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Got my tent, what do I put in it?

30 replies

StickEmWithThePointyEnd · 26/04/2013 08:19

Just bought a 3m soulpad and need to collect other essential camping gear at minimum cost as the soulpad has eaten into my budget!

I'm looking for essentials only due to the size of the tent and on my list so far is;

Sleeping mats
Cooker
Portable toilet
Tarp for cooking under
Cool box

Any recommendations for any of the items above please?

Non essentials but nice to have just in case anyone has any suggestions;
Double sleeping bag
Ikea rugs for the tent - which ones are best?

OP posts:
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Blu · 26/04/2013 10:15

personally I wouldn't consider a portable toilet an essential. Depends on your family circumstances and whereyou camp, I suppose.

Folding chairs
Collapsible / folding table is handy

The Decathlon tarp is cheap and folds down tiny. I saw a Vango (I think) tarp in Halfords this week.

Can you manage with a small cooker? One of the one ring 'briefcase' burners that runs on aerosol style cannisters? They can be boughth v cheaply, and you save on carrying a bigger and more expensive butane bottle that most two-ring burners run off. Though again Halfords currently has a v good deal for the new 2 ring cooker with grill plus regulator plus butane bottle.

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Quenelle · 26/04/2013 10:23

We use duvets instead of sleeping bags. We find them more comfortable and just as warm.

I bought fleece blankets from Ikea last week for £3 each. Nice colours and about single bed size.

We have the Kampa Khazi which is about £20-25. It can double as a handy coffee table during the day Grin

Decathlon do a good tarp for £25 + £3.99 delivery if you don't have one local.

Not very pretty but these stoves are really practical and cheap. We take two with us.

I don't have a suggestion for a cheap coolbox. In our experience cheap ones have been a false economy because we wasted so much food. We're splashing out on an Icey Tek this year.

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Quenelle · 26/04/2013 10:27

Beat me to it Blu. Great minds think alike, except for the portable toilet necessity bit Grin

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Blu · 26/04/2013 13:40

Grin

I have an Icey Tek, too!

Halfords stove and gas bottle bundle

Re coolbox: now I would either manage without for short trips - take stuff like burgers frozen and take milk in a thermos and then just buy fresh, especially if you are on a site with a shop, or go expensive with a Coleman Extreme or Icey Tek / Yeti , or an electric one.

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Quenelle · 26/04/2013 13:50

What colour and size Icey Tek do you have Blu? I think we'll need a 40L so we can fit lots of wine bottles in it.

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rememberingnothing · 26/04/2013 14:54

Water carrier - or just buy the bottles with a handle from the supermarket but a carrier with a tap is easier for small people to use.

I really don't like the idea of a toilet in my tent. As a small child my parents had an emergency bucket with a lid - it was only for one site that had loos a fair trek away.

Personally we tend to camp a bit wilder and pee al fresco at night as do the kids (though to be honest they have never got up in the night its the adults and all the wine that makes us get up!)

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Blu · 26/04/2013 15:26

My Icey Tek is 25l, which is plenty big enough for us - small family, and red wine drinkers so don't need to cool white wine Grin.

I was a bit daunted when I saw the size of it for fitting in the car, tbh. Check the pics on the CoolBoxes UK website here that show the photos of what can fit in:

2x big packs of burgers
2x packs of 6 sausages
2 x pack of bacon
big block cheese
Big bunch bananas
carton of strawberries
cheese triangles
Litre of milk or juice
2 bottles of beer
big bag of salad
An unidetified block of something in a green wrapper
what loooks like a pack of yogurts
Squeezy bottle of ketchup
2 small unidentified bottles
Ice pack

Mine is Matt White.
I still hanker after orange, I think, but the white looks quite classy.

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Quenelle · 26/04/2013 15:43

Thanks Blu. There's only 3 of us but we're quite partial to red, white and rose and will be in Provence in the summer so need the chilling facilities.

We mapped out the footprint on our dining table and the 40L looked reasonable. We have a Renault Scenic so should have the space.

Sorry for the thread hijack StickEm.

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Cooroo · 26/04/2013 15:49

Sleeping bags are absolutely essential (or a duvet as someone else mentioned).
Lantern of some sort?

Other essentials I take (no need to buy specially):
DP and I always take a pillow each, makes all the difference, but some people can do without.
Bin liner for rubbish. Washing up liquid and a tea towel.

