Four Acorns go camping in a tipi / Quatre graines de chêne dans un tipi

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With Halloween just behind us and the end of half-term looming ahead, we were invited to go camping in a tipi.

On Saturday, as the autumn sunshine succumbed to the first of several rain showers, we headed out to Rathdrum, Co Wicklow, to find a wilderness site off the R755 towards Laragh.

It was 3pm and the car temperature gauge showed a tropical 5°C when we pulled up on the grass at the end of a muddy track through the woods – the car park for Tipi Adventures Ireland.

Founder Ed Ledesma emerged from the forest above to show us to our accommodation for the night – a 6-metre canvas tipi by Norwegian company Bison Telt.

Not knowing exactly what to expect, we had packed the car with all our camping gear but the tent. As it turned out, the gas stove and canister, the folding table, the camping chairs and the airbeds were not needed.

Under the large green tarp covered in autumn leaves, our camp included two wooden benches, one low table and several tree stumps to sit on, and the all-important fire pit.

The tipi was lined with a groundsheet, a carpet and two foiled-backed picnic blankets, on top of which four self-inflatable sleeping mats and two campbeds were lined up.


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Une fois passé Halloween et avec la fin des vacances de Toussaint se profilait en vue, nous sommes allés camper sous un tipi, à l’invitation de Tipi Adventures Ireland.

Samedi, comme le soleil automnal cédait le pas à une première averse, nous avons pris la route de Rathdrum, Co Wicklow, à la recherche d’un bivouac non loin de la route R755 en direction de Laragh.

Il était 15 heures et le thermomètre de la voiture affichait 5°C (tropical !) à notre arrivée sur un carré d’herbe au bout d’une piste boueuse sous les arbres : le parking de Tipi Adventures Ireland.

Ed Ledesma, son fondateur visionnaire, apparut entre les arbres du talus pour nous emmener à notre hébergement pour la nuit : un tipi en toile de 6 mètres de diamètre de fabrication norvégienne (Bison Telt).

Ne sachant pas vraiment à quoi nous attendre, nous avions chargé la voiture avec tout notre matériel de camping. En fait, le réchaud et la bonbonne de gaz, la table pliante et les chaises de camping, et les matelas pneumatiques s’avérèrent superflus. 

Sous la grande bâche verte parsemée de feuilles d’automne, notre campement comprenait deux bancs de bois, une petite table et plusieurs rondins pour s’asseoir dessus, et surtout un foyer pour le feu de camp.

Quant au tipi, il était muni d’un tapis de sol imperméable, surmonté d’une moquette et de deux couvertures isolantes en feuille d’aluminium. Deux lits de camp et quatre matelas autogonflants y étaient alignés.

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‘Got to make sure you guys are comfortable tonight’ – Ed surprised us time and time again with his down-to-earth thoughtfulness and infectious passion for all things outdoors. He couldn’t have made us feel more welcome for our first time camping in a tipi.

He apologised for the site not ‘looking its best’. Two small areas were cordoned off with red and white tape (‘an eyesore’) due to storm damage. Ophelia’s hurricane winds broke two large branches that are now wedged in high above the forest floor.

The communal outdoors kitchen had to be packed away as History‘s TV series Vikings is to film on location for one day in late November; one of their film props sits at the top of the site, near the composting toilets.

Campfire cooking

The acorns helped lug our gear from the car to the camp. Entering the darkened tipi, we immediately donned thermals, fleeces, winter coats and hats to ward off the cold. Then it was time to light the campfire.

It took many strikes of the Firesteel and undue amounts of cotton wool to get a timid flame going in the damp fire pit. Soon we had a nice little blaze, so Brian and I prepared a large pot of beef stew – our first ever attempt at proper campfire cooking (baked apples and bread on sticks don’t really count).


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“Il faut bien que vous soyiez confortables pour dormir…”
Plus d’une fois pendant le weekend, Ed nous a surpris par sa prévenance toute pragmatique et par sa passion contagieuse pour toutes choses pleine nature, nous offrant un accueil extraordinairement chaleureux.

Il s’excusa profusément parce que le site n’était pas “à son meilleur”. Deux zones restaient hors limites derrière des rubans rouges et blancs depuis le passage de l’ouragan Ophelia : des branches demeurent coincées haut dans la canopée. 

