You arrive at the campsite at 5pm, it's chucking it down, kids and better half are hangry. What do you do?

[Aidy P]

Make sure the kids are loaded with snacks.
Make sure they have decent waterproofs and wellies.
One parent (mum in our family) takes them off to find the loo, explore the site, jump in puddles (my youngest is 10 and still loves this)
Other parent (me) ...
Pops roof.
Wind out awning
Add comfort awning panels.
Turns on gas...gets kettle on.
Bungee cords across awning struts and hooks = drying space.
Sorted.

I’ve found the most important thing about making it successful in a California is take as little as you can get away with. Don’t pile up the back with stuff as you can’t then move anything around the van.

I honestly don’t get the drive away awning thing unless you want to sleep in it. It only take 10 minutes to put on the Comfort panels and then 10 minutes to take them off again. I’ve never been in such a hurry that this was a problem.

 

[Erbster]

... I’ve found the most important thing about making it successful in a California is take as little as you can get away with. Don’t pile up the back with stuff as you can’t then move anything around the van.

I honestly don’t get the drive away awning thing unless you want to sleep in it...

Couldn’t agree more with either point!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[a892374923874]

Thank you for all the replies. I'm now less concerned about the weather, I think we'll just give it a try. We have a pop up tent to use for car seats etc. but not needed to use it yet.

 

[YELRAV]

Car seats are a pain. Luckily we only travel with one small person so with 3 of us the Carseat can be placed on the drivers one if it’s raining. Agree, pop roof. Bag of crisps, drink of juice / booze for small and large people and dig out uno card game and relax. Hopefully the rain will ease and it’s easier to cope with if you aren’t hangry. I carry tortellini with me for emergencies so it’s only around 3 mins for hot pasta and saves the day.

we love our drive away awning. galli 3 low rsv.

It gives you room to dump car seats, dry clothing, store cycle / beach stuff, bedding, portapotti and can leave table / chairs set up so you can get peace to cook and have room to swing a cat around in (if required).

Agree that packing up in the wet is more problematic. Last guy we met uses old towels and a few tarpaulins to roll wet stuff up in instead of having to perfect the usual origami folding skills in the pouring rain to get the awning back in the bag.

 

[Sarahandrew25]

Find nearest chippy or pizza. Or get get a delivery. Full tummies are very important. You wash it down with a glass of vino or a beer.

 

[Velma's Dad]

Find nearest chippy or pizza. Or get get a delivery. Full tummies are very important. You wash it down with a glass of vino or a beer.

We often used that last bit when the kids were young. The we'd crack open a bottle for ourselves too.

 

[Stow]

The key thing here is dealing with the kids so you can crack on with set up and tea. We sling them (9 & 5) in a pop up tent with a tonne of books, colouring etc or if desperate - a tablet - while we do the rest. By the time dinner's over the rain's usually stopped! Or, chuck them in the boot after you've emptied that into the pop up.

I bought a van to negate to the need for a tent so I don't get the awning faff thing.

 

[Belfastfergus]

Roof up. Pasta pesto. Easiest meal on the gas stove you can possibly cook. Bottle of wine. Stories. Whisky. Zzzz

 

[Punchy England]

We've spent 6 nights in our Beach, all local places, over a few weekends. Kids are 6 and 4. An esteemed poster on here said it takes about 10 nights to get a routine worked out, which sounds about right.

We don't like staying more than 1 night in a place, so big driveaway awnings which take 30 mins to construct and destruct would be a last resort.

So far all have been in good weather, so a bit of faff doesn't really matter. However as soon as we venture further afield we'll need a "rain" routine. It doesn't sound much fun setting up the awning and front/side panels, stove, table, toilet tent, finding somewhere for the car seats etc. And if it is windy, then the built in awning might be a bad idea anyway.

What do you do differently if it is raining?

We sometimes just check into B and B. Or with kids consider a youth hostel. Be prepared to mix and match

 

[Amarillo]

I honestly don’t get the drive away awning thing unless you want to sleep in it. It only take 10 minutes to put on the Comfort panels and then 10 minutes to take them off again. I’ve never been in such a hurry that this was a problem.

We have used two different types of awning panels and two different types of driveaway awning.

For a brief stop or perhaps two nights with most time spent away from the van, there is really no need for an awning at all. However, if camping for several nights a driveaway awning gives you all the space and flexibility you need for a family of four. The awning is used as a kitchen, dining room (when cold and/or wet), store room and playroom.

 

[bvddobb]

Our situation is not the same as that of the OP: we have a Coast (well, an older T5 'SE Comfortline'), not a Beach. So, when we stop, we pop up the roof, we have our kitchen set up for us, a fridge with food, we have no issues cooking in the van, so we make ourselves comfortable quite quickly without having to go outside. A Beach will be different.

