SGL 9 weather

[mdstuart]

The long range charts are now starting to give indications of the weather for SGL 9.

After this cold easterly damp spell the winds turn SE drawing in warmer but relatively cloudy weather for the weekend and the early part of next week.

As we go towards next weekend we see low pressure to the sw and s held back by relatively high pressure to the north. The result will be a return to easterly winds over the uk.The weather from midweek onwards is likely to be unsettled with showers but also some clearer slots. With wind from the continent it will not be as sharp as flows of air from the nw and n but with no jet stream nearby perhaps still upper air for planetary and double star splitting?

It is still a long way off in forecasting terms but I thought you might be interested in how things are looking.

Mark

www.bristolweather.org.uk

[NickK]

Yup.. I'll have my mobile wifi… so I'll post up the photos of the current weather

[alan potts]

I would like to pass on best wishes for fine weather to all SGL member attending the meet, hope to see some good reports on what people got up to as well.

Alan

[albedo0.39]

I'm a rubbish, lightweight camper.. Yes all the gear, but totally no idea.. I do hope the weather improves

[NickK]

I'm a rubbish, lightweight camper.. Yes all the gear, but totally no idea.. I do hope the weather improves

Same boat here (well tent).. just make sure things are waterproof and warm.. everything else becomes simple then.

[Rockrae78]

I'm a rubbish, lightweight camper.. Yes all the gear, but totally no idea.. I do hope the weather improves

As mentioned in the welcome information, bring everything you think you need to keep warm.... then double it! It really was freezing last year and thankfully I had 2 sleeping bags, a duvet and a small electric heater.  Don't know if I would have survived otherwise!! 

The campsite has the best toilet facilities!! They are heated and soooooo warm!! If things do get a little too cold for you, you can at least defrost in there!  

[PhotoGav]

Its a double edged sword... If we get some clear weather, it will be cold at night. If it's warm at night it's because there are clouds everywhere.... Aargh, let's hope it's cold at night!

[albedo0.39]

I confess.. I have done an SGL (5) and also a couple of tent based star parties .. Namely the Salisbury ones. I'm just Rubbish at messy weather. Cold I can cope with, but wet and windy = wimp.

[John]

I camped at SGL4 but had the coldest and most uncomfortable night I'd had in a long time so I've bought a caravan along since then. Others are no doubt better equipped and tougher campers than I am though and they all look happy enough even when chipping the ice off their flysheets 

Last year was warmer, but very rainy on the days that I was there. I've had some great clear nights on all the other SGL star parties that I've attended though. 

As has been said, bring twice as much warm clothing as you think you will need and you should be fine 

[Helen]

As has been said, bring twice as much warm clothing as you think you will need and you should be fine 

...and a hot water bottle or too

[RikM]

An electric blanket is a wonderful thing

[DaveGarland]

An electric blanket is a wonderful thing

Omg what a great idea! [emoji2]

[NickK]

I camped at SGL4 but had the coldest and most uncomfortable night I'd had in a long time so I've bought a caravan along since then. Others are no doubt better equipped and tougher campers than I am though and they all look happy enough even when chipping the ice off their flysheets 

Last year was warmer, but very rainy on the days that I was there. I've had some great clear nights on all the other SGL star parties that I've attended though. 

As has been said, bring twice as much warm clothing as you think you will need and you should be fine 

It's not that bad.. I started SGL6 with just the Icarus 500 tent and a 2KW electrical oil filled rad but that was just me.. however now we have a tent extension canopy for cooking and keeping the water out.. carpet inside and this year I think the canopy will have a second radiative heater so she doesn't get cold reading books in the canopy or if people are around.. oh and the thicker air mattress!

Last year it was 40mph winds and -19 wind chill. Sandrine was close to hyperthermic because her sleeping bag was not up to the job..the 2KW rad + an emergency telcos value duvet (thanks pyschobilly), bodywamth and switching sleeping bags did the trick..

I cannot stress the importance of having:

a) some form of electrical heater - you may not use it.. but it's there if you find you're getting cold

proper sleeping bag

c) duvet - £5 from tescos will do..

d) telling someone if you're feeling cold and are having difficulty warming up.

Putting the bubble foil insulation you get at B&Q for lofts or for behind radiators works really well between the sleeping bag and the mattress.

I'll be ensuring we bring an brand new, unopened duvet available to repay the favour.