La cuisine commune avait aussi due être démantelée, à la requête de l’équipe de tournage de la série télévisée Vikings, qui viendra tourner quelques scènes sur place à la fin novembre. D’ailleurs, un de leurs décors se dressait à la cîme du site, près de la cabane des toilettes sèches.

Cuisine au feu de camp

Les graines de chêne nous aidèrent à transférer notre matériel de la voiture au campement. Dans le tipi déjà sombre, nous avons immédiatement enfilé sous-vêtements thermiques, polaires, anoraks et bonnets pour éviter d’avoir froid. Il était temps d’allumer le feu de camp.

Il fallut maints coups de briquet Firesteel et une quantité étonnante de coton avant qu’une flamme timide n’apparaisse dans le foyer humide. Bientôt le feu prit pour de bon, aussi Brian et moi avons préparé une marmite de ragoût de bœuf – notre première expérience de cuisine au feu de camp (les pommes à la braise et le pain sur les bâtons ne comptent pas vraiment !).

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The rain drummed  intermittently on the tarp and soon the mouth-watering smell of the beef stew cooking over the flames wafted around our wild camp.

Under canvas and over the moon

Apart from Ed camping a little further away, we were alone there.

With the autumn darkness closing in around our camp, the full moon slowly rising above our tipi, and the warm glow of the campfire lighting our faces, we might as well have been alone in the world.


De temps à autre, la pluie tambourinait légèrement sur la bâche, et bientôt l’odeur alléchante du ragoût qui mijotait flotta autour de notre bivouac. 

Sous la toile et sur un petit nuage.

A part Ed qui campait à quelque distance de là, nous étions seuls.

Comme l’obscurité automnale se refermait autour de notre campement, comme la pleine lune se levait lentement au-dessus de notre tipi, comme la chaleur rougeoyante du feu de camp éclairait nos visages, nous étions comme seuls au monde.

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Winter wild camping in a tipi

Baked apples and a campfire story later, it was time for the acorns to hit the sack. Only Jedi bothered putting on his PJs. The other three simply took off their outer shell and trousers before getting in their sleeping bags. They all went to sleep in the blink of an eye.

Brian and I sat outside by the campfire, sipping hot drinks and remembering our childhood camping experiences. We had wild camped together, long before the acorns were born, but always used a gas stove for cooking. As a student, Brian had even camped in the Alaskan winter, pitching his tent in the snow near the Matanuska glacier. But camping in a tipi was new to both of us, let alone the acorns.

On that chilly and damp November night in Wicklow, we both went to bed in our 4 seasons sleeping bags wearing our fleeces and woolly hats. And laughing at the silliness of it!

A while later, my nose was so cold I had to tuck my face inside the sleeping bag hood.

The acorns took turns waking up through the night – Jedi, Mermaid and Squirrel put on their hats too and snuggled under a king-size duvet and fleece blankets, while Pebbles was simply looking for his pillow, which had slipped off the mat.

Outside the full moon was shining in the clear night sky, the breeze rustled the tall trees, and the faint murmur of the Avonmore River soon lulled us all back to sleep.

Autumn morning sunshine

We woke up about 8am the next morning to beautiful autumn sunshine and warmer temperatures – not that we could tell from under the thick canvas. Unlike in our family tent, our body heat never quite managed to warm up the tipi’s large volume.

Brian immediately lit the fire, before we all walked down to the nearby stream to wash the dishes of the night before. Despite the ice cold water, the acorns happily lent a helping hand. 


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Camper par temps froid

Des pommes à la braise et un conte plus tard, il était l’heure pour les graines de chêne d’aller se coucher. Jedi fut le seul à mettre son pyjama. Les trois autres enlevèrent simplement leurs pantalons imperméables avant de se glisser dans leurs sacs de couchage. Ils s’endormirent tous en un clin d’œil.

Je rejoignis Brian près du feu de camp pour siroter de la tisane de menthe et échanger nos souvenirs d’enfance en camping. Longtemps avant l’arrivée des graines de chêne, nous avions bivouaqué ensemble, en utilisant toujours un réchaud à gaz pour cuisiner. Brian avait même campé en plein hiver arctique, plantant sa tente dans la neige au pied du glacier Matanuska en Alaska. Mais le tipi était une nouveauté pour nous tous.

Par cette nuit froide et humide de Wicklow, nous nous sommes tous les deux glissé dans nos sacs de couchage 4 saisons sans enlever ni polaire ni bonnet. Et en riant de cette bonne “blague”.

Un peu plus tard, mon nez était si froid que je dus enfoncer mon visage dans le capuchon du sac de couchage.

