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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Any seasoned campers here? We are going camping for the first time!

41 replies

User112 · 27/08/2021 11:34

Not AIBU, but posting here for traffic.
We are going camping for the first time with another family on Sunday (their first time too). We got tents, air beds and sleeping bags. Nothing else. We booked a pitch with "electric hook ups". Does that mean they'll give us something like a plug socket into our tent? Do we have to take lights, etc?

Is there anything else we should pack?

OP posts:
bravotango · 27/08/2021 12:14

If the site allows fires, get a fire pit - you can get very cheap ones and it will mean you can stay outside until late. It's very cold without one. Plus marshmallows over a campfire are excellent. Mats under your beds as a PP suggested as the air inside the beds gets freezing cold. You will want a little stove to make some breakfast surely? The campsite kitchen probably won't have anything to cook on (apart from the microwave). Extra clothes and blankets for over knees. A chair each is ESSENTIAL. Have fun!

DillonPanthersTexas · 27/08/2021 12:22

Some folding comfy chairs
Flip flops for the showers
Portable BBQ and utensils
Cold box
Adapter for the hook up
Bottle opener
Lighter

Horst · 27/08/2021 12:25

Hook up pitch just means you have the ability to plug in your lead. You need to provide your own lead.

What are you planning to do food wise? Either a gas hob or if you are going to buy a lead you can buy electric hobs. Your going to want chairs of some sorts. A table to cook on maybe. All depends on how you want your set up and how big your tent is.

We use solar lights outside the tent.

GingerFoxInAT0phat · 27/08/2021 12:31

Please update us how you got on when you’re back 🤣

Hesma · 27/08/2021 12:37

Air beds are not great for camping in my experience as they get very cold. Bring layers of blankets/duvets for under you, wear tracksuits rather than PJs for sleeping

ReviewingTheSituation · 27/08/2021 12:38

For everyone rushing to tell you to buy a EHU lead - what are you going to plug into it? We camp several times a year and can easily manage without EHU. We only use it to pump up the bed (but can be done manually) and to plug in the fridge. We often camp for 2 nights without it.
I'd say there are other things OP should focus on getting before EHU!

Something to boil a kettle on should be the priority I'd say (and a kettle). And if you've got that then you can cook bacon for the first morning (if you're taking tents down on the second day you wont be wanting to faff around with a cooked breakfast). Sounds like you're not planning to cook dinner.

Take a cool box/bag with drinks, and lots of picnic type food for a lunch or 2. Plenty of snacks, and definitely marshmallows. If the site doesn't have firepits then take one of
these (or something like it) so that you can have a fire for marshmallows and warmth.
If you feel so inclined, you could BBQ on it for a nice easy tea.

Remember to take stuff for breakfast and hot drinks - you will want a hot drink when you get up, and hot choc would be good for the kids in the evening.

Decent lights/lamps will make a big difference to your experience, especially now it's getting dark much earlier. A headtorch is a good thing to have, but plenty of lanterns/lamps too - scrabbling around in the dark is NO fun.

And clothes-wise - plenty of layers for both day and night. And some shoes that you can slip on and off so you can leave them easily at the tent door.

LakieLady · 27/08/2021 12:38

@Debetswell

Have you tried pitching the tent?

We always do this to check we have everything necessary. Don't want to arrive and a vital piece is missing.

Yes to this! It's much better to have a trial pitch in your garden to see how everything goes together than have a big stress sussing it out at the campsite.

Don't take your best clothes. You will all get grubby.

I always used to take loads of fleece blankets, so you can add layers if it gets cold at night. Cutlery, some basic cooking stuff (tin opener, wooden spoon, sharp knife, salt and pepper, bottle opener and corkscrew).

Torches - I found a headtorch was invaluable as it leaves you hands-free and they're great for reading in bed.

LakieLady · 27/08/2021 12:40

And clothes-wise - plenty of layers for both day and night. And some shoes that you can slip on and off so you can leave them easily at the tent door.

The dreaded Crocs are brilliant for this, or those clogs that you can buy in garden centres.

If Crocs get muddy, you can just run them under the tap.

LakieLady · 27/08/2021 12:41

First aid kit - someone is bound to have a minor mishap.

ReviewingTheSituation · 27/08/2021 12:42

I use my crocs almost exclusively for camping!

I was cross when I forgot them last week - I had flip flops on, so in my head I was OK for the 'shoes that slip on and off', but hadn't factored in that I'd want warm feet in the evening. Big fluffy socks and crocs is my usual evening camping look!

