The Lake District offers the perfect setting for a holiday, allowing you to get one on one with the picturesque English countryside. Add a tent into the mix of your holiday in the Lake District and you can take that experience one step further! From muddy boots, cosy sleeping arrangements and the good’ole English weather, the tent is the key ingredient to ramp up the Lake District holiday; so we’ve put together a tenting holiday survival guide – more of a list of considerations really – that may help you remember the must-haves and the should haves.
Sleeping arrangements
A good night’s sleep is important whatever the weather, so preparation in this area is key. Floor mats are a good start, but can be supplemented with small inflatable mattresses (tent-size dependent) and a padded sleeping bag. Pillows can vary from the practical – such as inflatables and travel size pillows – through to larger, more traditional pillows, which would be more suited to a a tent holiday where you’re not walking and carrying your holiday ‘home’! Some warm pyjamas don’t go a miss either in the Winter months, coupled with a nice, cosy pair of thick socks.
Fine dining
A kettle. Everybody loves a good cuppa – whether it’s tea or coffee – so make sure you’ve got yourself a kettle to boil some water when you need it. A flask is also a good idea to either keep your drinks hot or your liquids – such as milk – cool for when you need it. Pots, pans, cutlery crockery and plastic bowls are a definite strong consideration too dependent on where you’re heading, as is a disposable BBQ if you’re getting away over summer months! And, finally, a cool but strong storage box for your delicacies along with a tub to wash up your bits and bobs!
The fashion show
The Great British weather has caught us all out once in a while, so it’s a good job to be as prepared as can be. For any Autumn and Winter tent escapes, wellington boots are a good call, as is a spare jacket or too with a good fleece lining – as well as the standard inclusion of gloves, scarves and a hat. Waterproof jackets are worth considering packing, though at this rate, you may need a trailer to bring along your entire wardrobe! It’s not all doom and gloom though, as roll around to the summer and you can look forward to a typical day of scorching hot sunshine to don your shorts and t-shirt for!
Nature’s nasties
Nature is beautiful and the Lake District is a prime example of that, though with this come the insects that can really grind on your gears. Citronella candles are a fantastic, natural way of deterring unwanted insects – especially at night – and smell much nicer than the chemical spray alternatives that you can find on the market. If you’re camping with young ones, you can also consider a buying a tent with built in mesh door to allow cool air in, whilst keeping the bugs at bay!
The right tent for the job
For those new to the tent scene it can be a very daunting experience. From Dome tents to geodesic tents, quick-pitch tents to frame tents – there are so many choices for consumers, some of which promote a more independent experience whereas others bring you together in a community, hub-like fashion such as the pod living or family tents; it’s important that you first understand which tent will best suit your needs and therefore, which one you should purchase. Always bear in mind though that many caravan parks and tent parks will use a tent’s physical size when it comes to a pitch reservation – simply because there are only two people in it, doesn’t mean your luxurious family size tent will be priced the same way! A really useful tent-type right up was done by the Camping and Caravanning Club, you can read here that article here.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading our little guide on things to consider before a tent getaway, if you’ve ideas of your own that you’d like to add, please feel free to do so using our comments form below. Waters Edge Caravan Park welcomes Lake District holiday makers travelling to Cumbria in their motor home, with their touring caravan or their tents. We have a large caravan site located just outside Kendal, in the South Lake District area, with tent spaces complete with electric hook ups and bbq area. For more information about tent holiday prices at Waters Edge, please visit our pitches page or feel free to contact Waters Edge reception for a more accurate quote.
