Camping Out Ideas
Packing tips for camping in the forest of dean UK (near south welsh border)?
last year we spent a week at a campsite in exmoor. the weather was georgeous during the day (26 degrees C and higher, lots of vests and suncream) but pretty chilly at night (we went out and bought extra blankets for the second night). this year it's a different area (symonds yat, ross-on-wye herefordshire), and we're not really sure what the weather can be like there. i'm trying to stop myself expecting the same great weather, as the recent weather has caused floods in the county. i like to travel as lightly as possible and "recylcle clothes" through out the week. what are the best clothes and bedding to pack when you don't know what weather to expect? if you live in or near the area, what's the weather likely to be like (on average) for the first half of July? any extra tips for us would be appreciated! it's only our second year camping! our trip is from the 8th to the 14th July 2007.
Public Comments
- Well pretty much the same as the weather is anywhere else in the country - unpredictable so who knows ? We used to go camping to the Forest of Dean every year as kids and sometimes it was boiling hot, sometimes it rained. And as I am from south Wales I would suggest you leave it another week or so before you consider packing. I know this weekend and the early part of next week is supposed to be unsettled (hissing down in other words) but the following week we could have blazing sunshine!
- Take 2 sets of clothes, one wet and one dry, wear the wet through the day, and dry at night. It will retain heat during night, if you throw your wet ones under your sleeping bag at night dry them out too.
- From very happy memories of camping at Symonds Yat, it is a fabulous place; we lived in Worcestershire and made long weekends down there. The Wye Valley was beautiful, the camp site was well-equipped without being commercialised. If the weather iffy we'd go into Monmouth, kids keen on castles/"ruins" - (try Goodrich Castle andTintern Abbey ) and markets (try Abergavenny). Close enough to drive across the bridge to Bristol. Ross-on-Wye is very pretty. In September we could pick enough blackberries at Symonds Yat to see us through the winter with jam! With the current weather, I'd concentrate on wet gear, hot water bottles to warm sleeping bags before getting in, and extra bedding to heap on top. Loads of walks.
