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Tell me your camping ‘must haves’ please

56 replies

Poochnewbie · 28/05/2019 13:51

Just bought a tent. I’m not the most enthusiastic camper but I think the kids and dh will love it so I really want to make it work and enjoy it.
So far we’ve invested in:
Gas stove
Kitchen unit
Camping kettle, washing up bowl etc
Dining stuff
Decent beds and sleeping bags
Gas bottles
Table and chairs
Picnic blanket
Footprint and carpet

Plan to get:
Portable power washer for dog
Lights
Heater
Trailer

What will make it that bit nicer? What is a waste of time?

OP posts:
PurpleCrazyHorse · 28/05/2019 16:28
  • Know where to buy spare gas from near your campsite.
  • Know where your nearest Millets/Go Outdoors or other camping shop is to your campsite. We had to run out and buy eye patches as we accidentally pitched near a flood light!
  • Pack clothing in layers with a good windproof coat. It can get cold at night once the sun goes down and the sky is clear. Lots of thinner layers are more versatile than one thick jumper.
  • Cheap flip flops to wear in the shower. Ideally a decent plastic beach bag for taking into the shower to hang on the back of the door. Keeps your PJs dry when you take them off etc.
  • Practice cooking on your stove before you go. Consider BBQing for an evening meal instead. You'll get a good idea of how long things take to cook and how much you can physically cook at a time. We actually have two stoves for this reason and we have a portable BBQ too.
allmycats · 28/05/2019 16:35

A big squishy container/bucket with top handles to cart all the washing up to the washing up sinks - like those in DIY shops

IronMaggie · 28/05/2019 16:42

A gazebo to give you some extra outdoor space in case it rains.

Proper pillows.

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Rockbird · 28/05/2019 16:56

Every so often I consider camping but this thread has put me right off! Do you all drive transit vans to transport all this stuff?

opheliasknickers · 28/05/2019 17:10

trangia
headtorch
decent sleep mat (check out thermarest ones with an R rating 3 + to stop cold from the ground/ exped .) love my x therm.
down sleeping bag
tent/bivvy/ shelter

fessmess · 28/05/2019 17:10

Dustpan and brush.

tararabumdeay · 28/05/2019 17:22

Paper plates - I say that every time a camping or kitchen revamp thread comes up. Ordinary, cheap, compostable or recyclable, white paper plates.

A game of 20 questions. We'd always play that as DCs were falling asleep. Usually about places we'd visited or animal,vegetable minerals we'd seen during the day. Aww, I'll never forget DS, then 6yo, getting 'monkey' an immediately snuggling down. Of course this doesn't have to be packed!

A zippy cool bag with some frozen juice (in recyclable bottles with room for freezing - not the carton as I've been told they can expand and explode in the freezer); dahl; and very cold (weak) beers for the ritual putting the tent up.

I also pack The Bible, The Complete Works of Shakespeare, an anthology of poetry and a luxury just in case.

Atalune · 28/05/2019 17:30

Marshmallows
Skewers
A good attitude
2 tables are very handy. One to eat on, one to cook,prep, leave crap on
Pretty lights
Cool box
Hot water bottle

Bluetrews25 · 28/05/2019 17:48

A caravan. Grin
Best brekkie on a cool morning in a tent - granola with HOT milk. (if you can't get a bacon butty)

confusedofengland · 28/05/2019 18:02

We got large interlocking foam squares yo go underneath the groundsheet. Makes it very comfy & keeps the warm in.

We also have electric hook-up every time & take electric kettle, microwave, phone chargers, little electric heater.

One other thing which proves useful is a knife block of different sharp knives & scissors (just an old one as we got a new one at home for Christmas).

Secondstartothergt · 28/05/2019 18:40

A lawn mower because you’ll always want to ensure your pitch is immaculately manicured before putting up the tent. If you pack nothing else, ensure you pack the lawn mower.

Outofinspiration · 28/05/2019 18:51

Defo:

Power bank(s)
Bucket for night time wees - this has been a total revelation, especially with kids. I actually sleep much better because I know I'm not going to have to trudge across to the loos in the middle of the night!
Proper pillows, squeeze them in at all costs.
Decathlon is your friend for lights - Quecha (sp?) do really good ones.
Get head torches.
If you have the room (they take up quite a lot of space) get a giant moon chair - so much more comfy than a normal camping chair.

When you are packing clothes, pack way more layers than you think you need. Even on the warmest of days, by about 8pm I'm in leggings with some form of trouser over the top, ugg boots, long sleeve top, hoodie and then woolly jumper over the top. Then puffer jacket and hat a bit later on. That way I don't ever actually get that cold in the first place.