Having said that, we would like to state two general points:

• Less is more. Carry less stuff. Carry less again. And then even less. You really don't need all that stuff you think you need, turning your campervan into a delivery van that you have to clear out and pack again each evening/morning. You don't believe it when you start, but experience will teach you. Boy, the unused/only-once-and-now-no-longer-used campervan-stuff-we-thought-would-be-handy we have stored in our attic!
• Learn from the Icelanders: bad weather doesn't exist, only bad gear. Invest in really good rain gear and walking boots rather than campervan stuff, and there is no bad weather anymore. Take the kids out into the rain, make a walk when no-one is around, splash and splutter: they'll love it! Make it an adventure, something fun, not something miserable, you'll find that they really don't care. And if the kids are happy, so will you be! Upon return to the van, wind out the awning together, hang the wet stuff underneath, go inside and cuddle up. It'll be one of the best stays you have ever had together!

 

[Lightning]

Our situation is not the same as that of the OP: we have a Coast (well, and older T5 'SE Comfortline'), not a Beach. So, when we stop, we pop up the roof, we have our kitchen set up for us, a fridge with food, we have no issues cooking in the van, so we make ourselves comfortable quite quickly without having to go outside. A Beach will be different.

Having said that, we would like to state two general points:

• Less is more. Carry less stuff. Carry less again. And then even less. You really don't need all that stuff you think you need, turning your campervan into a delivery van that you have to clear out and pack again each evening/morning. You don't believe it when you start, but experience will teach you. Boy, the unused/only-once-and-now-no-longer-used campervan stuff we-thought-would-be-handy we have stored in our attic!
• Learn from the Icelanders: bad weather doesn't exist, only bad gear. Invest in really good rain gear and walking boots rather than campervan stuff, and there is no bad weather anymore. Take the kids out into the rain, make a walk when no-one is around, splash and splutter: they'll love it! Make it an adventure, something fun, not something miserable, you'll find that they really don't care. And if the kids are happy, so will you be! Upon return to the van, wind out the awning together, hang the wet stuff underneath, go inside and cuddle up. It'll be one of the best stays you have ever had together!

It’s amazing how much stuff I accumulate, even when trying hard not to.

 

[Amarillo]

It’s amazing how much stuff I accumulate, even when trying hard not to.

I went away to the Yorkshire Dales with just Ben (and our dog) last weekend. It is amazing how little we took. And we fully self-catered except for Friday evening when we ate a burger and chips in the van at a motorway service station.

Here's my packing list-

Hillwalking packing list​

Clothing​ Underwear and socks Trousers/shorts Shirts Sweater Wash bag	Saturday Breakfast​ Coffee Milk Cereal Bacon Roll/bread
Hill gear​ Rucksack Water bottles Map/spare map Compass GPS Walking boots Thick socks Fleece/sweater Waterproof top/trousers Gloves	Packed Lunch/snacks​ Rolls Butter Ham Cheese Crisps Apples Bananas Nuts and raisins Chocolate
Cooking and eating equipment​ Gas Stove 2 saucepans Kettle Plates Bowls Knives Forks Spoons Teaspoons Glasses Mugs	Saturday dinner​ Pasta Pasta sauce Yoghurt Fruit Salt
Other​ Duvet Pillows Pop-a-loo Drinking water Dog food Dog bed Leash	Sunday Breakfast​ Coffee Milk Cereal Bacon Roll/bread

Apart from a blanket and a bag of wine gums, I don't think we took anything else.

 

[bvddobb]

Here's my packing list-

Like your list!

We even combine map/spare map, compass and GPS nowadays into one app on our iPhone (TopoGPS or, for the UK, OSMaps). But then again, we bring cookies as an extra to your list... . And rain gear...

 

[subthree]

I went away to the Yorkshire Dales with just Ben (and our dog) last weekend. It is amazing how little we took. And we fully self-catered except for Friday evening when we ate a burger and chips in the van at a motorway service station.

Here's my packing list-

Hillwalking packing list​

Clothing​ Underwear and socks Trousers/shorts Shirts Sweater Wash bag	Saturday Breakfast​ Coffee Milk Cereal Bacon Roll/bread
Hill gear​ Rucksack Water bottles Map/spare map Compass GPS Walking boots Thick socks Fleece/sweater Waterproof top/trousers Gloves	Packed Lunch/snacks​ Rolls Butter Ham Cheese Crisps Apples Bananas Nuts and raisins Chocolate
Cooking and eating equipment​ Gas Stove 2 saucepans Kettle Plates Bowls Knives Forks Spoons Teaspoons Glasses Mugs	Saturday dinner​ Pasta Pasta sauce Yoghurt Fruit Salt
Other​ Duvet Pillows Pop-a-loo Drinking water Dog food Dog bed Leash	Sunday Breakfast​ Coffee Milk Cereal Bacon Roll/bread

Apart from a blanket and a bag of wine gums, I don't think we took anything else.

