Saving camping spots

[Klavius]

At the risk of being exiled from the forum. 

 

Our party is arriving at various points throughout the day due to coming from various different cities. Is it frowned upon to hold a spot for a few latecomers?

[EFC1996]

Your best bet maybe to camp at one of the quieter sites. My group normally camp on Darble and there’s always plenty of space for the ones who turn up later 

[Klavius]

4 minutes ago, EFC1996 said:

Your best bet maybe to camp at one of the quieter sites. My group normally camp on Darble and there’s always plenty of space for the ones who turn up later 

Nice! Thankyou

[The Nal]

6 minutes ago, Klavius said:

At the risk of being exiled from the forum. 

 

Our party is arriving at various points throughout the day due to coming from various different cities. Is it frowned upon to hold a spot for a few latecomers?

One maybe. A few is a bit c**tish.

[Klavius]

Just now, The Nal said:

One maybe. A few is a bit c**tish.

This was my fear. Will likely follow EFC's advice.

[Tranquility of Solitude]

What @EFC1996 said. You can’t expect to grab a portion of prime real estate in Big Ground (for example) and tell other early arrivals (who have probably been queuing specifically to get a good spot) you’re saving it for later arrivals. If you choose one of the further out sites it should be ok.

[The Nal]

Just now, Klavius said:

This was my fear. Will likely follow EFC's advice.

Yeah makes sense and to be honest, if you're taking up too much space someone may call you out on it and then you've an awkward 5 days beside a neighbour who thinks you're a c**t. 

[-TLR-]

depends what you mean by "hold a spot" - unless you physically sit in the space you intend to hold, whether its frowned upon or not is kind of irrelevant as the moment you turn your back someone will have camped there.

[gooner1990]

1 minute ago, The Nal said:

Yeah makes sense and to be honest, if you're taking up too much space someone may call you out on it and then you've an awkward 5 days beside a neighbour who thinks you're a c**t. 

That actually reminds me, in 2013 we got into Hawkwell (Around 20 of us with about 10 or so tents) and then this guy came running over and said he was saving the space for his friends, (he had 3-4 tents already set up) me and a few others said well we will move up a bit but you can't really hold off that amount of space, anyway he kicked up a big fuss and some of my friends said we would move further up towards the fence, but not after I and a couple of others had a bit of an argument with him about it to the point one of my friends grabbed my arm and told me to leave it.

Anyway, 30 or so mins later another group turned up and did exactly what we did, except they refused to move, so the guy got the hump big time  and then a couple of hours later his friends turned up ,who then ended up camped right next to us (as there was nowhere else to go) against the fence, which cued a few awkward glances/points of crossing paths with the guy when he then spent a lot of his time up next to our camp with all his friends across the weekend. 

[frostypaw]

Only works one way - you take their tents and set up, they bring your beer

[Klavius]

Thanks everyone! Last thing we wanted to do was cause any hassle (which we assumed trying to save space would) while we were there. This has given us an idea of alternatives which we will be following! 

See you in the fields!!

[the_arsonist]

Anyone who's not coming with us for the overnight shift is giving us their tents to set up and in return they're bringing in some of our alcohol.

Putting up their tents for them I'd say is the only way of doing it if you don't mind that massive pain in the arse task which personally I don't!

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

26 minutes ago, Klavius said:

At the risk of being exiled from the forum. 

 

Our party is arriving at various points throughout the day due to coming from various different cities. Is it frowned upon to hold a spot for a few latecomers?

You should be fine putting a few rucksacks, tent bags, your crates etc down next to your tent while you're putting your own one up and using that pile to save a space. I've never had a problem with people saying they're saving a spot for a mate and no one's ever been weirded out when we've saved a spot.

It's when it's multiple spots in a massive circle with guideropes up and a f**k-off gazebo that people start getting annoyed. If you're in one of the most popular camping areas Pennards, Park Home, Oxylers, and you make a camp circle thinking your little patch in the centre will be safe - it'll be filled in by morning. 

[Rufus Gwertigan]

Don't forget to mark your territory with as much tape as possible 😉

[stuie]

To to OP: to save a space you need put something on it.  

Would recommend taking their tents. 

If you have a circular layout of tents and want to save a small social area in the middle, build a little camp fire! 

[gfa]

If you take their tents and set them up i see no issue.

Sitting on a chair and guarding it, using tape etc then your neighbours will think your a knob

[MJP]

If you have their tents, go for it. If you don't, don't hold the space or expect to hold any space. 🙂

[Crazyfool01]

It’s a tough one … no one is more entitled to space than others be that early or late arrivals … the amount of camping space doesn’t change . The outer areas it will be easier but with some camping area changes around gate a this year it’s quite hard to figure what’s going to be busy this time . Just be pleasant and if it’s just a few tents it shouldn’t be an issue . Just don’t go for the really packed camp areas like pennards 

[Leyrulion]

12 minutes ago, Klavius said:

At the risk of being exiled from the forum. 

 

Our party is arriving at various points throughout the day due to coming from various different cities. Is it frowned upon to hold a spot for a few latecomers?

It's stressful.

You can definitely make space for one or two. 

Was able to do it in Oxlyers for a 2 man and a 1 man. We took our time putting the tents up and spread our bags as much as possible without looking like we were trying to save space. Then when they arrived at 12 was pushed all the tents together and made space with a little circle. 

But no way we could have done it for more tents or held it for much longer than we did. 

Would not recommend that stress to start your weekend.

[becs94]

Like others have said if you've not got many arriving late I'd just take their tents and set them up. I've done that twice when in a small group and it's a bit of a pain but meant we could all camp quite centrally together. 

[Johnnyseven]

There's nothing that says i'm a twat quite as much as putting a rope around your campsite.

[BBC7BBCHEAVEN]

Doubt it would be possible.

We woke up once to someone having planted their little poptop tent right in the middle of our circle of tents. (We always face tent doors inwards so if it's bad weather we can at least chat from porches)

They knew what they were doing, just didn't care, and this wasn't even in a "prime" spot it was park home or dairy I think

[RichardWaller]

The one time I’ve had a spot saved was when two of the group drove down together with our tents and the rest of us went by train. Short of that it’s a risk and a bit of a piss take to try to get a space saved that anyone’d be entitled to take.

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

I think it's fair enough camping in the centre of a circle in any of the campsites nearest the main stages or areas, it's no one's right to reserve space for their own private party. If it's space you want, then it's prob better to go to the campsites right at the end of the railroad track where you can have your own little camp circle with fire etc.

[philipsteak]

1 hour ago, -TLR- said:

depends what you mean by "hold a spot" - unless you physically sit in the space you intend to hold, whether its frowned upon or not is kind of irrelevant as the moment you turn your back someone will have camped there.

One of our mates held a spot in the Oxfield by crashing out face down next to the tents with a stinking hangover and not moving for the 6 hours we were out exploring on the Tuesday. The field had really filled up around us by that point but no one was too close to us though.