Les graines de chêne se réveillèrent tour à tour pendant la nuit. Jedi, Sirène et Ecureuil mirent leurs bonnets avant de s’emmitoufler sous une grande couette et des couvertures en polaire. Quant à Caillou, il cherchait simplement son oreiller, qui avait glissé de son matelas.

Dehors la pleine lune éclairait le ciel nocturne, la brise remuait doucement la cîme des arbres, et le murmure lointain de la rivière Avonmore eut tôt fait de bercer toute la famille.

Soleil matinal

Les graines de chêne s’éveillèrent le lendemain à 8 heures sous un beau soleil d’automne et une température radoucie – non pas que le changement fût perceptible sous la toile épaisse du tipi. Contrairement à notre tente familiale, la chaleur humaine n’avait pas réussi à réchauffer le grand volume du tipi.

Brian ralluma immédiatement (et sans difficulté) le feu de camp. Puis nous sommes tous descendus au ruisseau voisin pour faire la vaisselle de la veille. Malgré la température glaciale de l’eau, les graines de chêne ont volontiers donné un coup de main.

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While camping the acorns relish helping out and being trusted with small useful jobs, none more so than firing the Kelly kettle. It’s even got our name on it!

Once the fire gets going in the fire bowl (admittedly the acorns still need more practice with that!), you place the full kettle (the orange stopper MUST stay off!) over the flames and feed the fire from the top with twigs, pine cones, etc.

Within 5 minutes the ice cold water Brian had scooped up from the stream was boiling. Our morning tea and coffee never tasted so good!


En camping, les graines de chêne apprécient de se voir confier des taches simples. Allumer la bouilloire Kelly Kettle est même un honneur. Après tout, elle porte notre nom !

Une fois le feu allumé dans la base (certes, les graines de chêne ont besoin de s’entraîner encore !), on pose dessus la bouilloire pleine SANS le bouchon orange et on alimente le feu par la cheminée avec des brindilles, bâtonnets, pommes de pin, etc.

En moins de 5 minutes, l’eau glacée que Brian avait recueillie dans le ruisseau bouillait. Nos thé et café du matin n’ont jamais eu si bon goût !

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Keep the orange stopper OFF when the Kelly kettle is in use / Enlevez le bouchon orange quand la Kelly kettle est en chauffe.

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In the meantime Brian and I had cooked breakfast over the campfire – bacon and eggs, and porridge sweetened with the brown sugar-cinnamon-raisins mixture we’d used on the baked apples the previous night.

Pebbles’ verdict? ‘C’est très yummy’, he said while polishing every last bit of it off his bowl.


Pendant ce temps, Brian et moi avions préparé le petit déjeuner sur le feu de camp : du bacon et des œufs au plat, et du porridge assaisonné avec le mélange de sucre roux, cannelle et raisins secs utilisé la veille pour les pommes à la braise. Un délice !

Le verdict de Caillou ? “C’est très yummy“, annonça-t-il comme il en recueillait jusqu’à la dernière miette.

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Besides cooking on the campfire, the other highlight of that beautiful autumn Sunday was our unhurried walk along the stunning Avonmore River. Meandering through the trees in the glorious sunshine, it looked taken out of a travel brochure for Canada or Alaska.

I took so many photos that I published them in a separate post.

Related / Similaire  Barefoot by the Avonmore River / Pieds nus au fil de la rivière Avonmore

En plus de cuisiner au feu de camp, la balade tranquille au bord de la rivière Avonmore constitua l’autre temps fort de ce beau dimanche d’automne ensoleillé. Elle semblait tirée tout droit d’une brochure touristique pour le Canada.

J’en ai pris tant de photos que je les ai publiées dans un autre article.

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Back at our wild camp, Ed had taken down and packed away the tipi. Still with one hour ahead of us before home time, we lit the fire one last time, as the acorns really wanted to cook snobrød, a Danish recipe of bread on sticks.

While the flames slowly died down, they fired the Kelly kettle.

Then, using the bread dough I’d prepared at home the day before, they carefully wound a handful of it at the end of a thick stick, before slowly baking it over the embers. Once done, they removed it from the stick and stuffed the hole with either a sausage or a dash of strawberry jam.

