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Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

1st timer - trying to pack - what have I forgotten?!

25 replies

Wigeon · 14/08/2010 20:00

We are borrowing a friend's tent and going camping tomorrow for the first time for 1 or 2 nights with DD (25 months). We are going to a campsite 10 mins walk from a supermarket and town so will be connected to civilisation. Tell me what I have forgotten! I'm sure there is some obscure essential item which is only apparent to those more experienced than me.

So far:

Tent
Mallet
Foldy chairs
Rug
Old waterproof tablecloth which I reckon will be a kind of groundsheet Hmm
Lilo & pillows
DD's cotbed mattress
Sleeping bags (and duvets Blush)
Clothes, toiletries etc
Picking up camping stove from friends tomorrow
Saucepans
Crockery and cutlery
Torch
Freezer bag and ice packs
Washing up bowl & liquid
Food
Woolly hats in case it gets cold at night

Help! Any top tips?

OP posts:
EccentricaGallumbits · 14/08/2010 20:01

pack of cards.

wine

SanctiMoanyArse · 14/08/2010 20:05

Blabkets to lay under the sleeping equipment as its getting colder now and they help enormously

far more torches and lanterns than you ever think you will need- at least 3 IME. And batteries.

Toys, and books- it rains in England (and indeed the other countries around us LOL)

Waterproofs

Spare tent pegs

Wigeon · 14/08/2010 20:10

Oo, good tips. Have gone and got 2 packs of cards. Don't actually have any blankets but have added another rug to the packing pile.

Waterproofs - check.

Er, we are so non-outdoorsey that we only own one proper torch, and I got that for £3 from Asda last week specially for this trip (25% off camping stuff there). Think I might need to buy Asda out of torches then. Will bike lights do? Grin

OP posts:
SanctiMoanyArse · 14/08/2010 20:15

Bike lights fine.

Basically you want one as a central light in the tent, one outside if you choose to sit out of an evening, one for any trips to the toilet (a head torch is by far easiest) and a spare, ideally at least.

Wigeon · 14/08/2010 20:16

Gosh. Can't we just go to bed when it gets dark?! Bit worried DD is going to wake up when it gets light...Is this a problem with toddlers?

OP posts:
EccentricaGallumbits · 14/08/2010 20:17

if sleeping on a blow-up type mattress (rather than my lovely but punctured self inflating) do I need a rug under? i'm worried about all that cold air.

Go Outdoors has good deals on head torches.

scurryfunge · 14/08/2010 20:20

Insect repellent

Table

rainbowinthesky · 14/08/2010 20:22

How do you intend to get the pegs out of the ground when packing up? YOu can buy something to do this from halfords or use the pick part of a hammer. Picnic blanket essential for under the bed.

Wigeon · 14/08/2010 20:35

Erm, with the bike lights?! Or our teeth? Hadn't considered that, so thanks,

Insect repellent - in Oxfordshire? Might as well I suppose.

Table - check
Picnic rug - check

OP posts:
AnyFuleKno · 14/08/2010 20:37

bin bags

AnyFuleKno · 14/08/2010 20:41

tea towels
flip flops for shower
nuts/snack bars

toys - Our fave was an oversized soft football, all the kids on the site spent ages chasing it around
frisbee
scooter/trike if you can squeeze it in

In car phone charger

Wigeon · 14/08/2010 21:22

Great - thanks. Just have to sort out the weather forcast now...

OP posts:
thereistheball · 14/08/2010 21:25

If you have a toddler, remember a potty. Useful not just for toddler in the middle of the night.

Think about the kitchen stuff you use every day: at least one pot and pan, tin opener, peeler, corkscrew, sieve, sharp knives, chopping board. Plastic glasses are nice.

Wine definitely.

