what are the top tips for a successful camping trip?

[Wolfcub]

After nine years I've finally convinced dh to try camping. He's discovered modern tents and has been very excited buying a tent and things to go in it. He has real issues with public loos so for our first trupr I've booked a site that won loo of the year! ds and I are very excited and I'm not worried about us but I want to make sure the trip is a success so that we all have a great time. what are your top tips for a great family camping trip?

Hello. This thread is a little old - for more up-to-date tips, take a look at our round-up of Mumsnetters’ top camping advice or check out this list of their 10 favourite UK campsites. MNHQ.

My top, top tip is to make sure you have the most comfortable thing you can sleep on. If you sleep badly you won't enjoy camping so much. If you haven't bought anything yet I recommend at the very least a self inflating mat as they are warm. Getting a proper nights sleep is the key to great camping.

Rather than a modern tent, have you thought about a Bell tent? They are beautiful to camp in and very spacious.

Ps: get the self inflating mat as thick as possible and choose a good quality one as you can afford...

PPS: Take a hot water bottle for each adult...

...and an eye mask and emergency foam ear plugs...

My top tip is take as many home comforts as you can fit into your transport. We have a big family (5dc) and our car only fits us so we take dh's van for the equipment. We have an electric hook up cable and always take the toaster microwave and kettle with us. Tea and toast in the morning is fab!
We also pack dc's bikes, duvets, board games, books, duvets, torches for night trips to toilet, crocs, swim stuff, plus the contents of our larder!

Another thing, you'll need to trek to the wash block to do your washing up so take a washing up bowl to carry everything, plus washing up liquid sponge and teatowel.

Top tip for successful family camping - don't game children under 5.

Take ! Not game!

Wine
Flip flops
Books
Thick socks
A comfy chair
A comfy bed
Shared chores ( kids too)

I find a bucket works well for carrying washing up, also for keeping things cool (fill with water and keep in a shady place).
A site that allows fires. I'm currently sitting next to mine at the moment!)

where is the site that won loo of the year?

Wine, wine, wine
Did I mention wine

Last week I would have said mattress topper, duvets, etc etc but I took the kids camping this week and couldn't be bothered to take much so we travelled light. I loved it! Sleeping bags and airbeds are what I'm sticking with now. It was so great to have the campsite up and running in minutes so the kids could go off and play.

The site that won loo of the year (regional award) was Goldensquare in Helmsley.

Good tips so far, keep them coming. I did think about a bell tent Minimalist but the lack of windows is not for me.

Keep an eye on the weather forecast, if it's rain, don't go. You'll be bloody miserable.

Take some large shopping bags, we use ikea bags. They have many uses : holding dry clothes and towel while you shower especially if there is only one hook on the back of the door, carry beach stuff, shoe bag in tent, carrying washing up, laundry bag and for dirty/damp clothes and towels on the journey home.

Just a few uses and I am sure there are many more

Yay to hotwater bottles if you have them and a pair of warm joggers for the evening.

We take playing cards and a few other games for rainy days but mostly we just put our waterproofs on and go out.

Enjoy, I hope you have a great time

I would also say our kids always sleep really badly the first night and I forget and think "oh bollocks can't cope with this all week". Then they are so knackered and used to it, they sleep like a dream and it's all fine!! So don't lose hope after 1 night is my top tip.

take a bathmat to stand on in the shower while you get dried, makes life a lot easier having a bit of dry floor

good thinking on the bathmat and bags. will add those to my list

Also this dish drainer is good for draining the plates when washing up, otherwise they'll just be lying on the wet drainer

Following on from Furball's tip, we have a plastic storage box (used for other things too) that we put the dish drainer into and then stack all the plates, pots etc up in the box. Then we carry that back to the tent to dry in the sun. It saves a tea towel too.

We have dedicated camping everything that all just lives in the garage so I don't have to fanny around packing up stuff from the kitchen before we go and redistributing on our return. Literally down to the most mundane item.

YY to sacking it off if the weather forecast is terrible!

We also have a dedicated camping box with all the kitchen gear we need plus our lights and mallet. Then I just throw in clean tea towels and I can lob this, sleeping bags, sims (10cm), tent and folding chairs in car. Also have a gas stove and special camping pans, but you can take kitchen ones.

We camp a lot , so my icey tek comes with me, keeps the food, wine and gin in tins cold.

Yy camp fires ae a bonus, lovely to cook on and to sit by, whiling away the hours.

One thing I read on here really helped us this weekend: buy a cheapie doormat and put just inside tent door. It stops muddy feet spreading muck in tent, and also caught drips of rain before they rolled in.

Also take loads of binbags, far more than you think you'll need, so handy! And warm clothes for night, horrid to sleep if too cold.

Plus wine and cake.

Clothes for warm weather

Clothes for cold weather

Clothes for wet weather

Wine.

I read on here that you should have cardboard for your doormat. Then you can just recycle them or bin them when you leave.