Freddiefox · 27/08/2021 12:46

Everything gets damp this time of year. So take loads of socks and warm clothes, we went a couple of weeks ago and it was really cold at night. Take a sleeping bag and a duvet, and
Pillows

FooFighter99 · 27/08/2021 12:49

Bin bags for rubbish and/or wet clothes
Air pump to blow up said air beds
Baby wipes
Plenty food and drink
Torches with spare batteries
First Aid Kit (incl painkillers, plasters, bite/sting stuff etc)
Ear Plugs if you're a light sleeper!
Disposable plates and cutlery

Get yourself to somewhere like Go Outdoors and get kitted out

and Enjoy!!

Ionacat · 27/08/2021 12:54

Plenty of food for the kids. Mine get starving camping. Bags for life are handy for the showers - you can stick everything in and hang it up.
Washing up stuff - extra tea towel.
I wouldn’t rely on the kitchen there for hot drinks. You could be at the other end of the site and you won’t want to carry it all the way back. A small stove and kettle is by far easier. Also it does give the you the option to do pasta etc. if you don’t want to eat out. (Bear in mind the queues and waits at popular spots this summer.) Cool box with ice blocks for your milk etc. Your campsite will either have a freezer so you can rotate them or you’ll be able to hire frozen ice packs. Board games for the evening.
Waterproofs - great as a wind proof layer in the evening and lots of layers as it does get cold this time of year in the evening.

BiddyPop · 27/08/2021 12:55

If you have any picnic things at home (plastic plates, glasses, bowls, mugs, cutlery), use those. Otherwise, I would just buy disposable paper ones in supermarket and a black sack for rubbish at this short notice on a first trip.

If you have a flask, bring that. Then if you DO only boil water in the microwave provided, you put it into the flask (or any leftover water into flask) to use later. Especially for later evening cup of tea/hot choc etc.

Definitely think easy for meals. Having a 1 ring gas stove would be really useful to be able to heat water for morning tea/coffee, cook a simple meal, make eggs or pancakes for breakfast, heat a tin of beans for hungry DC in late afternoon etc. A pot with a lid could do duty as a pot, kettle, or pan as needed - no need for loads of kit. And just bring a couple of implements from home - 1 sharp knife, 1 wooden spoon or spatula, 1 serving spoon, 1 small chopping board etc. (Knife will be needed even for cold meals to slice bread, slice salad items, open packets etc). A disposable BBQ could be a good idea for 1 evening meal, but have the food ready to cook as soon as the coals are ready as they won't last that long compared to a regular BBQ - but a great chance to have some fun with skewers, foil parcels of food, or cooking stuffed apples/bananas in skins with chocolate poked in/marshmallows on sticks for desert. (Pancakes for breakfast is something we do but mixing the dry ingredients at home and bringing in an (empty) plastic milk bottle with a screw lid, to just add the milk (and an egg) at the camp and shake vigorously to make the batter, which is then easily poured into the pan).

Definitely find the winter woolly hats and bring those to wear in bed, even if not outdoors as evening sets in. You lose most heat through your head and that's outside your sleeping bag/duvet set up. Also, a pair of clean, dry socks that are only used in bed are a GODSEND! (You will use more socks than you imagine generally).

Insulate yourself from the ground underneath as well as covering from air chill - so put a blanket under the sleeping mat or similar.

Some kind of footwear that is easy to put on during the night for midnight toilet trips. Flip flops (not great with socks), sliders, crocs, wellies etc.

Torch for each person. We use a 5l bottle of water with a headtorch turned inwards shining through the water as a lantern in the evening, which is a lovely soft but bright enough light.

Something a friend does when family camping is to give everyone a blue ikea bag for their clothes/belongings - easy for smallies to rummage through when they need something, everyone has their own things in theirs, easy to toss everything back into and relatively easy to stuff into nooks and crannies when packing up.

TulipsHyacinths · 27/08/2021 13:06

@GingerFoxInAT0phat don’t be a dick.

OP, I just got back from a camping backpacking trip. I had a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, a tiny backpacking stove and not much else and managed perfectly. You’ll be fine! Don’t rush to get all of this other stuff.

As you’re driving, some fold up chairs might be nice to sit on at night, but I managed without. Cross legged on the grass is fine! As you said, your campsite has a microwave and you’re planning on buying food out anyway.

Warm clothes, a torch and you’ll be grand. Have fun!

Alvinne · 27/08/2021 17:58

I always put one of those silver foil space blankets from pound land on the floor of the sleeping area of the tent with a blanket/throw over the top, seems to keep the tent warm and the blanket is a much nicer surface to walk on. Definitely take more warm clothes thank you think you need and hats. A fire makes camping so take something to sit on outside at night if you can.
I've been loads of times and never had an electric hook up so wouldn't bother getting the cables and things for your first time camping.

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