What’s your top camping item?

[WhoahThereCrazyHorse]

Just back from a cracking 3 nights’ camping, and pondering on the next trip.

What’s your top recommendation for one item that will make camping easier/better? We are non-electric campers, I’m considering a car plug in coolbox....

Wine. And our fridge which can run off gas bottle.

Chairs. If you just sit on the floor you get back ache after a while.

A king size bed, ensuite and room service

POD extra wide sleeping bag - I have one called "The Beast". Used to get chlostrophobic in sleeping bags as they were too narrow but these have been a game changer

Blow up mattress
Alcohol

Cooking food before hand, freezing it and taking it with you I. E. Chilli.

Those huge kids foam squares for on the tent floor - insulates well. And we all know it's all about the insulation.

Need to scribble these down!

A blow up mattress makes all the diff. if camping for more than 1night. Depends how far you're hiking of course. We never hike more than 20mins and hubby is usually more than happy to make 2 trips in and out. It's also handy to pull out of the tent and use as a camp lounger for reading books, chatting, tanning, whatevs.

Tent

A dual fuel fridge. Run it on the 12v in the car and gas or electric when we arrive.
Porta potti.
Full double skin polycotton tent.
We prefer fleecy blankets to sleeping bags.
Comfy chairs.
Someone else to do all the heavy lifting! Though I do have fibromyalgia and am limited in my physical ability.

The fridge is the absolute one thing I'd never attempt to manage without.

Non obvious ones-
Sturdy plastic box: gear storage, transport, food storage, seat, table. 35 litre Really useful boxes are great.

Plastic trug makes a good washing up bowl.

Take a big bag for life to the shower, then you only have one thing to hang on the tiny hook and can chuck clothes/ towel in it where they stay dry.

‘S’ hooks for hanging things from tent loops, using as hooks for kitchen stuff from a tight line strung between trees, hooking over shower cubicle doors for washbag / towel / clothes.

Tarp for shade / shelter (we have a modest tent and tend not to sit zipped up inside it)

All good stuff, keep it coming please!

thermarest are the dogs doo doos of hiking mats alongside exped. ££££ but are super insulated from the ground. my x therm`s been used on frosty winter ground. that with my down sleeping bag I was toasty just in a set of merino wool base layers! packs down small as well.

Camping fridge makes a trip much more enjoyable....chilled wine...

Pollyanna - they are very thick towelling, so don't pack down well. I do have another changing robe called a Toncho which is microfibre and packs down very small. Not as cosy as my dryrobe, but you can change under it etc so v useful.

Hammam towels are my other must have - huge, dry you properly, dry quickly, pack down very small

Yes to the tarp, we got one last year and you can make all kinds of shelters from it to complement a small tent.

Whatever your camping style from lightweight and minimal to home-from-home, it helps to have your kit organised and boxed up so it's easy to find and pack. I went round asda picking up value range wooden spoon, cutting board, tea towels, pegs etc for our camping box, so we don't need to raid the kitchen and remember what to take every time.

Offallycheap
This is similar to one I have ,www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-wooden-windbreak-5-pole-p429737.
IMO They need to have at least 4 inchs of pole that you can hammer into the ground, and at least four poles ( this one has 5 )
place it in a bracket shape and use guy lines attached to the poles to hold it in place by pulling in the opposite directions , ie the lines at either end pulling towards your tent and the the ones in the middle pulling away from your tent .

Camp bed so I’m off the ground. Hat and eye mask for a better night’s sleep. Everything is much better if you’ve had some sleep!

Hot water bottle.

A mallet for hammering in tent pegs , wind break poles and annoying drunks that pitch to close to you
Micro fibre cloths , pack down very small and can be used for washing body , plates , sticky fingers, mopping up spills and yellow ones pegged onto guy lines make your tent easier to spot and the lines less likely to be tripped up over .
Bug repellent.
Power bank for phones .
Pot noodles , quick , easy , cheap , and hot food is a must if its been a cold day .

Haven't been for years but we used to have a kingsize blow up bed, mattress topper, quilt instead of sleeping bags, fridge , tv and hanging wardrobe and I still couldn't manage more than a couple of days. OH keeps making noises about how our younger 2 are missing out but I play deaf .

Microfibre towels, headtorch, crocs for nighttime loo trips and daytime showers, bungee washing line, foam squares on the floor, self-inflating airbeds.

Sorry can't get past the poster who said 'hotel'!

Delta pegs, saved our tent in a few wild and windy adventures!