Related / Similaire  Campfire bread on a stick (snobrød) / Pain au feu de camp (snobrød)

De retour à notre campement, Ed avait démonté et rangé le tipi sans laisser de trace. Avec encore une heure à tuer avant de repartir, nous avons allumé le feu une dernière fois. Car les graines de chêne avaient très envie de faire cuire du snobrød, une recette danoise de pain sur des bâtons.

En attendant que les flammes disparaissent pour ne laisser qu’une poignée de braises rougeoyantes, les graines de chêne rallumèrent la Kelly kettle™.

Puis, utilisant la pâte à pain que j’avais préparée la veille à la maison, ils en enroulèrent une petite poignée au bout d’un bâton épais, avant de le faire cuire lentement à la braise. Puis ils le retirèrent délicatement du bâton et remplirent le trou avec une saucisse, ou encore un peu de confiture de fraise.

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Before long it was time to leave our woodland idyll in the wilds of Wicklow.

With a scent of smoke still permeating our hair and clothes, a host of bushcraft skills to be honed, and a myriad of enchanted memories that will last us a lifetime, we headed back home.
Wishing we could have stayed longer.
Buzzing from our wild camping in a tipi.
Already yearning for our next family adventure.


Avant longtemps il fallut quitter notre idylle sylvestre dans les bois de Wicklow.

Avec une odeur de fumée émanant encore de nos cheveux et vêtements, une collection de savoir-faire à améliorer et une myriade de souvenirs enchanteurs à emmagasiner, nous sommes rentrés chez nous.
Souhaitant être restés plus longtemps ;
Vibrant encore de notre expérience de bivouac sous un tipi ;
Brûlant déjà de partir pour une autre aventure en famille.

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Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links. Should you choose to make a purchase after clicking on one of them, I may receive a small commission and your purchase will help support this site.
For the purpose of this review, we were guests of Tipi Adventures Ireland for one night of wild camping. All opinions are honest and my own.


Avertissement : Cet article contient des liens partenaires. Si vous décidez d’effectuer un achat après avoir cliqué sur l’un d’eux, je recevrai une commission qui contribuera à soutenir ce site.
Pour cet article, nous étions invités par Tipi Adventures Ireland pour une nuit de bivouac. Toutes les opinions sont honnêtes et personnelles.

Practical information

Tipi Adventures
Rathdrum
Co Wicklow
Tel. +353 0877866734
Email ed@tipiadventures.ie
Facebook @TipiAdventures

Tipi Adventures hold tipi & hammock adventure camps in Wicklow throughout the year, at their private wilderness site located between Laragh and Rathdrum. The site is in a woodland setting with the beautiful Avonmore River flowing alongside it. Experience a true wilderness camping adventure in a tranquil location with its own private entrance and car parking. 

Some people rarely get the opportunity to experience a camping adventure due to lack of equipment. Tipi Adventures facilitate family gatherings, youth groups, scouts, schools, clubs and corporate groups with the exclusive use of their site and equipment.

Prices start at €200 for the initial night (€310 for 2 nights, €65 per night thereafter) camping in a tipi which can sleep up to 12 persons. See details of tipi packages here.

The online store offers tipis for sale, along with a wonderful range of camping essentials.

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Ed Ledesma, Tipi Adventures Ireland

I first heard of Tipi Adventures in late 2016 when Wicklow Tourism ran a competition to win a one-night stay at the wilderness site. Its visionary founder Ed Ledesma has been in business for three years and he is brimming with ideas for the future, planning to install more composting toilets and even shower blocks, and hosting several bushcraft courses. A certified bushcraft instructor, Ed also runs a highly successful forest afterschool club – ‘there is an educational aspect to everything we do’.

May 2018 will see the official launch in Ireland of the Tentsile range of tree tents. The acorns got to try out the 2-man Connect model Ed camped in for the night, and it was one of the highlights of the weekend for them! Who hasn’t dreamed of sleeping in a hammock hanging between the trees?

Related / Similaire  Wild camping a little closer to the stars

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Renseignements pratiques

Tipi Adventures
Rathdrum
Co Wicklow
Tel. +353 0877866734
Email ed@tipiadventures.ie
Facebook @TipiAdventures

Toute l’année, Tipi Adventures Ireland propose des camps aventure et pleine nature sous tipi ou en hamac, sur un terrain de bivouac privé situé entre Rathdrum et Laragh, Co Wicklow. Le site bénéficie d’un cadre forestier idyllique, avec la majestueuse rivière Avonmore s’écoulant en limite ; il dispose de sa propre entrée et d’un parking.

