Camping first time!!!

[TheOpalFox]

Going camping for the first time for my 40th bday. Any tips lol I’m staying in a tent. Thankyou

I like camping but I am a bit of a camping wuss. Electric hook-up is essential for me for more than one night. You can have proper lights and charge everything. If camping in the UK we take a small oil-filled radiator unless the weather is very warm.

Microfibre towels dry quickly. I like to put my clothes in packing cubes rather than having to rummage around. Crocs or something waterproof for walking through damp grass. Ankle wellies if rain is forecast. A box to keep any food in.

A sense of humour is essential , park your idea of dignity and privacy too and you will be ok! Have you really thought this through???!!!

DH camps (peri and the need to wee multipel times in the night means I like the idea, but frankly, am very hesitant).

He loves the an electric point too. He also likes to take fairy lights and rechargable battery lamps. He makes me laugh with how festive he makes it when I see the photos! :) And of course, good torches.

Assuming youre' driving, I'd aagree re bedding rather than sleeping bag, and something to protect you from the cold of the ground. And plenty of warm clothes - in layers.

A small camping stove is invaluable - he takes tea and coffee (with a small bodum) and hot chocolate for the kids and a small frying pan for making easy meals.

If they offer fire pits, he always gets those too!

He is probably going to buy a camping fridge but in the meantime generally just takes a cooler bag and gets a bag of ice each day to keep it cool but it means he can keep a few things liek cheese, milk, ham etc alongside bread/wraps/bagels etc. Hot dogs in jars are brilliant and easy too.

Airbed. Put blanket under it and one under your sheet.
Camping chair - no sitting on floor
Torch/small lantern that can be hung up so you can find your stuff in dark.

Get bed things out before dark and leave wash bag near door.
Plastic crate for plates, cutlery, food etc.

Plan to go to pub for dinners and evening or sit round fire pit.

Cooked breakfast is yummy.

Take a flask for keeping hot water. Camping stove and kettle.

Eye mask and earplugs useful.

I discovered I actually like camping (ish) 6 years ago now, for my 40th as well! I previously hated it.

I suggest a decent sleeping bag. I replaced my old one with “The Beast” pod from Millets - omg it’s amazing. It’s huge and warm and I love it.

Take extra layers for the night, especially if you don’t get the above sleeping bag, it gets really, really cold. Socks and jumpers definitely recommended. Put an extra blanket in, even if you leave it in the car and decide you don’t need it.

Camping toilet. I currently get up every 1-2 hours in the night to go (really should book to see a dr to get this checked but anyway) - when it’s freezing and I’m tired, I don’t want to traipse across a field. I bought commode liners, absorbent pads and the stuff that you sprinkle on urine to turn it to a gel. In the morning, take the bag out and refresh the set up for the next night. It was a game changer. Of course if you are only going as a one off you could just buy some portable toilet bags or similar!

Lights. Several ideally! The little d clips are great for helping you to hang these.

A battery powered air pump for your inflatable mattress (recommend one of those too).

Disposable bbq’s if it’s a one off trip.

A comfy camping chair - I have one with an insulated pocket one side and a cup holder the other. High back.

If planning to eat at the tent, some sort of table.

Have fun!

What are packing cubes please ?

Don't bother with an electric hookups, just extra faff and expense to power devices you don't need - just take a battery pack for your phone.

The essentials are:

Tent - and know how to put it up/ put it down without faff - if it's new, pitch it at home first.
Airbeds/sleeping bags/pillows and pump for the airbeds
Spare bits for the tent - spare pegs/ spare guy ropes/patch kit and duct tape.
Decent lanterns/head torches and spare batteries
Camping rug, especially if you aren't taking other seating
Cooking stuff/cool box if you intend to cook + kettle etc for hot drinks
First aid kit/ toiletries/ camping towel
Bin bags
Water container

Nice to haves if you have room in the car:

Camping chairs/ table
Hammock

I suggest a decent sleeping bag. I replaced my old one with “The Beast” pod from Millets - omg it’s amazing. It’s huge and warm and I love it

| agree with this - I love my Beast! We used to camp a lot as a family when my kids were small, and I was always an airbed and duvet kind of person, but my camping experience has been transformed by this sleeping bag and a cheap camping bed topped with a self inflating mat from Aldi. I'm in my fifties, and only camp twice a year now when taking my cub pack away for weekends, but I'm so much more comfortable than I used to be. Now if only I could get the cubs to stop calling out 'Akela!' in the middle of the night....

A Self inflating Matress ( SIM). Completely different things to a blow up matress. Pricey but worth every penny, they dont deflate and they don't conduct the cold of the ground into your bones .

Good sleeping bag.

