' side of the loch, so tourist shops, Loch ness monster memorabilia etc is sparse if you don't have transport.

OVERALL

Camping and Caravan Club sites can work out quite expensive for not really a great deal.. However this site I thought was worth the money, even though we weren't camped 'Loch side' like I thought we'd of been. We really enjoyed our time here, and would definitely go back.

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PAWFECT TREATS

PAR002_123@heg.com — Wed, 04 Sep 2019 12:37:15 GMT

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HELPING PAW

PAR002_123@heg.com — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 19:50:11 GMT

How they can occasionally lend a hand... or paw!

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WET DOG TIPS

PAR002_123@heg.com — Sun, 01 Sep 2019 12:31:11 GMT

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NORTHUMBERLAND NATIONAL PARK - KIELDER

PAR002_123@heg.com — Wed, 10 Jul 2019 16:58:24 GMT

KIELDER, HEXHAM NE48 1EJ

9-10TH JULY 2019

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SCOTLAND - INVERNAHAVON

PAR002_123@heg.com — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 16:42:36 GMT

GLENTRUIM, BY NEWTONMORE PH20 1BE

8-9TH JULY 2019

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RUTLAND WATER – LYNDON TOP CAMPSITE REVIEW

PAR002_123@heg.com — Sun, 26 May 2019 16:16:44 GMT

LYNDON RD, OAKHAM LE15 8RN

NEAR RUTLAND WATER

24-26TH MAY 2019

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ICELAND – REYKJAVÍK, COZY LITTLE YELLOW HOUSE

PAR002_123@heg.com — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 12:46:25 GMT

28th January 2nd February 2019

ONE PICTURE CAN SPEAK A THOUSAND WORDS

(WORDS BELOW)

OVERALL

We really enjoyed our stay at the cozy little yellow house, and so glad we picked this as our base for our week in Iceland.

We booked through air BnB and if the place is still isted there is a link here .

Edwin and Mirjam were so nice and helpful. On the run up to the trip, they offered recommendations for things to do and see, spoke to us about what the weather had been forecast recently and generally seemed to share in our excitement of the trip.

Our flight was delayed upon arrival, but they were so understanding and considerate, we couldn't of asked for nicer people.

The house it's self was gorgeous! Warm, bright, welcoming, and with everything we needed to cook\make quick meals to avoid the expense of eating out. There was a big wardrobe for storage of cases, coats etc. TV, surround sound, Netflix, blue tooth speakers, hot water on tap! The Internet was a little intermittent\slow a couple of the days, possibly due to weather, but we didn't go to sit and use the internet and we still managed to binge the new season of Punisher on Netflix! - it just took a little longer/more patients.

The location was spot on for us, about 10 mins drive from city centre, 5 min walk from domestic airport (which is a popular tour pick up stop for grayline tours etc) and a shop in walking distance that was open till late.

We were sad to say goodbye, and would definitely go back to stay again

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OSKADA

PAR002_123@heg.com — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 16:42:53 GMT

LOW MILL, SHERBURN, MALTON YO17 8QN

7th-9th SEPTEMBER 2018

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THE 'CLUBS'

Sun, 06 Aug 2017 12:51:51 GMT

What is it? Is it worth it? Is it like the inbetweeners?

The Caravan Club (now known as the Motorhome Camping Club) and the Camping and Caravan Club are different - with different sites, rules and fees.

Some of the 'official' facilitated sites let non members stay, you may just have to pay more than if you were a member.

However the 'pop up' temporary club meets/rallies - only members can attend and t hese Temporary Holiday Sites (THS's), Meets and rallies are organised by 'sub clubs' shall we say under the main club - a bit like an umbrella - more on this bellow.