Il est parfois difficile de faire l’expérience du camping pleine nature par manque d’équipement. C’est pourquoi Tipi Adventures met à disposition des familles, groupes, scouts, écoles, clubs et comités d’entreprise ses divers emplacements et tout le matériel nécessaire. 

Tarifs à partir de 200 € pour la première nuitée (310 € pour 2 nuitées et 65 € pour les suivantes), pour camper sous un tipi de 12 places. Consultez le détail des formules ici.

La boutique en ligne propose à la vente des tipis, hammacs et une gamme de matériel de camping de qualité.

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J’ai découvert Tipi Adventures à la fin 2016 lors d’un concours organisé par Wicklow Tourism, le comité de tourisme du comté. Installé depuis trois ans, le fondateur Ed Ledesma déborde d’idées : il prévoit d’installer d’autres toilettes sèches et même des douches écologiques, et il organise aussi des stages de bushcraft et autres techniques de survie. Fort de son certificat de moniteur en bushcraft, il gère par ailleurs un club périscolaire en forêt fréquenté par une trentaine d’enfants : “Il y a un aspect éducatif dans tout ce qu’on fait.”

En mai 2018, ce sera le lancement officiel en Irlande de la gamme de tentes suspendues Tentsile, à la vente et en location. Les graines de chêne sont montées pendant quelques minutes dans la tente Connect (2 personnes) dans laquelle Ed avait passé la nuit, et ce fut un de leurs moments préférés du weekend ! Qui n’a jamais rêvé de camper dans les arbres, suspendu entre ciel et terre ?

Related / Similaire  Camper un peu plus près des étoiles

 

 

41 Responses to “Four Acorns go camping in a tipi / Quatre graines de chêne dans un tipi

  • How fun! And what gorgeous autumn weather you had, too.

  • I’ve been looking forward to this post after seeing your photos on Instagram this week. It looks like such an amazing adventure for the children and that tipi looks the business! All that outdoor cooking looks so good and I love how the children helped out. The dough on sticks is something I learned at girl guides and have done many times with my kids at campfires here on the farm, we call them dampers, no idea why!

    Thank you for sharing your wonderful sunny autumn camp on #CountryKids

    • You are the first person I’ve “met” who knows about bread on sticks, or dampers as you call them. I sent Ed (Tipi Adventures) the recipe this week, so he can try it out with his afterschool club.
      Thank you for hosting #CountryKids and for featuring my tree tent pic on Instagram 😉

  • That looks like such a fantastic and memorable experience for you all! Such precious family time your kids will never forget. Beautiful pictures to accompany your heart warning account of your fab camping adventure ❤

  • This looks so amazing to do with your family. Staying in tipi has just been added to my bucket list! What a fabulous time to have as a family together and what an adventure #countrykids

    • It was indeed an adventure, and one that we will try and replicate asap. Your outdoor-minded little ones would love it, Sonia 😉

  • It certainly looks like a fab adventure, one they will remember forever. I’ll have to keep this in mind for next year! x
    #CountryKids

  • Super fun! My friend has a kelly kettle and she loves it! This looked like a great adventure and one your kids are very lucky to experience with you

  • sounds fabulous – and a little courageous at this time of the year – but the freedom of camping in nature is wonderful

  • Oh wow what a fantastic autumn adventure, I have done some Spring and Autumn camping and even though it is colder as long as your are prepared as you where its really fun (besides the cold noses :). Looks like you all had a brilliant time and these tipis are ace.
    Just popping over from Country Kids

    Laura x

  • That looks like an amazing experience. I’ve never tried camping in cooler weather (or been since the children arrived) but it does look like a wonderful experience to do as a family. I quite like the sound of beef stew cooked on a firepit! Sounds like you had plenty of layers keeping you warm enough overnight as well and that your four little acorns enjoyed the experience 🙂 #countrykids

  • I’ve been looking forward to reading this post. I love tipis – we even had a small one at our wedding. This is right up our street I love that it’s so wild. We came back from glamping on Sunday after staying in a yurt. Your stay here looked fab. Sarah #ExplorerKids

  • This looks like an amazing family experience. Good on you for going in Autumn, even if it was a wee bit chilly #ExplorerKids

  • The autumnal pics are stunning but I am shivering as I read in my comfy bed about the ‘tropical’ temperatures of 5C degrees in the afternoon! You and your kids are my heroes, wish one day to be brave enough to embark on such sort of beautiful adventures! And this is coming from someone who does not object skiing at -20C on glaciers but needs bombardinos, sauna and chalet in the evening …Thanks a lot for the inspiration and sharing on #countrykids!

