Camping at SGL7 - advice please?

[roarke80]

Hi, have booked my first ever star party at SGL7, am excited but also a bit perplexed at the whole camping thing (have not done it before), and I'm also terrified of the cold. Please can you give some advice on what kind of portable heater I should bring (I have rented a campervan but there's no heating in there). I would prefer an electric one as it's cleaner and safer, but what's the limit in terms of power I can draw?

Also, not sure what I'll need to plug into the EHU at Lucksall, what sort of special cable is required? Would it be too much to run a laptop and portable heater?

Also any other advice on must bring items would be greatly appreciated. I'm a complete noob at camping in the cold and also at stargazing so this would be an eye opener.

Thanks, much appreciated!

[MikeP]

Hi there,

You need something like this ... Camping Site Mains Supply Unit - 3 Outlet: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Leisure ... the round plug will fit into the EHU on your pitch (they are all the same) and as you can see there are three sockets on the other end for you to use with normal domestic plugs. Most importantly, it has a circuit breaker built in to protect you from any nasty accidents.

As for a heater, I normally take a cheap electric fan heater that has 1KW and 2KW settings and turn it on a bit before I'm ready to go to bed. I've no idea what would happen if everyone on the site turned their heaters on all at the same time but I've never known there be a blackout.

Make sure you buy a decent sleeping bag or take a good quilt to use with a less good one, it gets pretty cold at night.

Mike

[roarke80]

Thank you! That's a great help.

[Adrian Condon]

Hi,

Whilst a good sleeping bag goes along way to keep you warm and you can wear additional clothes in the bag if required.

Secondly, substantial meals are important for keeping warm plus hot drinks like Bovril while stargazing keeps the heat in.

Plus you will need a good fleecy hat (I believe you loose up to 38% of your body heat through your head) plus gloves to keep the fingers warm.... outdoors shops have a good selection of suitable gear.

And, most important if you wear specs, is cords to keep the glasses around your neck. I found out the hard wary at SGL 6 last year, when mine fell off my hat and I managed to find them in the dark, I had walked on them and needed to go to SpecSavers in Hereford who were very good and repaired on the day.

I nearly forgot...... a Red Torch, preferably a red head torch is absolutely essential and Jaffa Cakes will increase your popularity ....

Don't worry help is usually available, so don't be too afraid to ask.

I will be there at SGL 7 so you are welcome to visit my tent and have a chat.

Cheers

Adrian

[lulu57]

It's a good idea to bring a bottle of bubbly, because the ambient temperature is just right for chilling.

Also, a set of boules is also very useful for avoiding mid-morning ennui.

[RikM]

Take twice as many clothes as you think you will need. It is better to have them and not need them rather than the other way round.

An electric blanket is a good bet rather than a heater. Lots of heat plooms from tent heaters spoiling the seeing is not what you want either.

I will be there as well so feel free to pop over for a chat

[malc-c]

SGL6 was my first time camping in a tent, hope this helps

Decent footware... Trainers are a no-no - they conduct the cold very quickly. ! Thermal socks also help. Hot water bottle if you really need it, but a good could weather rated sleeping bag makes a lot of difference - Personally I prefer a camp bed with legs to get you off the ground rather than an air bed. I also take lots of Heinz Big Soups to keep the calories up and help keep me warm. This year I might bring a fan heater too, but like Rik's idea of an electric blanket, provided it's safe in a tent environment

[Greg]

Hook ups at these campsites tend to be 16 amp so running a heater is no problem.

As Mike has already mentioned an RCD camping socket is a must for safety. A small cheap fan heater in the sleeping area of the tent and a good quality sleeping bag are also a must.

I made the mistake once at Kelling Heath Not having a high enough tog bag.. I ended up in Cromer the following morning buying a mutz mutz bag!

Good hat and scarf and insulated boots and thermal socks... Have lots of thinner layers on with a quality waterproof jacket will keep you warm and keep out the damp.. Cold frosty nights camping I can cope with... Cold and damp nights are miserable..

If the clouds roll in have a scope cover ready to sling over your scope, I use a motorcycle cover which has a fleecy lining. And a couple of straps to tie around it to stop the wind blowing it off.

And importantly.... A bottle of single malt! A wee snifter before bed time helps keep the cold out.. And the boogie man away!

There will be a few experienced campers there so help and advice will always be available.

HTH

Greg

[Adrian Condon]

Hi Lulu,

Can I borrow your boules in the evening to boil them, that way I can heat my sleeping bag. I promise to return them by 10:00 am with a Jaffa Cake!!

I discovered at Cumbria 4 Star Party in November that the most essential item is a bottle of Ouzo..... because once the ouzo starts to go cloudy, its time to switch on your dew controller and heaters for clear viewing, drinking the ouzo makes you go hazey.

Trust you will be bringing a good selection of music!!

Cheers

Adrian

[Tim]

and Jaffa Cakes will increase your popularity ....

Aint that the truth :D

At my first star party I popped my head out of the caravan to see that it had cleared around 1am, so I opened the car up to get some bits and was immediately growled at by a campsite full of people who didn't appreciate all the white lights that came on when I opened the car These days I tape up the lights and indicators with red lane marker tape from maplins

You'll have a blast at SGL7 I'm sure. The important thing is not to let yourself get cold in the first place. Raising your core temperature isn't easy once the chill sets in, so dress warm at all times, and even add to the layers as the night goes on. Try not to get sweaty though, as eventually the sweat will cool and make you even colder. Cotton thermals help prevent that.

See you there

Tim

[roarke80]

Thanks guys, really good suggestions! I had no idea people were so obsessed with Jaffa cakes!

also, thanks for the heads up about the car lights. Would really hate to ruin the dark for everyone else, but would have totally forgotten about that!

[MikeP]

would have totally forgotten about that

Not for long

Look forward to seeing you there - you'll have a great time.

Mike

[lulu57]

Hi Lulu,

Can I borrow your boules in the evening to boil them, that way I can heat my sleeping bag. I promise to return them by 10:00 am with a Jaffa Cake!!

You're a boules-boiler! Woah! :D

It means absolutely nothing, but it just sounds exquisitely painful!

[Phil Fargaze]

Hi Lulu,

Can I borrow your boules in the evening to boil them, that way I can heat my sleeping bag.

Hot Rocks! I`ve done that before when camping. Get a big smooth rock, chuck it in the bonfire for a while.

When it is time to retire for the night, drag the rock out, cool the outside with water.

Not too much or not too little, that`s the tricky bit.

Then place it in the bottom of your sleeping bag for toastie toes all night long.

[TonySpektr]

If you're hiring then it may very well come with the cable - I'd check before buying one.