[Helen]

I too am a fan of foil bubble wrap for under beds and 2 sleeping bags and a duvet - and a heater.  A hat also helps.  Also if its clear there is more than a chance that you could go to bed very cold and then warming up is tricky!  I find warming the sleeping bag before you get in helps a lot, along with doing a bit of exercise to get yourself a bit warmer before getting into bed (a brisk walk to the facilities and a bit of jumping about can help!).

But then this year is a bit later than the last 2 so it might be warmer

Helen

[AstroGnome]

I actually got frost bite last year, lost the outer layer of skin on my top lip.

A lesson learned the painful way. More layers, and stay dry.

[KevUU]

My best advice is get a sleeping bag liner - essentially a sheet stitched across the bottom and up the side. It's the layer nearest to you so it is one of the more important layers... I have a fleece one, plus karrimat's and a duvet under me and another duvet over the sleeping bag, and was faaaaar to hot last year

(I know it's easier for me coming alone with an otherwise empty car, but if it helps: as kids my brother and I used to have to sit on top of un-rolled sleeping bags and duvets in the car, really good way to save packing space!)

[DaveGarland]

I've only been to one star party before and darn near froze! I'm going better prepared this year with 2 heaters but will the hook ups take two heaters without tripping? I'm also taking plenty of quilts and hot water bottles for the kids and also sleeping them together in the same bed to keep warm. If I'm as cold as I was at the last one I may even climb in with them!

[Siriusmeg]

We're planning to do the sitting on sleeping bags thing     just in the middle of making bed mats for the camp beds - 2 layers of fleece with a layer of survival blanket sandwiched between - hopefully this will help to keep the kids warm (and us too). Got more survival blankets for on top too.

[robfrost77]

The key to staying warm is having completely dry clothes to change into before going to sleep. If you sweat (i.e feet or hands) then you may want to bring some standard cotton socks and gloves and change immediately before bed. I do alot of night fishing and have camped during some cold nights (admittedly not as cold as -17 :-) ) but I've learnt a few harsh lessons from it. I will be camping in my fishing bivie which is 1.5 man shelter. I am already counting down the days to this event. It is my first star party!!! I will bring a standard tent just incase I think it would be a better option.

[Radar2312]

Hi all, pretty much new to the camping experience (last time was when I was in the Cubs!!),

Thinking not so much about clothing/heating/keeping warm but more about tent 'orientation'. Not sure what the pitches would allow, but given choices, what would be the best? is there a general 'rule' like, have your door facing east?? Or is it purely a 'suck it and see' which way the prevailing winds are?? or will it be fixed by the dimensions of the pitch itself??  Bringing a 4 man tent, approx 5-1/2m x 2-1/2m.

Any thoughts welcomed.

Cheers

Rick

[daz]

Generally people will pitch the door to the front of the pitch, but this is not a requirement.

Whatever works best for you, the car, the kit, etc...

The pitches are pretty generous, so placing the tent is not an issue.

[NickK]

Only thing is - remember your kit positioning North (polar) is from the playing field - face towards the entrance. The sky will rise from the bottom of the site pitch map, over the hill and then sink far off over the river at the top. Some light pollution in the north west (top right of pit map) from Hereford and a local commercial park. Some to the south too but no where as bad (wasn't last year).

[mdstuart]

Update..

So the warm air is here now as predicted. Low pressure is still expected to be close by all next week so a mixed back of sunny spells and showers with generally light SE winds.

So no frosts and daytime temps up to around 13c which is not too bad for camping!

Very hard to predict the level of cloud cover given the above. Likely to be a pretty mixed bag of evenings over the week and weekend. Might be good to make use of those “wake me if it clears” stickers as we are likely to get clear slots coming through at random times.

I will be on site from Thursday boring everyone with weather updates.

Mark

www.bristolweather.org.uk

Sent from my BlackBerry 9320 using Tapatalk

[NickK]

Update..

So the warm air is here now as predicted. Low pressure is still expected to be close by all next week so a mixed back of sunny spells and showers with generally light SE winds.

So no frosts and daytime temps up to around 13c which is not too bad for camping!

Very hard to predict the level of cloud cover given the above. Likely to be a pretty mixed bag of evenings over the week and weekend. Might be good to make use of those “wake me if it clears” stickers as we are likely to get clear slots coming through at random times.

I will be on site from Thursday boring everyone with weather updates.

I'm gearing up for a "shoot the holes" approach..  warm air is drying out the tent after a coating of fabsil .. although not strictly needed on a four year old tent - it's needed after all the seam pulling and stretching from last year.. I'll be seam sealing later .. all dry by sunday.. packed ready for monday.

[Luke]

SGL4, our first one, was properly cold! :-o