We're off to Carfest next weekend and are camping newbies. Would anybody be kind enough to check my list?

[TheSkiingGardener]

I think I've gone through various checklists and hope I've thought of stuff we need. If you have any advice or comments they would be gratefully received. It's me, DH and DS (2.2) DH and I haven't camped since 1998, so I'm counting us as newbies, certainly with a toddler in tow

Tent
Tent pegs
Mallet
Peg extractor
Airbeds
Sleeping bags
Pillows
Camping chairs
Camping table
Windbreak
Power station and airpump
Torches and lanterns
Stuff to sleep in
Cooker
Gas bottle
Connection kit
Frying pan
Tongs or spatula
Kettle
Saucepan
Plates, cups, bowls, cutlery
Milk bottles and drinking bottles for DS
Chopping boards and knives
Can opener
Gas lighter for cooker
Tea and coffee
Salt and pepper
Travel mugs
Collapsible bowl
Washing up brush/liquid
Tea towel
First aid kit
Storage bags
Bin bags
Wellies
Waterproofs
Towels
Coats
Toys/games/crayons
Fire bucket
Batteries x lots
Water carriers
Suncream
Sun hats

Fleece blankets. Wet wipes (and nappies if you need them). Clothes, plus woolly hats for night time. What are you planning to cook? Things like fish slice, large spoons?

Sorry forgot wine.

Ah, we have no fleece blankets. Is that to go on top of sleeping bags or round shoulders at night?

Cooking is at a minimum really, and I've bought good cupboard type ready meals in reserve as well as bread/beans/jelly type stuff.

And I'm off alcohol at the moment, bah humbug! DH will be packing beer.

Had forgotten nappy disposal, thank you, and have a separate list of clothes.

Fleece blankets cover many uses- under/over sleeping bags, wrap around in chairs, picnic blanket, wind/sunshield with pegs, even a towel

The other thing is a cheap rubber doormat, can save loads of mud in tent and a floorbrush.

I think you have most things covered for a festival, and part of camping is bring able to work with what you have. Take a pen and notepad and write down any things you need for next time as you think of them.

I'll grab a couple of fleece blankets and a doormat and relax now then. Just didn't want to miss something obvious.

Thanks for giving the list the once over, I really appreciate it.

Excellent! We looked at that, but wanted a tent for something else but I must admit I'm not looking forward to pitching it with DS running about. I am envious of your ability to just walk in!

Let's hope the weather holds for us all at least.

That sounds good. We'll probably eat out most of the time with reserves if we fancy it, sometimes beans on toast hits the spot.

We're also leaving some clothes in the car so at least we have something dry to go home in if it rains. Really hope it doesnt, it will be so fantastic if it's sunny.

I'm nervous too, I have a cake entered in cakes vs pies so have to spend this Thursday baking. To be fair, it's a plain fruit cake that doesn't stand a chance, but it still represents my first competitive cake.

Take a crappy old towel to wipe the tent down with when you leave :)

And have you got insect repellent in your first aid kit? I took some this weekend but forgot to put it on one evening and my calves look like a mad person's dot to dot :(

Oh and birkies/flipflops to put on when you need a quick wee dash

Tupperware - always to store food and take out sarnies and clingfilm always needed!
Culanda (sorry cant spell!) First aid bits, multi-use scissors.

Do a basic meal plan - just so you have some idea what ingredients you need.

We're going to carfest too-so excited. We have booked greenfields as have never camped since D of E at school. We have three children so can't believ the stuff we need to take!!! Mind you I am not a light packer at the best of times!!! I hope it doesn't rain..............

toilet paper...lots of wipes
a roll of large sandwich bags
take cereals in some sandwich bags...quick breakfast or as supper/snack sorted
cool box and extra ice packs so shop can re-freeze for you...usually a facility for this on most campsites...
large flask for tea/coffee...never add the milk or sugar though....use stove less by boiling and re-filling flask....handy for a quick rinse of bottle teets, etc too if dropped or whatever....
2 black bags 1 for rubbish....and 1 dirty/wet clothes. carrier bags for mucky wellies, etc going in car
Use small nappy sacks for sweetie wrappers and bit and bobs in car
anit bac hand gel or wipes....
bite ans sting relief gel....anti-histamines...if anything flares up/rashes, etc..
calpol/pain killers

small bucket with a lid....good for toilet use during the night!!

wish we were going to carfest....my DS would love it

Thinking about finding out more about the goodwood festival for next year...

My list is getting longer but looking very practical. We're off on Friday, so I'm packing Friday morning while DH takes DS to gymnastics. That should happily knacker them both out....

Am book marking this as we're off to car Fest north in sept...haven't camped for 5 years, have now got 2 dc, but want to take the bare minimum as my last festival was Glastonbury 9 years ago, and we had to trek across the whole site to find space to pitch our tent.

A sack trolley will be in the car just incase we have a bit of a walk from the car park!

We're thinking of hiring a trolley from Mr Trolley to move the stuff if we need to. Then we can do it all in one!

At the moment my main concern is getting it all in the car in the first place.

A few pegs? If you need to hang out a post-shower towel or your fleece blanket, it's very handy to have.

Something I have invested more in as I have camped more is some big tupperware (like, the 'food carrier' type, big enough to put 12 muffins in in a single layer, don't know what litre size they would be). I just find it a lot easier to have stuff in transparent waterproof boxes and a single box like this could take e.g. all the cutlery and crockery plus the tea towels and washing up liquid; another could have the first aid kit plus toiletries etc etc.

A secret handshake lol. We will all spot you as we now know your trolley!! ( and I'm guessing someone in your family is an Edward!!!) have you seen they have released the schedule on the website? I'll be at yoga and ballet with dd!!!!!

Have just been informed by dh that no Edwards in your family but you may be dressed as a vampire.....oops!

We hired one of these: www.retrowagen.com/wagons/retrowagen-woody.html last weekend at a festival and I'm seriously tempted to buy one. They do another one that packs flat that is a bit more expensive (but this one is sooo cute :o)

6 pack of kitchen roll

Use it to clean food of plates and pans before you wash them, saves on water
Clean feet before getting into tent
Clean other parts of you
Mop up the spilt drinks
Put at the bottom of the carrier bag before kids are sick

Etc