What do you wished you’d known when you started camping ?

[Lardlizard]

Ok I’ve done it once now, well for one night ! but I’m still a beginner really so start from the beginning what do you wish you knew before you started camping ? Any hint n tips ?

That camping in the UK is so extremely different to camping in the south of France.

You get very little sleep when the weather is bad, two days later you feel like you’ve got a newborn again, you might even cry a bit and you want to leave your DH and DC to check into a hotel/walk all the way home because severe blisters and dehydration from walking many miles is better than another night in a tent.

Take a dustpan and brush.

Once you’ve used an electric hook up and bought a tiny heater, you’ll never go back to basics and will happily leave your family/go home (see above) if they suggest you do.

Keep your fly nets down and zipped at all times and adopt a nagging, whiney voice to request all your family ensure this happens too. Leave your family there and check into a hotel/go home if they don’t, it’s emotionally easier than having flies in the tent, believe me.

Most of the good camping tips I got were from Mumsnet! I'll try to remember...

Take duvets, sheets and pillows not sleeping bags

Layer a blanket between your mat/air bed and the ground, we always take one of those picnic blankets.

SIMS (self inflating mattress) are your best friend. They are more insulating and comfy than airbeds, get the 10cm width ones

Kids can sit on duvets laid flat on the back seat of the car to save space

Take glow sticks, they're fun and cheerful for when it gets dark. My kids always took a few to bed each night

.....and plenty of wine

Clean socks are warmer than ones worn in the day. Take more socks than you think you'll need

Change into pjs early and put clothes back on top.

Onesies are good as they can play in them before bedtime and stay warm, go to the bathroom etc.

Don't plan to go camping for too many days. 3-4 nights is great

.... buy a wine box and take the silver pouch of wine out, freeze it solid overnight and use it in your cool bag to keep food cool on the first day. Then voila, cold wine for your first night on the campsite 🏕 🥂

Unless you are taking kids find an adults only site. Parents seem to think that all kind of parenting ceases when on a campsite.

If you possibly can fit some kind of airer in the car, do. We camp in France and rely on spreading towels on the car bonnet to dry them each day. Some unusually cold wet days and a lack of drying options meant soggy towels for showers which are the most unpleasant thing about camping.

That it's cold at night. And squashing a duvet in the car to use is so worth it.
That peeing in a bucket ain't so bad compared to the alternative at 3am.

Camping done right, is bliss.

1. Aim for a campsite with big pitches, hedges to ensure privacy or else go very, very small and pick a site with no more than 6 tents in a forest. This cuts down the noise.

2. Black-out sleeping sections. Unless you get a bell tent, don't skimp on a black out section.This means you will sleep past dawn and it helps retain heat.

3. Even in the Mediterranean, in summer, it's colder than you think at 3am. For UK camping, the key to a good night's sleep is layers. Sleeping mat>air mattress> fleece>sleeping bag (or duvet)>extra fleece. If you have electric hook up and you want to camp in the autumn or winter, invest in an electric blanket.

4. Have a bucket outside in the porch for muddy shoes and coats. Add a tent carpet (assuming family camping) for the main area.

5. If you have young children who insist on a 4am wee, buy a head torch or a portapotty for the awning.

6. Keep food really simple. I usually meal-plan, chop and prep in advance so all I need to do is thrown stuff in the wok or saucepan.

7. Take a transparent plastic box for crockery and cutlery. It's easy to check and doubles up as a transport basket for the pot wash.

8. Keep your tent tidy. We love stackable boxes (but we have a big car). Otherwise; have allocated bags for food, toys, clothes, tent gear and misc. It makes setting up and taking down much easier.

9. If you are taking a baby, take a small, inflatable paddling pool. It means you have a clean, safe space for them to crawl/roll around in outside and keeps the toy clutter contained. We tried to leave ours behind last year and the kids rebelled (both now in primary school!).

Creature comforts; your pillow from home, a camp chair and a thermal mug for coffee. Some pretty tent lights.

Don't feel compelled to buy everything new at once. Get a tent you can stand up in with blackout sections, sleeping mats, mattresses and a gas cooker. Everything else can be scrounged from home, or bought second-hand. As time goes on, you can add to or upgrade your gear. Staying warm and rested is the key.

When we go camping (not often) we take:
Rolls of foiled bubblewrap/insulation. These go on the floor of the tent in the bedroom areas.
Tent carpet. This goes in the main tent area.
Spare groundsheet. This goes under the whole tent.
Duvets, blankets, spare foot pump for inflatable mattresses.
Wind up lights/torches + glow sticks.
Dustpan and brush to do a quick clean up.
Doormat to trap dirt - one outside tent, one just inside.
Clothes storage - one of the hanging organisers on it's back on the floor works well.
Waterproofs
More clothes than you think you'll need.
Crocs or gardening shoes not wellies for night time toilet trips

If the forecast is for heavy rain and high winds, then pack up and go home before, rather than afterwards... This one learned through experience and a rather too exciting night in a tent during a storm. No, the tent did not survive the night unscathed but we did!

Where the nearest 5* hotel is !!

Watching with interest...I'm a camping newbie.

That it’s cold, wet, uncomfortable, bloody hard work and you never feel properly clean.

Not my idea of a holiday, I’m afraid.

Keep your clothes in packing cubes or suitcases in the back of the car. They stay much drier, they keep the tent less cluttered, and in all honesty you only need one set of clothes per day when camping.

Good suggestions here. When my dc used to come camping with us I used to cook a big pot of chilli the night before we went so we had a nice meal ready for when we got to the campsite. We used to camp by train literally carrying all our stuff. So most stuff is a luxury to me

We had one weekend in a tent, the next year we bought a small old caravan for £400 and never looked back. We have now upgraded and love it.

My number 1 tip is to take the baggie out a box of wine, freeze it, put it in the back of the car when you set out. By the time you’ve arrived and pitched the tent you have a beautiful wine slushie and it stays perfectly cold for the rest of the night / overnight / in to the next day depending on how fast you drink

Also, don't go for a campsite that says they have compost toilets, literally my whole body seized up. Gruesome

I take a pot to pee in through the night, empty it outside in the morning. Saves leaving your tent to go to the toilet block at god-knows-what-o'clock.

I’ve camped for 14 days at a time, moving from place to place every couple of days. Having a bag for tops, one for shorts, one for underwear etc makes a massive difference. I am chaotic at the best of times!

Placemarking , my friend and I are planning on taking our 7 year olds this Summer. Not done camping for about 18 years !

I wish I knew that my whole camping time would end when I had to emergency crap (the runs) in the plastic salad bowl two nights on the trot because we were so far from the toilet block. This ended it. No more.

Dear God. After reading all this, why on earth would you bother?

If you have room .... a portapotti the type with the removable cassette for emptying. Brill for those middle of the night wees... when the toilet block is like miles away.

Only go camping if there’s a decent weather forecast ie dry and warm. Difficult if you’ve got to book leave etc in advance but it does make camping much easier.
August is not a good month for camping as near to the solstice as possible generally better weather and lighter days.

Where the nearest luxury hotel is

Don't bother with camping pillows, they're rubbish, take the ones from your bed.

Earplugs are a good idea.

Check that the car keys aren't in one of the tent pockets before you take it down and pack it away.

Buy a couple of 2l bottles of water, empty a bit out and freeze them. They will keep your cool box cold for ages.

Don't expect to sleep well the first night.

Be ready to be relaxed about bedtime and food. Camping rules say that chocolate pancakes out of a packet are a nutritious breakfast.

Enjoy! We camp every year and love it. (I must admit that we no longer do 2 weeks as our main summer holiday though.)