Kidd2006 - where are you staying & any tips on what to bring?

[ChrisB]

Thought I'd start this thread to get an idea of how many people plan to stay "on site" and also if anyone had any recommendations for places to stay locally or "essential" items to make that Kidd 2006 experience truly memorable :-).

I'll start the ball rolling...... after much too-ing and fro-ing over whether to stay nearby, stay under canvas or kip in the car I've ended up going with a kind of compromise. I've decided to hire a transit sized van for the weekend.

It was a bit more than I wanted to spend to be honest, but it means sleeping in relative comfort and I can bung a decent sized table to fix stuff that gets broken as well as a chair to relax in should it all get a bit hectic []. It also means if we are unlucky and its very wet I'll be able to keep fairly dry and warm with a bit of space to move around.

Will definitely try and bring a small camping stove this time and a cool box for the beer!

I'm planning to come up Friday - anyone know if we can use the track on the the Friday during the day at all? Also what is the earliest we can turn up Friday and get into the parking area next to the track? I figure I may as well get maximum time out of this I can. Plan to head off Sunday evening once people start heading off home, keeping Monday to recouperate.

So what are other peoples plans / tips for what promises to be a great weekend?

Chris

[Tipsy]

Chris, according to the Kidderminster info, Chris (Netsmith) has mentioned that the track isn't ours until 6am Saturday.. Dont know if that will be set in stone though.

I plan on staying at a local hotel. Did think of staying in the car, but the missus didn't like the idea!

[richytanimal]

I'll be there on Friday, don't know if the track is available tho, last year no-one used it on the friday night but that may have been because it was getting dark or because we weren't allowed to till the morning. 

Haven't sorted the caravan yet[:$] so I might be in my tent, but definitely staying on site, (gotta check if the lights in my Bullhead still work for a bit of night time driving).

Rich.

[jozza]

Last time the site was available from about 7pm and the field and track can be used for a runabout. I ran the Pumpkin with lights the first Kidd meet, from about 9pm to about 11:30 when the stick pack finally ran down []. Netsmith, can you confirm the time the site will be open, and if it will be open Friday evening for us to pitch our tents please?

 

There's a Tesco about a mile from the site, and a chip shop. Also the pizza place will deliver to the site too, and an ice cream van normally turns up, which is nice.

 

Camping on site is definitely the best option if you can do it, but the weather might be a tad chilly at night. I reckon I'll be sleeping under canvas, saving money for trades and pizza []

 

I always bring camping stove and kettle, to keep me continuously supplied with caffeine, not a great beer drinker so I prefer to have a ready supply of coffee than a six pack.. Nothing else really, just cars, batteries, nitro, PSP, lots of shiny-lighty things (that's just me though, can't go anywhere without shiny lights).

[TWINSET]

One of those folding chairs with a beer holder

Mobile (for pizza)

Spare pair of socks

Something metal for tapping the jockey wheel of caravans at 6am (really annoys the inhabitants)

A hat

Brown sauce in case Spar has run out 

Factor 40 (fingers crossed [H])

 

[richytanimal]

Something metal for tapping the jockey wheel of caravans at 6am (really annoys the inhabitants)

 

 

I'll be up and out of the van by then![] ..... Not!

[ChrisB]

Yeah - on re-reading Chris's post I did notice the 6am Sat thing. That will be a real shame if we can't get in to the site on the Friday evening - Chris, is there any chance of getting access on the Friday evening? If its a matter of cost I wouldn't mind stumping up a bit more cash to get access on the Friday, I'm sure others would feel the same

I've got the hire van booked from Thursday evening anyway, so its just going to be sat on my drive otherwise [].

If its any help I don't mind volunteering to meet with the guy who is managing the track for hand over of keys etc. if thats all that is preventing us getting access on the Friday?

Selfishly I have to admit it would be great to be able to get some tracktime / access on the Friday as early as possible, although I know there may be many other reasons for the 6am Saturday start time.

Sounds like I may need to pack a jockey wheel anti-tapping device (aka bucket of cold water []) too []

Chris

[fatboyslim]

Sounds like I may need to pack a jockey wheel anti-tapping device (aka bucket of cold water []) too []

Chris

Or an even bigger bit of metal for tapping jockey wheel tappers with!!

[TWINSET]

Ah, you're not entering into the spirit of things

 

Last year, we was all huddled around our 5:45 coffee, still shivering from a night in a car, when it dawned on me how much fun it would be to annoy those still tucked up in their soft beds with quilts, blankets, pillows and stuff. They would pay for thinking ahead!!

So, with a fully charged battery, the Gmade, complete with alu front bumper, trundled over to one of the vans.

