First time GLAMPING (covid-19 edition 2020)

As the world watched in dismay as the pandemic swept the globe one thing I knew for sure was I would not be doing any camping this year. Facebook camping groups were posting great photos about garden camps and expressing dismay about their favourite campsite not opening, limiting numbers or excluding certain types of units, such as tents. In the bigger scheme of things, the camping holiday is not that important. The camping holiday will be there for the future.

The holiday industry reeled from cancelled holidays abroad and the general population appeared to consider holidaying at home as flights were cancelled and holiday destinations deemed not safe. It would appear that the camping gear retailers have mopped up on a lot of extra trade as this is the year of the 'staycation'. I worry that this 'new breed' of camper will not have picked up on all the well known, unwritten guidance about noise, consideration, and thoughtfulness towards others and so that is another good reason to skip the camping this year. The new campers will be the ones to provide the campsites with a living and it would appear that many of the campsites have put their prices up to make up for the lost income earlier in the year. I appreciate they have faced many challenges this season.

Personally, I did not feel comfortable spending time in a campsite this year because of the shared amenities. I do not think it's possible or practical for staff to deeply sanitize a toilet between every single use and the showers are a problem as well. I decided therefore to go self catering, knowing that any respecting accommodation provider will deep clean before my arrival and I can clean door handles, toilets etc myself when I arrive. I also know it will be deep cleaned once I leave in anticipation of the next holiday makers who arrive.

The accommodation I went with was Seal Cabin which is approximately 1.5 miles south of Strangford village at Strangford lough. I spent 6 nights in mid july and although it was more expensive than camping, I felt it was worth it to get a break away from pressures at work. Seal Cabin is a log chalet in the grounds of a dwelling that is lived in by a young family. It is the only holiday accommodation on their grounds. It is quite separate, the holiday chalet has it's own parking space and there is a patio with table and chairs outside. The family have an extensive garden elsewhere in the grounds for playtime and I did not even see the children or their Mum once the whole time I was there.

The view from both the house and the chalet is over Strangford Lough and in particular, this part of the lough has islands only exposed at low tide. The seals from the Lough pull themselves up on to the islands for a bit of sunbathing and that is why the chalet has been named Seal Cabin.

The accommodation was all one room with a partitioned off corner to accommodate a bathroom. The narrow part of the space beside the bathroom has a fitted kitchenette and then the other end of the space is taken up with a double bed. In between the two 'zones' is a sofa, likely a sofa bed for extra sleeping arrangements if a family were staying. It was decorated in a coastal theme, with beautiful fabrics, decor and all the crockery in the kitchen matching their chosen theme.

 

I used the cabin in the same way I use a tent, it was a base to see whatever there was to see in the area. In this case I enjoyed seeing the abbeys of Grey Abbey and Inch Abbey, both very famous landmarks in their own right. I also spent a wonderful afternoon at Ballyhornan beach and although it never got warm enough for a dip in the sea I did go for some paddles.

I very much enjoyed socially distanced dining, I actually prefer the extra space in restaurants as some of the tables have been removed and also the privacy of having screens between tables. I was also able to dine outside in the sunshine depending on the weather at the time.

The Lobster Pot in Strangford has indoor and outdoor eating areas, and the indoor eating area had some of their tables removed so that there was more space between tables. The food was excellent and the price fairly standard for what you would expect. The Artisan Cafe is very good too, they have screens between tables and also less tables in the indoor area. They are particularly good for breakfasts with an extensive menu including granola, porridge, pancakes and a 'wee fry' and a 'big fry'. I stopped in a couple of late mornings in order to have brunch, which kept me going all day.

I visited the gardens of Mount Stewart on the Ards Penninsula. Due to the global pandemic, the house itself is closed. There is a new protocol in place for entry, it is not possible to just turn up at the moment. I had pre-booked the friday before and got a timed entry which was Wednesday at 2.30. The gardens were great but it will also be nice when all the restrictions are eased and we can do normal stuff again, whatever that will come to mean!

