Oh yeah and dont forget a sharp kitchen knife and citronella candles are handy when cooking and eating. I pack all the little bits like cutlery, plates, dishcloths,cups etc into a plastic storge box then use that to carry the washing up back and forth to the taps.

The best thing i ever bought for camping was a gazebo. My family and our friends put the gazebo up with the table and chairs under it and the tents around it so we've got a big undercover eating/drinking area.It really worked well when it rained because when we stepped out of the tents we stepped straight into a dry area which helps alot!

Earplugs, earplugs and earplugs! Being a light sleeper and the slightest noise waking me up, I find the foam expand-to-fit type the best - they're comfortable and they don't half cut out the racket. You'd be surprised at how noisy even camping in the middle of nowhere can be - cows, muck-spreaders, sheep, tractors, foxes, the dawn chorus, you name it, it'll wake me up unless I've got my trusty plugs!

eeek, you guys really take all that stuff?

We camp with a 5 yo, 3 yo and 1 yo, driving (til recently) a skoda fabia (small) with no roof box and take:

1 x tent (vango ventura 500)
2x double airbeds
4x 3 season sleeping bags
4 x pillows & sheets
torch
tea and coffee
kettle
a small primus stove and gas cannisters
waterproofs

Sometimes we take basic cooking stuff (saucepan, plates, cutlery), sometimes we eat cold food and get a few takeaways.

that does us for a long weekend.

This year we're going to take duvets and invest in some foam mats and replace the airbeds but not actually take more stuff...and we are camping in the colder parts of wales.

I'd always recommend camping a few times then work out what you need.

Thank you Pheonix & Molly Roger

Here

doesn't really matter whatcar you have. If you had an artic truck, your stuff would expand to fit the space available...
It's a slippery slope. You start with the bare neccessities and before you know it, you're packing purple fluffy beach umbrellas, fairy wings and inflatable sofas....

There was a thread a while back asking what car everyone had for camping, i'll see if i can find it

cake!

and babywipes.

Thanks Pheonix. So we probably would need to get a roof box, then, eh?

<<quickly adds another £100-200 to the idea of camping, considers a cottage instead...?>>