Camping newbie - tell me what I need

[BMCoffee]

Hello brainstrust.

I've gone and booked a camp site for three nights in December on the east coast, a 40 minute drive from our place. Its at a basic site with a toilet block, cooking facilities, a beach and national park. Not a "holiday park" style place.

We have 3 kids, (10, 5 and 2), and have never taken them camping, nor did we go camping as kids, so have no idea what to bring. I need a list!

What kind of tent? Is a pop up 4man ok?
Do I need air mattresses?

What about cooking and meals?

We have a gazebo, would that be worth taking for some shady space to sit in?

I'm so clueless but I really want to do it and make it fun.

Thanks in advance

Have a look at this thread on the Camping board, and adjust for your better weather?
www.mumsnet.com/talk/camping/5124618-seasoned-campers-what-do-we-need-for-a-really-comfortable-and-happy-week-camping-in-the-uk

A 4 man is going to be tiny- always go a little bigger. Definitely a gazebo and some camping chairs. A small table is nice for food prep and drinks. A big esky.
Always keep your tent zipped up when you aren’t in it for snake purposes.
Real pillows make all the difference

Insect repellent

4 man is too small. Go for at least 2 more spots that you have people, ie if there's 4 of you, go for a 6+ man tent.
Definitely a gazebo, especially in December!
Get a gas cooker from kmart.
Actually just go to kmart. They have everything, and so cheap. And that way if it's unsuccessful, you haven't wasted quite as much money.
Don't forget some pegs for the millions of times a day the kids will get in and out of their swimmers.

East coast Oz or east coast NZ?
We went with a very large sun shelter instead of gazebo for extra space because it packed down smaller and anchored better. Depends how much space you have in your vehicle?
We also take a ground matt for the sun shelter, tarp (just in case), headlamps for everyone, couple of bigger torches, and a hanging lantern.
We have a 6 person one room tent for 4 of us and set it up so you can walk straight from the tent to the shelter in case of rain.
A folding trestle table is great, as are the folding camp chairs.
We have kids on camp beds and an air mattress in the middle for us.
We always take a large thermos and fill it with hot water at night for easy coffee first thing in the morning.
Don't forget the brush and pan for sweeping out all the leaves etc the kids tramp in.

Go to Bunnings and get a metre of cheap artificial grass stuff and use that as your doormat outside. Put an esky, box or chair on it and everyone sits and takes off their shoes before going inside. It will save your sanity. A bottle of talcum powder will take off stuck on sand from your feet.

https://www.exploroz.com/forum

http://www.myswag.org/index.php?board=1.0

https://thegreynomads.activeboard.com/forum.spark?forumID=51933

https://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/

These are all fairly hard core but will help. The UK one has lots of basic lists so you need to adjust for solid floor tents and screens on your gazebo (if you take one). Kmart is good but so also is Gumtree.

Get the kids self-inflating $22 mats from Kmart. My kids have slept on these for years camping, and have always been comfortable. If you get airbeds, they will get holes and deflate in the night. It’s the First Law of Camping.

4 man tent is far too small, unless you are the size of jelly babies. Get a 8 man with room divider. You need space for your non-sleeping stuff.

Get a cheap marquee for somewhere to sit out of the sun during the day.

Comfortable camp chairs are a must. The cheap ones from Bunnings are perfectly fine for the kids but fork out for adults- I have an Oztent one with lumbar support and it’s a dream.

The beauty of car boot camping is you can take all of the above. Now, I’m also an ultralight hiker so if you ever want tips on that, I can also help!

Oh and buy a cheap hammer which can live permanently in your tent bag.

A large battery to charge phones overnight.

4-man tent way too small for all of you, get a second 4 man and do kids in one, you in one? Or if you want to be in the same tent get a 3-room “9-man” one.

Yes to the gazebo and comfortable camp chairs - one each - sitting on the ground gets very old very fast, plus folding table and gas stove. Possum and wallaby-proof plastic tub for food and another for cooking and eating equipment, a few lanterns you can hang inside the tent or carry with you. Washing up bowl.

Self-inflating mats fine for kids, but my bones are too old for that shit - I’d recommend something thicker for you - camp beds or air mattresses (but make sure you have something insulating as well or you’ll freeze). Good quality sleeping bags depending on where on the east coast and which season you’re going in. Take your usual pillows.

Foam squares or fake grass as pp said to make a doormat, and take a dustpan and brush.

That’s all I can think of right now. Some of these things are vital, some just nice to have and it’s bit of trial and error at first to figure out which is which…😂

Also get a 15L or so plastic water container, you can get them with taps on the side to fill with water for drinking/cleaning/cooking.