Peak District Camping

[Siskin]

Hey there

Complete camping novice here but I'm keen to get out and explore the great outdoors! The Peak District is on my doorstep so I'll start there, can anyone recommend any campsites here? I'm particularly looking at the Fieldhead campsite near the Moorland centre. Has anyone been here? What do you generally eat when camping, do you tend to go to cafes or take food and a little grill? I know that it says no fires allowed on the Fieldhead site; does this include cooking equipment?

Really sorry for the tide of questions there, I must sound really dumb but I want to do my research before I go on my own. Any advice appreciated, many thanks

[Jim Ford]

I've camped at Upper Booth in Edale many times (but not in the last few years). It's a good base for walking.

Jim

[Ladywell]

Agree with Jim Ford - Upper Booth has a really good reputation - here is the link:
Google

Edale is a lovely area - hope you enjoy your stay there.

[ChrisJB]

Yes, I'll recommend Upper Booth too. It's been a few years since I last stayed there, but it was very good.

Chris

[SheffieldLass]

Originally Posted by Siskin

Hey there

What do you generally eat when camping, do you tend to go to cafes or take food and a little grill? I know that it says no fires allowed on the Fieldhead site; does this include cooking equipment?

Really sorry for the tide of questions there, I must sound really dumb but I want to do my research before I go on my own. Any advice appreciated, many thanks

Eating .. well it depends on your finances, your transport, your preferred diet, the weather and the type of tent you have. I used to cycle tour, by myself, so had very limited space to carry stuff, so only a very small meths camping stove and a very small tent which you couldn't cook in, or even sit in comfortably and watch a stove outside . Needless to say evening meal would be at a pub . Breakfast was pretty straight forward. Usually something cold but with a nice hot cuppa, courtesy of the stove. Lunch I'd just pick up something to eat out.

I now go camping but take my car. Still the same tiny tent, but now have the luxury of a camp chair to sit on so I can watch other campers sitting under their cooking tents cooking on their stove ranges . (There are some grand stoves out there ... height of luxury ... rather like the palatial tents and other equipment that are now available.) I still have the same stove, so it is still pubs for me for the evening meal. Also I've had mice nibbling though my tent to get to my limited supply of food. And the tent gets very hot if the weather is good, so not good for storing perishables. Though I think posh campers have portable fridges these days.

But if you go camping as a group or family then cooking is probably worth it. For one person it can be difficult to get small enough portions so that you don't end up wasting food because you can't store it.

Those are my excuses for being a lazy cook ...

But a small stove is almost vital, just for making yourself hot drinks. If the weather is inclement a hot drink can make the difference between misery and tempered misery. A roaring pub fire can really lift the spirits though ...

And, although I'm a woman, eating in a pub alone is not daunting. It wasn't, even 30 years ago. It is a good way to chat to other people. They'll often ignore or feel intrusive starting a conversation with couples or groups, but a single person seems to break down the British reticence.

I'm sure you'll enjoy it. The most critical things are to make sure you've got enough clothes/good sleeping bag to keep warm and a tent that keeps you dry. (My tent is great - the outside goes up first, so the inner tent doesn't get wet even if it is throwing it down. ) Also practice putting the tent up before you go, so you can do it quickly if the weather/light is not good, or if it is windy. And have a good mallet. A waterproof additional groundsheet may be necessary to stop the damp coming through - I don't know how good the new tents are, whether they are any better than the older ones. I have a reflective foil backed one which I put over the tent base rather than under it.

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by SheffieldLass

And have a good mallet.

The only time I've ever used a mallet, is with a large family frame tent. With my one man tents I just push the pegs in with my foot!

Jim

[Siskin]

Thanks Sheffieldlass that's really helpful, what type of tent do you have, if you don't mind me asking? If you bought it a while ago maybe they don't make yours anymore, but maybe you know a similar type? No worries if you don't, I just don't want to buy a tent that's going to rip or get me soaked lol.

Thanks muchly

[Jim Ford]

There are hundreds of tents you can chose from. How many people is it for? How will you transport it - on your back, bicycle, car? How much are you prepared to pay?

I've got 6 tents from a 1Kg one man backpacking to a 6 berth family frame. Probably my most used tent is this one, for when I camp out of the back of a car. It's handy, but will flatten in a gale (but will pop up again) and doesn't shed snow well:

Highlander - 110032 - Khyam - Flexi-dome

This one is better because although it's the same size, it has a porch/storage area at both ends:

http://www.khyam.co.uk/detail.asp?p=334


Jim

[SheffieldLass]

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

The only time I've ever used a mallet, is with a large family frame tent. With my one man tents I just push the pegs in with my foot!

Jim

My pegs were aluminium .... they had to be carefully pushed in by hand. At the end of the holiday I always had to straighten them out . I've now got additional steel ones and synthetic ones. Fine if the ground is soft, but I often seem to choose sites with very rocky subsoil, and I do like to push the pegs in the whole way ... my tent has sat through quite a few gales over the years, never broken loose, whilst others have gone flying past
Until I got the mallet I got rather a lot of blisters trying to get the pegs in far enough ...

Siskin .. my tent is long since obsolete ....

These are the type of tents that superceded mine (I don't know much about these particular ones though, just selected by impulse). The user reviews on websites like these are worth checking out to get an idea of the pros and cons of any tents that grab your attention. To a certain extent you get what you pay for, and you often have to pay more for lighter weight, or features that enhance comfort (e.g. more adjustable ventilation), but there is a huge choice out there, some bummers and some that are very well designed for their price, so careful selection within your price range should get you something that will serve you well.

Tents | 2 people | Live for the Outdoors

The North Face Tadpole 23 | Tents | Live for the Outdoors

Terra Nova Voyager - Two-person - Tents - OUTDOORSmagic

http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/download...uly%202010.jpg

By the way 2-person back-packing tents are often very cosy for 2, but ideal for one. Check the sizes carefully, don't just go on the manufacturer's desciption of occupancy.

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by SheffieldLass

My pegs were aluminium .... they had to be carefully pushed in by hand. At the end of the holiday I always had to straighten them out . I've now got additional steel ones and synthetic ones. Fine if the ground is soft, but I often seem to choose sites with very rocky subsoil, and I do like to push the pegs in the whole way ... my tent has sat through quite a few gales over the years, never broken loose, whilst others have gone flying past

If I hit a rock I try again at a different angle or position. No amount of hammering with a mallet will get any peg through a rock!

My Laserlite was supplied with ultra-lightweight carbon fibre pegs, but I now prefer these. They're a bit heavier, but immensely strong:

Titanium tent V pegs - Camping Outdoor Gear Shop - Alpkit

The North Face Tadpole 23 | Tents | Live for the Outdoors

I've had an earlier Tadpole for years and have used it for backpacking. It's a bit heavy for one person to carry though and I'm not sure the O.P. wants to pay so much. I now use a 'Tera Nova Laserlite' for backpacking:

Terra Nova Laserlite - Reviews and Latest UK Prices

Jim