First camp of the year at ullswater + Our Favourite camping gear including a canvas awning (of course).
Camping is our favourite kind of holiday, the wilder the better.
We always bring our Woodsman's awning and a few other favourite camping essentials...
We set up camp at Crossdormont on Ullswater
Over the Easter weekend, we had our first camp of the year. It was our first time staying on beautiful Ullswater in the Lake District. We went with Oran's brother, a troop of kids and a couple of boats - a small sailing boat we got on eBay and a canoe borrowed from a neighbour.
We found a no-frills campsite called Cross Dormont - very basic facilities but much less busy than the nearby places. And they allow fires, which we think is essential for a good camping mission. The campsite has great views of the lake and the hills behind plus there's access to the lake for launching boats.
Number 1: The Woodsman's Awning
When we arrive at a site to camp, we always put up our awning first.
We take the poles off the roof rack and lay out the canvas; drive in the ground stakes and push the whole thing up. It takes the two of us about 20 minutes to get it set up - then we can put the (Kelly) kettle on while we unpack the van. If it rains, everything and everyone stays dry under the awning.
Number 2: Fire frame
Another favourite bit of camping gear is our fire frame. If you love cooking over fire, then you'll love this. The fire frame (our name for it) was designed by a friend of ours - Barney Maurice, who runs Wanderlust gyspy caravn campsite in Cumbria (check it out). Barney is basically a professional camper.
The fire frame is a set of iron bars: the 4 vertical ones have a series of hooks, across which the flat horizontal bars can be laid. And there's a spit for roasting meat.
We think of it like portable scaffolding you can build over a fire. Multiple pots and pans can be lowered and raised - giving you much more control than something like a tripod. We've had ours for about ten years now and it's still going strong. Want one? Get in touch and we'll hook you up.
We'd love to talk about camping
Got some camping tips for us? We'd love to hear all about it. Give us a shout via hello@canvasawningcompany.co.uk or on Instagram. If you'd like, we can add you to our mailing list to receive blog posts and other canvas awning news in your inbox from time to time.
Want a Woodsman's Awning for your camp set-up?
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