Lets take the Camping and Caravan Club. They have their official club sites, with entrance signs, toilet and shower blocks, shops, laid out pitches, maybe even a games room etc and they are ALWAYS there. However if you join up as a member - you are issued a member card - where it will specify what 'district' and 'region' you are in. These 'Regions' and ‘Districts' organise temporary 'pop up' camp sites all cross the UK that are ran by volunteers throughout the year. As they are 'temporary' they often take place in farmers fields, school fields and public receaional grounds - with no facilities other than a water tap - so you have to be self contained eg - have a porta loo! More on this later.

Over the years, I have been a member of the Caravan Club (Derbyshire Centre), and the Camping and Caravan Club (Notts DA) and have attended both the facilitated and the non facilitated sites, below is some information for anyone new to the camping club scene.

CLUB SITES

We are currently members of the Camping and Caravan Club. They have various club sites all across the UK and some of Europe. You can find information on them and book via their website here and as mentioned above - you don't necessarily need to be a member - it may just cost more.

Membership starts from £41 for the year which gives you a subsidised rate when booking campsites (from up to 30% off), access to a monthly magazine (either digital or hard copy dependant on your membership preferences), discounts in various stores such as Go Outdoors and Mountain Warehouse, a club forum and other ‘useful’ information.

The club site campsite costs can get quite high – especially in peak season (bank holidays, summer and school holidays) – for example for a 3 night stay over August Bank Holiday just cost us £81.90 - for 2 adults - doggo was free! Some sites also have a minimum amount of nights in which you can stay for too (this is usually 2) C lick here to download 2020’s site prices and season info.

With these club sites – you do get what you pay for - as majority of sites have top class facilities - such as modern, clean shower blocks, pot washing, laundry, on site shops, tourist information points, elsans and waste disposal, motorhome service points, multiple fresh water taps, hard standing pitches, electric hook up - some sites have kids parks, and even swimming pools! Certain rules do apply on these sites, for example:

5mph / walking pace speed limits
dogs on leads at all times (no longer than 3m when ground spiked) and ensure you pick up after them
no fires (off the floor bbq's only)
quite after 11pm

More information on site rules can be found here

But you also get the re assurance of knowing you’re going to get a good, well kept, quiet, family friendly campsite that can cater for pretty much all your needs. It's just a shame that it costs SO much, which is why we tend to chose the 'Club Meets' and 'THS's' at £8-10 per unit per night instead - more on these below.

USEFUL TO KNOW

You can save up to 40% when booking a family deal, and if you’re backpacker, who travels alone without the use of a car, you can receive up to 30% off Club Site fees, while non-member backpackers can receive up to 17% off Club Site fees. And over 60’s are also eligible for discounts. - Visit their website for more info.

CARAVAN CLUB VS THE CAMPING AND CARAVAN CLUB

The Caravan Club was very big in the 90's - and has now re branded to the 'the Caravan and Motorhome club' However, they still do seem to have a bit a 'fun' rivalry between them, (I'm not sure why) but when I first joined the latter, I struggled to get the terminology right - and fellow members sniggered at me when I said things like 'rallies' instead of 'meets' – because of this I have highlighted and explained some keywords below along some other key differences I have found over the years, but in all honesty, there is not really that much of a difference between the two - if you've been a member of one - you know the drill for the other.

KEYWORDS

Rally/Meet

The name given to the 'event' / temporay campsite

Marshal / Steward

The person in charge and 'hosting' the rally or meet

Committee

Volunteers who organise everything usually consists of:

a Chairman, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, site co ordinator, and entertainment rep

THS

Temporary holiday site - longer than a weekend

Flag / Coffee morning

Flag was where you said thank you to the marshals and heard about up coming rallies

Coffee mornings are just an informal get together

Social

Evening entertainment

Elsan

Where you dispose of your toilet waste

RALLIES, TEMPORARY HOLIDAY SITES (THS) or 'MEETS'

As mentioned above - there are also 'sub clubs' under each main club - for example the Camping and Caravan Club is split into ‘Districts' which is ran by volunteers who organise their own temporary sites.

