When it comes to camping in the yorkshire dales, the feasting possibilities are endless. But how do you know what to cook, when to cook it, and what to cook it on? If you know how to cook in the kitchen, you’ll be a wiz when it comes to cooking outdoors.

The only thing you really need to consider is what to cook the food on. Do you use a campfire or a portable camping stove? To answer this question, we need to look at the pros and cons of each method.

Let’s start with the fire pit. The fuel is easy enough to find, wood and kindling. That can easily be found on an afternoon hike. That or most campgrounds have wood you can buy. Along with being able to cook on it, the campfire gives you warmth on a cold night or a chilly morning. It emits light to navigate your way around your campsite, and it creates the perfect setting for telling ghost stories.

Two food pros for this method of cooking include the ability to cook with just aluminum foil or a stick, which means no dishes to wash, and the all-famous smores by the fireside.

As for the cons, a fire must always have someone to tend it. It can sometimes take a while to start and a while longer to be big enough to cook on. And before you can leave or go to sleep for the night, the fire must be completely extinguished. If not, even one hot coal could spark a wildfire.

The portable camp stove, which usually uses white gas or propane depending on the type, is more convenient in ways a fire is not. The set up process is fast and easy, as is the tear down. With a stove you have temperature control. And, one of the best features, you can use it under a tarp or dining fly if the weather is soggy.

Of course, every up has a down. You will have to make sure you have extra fuel on hand. There will be dishes to wash, and a gusty day makes it hard to maintain a flame, which greatly extends your cooking time.

So which method of camp side cooking should you choose? My family and I use both. That way you get the best of both worlds. We typically use the campfire at night for the fun of smores and storytelling and, of course, to see by. Then in the morning we use the camp stove so that we can get on with the day’s activities. As for you and your family, you’ll just have to find the fit that works best for you.

http://goarticles.com/article/Camp-Stove-or-Firepit-Which-is-Better/4202145/

Camping is a good way to spend time alone with your kids and to show them how wonderful nature can be. The simplicity of nature can be discovered by children through camping. There are so many things to be discovered: flowers, insects, birds, and small animals just to name a few. Younger kids love getting dirty and experiencing the wild life. Kids really love the outdoors if given the chance. It gives them time to get away from all the electronics of today’s culture. One thing I have learned is the younger children love to go exploring. Camping can be a wonderful adventure for kids and adults.

When planning your family camping trip, consider the activities your kids like: games, hiking canoeing, swimming, boating, and bicycling to name a few. Select a camping spot that has some of the activities the kids are interested in. Remember there is always a campground that will have some or all of the activities you will be seeking. Meal planning is an important part of your camping trip. Plan the meals together, kids love to choose what they want to eat. Doing all the planning as a family, keeps the kids interested and feeling like they are a part of the entire process.

When starting to pack for your trip, let the kids pack their own items. Each person should have their own sleeping bag with a duffle bag to put it in. Personal items should be packed with their sleeping bag. Encourage the kids to put their items in a certain place and always return it when finished using it. This will help them keep track of their personal belongings. In addition, this rule applies for all camping equipment and supplies. Packing all the camping supplies as a family will teach the kids where every item should be stored. Better to know where something is, than spend valuable time looking for it.

When the planning for the trip is complete and you have arrived at your campsite, make all the camping choirs a family activity, this will also help teach children the importance of team-work. Everyone can have their own jobs sitting up the campsite. The younger ones can put the stakes in the ground while the older one’s support the tent. Everyone should pick out their spot in the tent and arrange it to meet their needs. Meal time can be a fun time. We all know kids love to help with the preparation of meals. For example, let the older ones help with the cooking on your outdoor camping stove, or portable camping grill, while the younger ones get the picnic table ready. Nothing can create a closer bond between parents and children, than by doing things together.

Although all vacations can create memories, the memories that can be created with your family during camping trips are countless and will be cherished for a life time. By planning exciting and enjoyable camping trips with your children while they are young will set them on a path to a lifetime of outdoor activities.

Article by Larry West

http://goarticles.com/article/Planning-Your-Family-Camping-Trip/4203675/

There are, at a rough guess over 500 different styles and sizes of tents available in the UK. Each offer various different features, benefits, layouts and brands that determine which is the right tent for you to choose.

Size Does Matter…
It’s obviously no good choosing a tent that only sleeps 2 people when there are 6 of you, but there are other aspects that you should consider when determining what berth tent to choose.

