Camping

[WonderingWanda]

Maybe I should leave it at that 😆

Am I unreasonable to expect the camping stuff to fit in the car? It fit last time. I haven't added anything new since last time apart from a new (larger) roofbox which ought to fit more in it. I can't get it all in. Dh will be back soon and (he hates camping) will start declaring that we don't need all this rubbish and I'll have to try and pick something to leave behind. It can't be him before you suggest it because I can't get the tent up on my own.
How can I make it fit? ...should I drink the booze first so that takes up less space?

My top tips are:

Unfold sleeping bags etc and line the boot with them so everything else goes on top. Take up hardly any room once squashed.

Use micro fibre towels

Pack clothes in packing cubes or vac bags (that you just squish). A separate packet for each person is easier to wedge somewhere

When packing the tent, always do a practice roll. So fold to right width then just roll quickly with no expectation of it going in bag. Unroll then do it tightly. It will be half the size

Not when you have a 6m canvas emperor tent with huge poles!

I went once with myself and two teens in an Aygo, all fitted in no roof box/trailer.
I go by myself now in a similar car and it all goes in the tiny boot and a few bits on the back seat.
What I would say though is be careful how you pack, loose items or stuff that would move if you crashed or braked suddenly could be dangerous.
Best advice is pack just enough to be comfy and note for next time what stuff isn't used or needed.
Simplicity when camping makes an easier trip.
If you can store the camping gear in boxes/bags you can just throw straight in the car makes it easier not to forget things too.
Once I'm back home I ensure the camping gear is ready to go for next time and pack it away properly rather than shove it in the shed/loft if I buy things between trips I'll just repack as and when so can just grab and go 😁

Loving all the packing tips. It's glorious here this morning! We used to camp with barely anything befote kids I'm not sure what happened.

We have a big storage trunk thing on wheels think it’s 180l, Argos do them ours is from Costco though. Everything goes in there that’s ‘loose or misc’, including some food, then we put in the tent, fire pit, bag with hiking boots and big north face hold all with both our clothes and toiletries in. Very low key on toiletries - zero waste shampoo and body bars are fab, I take miniatures of my Elemis moisturizer and eye cream (can’t be looking haggard), and that’s about it (obvs toothbrushes). You can always nip to a co op or other shop if you forget something. Also we don’t cook much camping we are fans of pizza, chippy and pub lunches as we are saving so much on accommodations we spoil ourselves a little and also just do coffee and cereal for breakfast. I could wang on about how much I love camping all day, we are youngish professionals who like nice things also and do city breaks in trendy hotels but also love the freedom and chilled ness of camping! It doesn’t have to be miserable it’s a state of mind ! Have a great time OP and jealous of the roof rack we need one!

DH has solved our packing problem... he's getting a trailer cage.

When does camping become glamping....

I go camping on a motorbike! You don't need all that stuff. First thing I stopped taking when I met dp (and his motorbike) was any cooking related stuff oh what a shame we have to eat at the cafe on site !

I have compact kit though, hiking style. I'm off for 2 weeks in Italy soon, will be tough packing but it's a great lesson in what you really need

Blimey. Sounds a nightmare. We are at our caravan now. I bought a bag of clothes, and a bag of food and wine. That was it.

We are on our way! We have a full car and a half full trailer. Happy days!

We resorted to buying a big trailer to stop having to play the Tetris game as the car boot and roof box just wasn’t doing it. The trailer is like a mini horse box and it still looks full. It just means you buy more stuff. Camping isn’t camping without a rammed car 🤣

When I camped, the tent was always the last thing to go in, so that if it was pissing down when we arrived, we could put the tent up and then unload everything else straight into the tent.

That way, everything else stayed relatively dry. And the same in reverse for the return trip.

Lol pitching the tent in the rain - happy days of British holidays!!