The great thing about the Speedmaster ESC is there's no pause between forward and reverse, so I could vary the frequency of the tapping from

tap

 

 

tap

 

 

tap

 

to taptaptaptaptap

 

It took a good ten minutes for anyone within the van to appreciate my mastery of the left stick, but I learnt some new words when they did []

Unfortunately the Gmade is no longer in my possession, so I'll have to start work on a custom mounted tapper for the TLT

 

[richytanimal]

Don't forget my Mad Max Wild Willy lwb hybrid has a working water pistol plus a siren on it, ideal for an early morning call[6]

Muuuhaahaahaaaaaa

[ChrisB]

LOL @ Andy - I didn't realise the jockey wheel tapping device was remote control - nice one []

Will be good to see what else people bring along this year.

Chris

[Tipsy]

Well I've completely wimped on the outdoor thing, and am staying in a nice, warm cosy bed, at a nearby hotel. No jockey wheel tapping gonna keep me awake[]

[Lemming]

I guess I am a cheat.  Got a Hotel booked, plus got a tent.  Can see how it looks nearer to the event and cancel the room if it looks good.  Tent would be the best bet though.

I have really warm sleeping bags, so a tent and sleeping bags sounds much better than the car...  or is it just me?

[steviedee]

i dunno if this is the place to post this but heres goes anyway, i definately thinking of attending this bash to meet some of you and run some of my models, but a couple of questions? spring to mind.

1. if there is no mains how do we charge bateries? as i dont own any batteries over 1700 and so dont run too long, and usually need to be charge on a regular basis when running? i do own about 9 batteries but still this wont last me 2 days.

2. erm i forgot the next questions...oops sorry [:$]

i'm just making my mind up as we speak

cheers

[mr_pushrod]

Your best bet is to take a 12v charger and either run it off the battery in your real car or see if you can borrow/buy a caravan battery to charge off.

[ChrisB]

Steve, I think most people take a car or caravan "leisure" style battery. I use a fairly beefy 85mAh leisure battery I bought from a caravan place a year or so ago. Its only ever needed charging twice so far and I've used it on and off loads over the last year for charging up stick packs.

I'd be happy to stick a few packs on charge for you at the weekend as long as I'm not using the charger myself. Trying to fab up a battery case with a panel of plugs on the outside so I can hook up a few chargers, but I may not get round to this before the Kidd weekend.

I'll be camping on site in the back of a VW Transporter hire van so come and track me down if you want to get some stick packs charged.

Cheers,

Chris

[ChrisB]

oops double post and I couldn't delete it so edited out the content instead!

[steviedee]

cheers for the offer chris i may well track you down, i have been using a car starter with 12v output to charge some batteries at meets so as long as this is charged fully i should be ok for a while until flat lol, i to am looking at renting a van for the weekend so i transport some stuff and kip in relative comfort. i'll look out for you.

if the van falls through i may well jsut drive down for the day and have some fun ;-)

[jozza]

If you can get hold of a leisure battery it's well worth it, they cost about 20-30 quid for an 85-95AH one (don't go to Halfords, go to a camping shop, they're cheaper) and I find that mine lasts for a whole weekend on virtually constant charging 2-3 sticks at a time.

 

ChrisB, a lump of 4x1 and 2 6 inch nails is what you need, add some croc clips and you have a perfectly safe power distribution system []

[ChrisB]

ChrisB, a lump of 4x1 and 2 6 inch nails is what you need, add some croc clips and you have a perfectly safe power distribution system []

I see you subscribe to the "Reg Prescott" school of DIY then []. Knowing how disorganised I am it will probably be the usual cluster of croc clips held onto the battery terminals with no more than a wing and a prayer!

Chris

[Hillman666]

  Is anyone taking any ramps for launching the cars off?  I'm sure a few of you guys will be aiming to get the first Rc car into space!! lol!  If needed I have a couple of the plastic skate ramps I can bring provided I can fit them in the car! Think space is going to be tight with all the cars and camping gear! lol!

[steviedee]

we'll if all goes to plan i'm gonna rent a van for the weekend, which area are you from, i may be able to pick em up? and help you bring em?

dont worry about it, just checked your profile, dorset is a long way sheffield lol []

[ChrisB]

Steviedee - don't forget if planning to rent a van for the weekend you may have to take it from the Thurs Eve through until the Tues morning as its the Easter weekend and a lot of places are closed Fri / Mon.

I'd advise booking soon too as a lot of folks seem to take advantage of the long weekend to hire vans to "move stuff" etc, so a lot of hire places have their vans booked up a week or so before at least.

Cheers,

Chris

[ChrisB]

Just wanted to ask what folks tend to use for tables (preferably of the foldaway variety) at these type of events? I remember wishing I had got one last time rather than trying to fix things on top of an upturned plastic storage box I had with me!!!

Just need something about 3ft square that folds away, and is preferably cheap!!! Sainsburys had some good camping tables last year, but seems a bit early for their camping gear range at the mo sadly.

Cheers,

Chris

[terry.sc]

These are more or less the standard pit table at race meetings. Somwhere to work and sit down as well.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3404892.htm