OK DH has agreed. We are going camping. What can I justify buying?

[Katymac]

I need a tent

We have sleeping bags (4)& a double mattress

So I need a second double mattress or 2xsingles

I can borrow

a gas ring
folding washing up bowl
frying pan
water carrier (with small tap - apparently I need stool)
2 folding bikes for the children

We just bought 2 little oblong pans which fit inside each other (from Tesco - D is so excited) & I have a cute little BBQ in a bucket

So what else do I need?

& how do I fit it all in the car?

[WhereTheWildThingsWere]

You need (not necessarily to buy, but to take)

Crockery
Cutlery
Lights, lanterns? torches?
Something to sit on, picnic rug or chairs.

We put our water carrier on an upturned storage box that has been used to transport stuff in the car.

[WhereTheWildThingsWere]

No idea on packing, I find swearing and shoving generally help.

[Katymac]

Crockery we are using existing plastic (melamine?) stuff, but I am having proper mugs

Cutlery - just use our normal stuff

Lights - definitely

Good idea about the box idea

Hmm I think I need chairs - I am old & creaky

Thanks

so I actually have very little to buy

[MumHadEnough]

Get a few of those fold up picnic/fishing chairs, we actually have a double one which is fab. Its like this one

I can't remember for the life of me where we got it, it might have been Asda?

[MumHadEnough]

A bucket with bin bag and cat litter in the bottom for night time pees .

A couple of rubber or foil backed picnic rugs to put down under your air beds. It will stop the air inside the beds getting as cold.

Coolbox?

[Katymac]

I guess a cool box is an idea (DH would love a fridge - but I guess they are expensive/impractical)

I wonder if the car seats would come out - how am I going to last a week with no laptop?

Foil blankets go on the list.....but I'll think about the bucket - my parents have a potty - but where would I put it during the day?

[MumHadEnough]

You take the bin bag out with the cat litter in the morning, rinse the bucket (although nothing usually gets through) and then use the bucket to transport dirty dishes, pots etc for washing up!

I got the electric coolbox from aldi this week, was well impressed with it! Basically just like a fridge, it has mains and 12v plugs, but then you'd need an EHU too and I know you were trying to keep the costs down

once you start buying it's quite hard to stop! lol

[Katymac]

What's EHU?

I am trying to keep costs down - but DH might be on fridgeable medication iyswim (not sure yet)

[MumHadEnough]

Sorry, thats an Electric Hook Up, allows you to get electricity into your tent.

I got this one from Aldi too. It has RCD and everything so is safe.

[Katymac]

Aldi - here I come

Actually I'm off to here tomorrow

[Katymac]

& this is where we hope to go but it's probably fully booked

[MumHadEnough]

I couldn't go near one of those shops, I'd be bankrupt .

The Aldi specials were last weeks but I was in the one near my office today and they still had loads of everything left.

Going to have a look at your site link now.

[MumHadEnough]

Looks gorgeous!!!! Oh and EHU points are available!

[PavlovtheForgetfulCat]

torches/batteries (we have one of those press on/off light button things for dd to keep with her too in case she wakes up afraid of the dark)
kettle for stove
charcoal firelighters
plastic containers/tupperware for tea/coffee/sugar
plastic box for clothes - keeps them clean, organised and less likely to get wet.
first aid kit

[MumHadEnough]

Good points Pavlov.

We use these for keeping clothes etc in.

[Katymac]

I am phoning in the morning but I guess they will be full

DH & I camped there before DD (she is 11) plus I camped there when I was a teenager and as a child

[PavlovtheForgetfulCat]

oh i just read something on your other thread and remembered something.

When we go camping, we take frozen sausages for breakfast the next morning (admittedly veggie ones, but sure you can get frozen normal ones that are nice enough?) and freeze a pint of milk/orange juice/bottle of water to take. This, along with some ice blocks will keep everything else perfectly cold for 2 days. And it means you don't use up valuable food space in the cool box/bag with more ice blocks, and won't have to bother with an ehu, or buying an expensive fridge.

[Katymac]

Thanks Pavlov - that is how my mum used to do it - when we went camping in the 70's

DH & I went once (between 93 & 96 can't remember when - but we just ate out )

[MumHadEnough]

Katy, did you get the site booked?

We take curry (homemade) in one of those chinese take away plastic tubs for the first night and then some bolognese frozen in another tub for the second night. With a normal coolbox its normally defrosted enough to use for the second nights dinner but with the electric coolbox I think I'll get away with taking a third nights dinner too and probably have to lift out the bolognese to defrost.

[PeachyTheRiverParrettHarlot]

We either do fish and chips the first night, or I freeze soemthing like salmon steaks in coconut and lime sauce- yum. But for afterwards part of the fun for us is finding little fishmongers and deli butchers to choose what we fancy each day, actuaklly our camoping experiences are rather set up around eating LOL and DH treasures his Cobb like a fifth child!

First time we camped we took borrowed airbeds and sleeping bags, an Argos tent, used the boys booster seats for them, and had a single burner stove. Bought a second hand travel cot and 2 ready beds, own pans and crockery- sorted and we had a lovely time.

Slightly mroe kitted up now in our Outwell but there's a lot of stuff we don't take compared to a lot of people as well. No television/ pets (excepting dogs- we dont have one but they suit camping)compueter (one site we went to someone had a separate tent for their PC< another for their ferrets PMSL, last ar someone had a talking bird that made rude comments every day- fab).... and when I think about buying a van so I an spend day one adjusting a satellite receiver shoot me!

[NumptyMum]

My DH is the expert on light camping (used to cycle tour, ie carry everything with him on bicycle). Black bags were essential for all sorts - double-bag clothes (and shoes) at night to stop damp and creepy-crawlies getting in. We also got 2 (not cheap) therm-a-rest sleeping mats, as they are lighter to carry and warmer than airbeds. Haven't been camping with DS as we'd need to buy new tent and can't afford it yet .

[Katymac]

We don't need to travel light

But I do need a good bed of some sort?

We have a people carrier but we will take 3 seats out so we should have lots of space & no real weight limit (seats are about 4 stone each plus 15 stone for each passenger - so that is nearly 60 stone)

[Katymac]

I've booked (I think)

[PavlovtheForgetfulCat]

Do people really take tvs with them I usually don't even take my mobile. We take one with us, for emergencies and to have friends locate us. That is it.

Yes, you would probably want a bed! We have an aerobed thingy, air mattress, personally I am very happy with this, it comes with a pump that can be charged in advance or used with the car and it is not too bouncy, saggy or cold. Some are though, so it is worth buying a decent one. Some people will insist that you only buy airics, but they are pricey so an air mattress is fine to start. I now take duvet, pillows and sheet, with extra throws in case its cold, and a hot water bottle so that is an expense you wont have to pay to get sleeping bags!

[Katymac]

We're taking scrabble & boggle & cards

Bikes & tennis DD wants to know it we can take her dingy (no)