If you don't have a coolbox and ice packs, then think about what you plan to eat in advance and make sure you've thought it through properly: butter no use if the sun is hot (ditto chocolate, disappointingly), but oil OK, and biscuits, and so on. Lots of prepped foods that you might not otherwise buy are useful here: for instance, microwavable pouches of rice can be stir-fried with some eggs and bits and pieces of tinned veg, to make egg-fried rice, and served with soy sauce. Bring basic salt, pepper, sauces and condiments with you. Stock up on UHT milk (bottles rather than cartons are better as you can close them) and bottled water for cooking and drinking (so not just one enormous bottle that you will soak yourself with when you take a swig in the middle of the night).

Also, socks - I read on here that once your feet cool down after the sun sets they will never warm up again, so when it gets dark take pre-emptive action and cover up.

Lots of plastic bags to use as rubbish bags. (NB Don't leave these open near the tent as they attract wasps. Also don't leave food out as it attracts armies of ants.)

Books for when DC are in bed.

Umbrellas, closed shoes and macs so you can escape the tent if it's raining.

Did I say wine?

In-car phone charger essential. Also some of the DCs favourite books and indoor activities eg colouring if the weather isn't what you'd like it to be.

Also wine. And probably some juice boxes / cereal bars / fruit pouches for the DCs to have for breakfast while you come round, plus any particular cups they normally use.

Enjoy!

thereistheball · 14/08/2010 21:26

PS - Don't forget the wine.

Wigeon · 14/08/2010 21:32

Thanks very much for all that! Very handy.

Have remembered potty actually (DD is actually potty trained but there is no way I am trudging through a field at 2am if she needs a wee. Or, as you say, if I do!). We are only going for 1 or 2 nights so hoping to get by with quite basic food - sausages for dinner, porridge for breakfast.(and a takeaway one night...).

Have also just made a batch of flapjacks as despite being a camping virgin I have this idea that flapjacks are on the "essential items" list Smile.

OP posts:
AnyFuleKno · 14/08/2010 22:03

ooh very important one - cash and change for parking

OhYouBadBadKitten · 14/08/2010 22:10

spare tent peg can act as a tent peg puller.

bottle opener.
warm socks
pack of cards

We did 3 weeks touring with 1 tent, sleeping bag each, single burner stove, pan, kettle plate each, knife and fork each, pack of cards torch each umbrella and clothes.

everything else is just comfort stuff.

Goober · 14/08/2010 22:13

Bubbles.

Wigeon · 15/08/2010 09:45

Just packing up the car - checking for last minute things. Bubbles - that's a good idea, have packed in handbag! Have plenty of warm socks, 2 packs of cards, lots of money.

Thank you all! Am very relieved to see that the forecast has changed from rain to full sun, 22 - 23 degrees!

OP posts:
seeker · 15/08/2010 09:52

Lots of bin bags - just in case it does rain and you've got to bring wet stuff home. {seeker thinks sadly of the van full of wet stuff she hasn't unpacked from yesterday}]

Lots of changes for child - they get very wet very quickly, and then they got cold.

Wine. And a couple of realy glass wine glasses.

More wine.

Hot water bottles.

A flask so you can boil some water at night and then have tea very quickly in the morning - camping stoves take ages to boil a kettle so it's good to have some "nearly there"

More torches than you think you need.

topsi · 15/08/2010 09:56

kitchen towel, tea towel, hats,

lunavix · 15/08/2010 19:25

towels

Wigeon · 17/08/2010 14:19

Thanks everyone - back home now, had a lovely time and it only rained when we were trying to pack up the tent. We seemed to pack everything we needed too. And DD (25 months) loved it. Smile

OP posts:
HinnyPet · 21/08/2010 17:49

Howking it down here in Yorkshire. I don't think I like camping, groundsheet doesn't stop wasps getting in and am freezing cold at night with two sleeping bags, a liner and an inflatable bed with a ground sheet and a mat underneath!

CoffeeMad · 21/08/2010 20:27

Hinneypet a great tip is to put down those foil blankets first - you know the ones they put arond marathon runners !?!

They cost about £1.50 from outdoors shops, got mine from Coltswold Outdoors. Put the picnic blankets on top of them, then put the beds on top of that.

They take up about the space of a pack of cards for 2 blankets. Each blanket covers the area of a double airbed. Smile

For the wasps try a Waspinator

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