When you sign up for your club membership - it will state on you're membership card what district you are part of. There isn’t much information for new members about these sites - but if you download the app ‘out and about’ or look in the magazines you will see lists of where, when and who is running what meet. And as a camping caravan club member - you can attend ANY district meet - for example - if you are in the Derby DA (District Association) you can still attend a club meet or THS that is ran/organised by the Nottingham DA, the boating community, or the Folk and Dance club! These 'sub clubs' can be filtered on the app search and most also have their own website and/or facebook page if you require more information on any.

The Caravan Club was different - if you joined the 'Derbyshire Centre' you only tended to attend the 'Derbyshire' rallies - bu ant official site.

These Temporary sites are a cheaper alternative to the certified club sites, (£8-10 per unit per night) but they are often just on a farmers field, meaning there is nothing but a tap for fresh water and a sweet for waste. Because of this you have to be 'self contained' to use these sites AKA have a toilet in your van/tent (we have a toilet tent and portaloo!).

They can sometimes take place on land at a certified club site, however this does not always mean you can access the facilities.

The words 'no facilities' can often put people off from using these sites, so I have reviewed a few so people can know what to expect and go prepared as these can be some real gems and at a fraction of the cost of the facilitated sites.

'Clicky'

A lot of people can find these clubs a littlte 'clicky' shall we say - this is just because the same people tend to go to the same meets, and friends are made, and social groups formed - it is not intentional - we went away to a site in Birmingham, not realising it was a special 'birthday meet' for the club - they'd organised a 'gazeebo band', drinks, a bacon breakfast morning, and we were invited and encouraged to join in - even though we didn;t know anyone there - same with a meet on by the Huddersfield and Sen group - a small gathering of about 15 units (caravans, vans, tents etc) and i think everyone came and said hello and had a jolly conversation with us – everyone has always been so lovely and we've always felt welcome at all the sites we've been to!

CLICK HERE FOR REVIEWS

FINDING AND BOOKING SITES

As mentioned above, the Camping and Caravan Club's main sites are accessible to book online or via the phone. But there isn’t much information for new members about how to 'book' the club meets or THS's - and that's becasue you don't really have too...

This was one of the biggest differences I struggled with as when we were in the Caravan Club, the 'Rallies' were displayed in a 'rally book' that you got once a year when you joined/renewed your membership. Some of these had limited spaces available and you had to pre book them by filling in a paper 'rally slip' or phoning the organiser a few months or days before the event. Some of them would be the same each year, for example, New Year, Bonfire, Highland games etc and these were highly popular (filling up a year in advance!).

However the Camping and Caravan Club 'Meets' are listed in the monthly magazine which is available to members free or viewable online and also on the 'out and about' app. You don't necessarily need to pre book these, although it is often advisable if it's a popular meet or time of year, and again some of them would be the same each year, for example, New Year, Bonfire, Highland games etc.

THE SITES/GENERAL PRACTICE

Caravan Club sites used to put out flags which you had to park on, all facing the same way, where as the Camping and Caravan Club are a little more relaxed and you tend to be able to park wherever you like, space permitted and that your following the clubs fire safety rule of 6m apart.

On arrival for both clubs you have to report to the steward or marshal. Caravan Club marshals used to give you a 'broadsheet' that had your 'rally plaque' in (this was a small printed bit of plastic that had the name, location and date of the rally on which people used to collect and you used to get special 'marshal' ones if you were the marshal) and all the relevant/useful information on, like water location, Flag time, and departure time. The Camping and Caravan Club meets just greet you, take your member card number down, pay and tell you any info required.

Caravan Club rallies used to do 'Flag' on a Sunday which was predominantly a 'thank you' to the Marshalls for putting on the Rally, tea and coffee was offered, along with raffle prizes and people would hand in slips for future rallies and occasionally items like toilet blu, loo roll and club 'merchandise' would be for sale out of the back of a car boot!

The Camping and Caravan Club meets do a coffee morning, which is just as it states - a get together with coffee!

