Camping

rowan · Mar 27, 2015

janeabeth said:
My gas fire is also not working and we need a new exhaust! And will be sharing with 2 wet dogs! I love every minute of it though.x

I lived in a van for a while with 2 dogs who loved muddy puddles and fox poo etc, lovely!
I lost my mother dog last summer, she was 14 so now I just have her son, he's nearly 13 now and although he's slowing down a bit now he still thinks he's a pup. And he leaves me very little room on the camperbed! He has his own memory foam bed in the van, but he prefers to squash up with me!
My van is a converted ambulance and had an Eberspacher diesel heater in when I bought it, brilliant things and I'm so lucky to have it, much less condensation although it can get too hot even on a low setting. Better than too cold though!

CollieBoy · Mar 27, 2015

RosieLKH said:
Ah, it's a good life in a motorhome. We did a year long tour round Europe with our last dog. Make sure you take a BBQ and some pans you're prepared to ruin on top of it. We had trouble getting more gas for our small bottles at times (we have a pane van conversion with a tiny gas cupboard), so made the most of the folding, cradle style BBQ. In Poland, forest campsites are set up with outside cooking areas, so we cooked stews on a tripod over a fire. Next time we do a big trip I want my own small tripod. But I cook much the same sort of stuff as at home - meat and green veg boiled in a saucepan on the BBQ.

Have fun - am jealous!

Oh, and take a net for the door to keep out midges.

ours is a panel van conversion too (cant seem to fit my 197cm frame into a factory built bed!)

janeabeth · Mar 27, 2015

CollieBoy said:
ours is a panel van conversion too (cant seem to fit my 197cm frame into a factory built bed!)

Ours is a 1996 coach built Ford Transit

CollieBoy said:
ours is a panel van conversion too (cant seem to fit my 197cm frame into a factory built bed!)

Ours in a left hand drive 1996 coach built Ford transit. Her name is B
ertha.x

PeerieCritter · Mar 27, 2015

I'm jealous of your kitchen facilities. I'm touring Scotland over the summer months on my first holiday since diagnosis. I have no fridge/freezer/cool bag or cooking facilities. Scrambled eggs for breakfast at the BnBs but beyond that I'm completely stuck except for protein shakes and cuppa soups. Can't even keep berries, cheese, salad etc fresh in a baking hot car. ARGH!

rowan · Mar 27, 2015

PeerieCritter said:
I'm jealous of your kitchen facilities. I'm touring Scotland over the summer months on my first holiday since diagnosis. I have no fridge/freezer/cool bag or cooking facilities. Scrambled eggs for breakfast at the BnBs but beyond that I'm completely stuck except for protein shakes and cuppa soups. Can't even keep berries, cheese, salad etc fresh in a baking hot car. ARGH!

You can get 12v cool boxes and a 1 or 2 ring camping stove that could make life easier. I've also got a smaller car for everyday use and keep a box of such essentials for days out on Dartmoor, very handy

Spencer67 · Mar 27, 2015

I'm jealous right now, i did scotland in a caravan with my da, many moons ago around May time, stayed on caravan club sites as they had good facilities and it was amazing we got to see loch ness which was i remember freezing cold and culloden moor and the national parks, scotland is beautiful, i want to do it again some day soon, i wud say eat porridge, tatties and haggis but they are all hi carb, will be fun with the dogs. take lots of eggs and vegetables for omlettes, ham and bacon is low carb. gl you will love the adventure.

PeerieCritter · Mar 28, 2015

rowan said:
You can get 12v cool boxes and a 1 or 2 ring camping stove that could make life easier. I've also got a smaller car for everyday use and keep a box of such essentials for days out on Dartmoor, very handy

Looked into cool boxes and they're really expensive and there's no space in my car with EVERYTHING I need for 3 months, my scales, mini exercise bike etc. Poor girl is overloaded Not sure I'll be safe with a stove...I'm a danger with my hope one so stopped using it a few years back Hoping to find a cafe for soup or something most days though. Gonna be dead hard though esp as all the local social occasions revolve

rowan · Mar 28, 2015

PeerieCritter said:
Looked into cool boxes and they're really expensive and there's no space in my car with EVERYTHING I need for 3 months, my scales, mini exercise bike etc. Poor girl is overloaded Not sure I'll be safe with a stove...I'm a danger with my hope one so stopped using it a few years back Hoping to find a cafe for soup or something most days though. Gonna be dead hard though esp as all the local social occasions revolve

You take an exercise bike camping? I think I'd rather just go for a walk and take a camping stove instead

PeerieCritter · Mar 28, 2015

rowan said:
You take an exercise bike camping? I think I'd rather just go for a walk and take a camping stove instead

I'm not camping...using BnBs and hostels but no access to kitchen facilities for about 3 weeks. Taking my bike coz when the weather is horrific I can still exercise and is great for lowering blood sugars. Find it much better for that than walking.

rowan · Mar 28, 2015

PeerieCritter said:
I'm not camping...using BnBs and hostels but no access to kitchen facilities for about 3 weeks. Taking my bike coz when the weather is horrific I can still exercise and is great for lowering blood sugars. Find it much better for that than walking.

That must be really difficult from a diabetes point of view, are you low carbing?

AndBreathe · Mar 28, 2015

PeerieCritter said:
I'm not camping...using BnBs and hostels but no access to kitchen facilities for about 3 weeks. Taking my bike coz when the weather is horrific I can still exercise and is great for lowering blood sugars. Find it much better for that than walking.

