Your best "camping during activities" tips please!

[KidsAreMean]

Need to prepare for the long winter nights! DC's after school activities stipulate no parents allowed inside, understandable, no complaints. It means that I have to spend two evenings a week in my car for between 1.5-2 hours waiting for them to finish. Not practical to drive home (have to go to another town + evening traffic). Potentially with second Dc in the car too. Winter temperatures where I live are often -5. Going to a coffee shop is neither affordable nor practical as there aren't any very close by.

So far:
Blanket
Flask with hot drink
It would be useful to be able to read/other DC do homework whilst were waiting so some form of light.
What else do I need to make the wait bearable?

Book /magazines
Snacks being the obvious imo!!
Or get a portable dvd player??

Doesn't sound much fun. A kindle rather than a book for reading to help with lack of light issue? Sign up to an app to learn a new skill so it didn't seem like a wasted time.

Hot water bottles
Reusable hand warmers
Heated wintercoat
Warm socks
Sleeping bags

I would try to find a Wetherspoons or similar for affordable coffee.

I do this 3 days a week for 3.5 hours at a time. Same reasons as you for not going home - not worth an hours drive each way for a buy of time at home not to mention the cost of fuel.

I've been doing this for the last 6 years 🙈

I bought a heated gilet - runs off a power bank and keeps my top half toasty warm, blanket or sleeping bag for over my legs.

Flask of coffee and some nice nibbly bits - I usually have some form of chocolate!

I usually catch up on admin for the youth group I run or crochet - use a neck light which works well. Other times I download episodes of my latest box set I'm watching - saves on data but also where I wait has very hit and miss 4g.

Otherwise I crawl into a sleeping bag and sleep!

God this sounds unbearable. Light from a kindle shining directly into your eyes when the surroundings are dark isn't long term sustainable - it really tires your eyes out.

Is there a way to share lifts with another parent, even if it means a bit of a drive either end for you? I'd rather drop DC at the activity and then drive 20 minutes to pick them up from someone's house afterwards than sit in a freezing car for two hours.

You'd need some active heating to keep you properly warm. A blanket is all well and good to keep heat in but if you're just sitting there not producing any heat then there won't be much to keep in.

I think I'd rather pop in to use the toilets and camp out there than in a dark and chilly car.

Doesn't sound much fun.
I know, I mean it was never exactly fun watching a kids activity for 1.5 hours, but at least you could go inside and use the toilets if you needed to!

Reusable hand warmers
Definitely going on the list, hadn't thought of them. Thanks!

Hmmm a kindle. That might go on my Christmas list! But won't help when other DC is with me.

Lack of light, all I can think of is a camping lantern. Are they bright enough to read by?

I do other stuff, like the food shopping. Even going for a walk might be warmer.

Do you have a tablet & Netflix? You can download things to watch offline.

Unfortunately I don't know any other parents at these two activities. Ironically, the other activity which is only 10 minutes away and not across the city, we've set up a car share.
Shopping wouldn't work as the large supermarket is close to where we live so there would still be traffic to contend with.

Light from a kindle shining directly into your eyes when the surroundings are dark isn't long term sustainable - it really tires your eyes out.
This isn't the case if you get one of the kindle e-readers, rather than the kindle fire tablet, the light is very different to a normal screen light and you can adjust it. I regularly read mine in the Dark and it doesn't cause me any eye strain.

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

I do other stuff, like the food shopping. Even going for a walk might be warmer.

Agreed. If I was alone, I'd go for a run.

For me, I'd take my book to read, do shopping/other lists. I'd also go for a good walk around the area (even if it's back streets, a change of scenery is good).

I'd go for a run
I am not running alone in the forest in the dark in freezing cold weather thanks! And even if I could run for 2 hours, I'd still have half an hour drive home in soaking wet clothes.

I could just watch Netflix. But I feel I could use the time better!

I'd go for a run too but then driving home in wet clothes doesn't bother me or you take a towel and stick something dry on!
Is there a gym or swimming pool nearby?
A camping lantern (rather than a torch) should give you good enough light in the car to read or do homework.
Learn a new language on dualingo or similar.
Is there any opportunity to help with the club? Even if it's not hands on they might need admin or accounts doing that would mean you could go inside?

Those rechargeable clip on reading lights work well. I'd get a couple, a tenner on Amazon.

If your other DC is there with you, can they do any tablet-based homework. Eg my primary-aged DC always have Mathletics/TT Rockstars/Bug Club to do. It practise spellings and/or times tables.

Find an exercise class near by?