SOCIALS/ACTIVITIES/SPECIAL EVENTS

These are often dependant on what's available at the site, the nature of the meet and what Marshal/Steward is hosting.

For example a summer meet to celebrate the Highland games may be in a farmers field with field games like 'welly wanging' and 'lawn darts' throughout the day, followed by a gathering under a gazebo/stars with a quiz or bingo.

Where as a New Year Rally/Meet could be a community hall with a 3 course meal provided, a Fancy dress theme, day activities for the children and a live band for evening entertainment!

Sometimes, YOU can be the entertainment, as you can volunteer to put on acts/shows/games etc. For example people dressing up and putting on comedy sketches/doing impressions of Tina Turner, ABBA, MASH, can can dancers, ballet dancers to magicians! Anything goes! (I've even been involved in a few over my time). This was a good way to keep costs down on days like New Years Eve.

RULES/GUIDELINES/GREEN PAPERS ETC - FOR ALL CLUBS:

Here's a few I can remember - if you have any questions or concerns- the 'stewards' will be able to help.

It's advisable to have a fire bucket full of water at the front of your van/vehicle for emergencies - I've seen these need to be used, so seriously advise it.
There's usually a quiet after 11pm rule and no generators before or after set times (I think this is 9am and 9pm(?))
Take all your rubbish/waste with you if there's no bins provided
Dogs on leads at all times (no longer than 3m when ground spiked) and ensure you pick up after them
5mph/walking pace speed limit at all times
Park at least 6m away from other vans/vehicles/tents
No visitors can stay over night/camp with you unless members of the club themselves

OVERALL

Some of my best childhood memories are of camping with the Derbyshire Centre Caravan Club and of the 'socials' and events that I've attended over the years. And I think they've played a big part in helping create who I am today.

From bike riding Tissington trail (with no gears!), walking up peaks and hills, building and racing soap box carts down a hill, strawberry picking, organised water fight 'splash' rallies and 25mile sponsored walks in the summer, to Halloween fancy dress weekends, the biggest bonfire and fireworks I'd ever seen with guy fawkes making competitions, toffee apples, bonfire toffee, soup and mushy peas on sale, Illuminated van, Christmas and New Years celebration events in the winter – t here was always something for everyone! And you were always more than welcome to get involved and volunteer if you wanted too - including the teenagers!

The club I was in had a 'Teenage Committee' which I joined and it gave us responsibilities like running the tuck shop, organising charity events to raise money for the chosen charity, helping organise the children's Christmas party, selling raffle and food tickets for events and also freedom and trust! which kept us out of mischief - most of the time!

It really was some of the best years of my life, and it makes me so sad to see not a lot of young members in the clubs any more, so if you're reading this, and it sounds right up your street - get in touch with your local club today! Alternatively - drop me a message and I can help point you in the right direction!

If you do find yourself joining, it would be great if you could say I was your 'recommendee' my Membership Number is 784644 - Thanks!

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SELF BUILD VS STANDARD

Sat, 05 Aug 2017 20:21:52 GMT

Here's our thoughts / rant!

I'd love a 'self build' However there are many reasons why we haven't done it yet. The biggest ones being a lack of skill and money but also how there is a lot of un certainty with the new DVLA and being able to get it 'classified' as a 'camper'.

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SPECIAL EVENT MEETS – NO FACILITY CAMPSITES

Sat, 05 Aug 2017 19:05:12 GMT

Some clubs put on special events at certain times of the year. The Camping and Caravan Club do things like New Year, Bonfire, Halloween, and there were also events like 'Goose Fair' and 'Trent Fest'.

These however are no facility sites – so you have to ensure you are 'self contained' / have a portaloo!

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PRE-PLANNING PERFECTION – ABROAD AND UK

Sat, 05 Aug 2017 17:28:30 GMT

Best friend or worst enemy?

– Personally I think that all depends on what type of person you are,

and what the type off holiday/adventure is you want to have.

