To think we should be able to fit a weeks work of camping equipment in a normal sized car

[PinkRollsRoyce]

There are three of us, me DH and DD who is 1. We are going camping and trying to get everything into our VW Golf is a nightmare, I’m not happy having stuff on the parcel shelf in case it flies forward and hits DD in her car seat but DH insists on taking the worlds largest camping chair, which takes up about a quarter of the boot space and he also has to take a duvet and pillow because apparently he “can’t” sleep in a sleeping bag. I feel like maybe we should trade in the Golf for an articulated lorry and then we might just about be able to fit all our crap in

Put the duvet on the parcel shelf.

We get a weeks camping stuff in a Honda jazz, including camping chairs, air bed and duvet.

Roof box? We manage to get all our stuff into a smallish Audi but couldn't do it without the roof box. We don't buy food until we get there to save space. We do take alot of stuff tho - campbeds, chairs, electric coolbox..

We used to get all our camping stuff (6 man tent, table, chairs, bed, bedding, camping kitchen and all the stuff that goes with it) plus 2 dogs in cages in an old Passat estate with plenty of room to spare.

Given that the dogs cages took up all of the folded down back seat, that only really left the luggage space at the back for the camping stuff.

Have you tried using the space behind the front seats for smaller items? There's a surprising amount of room there, even in a Golf. We used to get the camping stove, gas bottles and pillows in there comfortably.

When I was with my ex, he used to insist on bringing his bloody guitar as well!

We're usually crammed with four of us, a roof box and a VW touran for a week.

It was worse when the DC were younger, there'd be a buggy/travel cot too. Now we don't have those bits we DH has a luxury camp bed and huge chair.

Yabu and quite ridiculous but every summer we do the same

Lots goes in the footwells too.

We had an estate car with roof box and we have SO MUCH STUFF our camping neighbours pulled up their deckchairs, grabbed a beer and watched us pack, then gave us a round of applause when we drove away. The kids faces were squashed against the windows but we got everything in.

I could never get all our camping gear into our old sportrak for a weekend let alone a week. We decided it was either get a trailer or upgrade to caravan! We've had our 'van for 7 years and we love it. But the car now a hyundai santa fe, is still loaded to the max. I guess we just don't travel light!

There are four of us and we need a small trailer and a roof box.
Its my fault. I like a tent I can stand up in, a camping fridge and our own toilet.
Our tent is polycotton so does take up a lot of room, but its so much nicer to live in. We use a double sleeping bag unzipped and laid out like a duvet.

We used to go on camping holidays as kids... 2 adults, 3 kids and a dog on a motorbike and sidecar 😂

Pack like you're trying to win the krypton factor!

Our tent is massive and takes up the majority of the boot but with slotting the small stuff into all the gaps we're st

Posted too soon!

We're still able to fit in our ds's bike (small child's bike). We do use footwells in the back too as his legs aren't affected. Like a pp suggested we also put the non dangerous stuff on top like pillows and duvets so that they won't hurt him if they fell.

We used to manage in a Citroen Saxo - the two of us and Ddog (plus his crate). We used the footwell space for smaller things and put things on the part of the back seat that wasn't being used. Get your large items in first, and then pack round them.

Can you get a roof box? We take everything for a week or so's camping, including a huge 8 man tent and porch in a medium size car, but couldn't do it without the roof box.

I also insist on the world's biggest camping moon chair, and DH always complains that it takes up so much room, but turn everyone wants to bloody sit in it when we are there!

5 of us (No DH this time) so boot seats down on our massive people carrier.
And a huge trailer.

We will be fully loaded.
(And won't buy food till we get there)

Fold the duvets and pillows across the back seat and sit on them.

You can also get some of those vacuum bags to shrink them down. We have used them for pillows, towels and clothes in the past.

I went camping for a week in a mini. Two adults, one child. We put one of the back seats down.

About to go again, for a couple of days with two adults and two children. Only taking basics- clothes, backpacking tent, sleeping bags and rool mats, blankets and snack food, (we'll eat out).

*roll mats

Hmm, I can't see all your stuff fitting into a Golf with the parcel shelf still over. We go for two weeks (2 adults and 2 young teens) and have a huge car filled up to the brim and a trailer which we've extended to make it bigger! Saying that, we do have a huge tent, carpet, etc. and like a few home comforts as we are there for 2 weeks!

I could never get all our camping gear into our old sportrak for a weekend let alone a week

Although to be fair, there's not much difference in the amount of stuff you take for a weekend, one week, two weeks...

Buy a new duvet - they are tightly wrapped, or use a vacuum bag. You can also get a stuff bag, get one that opens from both ends and get dh to put the duvet in.

I used to go for a fortnight with a backpack. I think when you have a car you take 'non camping' versions of things so knives and forks rather than the camping ones that fasten together and take less space, multiply that by everything you are taking and space soon disappears.

Yes to foot well and under the seats.

No way we would fit a weeks worth in a Golf

A golf is a pretty small car for a week long camping expedition, tbh.

You need a top box, or a trailer. We had both for 2 week or longer camping expeditions in Europe.

I’ve never been camping but we have had a Golf. We had a right palaver when we picked up DS1 when he passed out of the army. Tbf there were 4 of us in it and, we’d taken a bag, but we were packed in like sardines.

I think you’re being a little bit optimistic.