It could be useful to have a think about priorities? You are taking an exercise bike, in case the weather is foul, whereas you know you won't have easy access to the foods you want? Couldn't addressing the known, every day issue be more useful than addressing a potential issue on some days?

It could also be worth considering an ordinary cool box or bag and ask the B&B to freeze blocks for you overnight each night? If occasionally, they feel they can't, at least you have cool food probably most of the time.

That would be my thought process.

PeerieCritter · Mar 28, 2015

Yeah I am low carbing. Hoping it's not too difficult but it's my first holiday since diagnosis n I'm away for 3 months. Eeek! For most of it the nearest supermarket is a 5+ hour round trip involving 4 ferries!

rowan said:
That must be really difficult from a diabetes point of view, are you low carbing?

PeerieCritter · Mar 28, 2015

AndBreathe said:
It could be useful to have a think about priorities? You are taking an exercise bike, in case the weather is foul, whereas you know you won't have easy access to the foods you want? Couldn't addressing the known, every day issue be more useful than addressing a potential issue on some days?

It could also be worth considering an ordinary cool box or bag and ask the B&B to freeze blocks for you overnight each night? If occasionally, they feel they can't, at least you have cool food probably most of the time.

That would be my thought process.

Problem with cookers is that my memory and concentration is so shocking that I have stopped using my one at home due to several close calls. I stick to the microwave now as at least I can't set my house (or countryside) on fire.

As I'm never hungry atm my diet consists of protein shakes, soup and eggs. In the BnBs I can have eggs for breakfast then lunch n tea I'm hoping I can find somewhere for 1 meal most days and have soup or protein shake for the other meals. Hoping it's all possible and I'm not expecting too much. For most BnBs I'm not staying more than 1 night.

rowan · Mar 28, 2015

PeerieCritter said:
Yeah I am low carbing. Hoping it's not too difficult but it's my first holiday since diagnosis n I'm away for 3 months. Eeek! For most of it the nearest supermarket is a 5+ hour round trip involving 4 ferries!

In that case I'd definitely make room for a small camping stove and cool box, you can get small ones too if you're that short of space. What if the car breaks down or you get stuck somewhere, you'll need to have supplies with you.

PeerieCritter · Mar 28, 2015

rowan said:
In that case I'd definitely make room for a small camping stove and cool box, you can get small ones too if you're that short of space. What if the car breaks down or you get stuck somewhere, you'll need to have supplies with you.

Can't afford a cool box and I'm a danger to myself, property and countryside with cookers Not been able to use one for years. Will have protein bars with me for emergencies but not really suitable for a meal replacement.

AndBreathe · Mar 28, 2015

Three months on that diet doesn't sound too great to me Peerie.

Is there a reason your memory and concentration are so bad, or is it being a bit scatty and disorganised? (I'm not prying, more curious.)

PeerieCritter · Mar 28, 2015

AndBreathe said:
Three months on that diet doesn't sound too great to me Peerie.

Is there a reason your memory and concentration are so bad, or is it being a bit scatty and disorganised? (I'm not prying, more curious.)

Hoping that once I get a load of fresh air into me it will kick start my hunger and once I'm at the hostel (rather than BnB hopping) I can eat veg and other stuff that I can get hold of.

I have ME and Fibro which affect my cognitive stuff. Burnt pans to a crisp and even with the microwave I've been known to find stuff a few days later. Yip dead useful me Funnily enough my attention and memory is best when I'm driving which is kinda lucky as I'd be lost without me car.

AndBreathe · Mar 28, 2015

PeerieCritter said:
Hoping that once I get a load of fresh air into me it will kick start my hunger and once I'm at the hostel (rather than BnB hopping) I can eat veg and other stuff that I can get hold of.

I have ME and Fibro which affect my cognitive stuff. Burnt pans to a crisp and even with the microwave I've been known to find stuff a few days later. Yip dead useful me Funnily enough my attention and memory is best when I'm driving which is kinda lucky as I'd be lost without me car.

Surely, you could use timers, or even your smart phone so that you don't forget things? I have a really excellent memory, but I know if I get into information or action overload, I still need reminders. And, I always, always use the countdown timer on my phone to time the test for my post meal bloods.

What do your bloods routinely run at?

rowan · Mar 28, 2015

PeerieCritter said:
I have ME and Fibro which affect my cognitive stuff. Burnt pans to a crisp and even with the microwave I've been known to find stuff a few days later. Yip dead useful me Funnily enough my attention and memory is best when I'm driving which is kinda lucky as I'd be lost without me car.

I have ME and Fibro too, as well as other illnesses and meds which cause exhaustion and brain fog, but I find if I concentrate on just one thing at a time cooking is fine - it's when I go into another room 'just for a second' to fetch something, that's when I forget what I've left on the stove.
But I refuse to let that beat me, my health depends on a healthy diet, and it it means sitting next to the cooker all the time I'm cooking then so be it. If stuff is in the over then I use the timer.
There's ways round all these sorts of things, and being able to concentrate to drive shows that you can concentrate.

PeerieCritter · Mar 28, 2015

AndBreathe said:
Surely, you could use timers, or even your smart phone so that you don't forget things? I have a really excellent memory, but I know if I get into information or action overload, I still need reminders. And, I always, always use the countdown timer on my phone to time the test for my post meal bloods.

What do your bloods routinely run at?

Yeah I used timers on my phones for meds n stuff but tend to turn them off n forget to take my meds. Luckily they're not life or death meds.

I'm running 3.9-5 mmol most of the time. Up to 5.5 after eating sometimes but rarely above 6. Last A1c was 4.9%. Hoping next one is 4.6%.

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