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WHAT IS A 'THS' OR 'CLUB MEET'

Sat, 05 Aug 2017 16:39:31 GMT

Temporary holiday sites or 'MEETS' are a cheaper alternative to the certified club sites.

These can often take place on the other lands of the certified club sites,

but you generally you will not have access to the facilities.

Because of this, you have to be 'self contained' to use a THS site.

AKA have a toilet in your van/tent.

The words 'no facilities' can often put people off from using these sites, so I have reviewed a few so people can know what to expect and go prepared as these can be some real gem and at a fraction of the cost of the facilitated sites.

more about these sites can be found here or over on our vlog here .

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AIRPORT AWESOMENESS

Sat, 05 Aug 2017 12:01:23 GMT

HAND LUGGAGE MUST HAVES, SPEEDY SEARCHES AND MORE.

MORE

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CAMPING KEYWORDS

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 21:12:42 GMT

LEARN THE LINGO

Some may be self explanatory - others not so much. Below is my cheat sheet for camping related terms / phrases.

KEYWORDS

Facilities

Toilets, Showers, laundry, pot washing

Pitch

The area designated to you during your stay

Awning

A large 'tent' that attaches to the side of a caravan/van. usually without a 'base''

Ground sheet

Used as a 'dry' floor inside an awning, or as a protective base to put a tent on

Aquaroll

An outdoor water tank/barrel. 'Aquaroll' is the brand name. It has two openings, one on the side and one on the top - and is built so it can be rolled with the collapsible handle to transport with ease. Stands up next to the caravan to 'feed' when a pump is inserted.

Leisure battery

A battery specifically for leisure activities - eg things specific for the 'living area' not driving related.

Electric hook up

This re charges the leisure battery whilst giving you the access to use 3 pin plugs that are pre installed in the living area.

Black water

Waste water or water thats used to re fill / clean the loo

Elsan

Where you dispose of your toilet waste

Jockey Wheel

The small wheel (and lever) that controls the height of the tow bar

Chocks/Blocks/Ramps/levels

These come in various shapes, sizes and materials and are used to 'level' the van. They are either used under wheels, or the legs/jockey wheel to ensure they touch the ground.

Club Site

A site owned and manned by a specific club eg the Camping and Caravan Club or the Motorhome Club. You can read more about the clubs here .

'Certified Location' meaning the site is maned and looked after privately, but is well known, used and recommended by various clubs.

Warden

The person who looks after the site. Often lives on site.

Rally/Meet

The name given to the 'event' / temporary campsite organised as part of a club.

Marshal / Steward

The person in charge and 'hosting' the rally or meet

Committee

Club member volunteers who organise everything usually consists of:

a Chairman, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, site co ordinator, and entertainment rep

Ralliers

you - the people camping

THS

Temporary holiday site - longer than a weekend

Flag / Coffee morning

A get together of 'ralliers'

Flag was where you gathered around the 'club flag' and said thank you to the marshals and heard about up coming rallies

Coffee mornings are just an informal get together, drinking coffee.

Social

Evening entertainment put on by the Marshal/Steward/Committee

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TOP 5 CARAVAN TO CAMPERVAN TIPS

Sat, 20 May 2017 16:45:29 GMT

I've been in caravans (and tents) since I can remember, but a few years ago we bought our first campervan..

The main differences between the two - other than not having to worry about towing! - is the size/ living and storage space available and the lack of an alternate vehicle. I personally feel like these two factors go hand in hand in terms of how they can affect the way you 'travel' or explore. This is because if you chose to go with a larger sized van for more storage space - you may then be limiting yourself on how easy it is to get around sightseeing – so it's definitely worth bearing in mind how you intend to use the vehicle when choosing the size of your vehicle. More on that here .

Other aspects of 'vanlife' are pretty similar, to 'caravan life' and mostly depends on your style/spec of the vehicle rather than whether it has an engine or not. Below are our top tips for new campervan owners - as well as going a bit deeper into the why's and how's - Hope it's helpful��

DISCLAIMER: this is for the UK - if COVID is ever lifted and we're able to travel abroad again – I will update accordingly with our findings for travel abroad.