Don't forget one of these in your hill kit

Bothy Bags

Terra Nova Bothy Bags are a lightweight and compact emergency shelter with excellent features to keep you sheltered from the elements.

www.terra-nova.co.uk

 

[Amarillo]

Don't forget one of these in your hill kit

Bothy Bags

Terra Nova Bothy Bags are a lightweight and compact emergency shelter with excellent features to keep you sheltered from the elements.

www.terra-nova.co.uk

I do have one of those - and a rope. But in fair weather on popular hills in the Yorkshire Dales!!!?

On Ingleborough I was reminiscing to a very bored Ben about my last visit to Ingleborough ~15 years ago. Perfect whiteout conditions on the summit requiring compass bearings and pacing to find the route down. We ate lunch in a six man bothy, looking like a giant wobbly jellyfish to anyone foolish enough to be passing at that moment.

 

[subthree]

I do have one of those - and a rope. But in fair weather on popular hills in the Yorkshire Dales!!!?

On Ingleborough I was reminiscing to a very bored Ben about my last visit to Ingleborough ~15 years ago. Perfect whiteout conditions on the summit requiring compass bearings and pacing to find the route down. We ate lunch in a six man bothy, looking like a giant wobbly jellyfish to anyone foolish enough to be passing at that moment.

Can be good fun inside a bothy for kids even if they just get a bit chilly/tired. Looks like you two have had a couple of great Dad & Son trips.

 

[Velma's Dad]

Like your list!

We even combine map/spare map, compass and GPS nowadays into one app on our iPhone (TopoGPS or, for the UK, OSMaps). But then again, we bring cookies as an extra to your list... . And rain gear...

Also, Komoot app is highly rated by some, although I find all that route planning stuff a faff.

I use the OS maps app all the time for general lowland walking in the UK, I love it. (BUT if you go up onto the hills without a proper (ie paper) map, you'll risk being very unpopular with the mountain rescue folks.)

Cookies deffo essential kit.

 

[westfalia]

I went away to the Yorkshire Dales with just Ben (and our dog) last weekend. It is amazing how little we took. And we fully self-catered except for Friday evening when we ate a burger and chips in the van at a motorway service station.

Here's my packing list-

Hillwalking packing list​

Clothing​ Underwear and socks Trousers/shorts Shirts Sweater Wash bag	Saturday Breakfast​ Coffee Milk Cereal Bacon Roll/bread
Hill gear​ Rucksack Water bottles Map/spare map Compass GPS Walking boots Thick socks Fleece/sweater Waterproof top/trousers Gloves	Packed Lunch/snacks​ Rolls Butter Ham Cheese Crisps Apples Bananas Nuts and raisins Chocolate
Cooking and eating equipment​ Gas Stove 2 saucepans Kettle Plates Bowls Knives Forks Spoons Teaspoons Glasses Mugs	Saturday dinner​ Pasta Pasta sauce Yoghurt Fruit Salt
Other​ Duvet Pillows Pop-a-loo Drinking water Dog food Dog bed Leash	Sunday Breakfast​ Coffee Milk Cereal Bacon Roll/bread

Apart from a blanket and a bag of wine gums, I don't think we took anything else.

I can't understand why there were no eggs on the list,
are you sick of them now.

 

[Amarillo]

I can't understand why there were no eggs on the list,
are you sick of them now.

They just get better and better - but had nightmares about runny yolk dribbling out of bacon and egg sandwiches onto our Jackyards. Better with just bacon sandwiches.

 

[Amarillo]

Also, Komoot app is highly rated by some, although I find all that route planning stuff a faff.

I use the OS maps app all the time for general lowland walking in the UK, I love it. (BUT if you go up onto the hills without a proper (ie paper) map, you'll risk being very unpopular with the mountain rescue folks.)

Cookies deffo essential kit.

I’m not sure I ready to place my trust in a virtual map. Plus I’ve invested £100s in laminated maps often at 1:50,000 and 1:25,000.

 

[Wogga]

I’m not sure I ready to place my trust in a virtual map. Plus I’ve invested £100s in laminated maps often at 1:50,000 and 1:25,000.

Batteries don’t fail on a laminated map, always carry paper just in case.

 

[kp64zl]

I’m not sure I ready to place my trust in a virtual map. Plus I’ve invested £100s in laminated maps often at 1:50,000 and 1:25,000.

having both a physical map +compass (laminated or paper in map case) plus phone map is becoming my favourite in the mountains These days. I have had maps lost blown away washed away etc as much as technology failures with phone.

I trust virtual map although recently the GPS completely failed - we were next to some transmitters on a hill top in Shetland (Ronas hill)

 

[Hotel California]

This thread has gone even more wierd then the title....

 

[Wogga]

This thread has gone even more wierd then the title....

Chippy tea