First time camping with 2yr old and 3 yr old, any advice or gadgets I need?

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We used to camp a lot, DH and I, but haven't camped since we had the kids. We're planning on going towards the end of the summer when they will be 3yrs and 2 yrs old.
We will be borrowing a family sized tent the first time so we can decide what we do/don't like about it so we have an idea what we want when we come to buy our own - our old 2 man backpacking tent might not be enough anymore!

Anyway, is there anything we should know or should buy to make sure we are prepared for camping with two toddlers?
How do people cook with toddlers around? What is the safest way? I'm guessing we'll have to buy a proper camping stove?

The days of us with just a trangia is over isn't it?!

Non spill potty!!!

Christ, I hadn't even thought of that!!

Anything else you can do without.

Take loads of duvets, our first time out with our two (similar age) they got frozen the first night (as did I actually) & we had to buy some extra bedding. We have all sorts of crap vitally important kit, but the most useful thing is probably the fold out table with attached seats. It contains some of the mess at meal times & gives them somewhere to do colouring/ play games etc. We have a two ring stove type thing - there's no very safe way of cooking, you just have to keep them well away.

Don't think you need much additional stuff tbh. We insisted dd and ds wore 'camping nappies' at night. Not to negate the need for toilet trips but because accidents can sometimes happen and sleeping in wet bedding in out cold summer nights plus having ti wash bed stuff whilst on holiday is just not nice.

We take some ribbon and peg it into the ground then spend the first half hour there 'training' the kids not to cross the ribbon. Then we can do whatever dangerous stuff well into the space behind the ribbon.

Also a fan of duvets. A King size on the bottom that we all lie on and then four individual ones. A key tip for keeping warm is to put the kids to bed where you will smell and then moving them once you go to bed ,

Smell = sleep

Love the ribbon idea, that is exactly the sort of genius MN idea I came on for - we would not have thought of that!

And lots of bedding by the sounds of it, we will take lots. I'm frozen at the best of times so will assume the DC will be as cold as I am and will take lots.

What about them sleeping, it won't be dark in the tent when they go to bed around 7-7.30pm, will they sleep? Or is it our task to wear them out in the day so much that they will? Should they sleep on inflatable mattresses, piles of blankets or???

Hot water bottles. They are my new camping essential!

Our two, 18 months and 3 will be sleeping on a double airbed this year. It's a trial, no idea if they'll like it.

Last year we found it's best to totally ignore 'at home bedtime routine' and have a much later camping bedtime. Dd1 last year was 2 when camping and she wasn't going to sleep til 9, where she usually is asleep by 7.30 at home.

Can't think of any special equipment, just plenty of toys, books, etc.

Have fun! Can't wait to get our tent out.

The ribbon is a great idea, I'll be pinching that one.

Our kids tend not to sleep until it is getting dark at least, but they sleep in a bit later in the morning. You just have to go with the flow a bit, they wear themselves out running round like mad-things all day! They sleep on foam mats with self-inflating mats on top. Then sleeping bags & duvets on top.

Thanks guys, I can see that our normal routine probably won't work whilst camping, to be honest it only just worked whilst we were away this year in a hotel so would have no hope for in a tent.

I'll have a look at the different bed options. I'm not sure if they would sleep together or not. At home they share a room but I think they'd spend all evening tickling each other rather than sleeping if I put them together. A mat with a self inflating mattress on top for each within the same bedroom section of the tent is probably the best bet I think.

I can't wait, we're going in either June or early September (hopefully June!) depending on DH's job. The next thing is to decide where we should go. We want just a few hours drive from Leeds, nothing too far the first time. Once we've found our feet we'll go further afield. So if you know anywhere around that area that would be toddler friendly let me know.

The days in June are reeeally long! We learnt that the hard way last year, but we're going again in June this year anyway!

I know you will bring them, but wet wipes are really jolly useful! Extra plastic bags for rubbish. Small winter hat for bedtime. Yes, I know, seems silly in June, but I really wish that we had had them last summer (August, and pretty cold!)