TOP TIP 1:

Choose your vehicle size based on how you want to travel as well as your needs

TOP TIP 2:

Research the route - narrow roads, steep hills, parking facilities

TOP TIP 3:

Plan in advance - not just the campsites, but the sights and the shop stops too

TOP TIP 4:

Invest in a good Awning

TOP TIP 5:

Learn to live 'ready to go'

TOP TIP 1:

Choose your vehicle size based on how you want to travel as well as your needs

If you are still looking around and haven't yet decided on a vehicle - seriously think about what and how you are likely to need to travel and explore - as there are loads of options to choose from and a multitude of sizes, but bigger isn’t always better.

Above I mentioned the main difference between caravans and campervans/motorhomes being that you don't have a small nippy vehicle to travel about in, and on the various tips below I highlight key changes to make this easier. But all of that is pointless if your vehicle isn't 'practicable' and manoeuvrable for your needs.

Y es with having a caravan prior you'd be used to certain 'comforts' such as a bathroom, oven and wardrobes - so you may think you want something of similar stature - however if you thought towing was pickle due to length height and parking limitations - imagine having to account for that for EVERY trip out you make during your time away.

You may also be surprised as to what you do get with the smaller vehicles, for example - in our little van we have; an onboard water tank, 2 ring gas burner hob, oven/grill, hot water option, heating, leisure battery, 240 hook up, food cupboard, pots and pans storage, and a mini wardrobe.

Or even wish to sacrifice some of these comforts (we have our own toilet and option for showering in our 'toilet tent' outside) for ease of sight seeing and being able to cover more ground in a shorter time span. You can read more about our van here .

Smaller vehicles are also easier and cheaper to take on ferries which is always a winner!

If you're new to all camping vehicles types, or for a more in depth look, check out our 'size matters' blog here .

TOP TIP 2:

Invest in a good Awning.

Just like caravans - you can attach an awning to a campervan/motohome, and If you’re on a campsite for multiple nights, awnings are fabulous as they pretty much double your living space. They come in multiple different sizes and are adaptable for the size of your vehicle.

So, if you haven't yet decided on a vehicle - seriously think about what and how it is you are likely to want to travel and explore as having a decent awning means you might be able to opt for a smaller van overall - thus making the travel side easier. For example instead of needing a toilet and shower in your van - you can opt for staying at a site with facilities, or having your own portaloo in a tent, and a solar shower so you are able to park in those pesky low barrier car parks we mentioned earlier. More on size of vehicles can be found here .

The main difference between a caravan awning and a campervan 'drive away awnings' is that with a caravan, the main awning edge beading is threaded through the fixed awning rail attached to your caravan, with poles stood next too, if not touching the caravan sides to lift and support it whilst opening out into one large spacious compartment. Where as a drive away awning has an extra bit of material/area which we call 'the tunnel' and this is attached to the vans gutter/awning rail via a removable, clipped in bar and elastic straps, stretched out to form a tunnel (hence the name). Then the poles/air tubes start (the pictures below explain it better than i am) This 'tunnel' detaches with ease and folds down, whilst leaving the rest of the awning unaffected so you can take the vehicle away for the day.

These can range from £200-700 dependent on size and brand. However, a cheaper 'gazebo tent' styles are available and do just a good of a job in terms of adding space - the only down side is your van door doesn't open into 'privacy'. We've had both - you can read our reviews here and here .

personally, I cannot recommend an awning enough, from being brought up using caravans I was very nervous about the amount of space we'd have in a van but having the option to pop all our stuff in the awning like chairs, BBQ, duffle bags, dog stuff etc and being able to make the van clear for when we want to go out is brilliant. Just un attach the tunnel, clip it down and drive away. The sites are always manned by wardens too, and I've never heard of any thefts from campsites in my 20 years of camping - however, I'd still maybe keep your expensive items on board with you - just to be safe!

