This post is part of the A to Z Challenge.
Well here's the little twist to my letter K post - in spite of having enjoyed many weekends in my Kampa Minnis, three weeks ago and just a few days before Easter I bought myself a new tent!
This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing but a well-considered decision based on a fair amount of internet research and several visits to various camping stores within a reasonable distance from home. I didn't really want to buy a new tent but I needed to get a new one; the Minnis has served me well over the last three years but it has one fault - I can't stand up in it properly. At just less than 5ft tall I'm already halfway to being a midget, and as the top of the tent touches the top of my head I've found myself stooping when moving around in it, so much so that not only am I in danger of becoming a complete midget I also get dreadful backache which has become worse the last few times I've used the tent.
So, a taller and more spacious tent was needed and my research led me to the Vango Midas 400. Again this is a 4-person tent and the same vis-a-vis design as the Minnis but with larger bedrooms, a larger living area, and a height of almost 6ft; my local camping store had a blue one in stock at a good price so the purchase was made and I pitched it for the first time at a site in North Wales at Easter. It was really easy to put up and though it's not a big tent compared to the size of some the space inside is enormous compared to the smaller Minnis; in fact if I left out the bedroom pods I could easily pitch the Minnis inside it.
I spent four very pleasant and sunny Easter days in my new Midas and was really pleased with it, in fact I felt rather like a kid with a new toy - and with the new-found space and height I didn't suffer one single twinge of backache at any time, so I'm now looking forward to spending many more weekends in it. I must admit to feeling a bit guilty though - while I enjoy future camping trips with the Midas my cute little Minnis will be left lying in its bag, unloved and unwanted in a corner of the garage!
About Me
- Tigermouse
- Hi! I'm Eunice and I live in Bolton, Lancashire, with my two dogs Sophie and Sugar and an assortment of cats - well it used to be Sophie and Sugar, now it's Sophie and Poppie. I first began camping back in 1997 when my then partner took me to Anglesey for my birthday weekend. We slept in the back of the car - a hatchback - using the cushions off the settee at home as a mattress, and cooked and brewed up on a single burner camping stove. The site was good, the views were great, the weather fantastic and I was completely hooked. Following that weekend we got a two-man tent and some proper accessories and returned to Anglesey two weeks later, then over time we progressed to a three-man tent followed by an old trailer tent, then a new trailer tent, a campervan and finally a caravan. When my partner decided that the grass was greener on the other side of the street - literally - in April 2009 and I suddenly found myself alone after fifteen years, I decided there was no way I was going to give up camping and caravanning if I could cope on my own. This blog is the story of my travels, trials and tribulations since becoming a solo camper - I hope you like it
3 comments:
I really appreciate good comments - who doesn't? - but due to a recent tide of spam from anonymous readers all comments will now be moderated, and only those with a direct bearing on this blog will be published. I'm sure my regular blog readers/commenters will understand the need for this - and to anyone whose comment isn't published, you know why.
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Just stopping by from the A-Z Challenge list to say "Hi" :)
ReplyDeleteInteresting post, and blog honey.
Good luck with the rest of the challenge!
xx
I just had to google your new tent as I have a love affair with tents. It's lovely. We're hoping to get a Bell Tent soon but in our case it's because we want to rather than need, although the tent we have doesn't zip up closed any more - guess we do need a new one after all, really.
ReplyDeleteHave fun in your new tent, try not to feel guilty at leaving your older one behind, just think of it as the next stage in your camping life.
Hi, and thanks for stopping by my blog. If you're interested in bell tents have a look at this blog - http://bellsandlabs.blogspot.co.uk - there are some fabulously decorated ones on there, all done by the blog writer herself.
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