From lots of experience here, things that are really good to have are:

• one potty each for two DCs of that age - they do not hold more than one toddler's wee at a time
• wellies and full waterproofs, if you're going in the UK.
• waterproof box for putting toys/pens/paper/etc in
• karimats for the DCs - l use a lilo myself but my DCs always fell off one, unless you use a readybed which has it all built in.
• piece of twine/rope and clothes pegs - when you camp with DCs you almost always need to handwash and/or dry a few things, and it's very difficult without.
• camping table and chairs - not essential, but very useful for drawing, playing, eating, etc. Kids find eating off their laps quite hard.

I wouldn't ever try to put them to sleep before it starts to get dark to be honest, at least for the first couple of nights (after that they may be tired enough to sleep anyway) but if you're going at the end of the summer that won't be all that late - 8.30 or so, but much later if you go in June. Best thing is to get them all ready for bed early, and then run around in PJs (and jumper if nec) until they're really tired and it's starting to get dark. They might get into a later routine and sleep in, but only if it's cloudy - if it's sunny in the mornings, you'll all be up early.

Have fun!

Never underestimate how cold it gets at night
Waterproofs for the toddlers - then you can chuck them over the PJs in a morning, wellies on and they are straight outside in the fresh air. It takes a while to warm up of a morning so the waterproofs-over-PJ combo keeps em going for a bit.
Mine are in fleece Primarni sleepsuits, then fleece gro-bags from Ikea and then adult sized sleeping bags folded over.
What will you do about bathing? Mine are shower-phobic so a plastic box which doubles as a wee bath is useful. I had hoped to get away without bathing at all but they were both filthy.
Child friendly mozzie repellent for the evenings.
This is a fab site not too far from you. Lovely park in the middle of Thornton le Dale and good chippy 5 minutes away in Pickering (Thornton chippy is dire IMO), which would be one nights catering sorted

Hot water bottles take the chill off a sleeping bag (for you too) and if you can get the duvet underneath as well as on top of the sleeping bags-they get cold from underneath too. A dim battery-powered lamp is handy if they dont like sleeping in the dark.

tbh at that age you can just stick them on a couple roll mats at night and they will be fine. Mine never stay on the £££ thermarests we bought for them and seem to sleep absolutely fine just lying on the groundsheet. A roll mat is way more insulating from the cold than an air or ready bed, and there's nothing to leak, blow up or break.

Wish someone had told me this years ago as had I known I would have splashed out on wider sims for dh and me and spent £10 on what the dds sleep on.

A warmed foot end of a sleeping bag by a hot water bottle is a source of great and cheap pleasure [easily pleased]

Thanks all, Caveman I'll have a look at that site, it sounds perfect. We've got a million roll mats from when I used to do D.of.E with my school kids so we're alright for those!

We travel across europe every year with our 8,6,and 2 year olds, have done it since the middle one was 2. last year we did it with 2 trangiers, 3 air beds, and a 4 man tent!

It's so much fun, the kids will love it, and the fresh air will wear them out.
Duvets are what me and DH sleep under, but you may find that a blanket and adult sized mummy bags will do just as well for the Dcs. Potty wise we used a bucket and a toilet seat thing. Dont forget a washing up bowl like we did the first year

Head torches. And take their own pillows - something from home for nighttime.

I got an air bed with raised edges for DD as she tends to roll off mats.
A small torch, blanket from home, couple of cuddlies, paper, pens, ball, wellies. I usually make up a plastic box of new small toys/travel games - keeps it tidy too.
I usually take a woolly dress/throwover type thing for after showering/washing for DD as the temperature often drops quickly in the evenings.
You can get non-spill potties, or use something like a potette, or just stick a couple of sheets of kitchen roll in the bottom in case it gets knocked over.

Def not airbeds...mats are better.
And their own pillows, and lots of bedding, and copious amounts of kitchen roll and baby wipes.
And 600 torches, to ensure you know where at least one of them still is by nighttime.
And as many socks as you can lay your hands on because they can never be found after day 3...
Have a look at the campinguk forum..always lots of good advice there too

Missed one thing out - wind up torches - kids love them, and you can let them play with them as long as they like as they won't run the batteries down.