I HAVE never really been one for camping.
The thought of huddling around a dimming campfire with a cold drizzle hanging in the air would normally fill me with dread.
But that’s before I discovered TentBox.
After a weekend away in Dorset, this little gadget changed my mind on camping entirely . . . and I had the time of my life.
Unlike other tents, TentBox – which attaches to the roof of your car, positioning you high above the ground — adds a certain sophistication to the outdoorsy experience.
We didn’t have to carefully peg it down, nor spend the best part of our evening inflating a mattress.
And instead of wasting hours faffing with poles, this shortened our camping set-up time to less than ten minutes.
Although, a word of warning, if you’re not very tall (like me), be prepared for it to take a little longer as you struggle to reach the roof of your car.
Luckily, you don’t need to be a camping pro either.
The hardest part of the set-up is firmly securing the box to your car roof — you will need roof bars for that and can check your car’s compatibility easily online (there are certain weight limits on smaller cars).
Once that is out of the way, all you need to do is unzip the sides, pull down the ladder, and pop the tent up.
Simple, right? Once you have clambered inside, you will find a comfy foam mattress, enough space for two to four people (depending on the TentBox model) and even skylights, so on a clear night you can stargaze in your PJs.
The highlight for me, however, was being able to avoid invading creepy crawlies thanks to our rooftop perch.
With the TentBox fitted, we made our way to Sweet Hill Farm, which cost us just £13pp per night — much less than a Dorset hotel room — and it came with much better views, too.
At the very tip of the Isle of Portland peninsula, Sweet Hill Farm is strictly a no-frills spot, made up of just four fields with basic compost toilets, cold water taps and hot showers that cost £1 for three minutes of water.
But for non-campers like me, you can still get a flavour of luxury.
A short walk away from the pitches is a wellness area, home to an icy cold plunge bath and a converted horsebox sauna, which costs £15 for an hour and a half session. Well worth it.
There is an on-site cafe, too, surrounded by picnic tables. It’s great for when you are too lazy to spark up the campfire or need your morning coffee and bacon sarnie.
If you are up to campfire cooking, Kitchenbox does excellent camping sets that come with a stove, saucepan, chopping board, dishes, cutlery and a windbreak.
Scrambled egg and ham baguettes became our easy go-to.
When the weather took an unfortunate turn, we were packed up and heading towards a sunnier patch in minutes.
Chesil Beach, which connects Portland to the mainland, is a great spot for views — and it stretches for 18 miles.
While it is stoney and not the ideal sunbathing spot, the sights of the Jurassic Coast on a bright day are incredible and sweep across the white cliffs to the steep hills of Portland.
Head to nearby Cove House Inn for hearty grub. This 18th-century pub sits right on Chesil Beach’s esplanade and has been on my radar for a while, after it made the Big 7 Travel list of the 25 best spots for a seaside pint last year.
For classic seaside fun, Weymouth is less than a 20-minute ride down the coast from here.
Then you can make your way over to Durdle Door, or Boscombe and then Bournemouth, if you fancy.
Thanks to sweltering heat, the stretching golden sands of Bournemouth Beach were calling.
By this point, we had saved so much cash by ditching expensive beachside hotel rooms that we were able to treat ourselves to an Aperol Spritz and a cold beer on Bournemouth Pier.
It was an ideal way to toast to an adventure-filled weekend. Perhaps one of many camping adventures to come . . .