How do you take all your gear? Roof box, trailer? And what gear do you take?

[ChocFudgeCake]

Hoping to camo this summer for the first time!
But I don't see how our small seven seater with roof bag can take the masses of stuff that surely we need. We have 4 kids.
So far I've figured out that we need a tent, sleeping bags and mats. But I have seen stoves and tables with chairs. Well, yes, how else are we going to cook? We cannot be eating sandwiches the whole week, sitting on the grass, or do some people do that?
DH and I are feeling overwhelmed. Any guidance appreciated :) Thanks

Golf Plus, roofbox and bike rack. We have 2 adult chairs, 2 children's, 3 SIMs, 4 sleeping bags, pillows, huge coolbox, table, single stove, cupboard/food storage thing, cooking grill for campfire, hamper, weekend bag for clothes. We do however use travel towels which saves a bit of space

Aha, so you do bring a stove... What about a camp shower??

We are taking a trailer, roof box and saloon car and we're not sure we're going to get it all in (just sold a trailer tent that took the lot).

There's plenty of information out there. Yes, you'll need a tent but the websites usually give you a pack size / weight. The same goes for everything camping. Everyone has a limit on space but fills it to the max.
Also it depends how long your away for and your budget once you're there what sort of site are you going to? It's overwhelming I know but go to a camping shop and look at some of the set ups.
Other than the above SIMS are bulkier than airbeds, you don't need a wardrobe or lots of storage. Once you've unpacked you can use your boot to store stuff and keep your tent tidy. No need to take food if the site's near a shop.

No camp shower - we always go to sites that have showers. Stove is a single burner and usually just used for first tea/coffee of the day and anything that needs heating at any point that we don't have the campfire lit.

Hillbilly - I don't know how you manage with 2 kids in a Golf! Do they have loads of stuff under their feet and on their laps?

OP yes, you do need a stove, and if you are short of space, get one that uses small gas canisters, not a big bottle. With 4 kids I think you need two burners, but you could just get 2 of those single 'briefcase' stoves. Your plates, cups and pots and pans are also going to take up some space, but if you menu plan carefully you should be able to manage with one-pot meals. We usually take a portable BBQ, and also cook over the campfire. Depends if you go to a site that allows fires.

If you really can't fit everything in, send your DH on the train with a kid or two and pick them up from the station once you have unloaded! or send him with the car and get him to meet you once he has the tent up

You can get small fold up stools, but IME kids tend to fall off them, usually just as you have given them a full bowl of cereal, not good when you have packed light.....

Blu our car is like a tardis! Yes to the kids having stuff in the footwells and between them. Ironically we had less stuff for 10 days in France than we do for a weekend in the UK because we did not take the cool box (hired fridge on site)

We have an estate car and a trailer for me, DH and ds's (8 and 5).

We have only ever camped in the UK, so that means tent, sleeping gear, stove, cooking and eating equipment, chairs, table, wet weather gear, dry weather bar, hot weather gear, cold weather gear...........

Last year we got an EHU, so always take the plug in cool box now too.

We usually camp with friends so try to not duplicate on who is taking what.

We also just take tea for the first night then get a Tesco delivery for the rest of the trip.

Roof box is critical. Flat pack table that goes on the bottom of the boot of the car. Kids can do without chairs, just get a tarp or rug with plastic on one side, but I need a chair or I end up with backache. With a family of 6, OP, you'll need a decent size tent unless you're going to one of those European campsites that have tents already set up. Typically kids end up with bedding and blankets all squished in around them in the car too. Don't worry, somehow it will all fit, though I often wonder how! Hope you have fun.

I used to be OK until the Iceytek, and now DS and I have chairs like this that aren't as easy to squeeze in to that space at the back of the boot where the back seats slope inwards, or upright behind the seatbelts as 'umberella fold' chairs. But I like having that little table for my drink, snacks etc, and ours have a side pocket, too, for your phone and torch and kindle.

We have a VW Sharan and it gets packed full - with three seats removed. We also have a roof bag. However the year before last our car broke down the day we were due to leave and couldn't be fixed for a few days. We went in a 2 dr Fiat Punto (with roof bag - that was the trip it was purchased for) and had a great time. Think carefully about what you take and how you pack. It can be done with the right kit. Luckily we have enough to be able to go light or glamp :)

we got a trailer after the first couple of trips and it is brilliant! We put tent, cooker, chairs etc in there and it's also useful to lock stuff away at the site.
We have a 2 ring cooker and a plug-in fridge

We have a saloon car ( VW Passat) that we only use for rugby and camping. It has a big boot but we also use a roof box and a trailer.

The first time we camped we didn't have the trailer and it meant taking very few clothes, no porta potty, no BBQ , and the kids had stuff all around and on their laps in the car.