Camping tips

[MinnieAnonyMouse]

I have been conned talked into going camping. We have a tent and I have ordered some little lanterns but give me your best camping hacks please!

We have floor mats, a blow up bed and warm bedding and the tent has a sleeping compartment and a living compartment. No kids to worry about.

Thanks!

There was someone else asking the same a few days ago jump on that thread
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/camping/3952349-holiday-essentials

Make sure you are allowed a campfire, no point going if not.
Cold comes up from below, so insulate well on the ground (we have a mat then a blowup mattress with a duvet on then sleep on that with a sleeping bag and blankets).
Potty for night time wees
Get into your bed clothes before sitting in front of the campfire/starting your evening. Getting changed will make you cold.
Don’t be too ambitious food wise. Cooked breakfast is nice but often the campsite will do nice dinners/takeaways so take advantage.
Freeze a milk and put it in your cool box, it’s good to keep other stuff cold and it will be defrosted and fresh for the second day.
Make a house a home is our campsite motto! Take too much, there’s no medal for hardly taking anything - lovely blankets and chairs and cushions and a table and a camp kitchen and bunting and fairy lights and a gazebo and some lovely saucisson and cheeses and an ice bucket to keep booze cold and all the lovely extras.
Head torch!!

Thank you! I must have missed that

Hats in case it gets cold in bed

Practise putting the tent up

I am not sure if it was mentioned on the other thread but a small kiddies play type tent is use full for been able to chuck muddy smelly boots dirty clothes etc untill you can get them washed / dried or your proper tent will pong to high heaven in the morning

Practice putting your tent up before you get on to a campsite, crucial if you have not put it up before.
When you pack the car, make sure the things you will need first when you arrive on site are easily accessible. So things like your tent, pegs mallets etc. should either be packed last so they are easier to get to.
Get to the campsite early to nab the best pitch. Always put your tent up before going to the pub. It’s difficult – and embarrassing – trying to do it at 10pm in your car’s headlights.
Choose a pitch with good morning sun so your tent dries quickly on packing-up day.
We put a couple of foil survival blankets on the bedroom groundsheet before putting the airbeds on top to stop the cold from the ground chilling the air in the air bed.
Take a few bits of cardboard for levelling tables and cooking stands etc
3-in-1 coffee sachets are good if the milk and sugar aren’t handy.
Doritos make good kindling for a campfire if you can’t find anything else.
Old pill bottles are perfect for carrying small quantities of cooking ingredients like oil or spices.
Soak pasta in cold water before cooking to soften it and save gas.
Seal your phone in a plastic freezer bag to protect it from rain, sand, dirt and the occasional wine mishap.
Camping can be noisy at night. Whether it is the noise of nature, road noise or if you are unlucky, wind and rain. Ear-plugs are a must have.
Avoid keeping food in your tent at all as it can encourage insects. Lock food away in a car if possible, or seal it tightly in Tupperware or a cool box.
Prep food at home.
Get a water carrier that folds flat to save on space, but remains relatively rigid in use (even when it’s not full) as this makes actually dispensing water much easier. I recommend the Outwell Collaps.
A hand held or head torch is a must for middle-of-the-night visits to the toilet as are shoes that can easily be slipped on and off (that still doesn’t make Crocs acceptable though…!)
For more privacy consider using windbreaks – just make sure they don’t encroach onto neighbouring pitches and are allowed in the campsite rules.

Best thing I found was your own camping toilet. As long as you don't mind emptying it at the end it's fab. Nothing worse than crossing a field in the dead of night for a pee 🤣 I got mine from Aldi for £39 and it's the best thing I ever bought.

We always take a few extra bags to use in case of wet/muddy clothes or footwear. Then a bag tied to the tent as a bin.

I use another bag with my clean clothes in for the shower, in case there isn't a dry surface or hook to put them on. Flip flops for the shower too, in case it isn't completely clean.