From forward planning to becoming the Camp Sage: how Nick Hallissey learned to love every minute of his campsite breaks…

MY LIFE IN three campsite moments.

1. Writing the Official Camp Poem for 5th Knutsford Scouts among the dark pines of Hawkhurst, Kielder Water, 1986 (mainly because I was rubbish at the other jobs they tried to give me).

2. Watching the sun set over the Vale of Keswick with my new girlfriend and a couple of cheap beers, Castlerigg Campsite, 1998.

3. Me and my wife (formerly the girlfriend) watching the kids make brand new BFFs in a giant sandpit, Thurne, Norfolk, 2017.

If you’re going to measure your life in anything, then campsites, and the moments they provide, are remarkably powerful things.

Good things happen on a campsite. Life slows down and gets simpler; there’s a feeling of rugged independence but with creature comforts to fall back on. Beautiful temporary friendships form and fade.

The trick to making it all work,

I learned a long time ago, is prep. Campsite camping involves more stuff and faff than other kinds of camping, especially if you’re bringing The Dependents with you (and they regard you, being an ‘Outdoorsy Person’ as Project Leader). There’s more to think about, so think about it beforehand.

First, find the perfect site. ‘Familyfriendly’ might sound good but that can mean anything from a nice playground and a games room, to a broken swing and a peeling picture of Bob the Builder on the loo door. So check for details via the reviews, photos or an email to the owners. One of the nicest sites we went to grouped all the pitches in a wide circle around a central play area with a huge sandpit; it meant parents could see the kids from the porch but without cramping their style. Some sites won’t permit single-sex groups (that is to say stag and hen parties), which can be a welcome touch.

Check the site on OS Maps: are there at least three walks you could do from the site? And a decent wet-weather option: some sheltered woodland, a museum, a boat ride or a showcave. Is there a pub or café nearby?

And then the big one. Make. A. List. You can find some great basic checklists at campingforwomen.com (bit.ly/camplists1) and gooutdoors.com (bit.ly/camplists2). Then lay it all out to make sure it all works (especially the stove) – and by all that’s holy, put up the tent before you go, to ensure it’s got all its poles and pegs. And while we’d all like to be Grizzly Adams and live offgrid, booking a pitch with electric hookup is great for powering a mini-fridge (Gin! Tonic! Ale! Lemonade! Ice cream!) and keeping the inevitable devices charged. Other than that, it’s just the social stuff. You’ve presumably opted for a campsite because you don’t mind other people, so embrace the cheery hellos and sudden invasions (which are inevitable if you’ve got kids with you).

And take a CW routecard or two with you. The question “Where’s a good walk from here?”, is more common on a campsite than “Where can I watch the match?”, so if you’ve got the answer, you instantly become the Wise One, revered by all who surround you.

Oh, and don’t forget post-it notes. Everyone loves the ‘Who am I?’ game.

The oft-forgotten handy things

Not so much an essential, more a list of things I’ve forgottten more than once... water carrier, tin opener, binbags, teabags... Mini-fridge

As soon as you see the neighbours heft out a couple of ciders, you’ll want one of these. Self-inflating air mat

A great compromise between the humble roll-mat and the unwieldy inflatable airbed. And bring a bedsheet to cover it – it’s warmer and it stops you sliding around.

COUNTRY WALKING