Blog - Camping Information

A Bloggers Weekend

As massive camping advocates, we’re big fans of disconnecting from bright screens and re connecting with the outdoors. It’s this philosophy that guided our disconnect to reconnect survey, and our partnership with unofficial outdoor ambassador Chris Packham.

To take it a step further, last weekend we invited 13 parenting bloggers – many of whom had never been camping before – to try the outdoor lifestyle. More importantly, we invited the bloggers and their children to look away from the screens, and into the forest. Here’s how they got on.
bloggers weekend

The method
An invite was sent to 13 parenting bloggers and their families asking if they’d like to spend a weekend away from their technology in the New Forest.

There was a mixture of seasoned campers, those that hadn’t been for a while and mostly those that had never camped before. We wanted to see not only how the bloggers would cope without the constant use of their phones and tablets but also their children.

How the weekend went

The weekend started in a bit of a wet drizzly haze, in good old true British weather fashion. However, everyone got their stiff upper lip out and for those who brought their own equipment proceeded to pitch their canvas homes for the weekend.

For those that hadn’t camped before, a company called Camp Light were used to come in and set the tents up; they also provide beds and sleeping bags, a most useful service for newbie campers who want to try before they buy.

With everyone settled by about 9.00pm and the rain having stopped quite nicely, the adults mixed, chatted and caught up whilst the kids played and embarked on their new found friendships.

The rain continued overnight, however there’s nothing quite like hearing the rain on your tent or caravan to ease you in to an admittedly sometimes broken sleep but bringing with it a plethora of fantastic childhood memories.

Let the fun begin

Thankfully Saturday saw the sunshine after the rain and the fun could really begin! Right from the off the kids played and played and didn’t stop playing all day. It’s such a lovely sight to see kids being kids and doing what comes so naturally – using their imaginations.

Trax bike hire provided us with bikes for the weekend, again a great service to use; they drop the bikes off at site and then pick them up later, leaving everyone free to cycle right out of site on to the many cycle tracks of the New Forest with no hassle of visiting a shop.

Holmsley is a fantastic site for kids to mess about on their bikes, being an old WWII air base there are old runways to explore around the site. Being a large site the kids also enjoyed playing cricket, football and boules in the morning. Lunch consisted of a good old BBQ and provided some much needed energy.

In the afternoon the New Forest National Park Ranger came over to give everyone an idea of the free activities that in partnership with ourselves we run during the summer holidays at four of our New Forest campsites – Holmsley, Hollands Wood, Roundhill and Ashurst. Activities included, scavenger hunts, colouring, pine cone model making, animal identification and the much loved bug hunt.

For the rest of the weekend the bloggers continued to play, toast marshmallows, make friends and create a whole host of memories. The feedback from the weekend has been great with everyone saying how much they enjoyed themselves. Many newbie campers have been converted and are looking into buying their equipment in readiness for their next camping trip.

The feedback

Everyone in particular the newbies were so surprised just how much the kids enjoyed themselves and didn’t need or even ask for their tablets and phones. Camping in the Forest really does provide you and the family with a place to really get away from it all.

Our Holmsley staff did a great job hosting the event and were all thoroughly helpful as per usual. To read some of the lovely blogs go on to our Facebook or Twitter pages and read on to see some of the blogger comments below.

“Seeing the children embrace the outdoors and the freedom which comes with camping was amazing.

“Not once this weekend did I hear "I'm bored" or "I want to watch..." - it was can I play with my new friends.”

Clare Nicholas - Emmy’s Mummy

“It was cosy in our tent, 2 adults, 2 kids and a greyhound inside a 4 man tent, but not once did we feel cold or uncomfortable and the fact that the kids slept and slept soundly is a testament to the power of fresh air, unplugging and reconnecting with everything around.”
Cerys Parker – Rainy Day Mum

I actually sat down to read a magazine whilst I watched tilly running around the field bare foot, building 'dens' in the woods and getting in touch with her nature side. What I witnessed was something I hadn't seen for many years, I watched my child be worry free and carefree, I watched as she learned so many new things that can't be taught when you live in a town and she has come home with so many new ideas and so many new experiences.

Vicky Hall-Newman – Being Tilly’s Mummy