Your tips for beginning camping, anyone?

[DontCallMeBaby]

After DH declaring that I would hate camping, and my deciding that it wasn't worth even trying to give it a go if he wasn't on board ... he has had a mad change of heart (triggered by a B&Q sale email, I think) and ordered a very bargainous batch of basic camping equipment. Hurray!

I figure we can camp in the garden, then do the odd night/weekend away and see how we get on - if we like it, we can upgrade our kit as need be.

Does that sound like a good plan? Has anyone started out like this and gone on to get properly into camping?

I'm also interested in what else we need in the short term. DH has ordered a tent (naturally), sleeping bags and airbeds all round, and a one-ring gas stove. I know we need to get some pans for the stove, but they didn't have any on sale so I'm heading for Millets for those. Other than that my mind's gone blank - what other essential basics do we need?

Finally, anyone got any recommendations for a campsite in Gloucestershire so we don't need to go far for our first outing?

You don't absolutely need to buy camping pans. You can use ones from home to start with. You need some kind of table. We used the plastic blue ones they are selling cheap at Tesco at the moment with the attached stools. They're OK, you just have to make sure they're opened properly and all the legs are on the ground.

You need crockery and cutlery. We have a picnic set and you could use something like that to start with that you will have more use of. Sharp knife, tin opener/bottle opener. You'll also need something to put all your stuff in when you're in the tent. I use either collapsible crates or the green bags from Tesco.

I would definitely start in the garden or on a nearby campsite and upgrade gradually.

I don't know Glos, sorry. The children will love it.

Ooh, the table/chair thing is a bit of a bargain - I see a trip to Tesco coming up. We have plenty of picnic odds and sods (sharp knife would be covered by my Leatherman knife if only I could find the blasted thing), so that's good. Somewhere to put stuff - another use for the Lakeland shopping bags! I will have to have the camping pans though, I've found a decent value with a teeny weeny kettle, and I MUST have a teeny weeny kettle. I can forgive a lot if I have a cup of tea.

I don't even know if the tent will fit in the garden ... garden itself is a decent size, but the lawn is minute. May have to borrow my parents' lawn, which isn't much bigger, but my brother did manage to pitch his tent on it, and that's probably a similar size to the one we're getting!

I always take a duvet (king size.) The worst thing about camping is feeling chilly at night. I'm sure there are some really good sleeping bag but I love my duvet. Kettle a must, I take a toaster (if we have electric pitch) cool box. Basically I keep it home from home. If there is room in the car I pack it. sorry miles away from you, so don't know any campsites. Also I thought I'd add that I was [shocked] when my dh suggested camping. But being a mother to 3 ds's there was no way I could not go as they would be so disappointed. I really enjoyed our first camping trip actually away from home. (Not so keen on camping in garden because I can't switch off.) I'm a girly camper, I take everything I can possible think of and that will fit in the car. Then everyone's happy!

I can see me keeping loads of the kit in the car all weekend/week/whatever - I am a TERRIBLE packer, so if I can use the car as a giant suitcase, so much the better!

You can search for campsites here

Someone suggested to me that we try camping in the garden first. But I'm glad we didn't as I didn't sleep a wink the first night so would have just gone inside or stayed awake in the tent all night and absolutely hated it. Instead we went to a local campsite for 2 nights and loved it, despite not sleeping the first night. For me, the best bit about camping is being with other campers (the quiet ones!) and people watching with my morning cup of tea. I wouldn't have experienced that in my back garden.

Thanks Surprise - I've found a place via that site now! Not as local as I'd originally intended, as DH thought it might be an opportunity to try to go to the beach.

Hm, good point about the garden! We might not get round to it now anyway, before we go away. I pitched the tent in my parents' garden yesterday - it won't fit on our lawn unless we move the trampoline off the raised lawn onto the paving! My dad had to help with a bit that just required brute force, so that was a bit disappointing, I hoped I could do it by myself.