  • Such beautiful pictures and it sounds like you made some really wonderful family memories.

  • Camping with kids is so much fun! I hope I will do It soon with my little one!

  • It looks like you all had an amazing adventure with your family. You’d never have thought you were in Ireland your photos are amazing! definitely on my to do list the tipee looks so fabMandy xx#Eplorerkids

  • This looks like a lot of fun, and cozy too! That warm fire, cooking outdoors. I’ve never tried this, but I may have to? #ExplorerKids xoxo

  • I’m not much of a camper these days, but I might reconsider for a teepee! #farawayfiles

  • What an experience you all have! I love that you can actually make a real fire inside the tent. That must have been warm inside. Love that you are so prepared for the occasions with beef stew and proper cooked breakfast the morning after. We were so clueless when we went camping for the first time. lol! I love the idea of the bread on the stick too. I must remember to do that next time. The kids are so brave for sticking through the cold night and so very helpful with the washing up of the dishes. So much life skills learned in the wildness.

    Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful post with us on #ExplorerKids xx

  • Your posts always get me excited about going out and about in the beautiful outdoors, Annette! Sleeping in a tipi sounds like a lot of fun – although I did feel a wee bit chilly reading about how cold it got! Fabulous photos again. #FarawayFiles

  • This looks great. A tipi in the woods, with a communal kitchen, campfire and a large pot of beef stew – it doesn’t get much better than that! Thanks for joining us on #adventurecalling . We’ll be back open for more posts this evening.

  • I loved this post and read it with a massive smile on my face. What an amazing experience, I can imagine how exciting it was for everyone. I’d love to do more campfire cooking, I feel quite hungry sitting here. I love a good camping breakfast, it’s always my favourite part, especially that first cup of tea-it always tastes fab. Great photos and a great idea for a family adventure. Thanks for sharing with us #AdventureCalling

  • Camping when it’s so cold is never pleasant but it’s great to read that it was a fantastic experience apart from that. #AdventureCalling

  • A perfect a adventure and will it have been a last camp for 2017!!? We cherished ours and sat discussing the earliest we’d go camping next year!! I love the smell of fire and it’s great when we got to share this with our little. So much #familyfun xx

  • 5 degrees, 5 degrees!! That’s crazy and that was day time. I take my hat off to you, I am not a camper and I would be useless. That said I am in awe of you and your children. Of course they loved it though, it must have been very exciting and you have all the kit to make it enjoyable and no doubt comfortable. Your photos really are fab as well, you can get a real idea of what it was like. Thanks for joining us at #familyfun

  • Oh I love everything about this! Conjuring such wonderful memories of my childhood and my children’s childhood living for a few days out of doors. I love it! What wonderful memories you are creating with your kids! Thanks for sharing with #FarawayFiles, cheers from Copenhagen!

  • Totally blooming fab! I love everything about your blog and this looks like an awesome adventure for the kids. And campfires galore. Perfect! We love damper bread. It’s great with fresh picked blackberries wrapped in the dough before cooking..

    • Yum, I never thought of adding fresh blackberries, or anything else to the dough! Definitely going to try that asap!
      Thank you so much for the lovely comment, it means the world, especially coming from a seasoned forest school practitioner like yourself 😉
      Annette

  • I have read this post before but revisiting. This is like our dream place – we love the great outdoors and all of the activities. It looks beautiful. Sarah #FamilyFriendlyStays

  • Wow, this sounds amazing! One of the things that puts us off camping more often is the tedium of all the gear we have to take, having a tent already erected is very appealing and the location looks stunning. Am very tempted to give this a try as I think we’ll be taking the kids to Ireland before long. Thanks for linking this lovely post to #FamilyFriendlyStays

  • Saw this on #familyfriendlystays. Really enjoyed reading it – especially as we are planning some autumn / winter camping at the moment using our own tipi.

  • This looks wonderful. I love that you practically had the place to yourself and your pictures look gorgeous. Beef stew under the stars…. heavenly!

  • What a lovely experience. We’ve been thinking about glamping in winter, not sure we’re brave enough yet to try wild camping in winter though! #familyfriendlystays

  • Wow, you are brave to camp in 5 degrees! But what an adventure and such a beautiful spot – looks absolutely idyllic! #familyfriendlystays

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