If we aren’t staying for long, we often opt for just putting up the toilet tent as it's quicker and easier to 'air out' if it has to get put away wet, and majority of our stuff fits in here too.

You can read the review on our drive away awning here and our current toilet tent here .

TOP TIP 3:

Research the route - narrow roads, steep hills, parking facilities

As you'll know/could expect, some campsites and tourist sites are quite often out in the sticks and so some of the more direct roads leading to them are old and not designed for larger vehicles or towing and most places will state this on their websites, and suggest alternate routes. With towing a caravan,

you'd more than likely check the route to the campsite before setting off - ensuring there's no really narrow roads, steep hills, sharp bends etc. – If you didn't - you've had some lucky escapes!!

Well the same applies for a campervan/motorhome – however, you'll also need to check the routes of your daily activities/trips too. E specially if you have a Larger/higher/wide vehicle (Crafter, Sprinter, Ducato or any high top van or coachbuilt motorhome really). As the last thing you want to do is get stuck on a single track lane, or end up meeting a low level bridge (both of which we have done and just scraped by in our tiny van!).

For example, some 'brown sign' 'tourist' routes or seaside destinations, consist of twisty windy roads and the car parks can be very small, get very busy and some may have limited, height restricted parking spaces available. This is to prevent campers/motorhomes from being able to stay overnight - and as mentioned, with a a large campervan/motorhome you won't have an 'alternate vehicle' to travel about in so these can be a struggle if you're in a mahoosive motorhome or don't know your vehicle height limits. One thing to especially consider is if you have a van that has been modified with TV aerials or air vents.

This doesn't mean you can't still go and visit, it just means that planning in advance is a must as you may need to find alternate parking, or a different route to get there eg: you can't just put in your destination into google maps and hope for the best!

We've done this a couple of times as our van is quite small and narrow so we're quite lucky in this respect. We can drive around as if we're just a normal size car/van and we rarely have issues finding parking bays, or accessing height limited car parks - but every now and again we find our selves caught between a rock and a hard place - literally – and scrape through by the skin of our pop-top - so please do plan in advance if you drive anything bigger.

So if you are used to simply typing in a postcode to google maps and off you go, try and change this habit. Google is great - but it doesn’t always factor in road conditions, nor does it know what size your vehicle is.

TOP TIP 4:

Plan in advance - not just the campsites, but the sights and the shop stops too - is there a shop within walking/cycle distance for example

When you have a Caravan, this is not too much of an issue as your towing car instantly turns back into your daily driver for you to pop out to the tourist destinations or local shop get some milk and bread from when you inevitably forget to take enough.. However, this is now not the case.

Pushbikes, e-bikes and moped scooters are really popular to overcome the issue of having to 'pack down' which I explain in the next tip - and some of the larger motorhomes even tow a mini car with them! But personally, we find that simply planing and researching the local area to see what is available by foot is a great solution. It’s also a great way to save money on fuel (and the planet), keep fit and also explore as quite often you may stumble across some hidden gems that you wouldn’t have noticed speeding past in a car.

We also suggest planning in your shop visits and site seeing destinations 'along route'. For example, if you are travelling from A to B over a week or two (or longer), check for tourist locations, supermarkets, petrol/service stations along the route. This will help to make sure that you have everything that you need for your remaining journey, minimise your amount of 'pack downs' / trips out from a campsite, keep well rested along the way but also help you cover more ground in a shorter time period.

We have already spoken about planning the routes to campsites and your desired destinations so you don’t get in any sticky situations, but it’s also worth checking on any local special events that are happening in the area for the stays that you are going to be around. Not only so you can get involved if it’s something that you are interested in, but also to make sure that it doesn’t effect your desired plans. We went to Wastwater in the Lakes, the route to get there is narrow and winding, which we expected. We did not however expect to be met with hundreds of cars completing the 2-ball Rally. More can be found in the Lake District blog here .

