First ever camping trip- 3 weeks in france- what do we need?

[krisskross]

We are newbies to camping...some of you have replied to my previous posts asking for advice.

Now we have taken the plunge and bought a mahoosive tent (saw it up in the shop today after buying online, its bloody enormous!!).

What do we need now? I know we need sleeping mats and bags, cooking utensils etc, but i'd love it if a clever mumsnetter could give me a checklist of what we need.

Neither of us have a clue of how to cook when camping, use the electricity on site etc etc. Advice about a stove and whats best would be great.

Thanks!

Bottle opener. Pack it last so it's first thing out of the car

A smattering of French - vin, croissant, pain should do it

ok, so, self inflating mattresses, sleeping bags, pillows, camping towels (dry very quickly), electric hook up cabling.

We always have our fridge which I deem a camping essential (many would not) and a camping loo for the DC. If you don't have much car space these might not be possible though

very warm sleeping bags. Eurocamp in august - you would think it would be stifling hot but at night it isn't. We had to buy new bags and blankets.

Ear muffs to drown out the sound of the mice creeping up and down the tent right by your sleeping bag. Now I don't mind mice at all - they will not harm you or your DCs. What pissed me off was the noise!

A torch to find your way to the loo

Insect-repellent candles to keep the midges and mossies at bay.

Lots and lots and lots of alcohol

Get the best sleeping mats you can afford and try them out in camping shops before you buy. I really dislike airbeds they always seem clammy, prefer self inflating mattresses are the best.
Plastic washing up bowl to take your stuff to the wash up area plus detergent dishcloth and a couple of tea towels. Bin bags (small so you can dump every day)
Couple of comfy camping chairs to sit in and drink enough wine to put you into a coma so you will sleep.
I do hope you love it 3 weeks is a long time in a tent!
Oh and practice erecting the tent several times before you arrive on the campsite and have a large audience. Closest I have ever come to divorce was erecting a new tent in the dark. Aim to get to campsite well before dark
Head torch just in case you don't get to the campsite before dark.

Torch
hammer
Chairs
Blanket
Sunscreen
First aid box
Tea towels
Wash up liquid
Wash up bowl
Fold up table
Tin opener
Corkscrew
Towels
Toilet roll
Hand soap
Warm pyjamas
Pegs
Laundry liquid (for swim stuff etc)
That should keep you going for a bit!

About 80% fewer cloths than you want to take with you :)

A phrase book

A bottle opener

You'll be fine!

Where exactly are you going? We went right down to the Spanish border last year and we certainly didn't need any extra bedding.

Wee bucket.

Thanks everyone.....have shelled out on a toilet bucket!!

Mouse climbing up the tent??? What??? is this the norm???

I second comfy camping chairs. If you're anything like us most evenings will be spent drinking wine and people watching reading

Gosh 3 weeks is brave for your first time.

Take a pack of cards, books etc for the evenings.

Your head read??

I am a bit jealous. I would love a three week camping holiday.

We have a wind up radio and you also need to think about torches. Head torches are the most useful.

Look on ebay for good camping bargains.

Camping stoves, pick on that uses small and easily portable gas bottles and if you are having an electric hookup a small electric kettle will make you beyond happy! I am trying to think what our stove is - it folds up and is a doddle to use.

Don't buy lovely looking enamel plates. They are hot on legs!

A decent lantern for the tent.
Ear plugs.
flip flops for the shower block.

thank you- i am squaemish about rodents....will they really run up and down the tent???

Actually to be honest I really think you would benefit from going away for a couple of nights close to home just so you can familiarise yourself with the tent and have some idea of the stuff you want or need to take.

You don't need to go far - try the nearest camp site to where you live for a couple of nights?

I have camped all over the world and have never had a rodent anywhere near my tent, unless meerkats are considered to be rodents. Mind you I usually drink plenty of wine and wear ear plugs.

yes....good idea we're planning a couple of nights in june. without mice.

We had a stray cat clawing at the tent and trying it's best to get in last year. That was freaky.

Sorry to scare you OP. It was at a Eurocamp site, lovely in all respects but yes lots of mice.

Only to be expected with lots of tents and lots of food. they will not bite or hurt but they will of course try to get your food.

But you might be somewhere where there aren't lots of tents so please don't worry too much.

But I am going to say that after 2 days/nights we upgraded to a mobile caravan on another site.

But here's another but. As a child ALL my holidays were camping ones and we had a fab time - but only because I was complety unaware of how much work it was for my mother. Which is why I won't camp now.

Changing 'but' to 'however' - one of my very favourite memories is camping in scotland with my dad and siblings and smoking mackerel we had caught that day in a camping smoker over the fire outside the tent. And that was a long time ago.

Go with it and try not to stress what can't be changed

TBH twitter i am freaking out a bit!!! I had mentioned my rodent concern to some friends who just thought i was being bonkers...so i just thought maybe i was being bonkers. now i am scared!! I am quite phobic about rodents.. a stray cat wouldnt worry me.

krisskross what tent do you have? It may be that any rodents can't even get in to it? Although I really don't think you need to worry about them tbh.

oh god would they actually come in? I'm seriously reconsidering things here. ....

we have something called a hi gear kalahari elite 8.....

Rodents? Sorry to go on about this, but we are planning a lot of camping this year and I am very phobic about rodents?

May I just ask how many people had rodents on their tents?

*in their tents