Pee bucket. Fucked if I am undoing 20 tent zips and staggering over wet grass in the dark .

Good seats.

Portable power Bank.

Headtorch, the cheap LED ones on Amazon do the same job ( if not better) than many of the branded ones.
The right bed set up. If you can get duvet and pillow loaded rather than sleeping bag, then this works if you are in the car. Airbeds are hard work (unless the very deep sort) and not comfortable. SIM or framed camp bed better (the cold comes up through the ground). If cold, take a wooly hat, and wear it in bed. You might not need it at midnight, but jesus you do at 4am when cold. Also hot water bottle.
Loo bucket, or if not, crocs to go the loo in, your feet will feel wet, but it is not as bad as trying to put trainers on in the dark, and then have them soaked through anyway.
Portable power bank for your phone.
Comfy camping chair, high back, the 2 for £20 ones are OK enough, but don't cut it for long. Going without a camping chair at all is for "extreme campers"
One ring burner, cups of tea, pot noodles, bacon buttie, maybe warming a one pot type of meal.
Hope that helps x

I love tent camping! I was about 42 when we started going. (My toddler is a young woman now!) We have a propane stove (or 2), and I love getting up in the early morning and boiling water for coffee.
It does get cold at night! Wooly leggings were a game-changer for me. Layers you can put on and take off during the day.

I like sketching when we're there. I take a sketchbook and some colored pencils.

If you wake up early in the morning, get up, get out of the tent and go see the sun rise! (Or just lie there in your warm bed and listen to the birds...)
Happy birthday and have a great time!

It's very primal, is camping

You'll feel hungrier and colder

If the weather is supposed to be crap, simply don't go

If the weather is great, it's awesome

Make sure you have plenty of warm clothes

Don’t get why people get weird about camping
it’s great being outside as much as possible, campfire, wine, fresh air makes you sleep well

I have just got back from 4 nights just me and my 3 year old at a lake

where are you camping? What is the site like? Some have very nice facilities showers than most leisure centres, take away food hat hatch, onsite bar etc

some literally a field

depends on what you’re doing and where you’re going but I recommend:

crocs and a decent fleece or dry robe for mooching about morning and evenings
decent waterproof toiletries bag, simple toiletries like body wash bar, shampoo bar, mini tub of moisturiser
take a pillow from home
good quality SIM - self inflating mat - do not bother with air beds
good quality sleeping bag- I use an outwell one it was not expensive and is good
cheap fleece blankets, B&m type ones, a few of them
joggers and old jumper for bed instead of pjs
baby wipes
Mokka pot for coffees or stay on a site with a cafe / food truck - just been to one with amazing coffee and bacon barms every morning
wine in a bag and a wine cup with a lid - search Amazon for this
insulated coffee cup
headphones for falling asleep at night with a podcast
decent power bank with a few charges in it - curry’s or a camping shop
Cheap folding fire pit, available at B&Q - fire is the best thing about camping !

To add - yeti wine tumbler is amazing for wine at night !

and yes to head torch or a beanie with an LED light

can’t emphasise either crocs or sliders enough. They might be ugly but you can slip them on and off with no hands as you go in and out of your tent, crucial to avoid grass getting in that tent!

For me, the sleeping set up is crucial. I put an old picnic blanket down, then a 10cm thick SIM covered in a teddy bear fleece bottom sheet, and cover myself with the duvet from my bed. It's very cosy and I am usually taking off layers under it pretty quickly. It is definitely warmer than a sleeping bag, although if you do go down that route, I agree with PPs that the Pod bags are great. We bring cheap fleece blankets to throw on top on the coldest nights, but that is more of an issue at Easter or Oct half term.

A lovely 'nice to have' is mystical fire, if you have a campfire.

I agree with a PP about not scrimping on a comfortable camping chair. An Oodie/equivalent is also a must for me for sitting out at night.

A lidded insulated tumbler for drinks (works for hot or cold drinks). If a fridge isn't possible (eg gas in a caravan/camper etc), the next best option for cold drinks and butter-that-doesn't-form-a-liquid is a decent cool box with a couple of bags of ice thrown in. If you are good at minimising the time/frequency with which it is opened, it will only need another bag of ice added in every other day. The most basic option is taking a flexible tub, filling it with water and keeping it in the shade for drinks. This will keep things much cooler than the air temp, but not cold.

We got so cold down on the ground there in the tent one summer night that we all put pairs of knickers on our heads to try and keep warm - it was grim ........

We have a folding carpet rug thingy. Which goes under the self inflating mats. I pop three mats inside a double duvet cover and it's like a biggish bed.
We also have bath matt at the inside door. Shoes off outside and step onto the mat. A little bucket by the mat to chuck shoes in. Keeps the tent so much cleaner.