TOP TIP 5:

Learn to live 'ready to go'

The last tip says 'learn to live ready to go' this comes with practice and basically means - keep tidy. This is because due to the lack of an alternate vehicle to use - you'll have to 'pack down' before you can drive anywhere eg if there is no shop on site and you run out of something you need, or you're off out for a day trip.

When I say 'pack down' I mean you have to ensure that your interior is safe to travel - so no glasses, pots pans, kettles etc left on the worktop, pop top-down, gas turned off, unplugged from electric and wastewater and detach from any awnings or tents. This sounds more hassle than it actually is - once you have done it a few times, you start getting used to it and it starts to become second nature. But it always helps to try and live 'tidy' and with things away, especially if you know you'll be on the move again shortly. A lot of newer vans, especially the larger motorhomes may even have built-in features to ensure you can keep certain things 'away and secure' yet still being accessible when needed - eg wine glass cupboards with clips.

So, unfortunately, not as easy as with a caravan and having your towing car to get out about. However, this tip, combined with 'Top Tip 3 & 4 - research and planning to see what is available by foot, bikes, e-bikes, and moped scooters really is your friend here.

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Meet URVAN our first campervan

Wed, 17 May 2017 15:24:32 GMT

In March 2017 we hired an old Toyota Hiace (and named her 'Toni') to travel the South Island of New Zealand for 2 weeks. This was a test for me to see how I copied with campervan life compared to caravan life. AND I BLOODY LOVED IT! You can read all about our NZ adventure here .

So, on 17th May 2017 we bought our first campervan.

And we named him, Urvan. You can find him on instagram under #urvanthecamper

Urvan is a 30+ year old Nissan, (Japanese) import and was registered as a 'motor caravan'. (It's important to know what you're vehicle is registered as because this can often affect the price of insurance. More in this here.)

Due to Urvan being a converted, modified, imported vehicle, parts and info are hard to find. For example, when you search his number plate we always get 'vehicle not found' which is fun!

However, after a few phone calls, we got him insured with a company called '2gether insurance' for just below £300 for the year and we were able to take him home.

Urvan has everything we need and more for our first campervan! He is the perfect size for me to feel comfortable driving him too and it definitely, helps that he's an automatic giving me one less thing to worry about! You can read more about the size of vans and what to bear in mind here . Bun in short - for us, Urvan is perfect as we can drive him just like an ordinary vehicle, and have no issues stoping off or parking whilst sightseeing.

The conversation all looks professionally done from the 'outside'. There's an 'L' shaped unit, that runs down the far side and behind the cab seats. This comprises of an oven grill, fridge, 2 stove gas burner, sink, onboard water tank, wardrobe and plenty of other cupboards for storage. There is more storage underneath the rock and roll bed, a small pop-top so we can stand up fully, hot water, a propex gas heater, taps for shower add-ons and not forgetting a satellite TV aerial that has also been added! All be it never used! (Thank you Netflix).

When we first got him home we realised there was a few electrical issues and certain things weren't working - like the fridge, but luckily for us, my dad's an electrician so he came out and 're-wired him up best we could - but fair to say under the surface there was some very confusing mod coned customisation going on! Never the less he worked!!

And, all this kit definitely helped make the transition from caravan to campervan easier as I will admit I was worried about storage and having to cook in the rain, whereas Dave would have been happy with a van with a mattress in the back! I've wrote a feature on what to take into consideration if you are thinking of swapping which you can find here .

Note there is no toilet! But this ok as we have a portaloo and toilet tent that we take with us! And I'd rather sacrifice a toilet to be able to have a smaller van any day - again - more on the here .

For our first trip out we decided somewhere local and invited my folks to join us in their 5* caravan in case we'd forgotten anything or needed any help. You can read more about that here .

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SALTBURN BY THE SEA - SPA HOTEL

PAR002_123@heg.com — Sun, 22 Jun 2014 19:19:12 GMT

Be sure to follow us on social media as we'll post when this blog is live.

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