Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Our Camping !

Thought of jotting down some general points related to camping and what we should expect for this particular Camp place. We will discuss in coming days but this would serve as a primer.

Before we get into how we can prepare/expect for a camping, we need to know we might have to take a final decision to Go or Cancel considering weather conditions just a week before at least.

This camping place will be near the sea hence we will have to take a final call of going there based on weather conditions. For example, if there is a typhoon warning or rain forcast or too much cold, we might have to drop it since we also have kids with us. Weather conditions are vital for each camping trip. Specially if it has rained heavily a day before or on that morning, the tent site ground will be too damp and that dampness/coldness comes through the tent base. Hence better to avoid in such situations.

So disclaimer out of the way :) and hoping that will have a good weather here what to expect and prepare:

Where is it ?
Bit Far in Ibaraki.

Website:
http://www.hss-camp.net/

Google Map location:


Routes for trains:





















In any route, last leg of around 10 km is by taxi.

Address:
Hasaki Seaside Camping Ground
1573 Hasaki
Kamisu, Ibaraki Prefecture 314-0408
Phone No : 0479-44-6160

波崎シーサイドキャンプ場
茨城県神栖市波崎1573
0479-44-6160(受付時間9:00〜17:00)

   Since we will be renting the camping equipment for most of the tents following things you do not need to prepare. We should get it rental there. But there will be few things which you may have to carry as you read on below.

   Simple way to imagine camping is that it is small subset of your home but in open ground. Hence we need to think how a bedroom might look, living room, kitchen and activities we might do.

(Bed Room)
Sleeping/Resting/Sitting/Cooking equipment:
  1) Tent Ground sheet - which comes below the tent and serves as a base
  2) The Tent itself
  3) The inner sheet which goes inside the tent and blocks dampness
  4) A sleeping mat
  5) Blankets/Sleeping bag
  6) Tarp
  7) Tables/Chairs
  8) BBQ Set - For
  9) A simple Gas stove - For boiling water/rice/soup/coffee/tea :)
      Point 8 and 9 takes majority of time and also add most of fun :)

Simple dome shaped Tent (should cover points from 1 to 5)





(Living room)
A Tarp (should cover points 6 to 7)












BBQ Set (8)
























A simple gas stove (9)


Food Related :
- Need to think what is light and easy to carry.
- We need to imagine what we might want to eat for each meal (breakfast, Lunch n Dinner)
  Snacks goes unsaid.
- If you are carrying something which will not stay during the journey,
   you can opt for a cooler box. This can be used for milk/juice/vegetables.
   It can keep things good not more than 8 hours avg.
   There are hard case and soft case options too.


- Normally on the day of arrival, for afternoon, the journey can be tiresome to reach there.
   Hence a ready to eat comes very handy like instant noodles, or anything which will not
   take too much time.
- Normally towards the evening its the first time we start using the fire with coal/wood.
   Hence BBQ related foods can be prepared once we have settled down at the place.
   Since we will be there for couple of days we can take it slowly.
- For First day evening, we can use what we might have brought in our cooler.
- You can also decide not to carry anything from home since at least this camp place has some      Combini nearby (about 5 km away) where we can drive and can but things from there. this also just works fine. There is also a Su-paa which should also come handy.
- Also plan a meal or two with ready to eat which we get at Indian Store, along with rice or some thing.
- For things like Tea/Coffee, we need to carry raw materials for it. Milk/Water can be arranged at the spot or can shuttle to Combini for the same.
- For rice/food to be cooked, need to carry oil/spice etc.
- You might want to carry Plates/bowls/spoons/fork/glass/cups. (Paper or picnic set or what you use normally at home is also fine) Lesser the better. If you are bringing home utensils, washing liquid etc would come handy.
- There is normally a utensil washing place at camping areas.
- Some camping places will ask to take the "Gomi" back.

Water:
You can carry water or all camp sites mostly have good tap water, hence you can avoid carrying weight with you. You might want to carry a thermos/water bottle which can be used at camping site for storing hot water/milk for kids and water for easy drinking.

(Outdoors/Activities)
Entertainment for Kids:
Since we will be with our kids, you can carry some games like Football, Bubbles, Or anything random which you think might be fun for kids or keep them engaged. Lot of camper even do drawing and craft in open. Water related games are always fun for kids. You can also come up with other random fun activities.

During Night:
- During night, we will mostly have small camp fire with wood/coal mostly available at camp site.
- During nights, it is quite dark at camp place, hence carry a torch during walking is a must in most of the places.
- A small light for inside the tent will come handy too. You can keep these lights as simple as Diaso Lights for this.
- We might have to rent couple of bigger lanterns for common light for the duration from evening to the time we sleep.
- Some sites have restriction of timing, which we will come to know once we reach there.

Clothing:
- Carry what you might want to carry during following weather. As of now the weather looks like. I hope the weather improves. We can decide a week in advance.







- During night, it can get colder and hence you can carry some ear protection or even a jacket for that.
- Inside the tent also it can be quite cold sometimes, hence plan accordingly.
- Since kids can get wet all the time, please carry swimming costumes for kids just in case.
- Towel and basic bathing stuff (soap etc) will be required
- A simple raincoat also comes handy depending on weather.
- Since this is beach a pair of flip flops will be easier to move around.

Common Facilities/what to expect:
- All the sites have basic facility of Toilets. Waiting times are common.
   We can expect tissues available atleast. If we are lucky, then washlet might be there ;)
   Do not expect neat and clean toilets as we find at other public places since there is always
    dearth of people managing such places.
- A Common utensil washing area
- A common BBQ area if we want to use. We will use place in front of our tents.
- Expect other campers too. Most of the times, the camp places are lot of people, but since
  this is bit in Sept, if we are lucky we might get lesser people. Otherwise we don`t have to be
  surprised to have lot of people around. But the good part it they are for same experience
  and vibes readily meet.
- A common Ofuro which at times is time limited and waiting times are common.
- A small shop is also there, but do not expect lot of things from there.
- Near by area map is as follows:

Just for image
















Other Details:
http://www.hss-camp.net/sisetu.html

Nearby Area:
Direct Link