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Blu · 26/04/2013 16:26

In that case i will be very Envy of your 40l Icey Tek!

I have worked out that if I use those polythene bags for freezing ice cubes in as the ice packs once I have pre-cooled it I can have drinks with ice in! For the first weekend, anyway.

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Slubberdegullion · 26/04/2013 16:39

I would get two sleeping bags one with a R hand and the other with a L hand zip and then you can zip them together if you want to be a deux or have them as individual bags if it is very cold and/or you feel like ramming a collapsible washing up bowl into a spousal orifice after sharing a bag for one night together.

The double sleeping bag does not put deposits in the love bank ime.

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Blu · 26/04/2013 17:00

In my case the washing up bowl would not be collapsible.

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Slubberdegullion · 26/04/2013 17:09

Grin not a fan of the zipped in together sleeping arrangements Blu?

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Quenelle · 26/04/2013 17:19

Grin

I'm not a fan of zipped in sleeping arrangements at all. I like to be able to stick a leg or bum out or tuck back in as and when I get hot or cold throughout the night.

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Slubberdegullion · 26/04/2013 17:23

My happy compromise is the square bag with the 2nd zipper arrangement at the foot end allowing the protrusion of hot feet (a rare occurance last year it must be said).

Bought dd1 a new snugpac bag for her birthday which comes with a built in mossie net over the head end. No more hysrionics at night about insects. I hope.

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StickEmWithThePointyEnd · 26/04/2013 18:05

Grin at zipped up sleeping arrangement woes.

We'll be camping with ds who likes to cuddle kick in the face both mummy and daddy when he's allowed in bed with us, so I thought duvets and blankets would probably be best for everyone for now.

I've been looking at the Feuerhand lanterns as I thought it would look nice in the bell tent and I would prefer to buy something that will last.

Ditto re: the coolbox. I've just had a look at Icey-tek cool boxes and they look great, if it will last then I don't mind paying more for quality, and it looks like I'll be saving money by not buying a loo anyway. I've just remembered we have a nappy bucket with a clip on lid so I think I will take it along with us for emergency night time wees. I read somewhere that cat litter was useful for temporary camping buckets so I might try that.

OP posts:
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ChoudeBruxelles · 26/04/2013 18:06

Tranger stoves are good and pack down small. Are you planning to camp at sites without toilets? If not I wouldn't bother with the toilet.

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Blu · 26/04/2013 18:35

Farting.

That's all I have to say.

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carriedawayannie · 26/04/2013 18:40
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Slubberdegullion · 26/04/2013 18:41

A shoulder baffle will sort you out on that front Blu.

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Blu · 26/04/2013 19:30

Carriedaway: yes!

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3rdnparty · 30/04/2013 18:43

Love my iceytek def worth the money (have the smallish 25l one for 3 nd its plenty big enough)

not a fan of hurricane lamps except to look at- bit of a fire hazard,though attractive also leak fuel all over everything ....

lighting is tricky- best functional but not pretty have been these
www.amazon.co.uk/Battery-Operated-Garden-Parasol-Outdoor/dp/B001418ICG/ref=sr_1_2?s=outdoors&ie=UTF8&qid=1367343514&sr=1-2&keywords=parasol%20lights&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

but only cost a pound in poundland...batteries last forever

this is a good deal for a cooker

www.outdoorclearance.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=190_479&products_id=153212

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carriedawayannie · 30/04/2013 19:21

Thanks Blu Smile

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YellowDinosaur · 02/05/2013 10:35

I have a 40l Iceytek and its well worth the money. It is also pink and beautiful! [shallow] We can fit enough food and wine for 4 of us for 3 or 4 days which is great as it means we don't need to worry about shopping for short breaks.

Check out Aldi for cheap sims - about 15 quid each end super comfy. Agree you might as well manage with duvets unless you are short on space.

We have a while variety of cooking paraphernalia but my fave by miles (although not cheap) is our Cobb.

Our portable toilet is essential for us to avoid trekking to the toilet blocks in the middle off the night. We have a luggable loo and some pine fresh stuff to go in it which means no smells at all. Your nappy bucket is a good plan though but watch pout as it might not be as stable!

Finally last but but no means least is gininatin - absolutely essential!

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Quenelle · 02/05/2013 13:17

When does Aldi get the sims in Yellow? What thickness are they?

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