camping

Welcome today’s edition of ‘Why am I in a tent?’

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Yet again, seemed like such a good idea when I was at home, so packed up a bag and hopped on a train. To save weight I brought no warm clothes, food or water.

Wasn’t sure on where I’d go, but turns out the train to Brockenhurst leaves a few minutes earlier than the Ashurst one. Plus, last time I was in Brockenhurst, I had a horrible cold night and ended up having to get an uber home.

The walk to the campsite always feels like it’s twice as long as it should be, but it was a pleasant day.

Got to site and did the whole booking thing, then went to pitch up. Found a nice enough spot in the glaring sun, that quickly heated the tent to about 30°.

Actually I think I made a cuppa before I properly pegged the tent out; I was parched. Wandered about as usual and took some piccies and the occasional vid.

As I was lazing in the tent, it occurred to me how cold it was now the sun had gone. This was a continuing trend as it went into evening. I made a herbal tea and wrapped myself in my sleeping bag, anticipating the following 12 hours to be thoroughly unpleasant.

Thinking of visiting Brownsea Island?

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I couldn’t find much in the way of guidance for camping on the island when I was heading over there, so I thought I’d give a few handy things you might wanna know.

  • Expect a big queue for the ferry, but it also fits a lot of people, so don’t panic.
  • You will be given a map, it is pretty helpful, but doesn’t mention a campsite, in fact no signage anywhere points towards a campsite, you need to go to the ‘outdoor centre’.
  • When you arrive at the campsite, the staff are all super nice, but just like all the wildlife on the island, don’t be tempted to feed them.
  • So learn from my mistake here, you will be offered a cool box to keep food cool and fresh. Take them up on the offer, even if you have nothing that requires a cool box, as this is the best way to keep your food safe from the local fauna.
  • Mosquito repellant is probably a good idea if you aren’t a fan of scratching constantly, however, they are not a huge problem if you forget.

I will update these as I think of more, but the best advice I can give is, go visit Brownsea Island, it’s stunning.

If you have any questions, or anything you think I can answer, feel free to post a comment.