Useless things for camping

[Andie20521]

Whilst looking at the Aldi camping bits I started thinking about stuff I thought would be fab but was a waste of money/space, the kind of thing most people try once and throw away.

For me it would be the camping toaster (the type you put on top of the stove). I was sooooo excited to get it! Breakfast would be revolutionised!

I burnt myself, used half a can of gas to get a vaguely coloured piece of bread (I can't bring myself to say toast, it clearly wasn't) whilst trying to convince OH that it hadn't been a waste of money.

I soon bought a double burner with grill, which is actually fab for toast!

Ah you see...space is at a premium in our car because we take our pillows!

And our duvets.

I'm still using billy cans that I borrowed and never returned from my Dad, the same set we used on family holidays over 40 years ago. They hardly take up any room at all although I do take a big frying pan from home. Gotta have a big frying pan .
I totally agree with water containers being worse than useless, you struggle back to your tent with it and then a feeble dribble comes out of the little tap. As we only stay on sites with good facilities anyway (disabled ds necessitates) then we would only be using it to get water for the kettle/possibly cooking so it's much quicker just to make dd take the kettle to the standpipe!
The other pointless buy (dh came home with them, they were used once) was inflatable pillows. Horrid!

Drat! should have asked if anyone wanted to buy some nearly-new inflatable pillows before I posted that.

I make sure the collapsible washing up bowl is in the car on long journeys in case DS2 gets carsick. It is like it is made for it.

I have the coleman pans too and they are great.

Seperate pans (and everything else) so they can all live in "the camping box" in the garage which can then be put in car with no running round the house to pack!

Never buy wind up lanterns, the light is rubbish and the winding very dull. Gas light is much nicer, warmer light

Oh no I totally disagree about the toaster thingy. I love mine and have used it loads. A friend borrowed it and lovd it as well. Must just be us....

Not just you - I love my toaster too.

Pleased to hear it Frenchfancy. Maybe we should set up some sort of campaign group to spread the love.