Generally speaking the number of people a tent can sleep also determines the size of the living and lounging area/s. A good rule of thumb particularly for family camping is to go two up from the number you actually require. This in lamens terms would simply mean looking for two more heads in the kindly provided line drawing that you should always be presented with if you’re buying a tent from a reputable brand. The line drawings tell you the dimensions of the tent and also indicate how many people the tent can sleep. Bear in mind though that the actual physical space manufacturers often allow each of the occupants of the bedroom is quite on the stingy side so make sure you measure up any accessories like camp beds or airbeds you might want to stuff in there before you make your purchase.

Choosing the right berth will also generally give more living space for things like food preparation, letting the kids play on the floor or an evening meal.

Add-on Accessories…
The more experienced brands on the market realise that a quality tent should have add-on accessories that provide their customers with the choice to further enhance their tent if desired.
A quality family tent brand will at a minimum permit you to buy three additional add-on accessories
1. A front or side canopy/extension or awning
2. A footprint groundsheet to further protect the base of your tent from damage and dirt.
3. A living area carpet (precisioned rug) to add a little insulation and comfort.

Materials…Flysheet

Mainstream family tent flysheets come in two variants – polyester and polycotton. Polyester is more popular due to its lesser weight and price when compared with Polycotton. Polycotton however whilst being heavier than Polyester does bring benefits to the consumer that you just don’t get with Polyester, namely better breathability and insulation. Polyester tents can become quite hot inside when exposed to warm sunny days and so many more experienced campers are now turning to polycotton to reap the comfort benefits this material has to offer.

Polycotton is however generally a lot more expansive than polyester – often double the price of a similarly sized polyester tent. Good advice would be to start with a polyester tent if you are new to camping, test the water and work your way up.

Poles or Air
When browsing the latest tent catalogue, you should also pay attention to the type of poles the tent has. The majority of tents in the UK have fibreglass poles that are more affordable than their higher end counterparts such as steel poles, alloy poles, or air chambers.

If you only plan to camp for long weekends then going to the trouble of carting heavy steel or alloy poles to and from the campsite may not be necessary but if you are planning a week or two further from home then you want to be sure that you have the best and strongest poles to ensure you’re holiday isn’t cut short by the pesky winds of mother nature.

If steel or alloy is out of your price range then be sure to check that the fibreglass poles have a sheath wrapping, sometimes referred to as durawrap or proshield. This sheath is an extra coating around the fibreglass that gives it added strength. Again though this can often come at a slight price increase over standard fibreglass so it’s a case of working within your budget and getting the best you can.

Hydrostatic Head
If you are looking to purchase a polyester tent then you should be informed of the hydrostatic head rating of the material which tells you how permeable the material is, or how much water the flysheet can withstand. Hydrostatic head is measured in millimeters. The best way to imagine this is if you were to place a cylindrical tube full of water 1cm² on top of the material so that the depth was let’s say 2000mm then the flysheet has been tested to withstand this amount of water.

The British standard for a flysheet to be classed as ‘waterproof’ is 1500mm so be sure your new tent meets at a minimum this rating.
Most quality family tents on the market will be anything from 2000mm up to 6000mm.

Features

Be sure to check for things like air vents to keep condensation to a minimum, no-see-um-mesh to keep the pesky mosquitoes out of your tent in the evenings. No-see-um mesh on tents at the lower price bracket of the market will normally only be present on the doors to the bedroom but conversely at the higher end you should see this on the outer tent doors as well.
Do you need a cable entry point (small zipper) to get power into your tent for all your home from home electricals? If so then many family tents now provide this around the main door entry.
Groundsheets

Most family tents come with either a totally flat detachable groundsheet that you simply peg down in the corners, a “bath-tub” style groundsheet that raises up at the edges and clips onto the sides of the inside of the flysheet (handy for keeping out the evening breeze) or a fully sewn-in groundsheet – handy to also keep out any insects. This will be a major factor in the price of the tent due to the increased manufacturing costs of providing it.
Want ultimate luxury? Then look out for a zip-in(or out)-groundsheets that are generally made from a heavier duty material and provide the added benefit of being easily detachable from the tent and thus more easily cleanable whilst still providing all the benefits of a fully sewn-in.

Packsize / Weight
Last but not least make sure the tent you are buying will fit in whatever car/van/trailer you will be using to get to and from the campsite. Also be sure to check the weight so that whoever will be pitching the tent can first remove it from the car.

http://goarticles.com/article/Choosing-the-right-family-tent/4194240/