SmarmyMrMime · 28/05/2019 18:56

Dustpan and brush for the stray grass that gets in.
Fold-up chairs
Camp blanket- sew two fleece blankets together with a head hole in the middle. Great layer for night time. Can be used as a sheet or bedding.
Poncho towel for the showers
Crocs for sliding on and off easily.

Our brownies have a kitchen sink Grin

Poochnewbie · 28/05/2019 21:19

Thanks so much everyone! Some really helpful stuff...may pass on the lawnmower though Grin.
Quite excited to get somewhere now...

OP posts:
managedmis · 28/05/2019 21:23

There's a camping section which is under threat of deletion just now.

^

Says it all, really

Grin
dottycat123 · 28/05/2019 21:29

Proper old fashioned 100% wool blankets to line the camping beds, keep you really warm and don't make you sweaty as its natural fibres. I buy mine from ebay.

Mum2lots · 28/05/2019 21:33

Packet coffee nice ones xxx

Unescorted · 28/05/2019 21:33

2nd the dust pan and brush.
A small towel that can be out down on the floor for the showers so you keep dry and clean feet while putting your clothes on.
2 x large Aldi (other supermarkets are available) shopping bags - the woven plastic ones, to put your showering things in - change into one and out of the other.

If you are cooking - take your best kitchen knife (and it's sharpener), chopping board and pans. It is hard enough to cook in the open without using crap equipment.

Fleece blankets to go under your sleeping mats - these can double as ones to wrap around yourself as the sun goes down.

If your camp kitchen doesn't have one - get a small wind break (or cover card with foil) to go around the stove. This reduces the cooking time hugely.

Gaffer tape/ zip ties/ scissors…. most things can be fashioned if you have these!

Sparklyboots · 28/05/2019 21:39

We are public transport/ bike campers, which I say because I'm looking at those lists and thinking how we couldn't carry lots of these suggestions.

A stuff sack for sleeping bags (means I can carry all the sleeping bags in one bag attached to the bottom of my rucksack). If we were planning to be away for more than 5 days, I'd buy another for everyone's clothes.

Hot water bottles (depending on where and what time of year you are camping - we were brushing ice off our tents last month on a hill in Wales)

Wind up torches for DC

Ground mats (we always pad under our tent with bracken or hay if we can get some)

We don't have cooking equipment but a storm kettle is a glorious thing

AnneTwackie · 28/05/2019 21:39

Battery powered fairy lights, citronella candles, metal skewers for marshmallows and toast. Foil tray, put choc buttons in, bbq, choc fondue, add milk, hot chocolate before bed, yum.

StarStruckStarGazer · 29/05/2019 06:47

I don't know about other people, 'things' seem to change when camping, so ever only used the bottles. You can usually get decent'ish toilets& showers, although I second flip flops or crocs, also spare tissues just in case the tissue has ran out.

Citronella is fantastic against creepy crawlies and things that bite. The candles are good, dabbing a bit on your wrists and neck seem to do the trick.

We last went away not bank hols but the weekend before. One thing I made sure I bought was a better pillow. Also basics like you'd have at home medicines for children & medicines for adults. Travel sickness tablets are good & you can get them OTC.

When we go out for food we collect salt, pepper, vinegar, red & brown sauce, mayonnaise, salad cream plus mustard. We used to do similar at Costa with sugars. We save the fast food tubs & store everything in them for quick reach. Keep them inside at home though, as they can get soggy in a garage.

Quick snacks are good too, especially for children. If you try and get all the stuff you need, as at on site shops, they charge a premium thinking they need x/y/z and often you miles away from anywhere.

We look at sites to go to, I'm a bit of a snob and try and push for 4* sites, although the only real difference is there might be a club house. The toilets & showers maintained their camping yukkiness.

The kettle is the type that you boil and whistles when done.

Taking a couple of big bottles of water is also handy.

There's so much, I should add we do the camper van thing, not tents.

Travelling around you get to see loads of vans, one really good one I saw houses 5 people.

StarStruckStarGazer · 29/05/2019 06:48

At the festival we went to, DH got a cooking stand second hand for £5 that was/is amazing.

Ohyesiam · 29/05/2019 06:51

Inflatable bed with roll mats underneath to stop the cold. Duvet and pillows.
Only go to sites that let you have open fires, it’s the best bit, and great to cook over. Camping without a fire doesn’t make sense to me.

ShahOfSplosh · 29/05/2019 07:28

Anti diarrhea tablets

Mysterian · 29/05/2019 09:36

Tent.

No, seriously! People do go camping and forget to pack the tent, or they forget the poles. I suppose it doesn't help that the tent needs to go in the car last so it's out first...