If you have an interest in staying in Seal Cabin visit either Seal Cabin Airbnb

or Seal Cabin Booking.com

Managing your cool box

The following information is primarily about standard, insulated cool boxes that do not run off electric. There are such things as electric cool boxes too, see below.

Note on 12v/electric mains cool boxes: 

An electric cool box does not work like a fridge, if you expect ice cold wine, beer or water you will be disappointed. They tend to work at 16 to 18 degrees below ambient. So you get a 22 degree day, the cool box will keep food to 6 degrees. Your fridge at home is around 3 to 5 degrees. You can buy, for £180 and upwards, a camping fridge that works off electric or gas and will cool things just as well as your home fridge does. 

Rule #1 Start four days before you need the cool box.

There's no point packing your cool box on the day you go camping, filling it up with food and expecting a few ice packs to do the job. Start about four days before by putting frozen 2 litre bottles of tap water and ice packs in the cool box, preferably enough to fill the space. If you don't have enough to do that, fill up the empty spaces with  bubble wrap or even scrunched up plastic bags. No empty spaces please!

When the bottles thaw, replace them with new ones and also new ice packs. This second lot won't thaw just as quick. This is called 'priming' your cool box.

Rule #2 Fill up with frozen food.

Did you know milk freezes really well? Make a Chilli or a Spaghetti Bolognese before hand and freeze these too. It'll take a day or so to thaw out but then dinner for night two is sorted! Frozen bacon and sausages means day 3 breakfast. Ensure all other food is at least chilled in the fridge. Don't put room temperature food in the cool box that you've been working on getting cold for the past few days.

Rule #3 Don't open the cool box!

Consider using a second cool box for drinks and snacks (such as chocolate bars) so that you are not opening your main cool box every five minutes. Especially worth considering if you have kids! You can buy a second, budget cool box for this purpose, or you can double line an ordinary cardboard box with bin liners, put tin foil all around the inside, fill with ice and your drinks and drape a wet tea towel on top. Keep a smaller container of milk in here too if you are a serial coffee or tea drinker.

Rule #4 Buy often, buy local.

Don't bother trying to manage your weekly groceries like you would at home. When you go out for the day, plan a trip to the butchers or shop on the way home and buy just what you need for that evening and the next morning. Don't give the sausages time to go off.

Rule #5 If the campsite offers ice block freezing, use it.

Even better ask them to freeze two litre bottles of tap water AND ice packs. Even when the water starts to thaw, it will be lovely and cold to drink. They may even have a fridge for campers to use, in which case make sure you have a permanent marker pen to hand to put your name on everything!

BONUS TIPS!

Tip #1 Fill up with ice.

Ice is really cheap, I've seen it for 99p in some shops. You can double bag the ice to stop it from soaking everything, although chances are it will to some extent. A cool box with a plug at the bottom is especially useful if you use ice. Having some ice in freezer bag means ice for drinks too! It is unlikely you'll want to use the dirty ice that is swilling around the bottom of your cool box.

Tip #2 Mind how you pack.

It goes without saying heavy things to the bottom and lighter things at the top. Even if you are not using ice, condensation means the bottom is most likely wet. Plastic containers such as milk or bottled drinks, or even tins (beer, soda etc) are best placed in the bottom with butter and eggs on the top. Try not to have packaging with cardboard in it near the bottom as it will become wet through.

Tip #3 Vac pac.

Your butcher will  likely have an industrial type vacuum packer, and most will be happy to vacuum pack your meat in portions if you explain that you want it for a camping trip. The meat will last longer, and the packaging will not leak. If you freeze it before hand it will act like a ice pack as well.

Tip #4 Wash lettuce before you leave home.

And place in a ziploc bag along with a single sheet of damp paper towel, you should get at least three days out of it. In fact, much of your veg preparation can be done at home and stored in ziploc bags. Double bag chopped onions or everything will smell!