YIKES! Camping in two weeks, no equipment, toddlers, no car...

[OutsSelf]

I am increasingly panicking which causes me to seize up and cook stuff, rather than, you know, take action. Dinner tonight was fabulous ha ha.

We are on foot with a 1 year old and a 3 year old. We do have a tent, but it's our two man one that we spent our pre-child holidays in, DP and DS have done a couple of overnighters in it and even DP, the most laid back person in the entire world when it comes to stuff like planning ahead, is saying it's 'probably a bit small'. We have two adult sleeping bags which zip together, no cooking stuff cos we weren't the cooking stuff kind of campers, we'd walk and do pub dinners, mainly.

Please help, I just can't get any kind of shit together about this. The only thing that I've been able to clarify in my own mind is that we probably can't manage a bell tent on foot with two toddlers, one in a sling (she's 1) and one who may need intermittent shoulder carries.

Which tent should we get? What about sleeping bags, we cosleep at home, did anyone else have a complete blank in this context - I just can't figure out how we are going to do this.

Our saving grace is that we are going with other families and they will be able to take some extra food... but we've never done you know, plates and cups and shit, the sort of thing you might need if you are on a single quite isolated campsite for the weekend rather than walking between lovely pubs and eating apple crumble every day.

Any advice gratefully received. A packing list, recommendations for gear we do need and gear we don't, stuff I should get people to stay with and any food recommendations in the context that DP is actively anxious about not having enough food when going on the train for like, an hour?

I'd be looking for a backpacking tent like this as it'll be lighter than a full-size 4 person tent. Or see if you can borrow a second 2-man tent and take one each. Our camping stove is one of these really basic ones that screws into a bottle of propane and we mostly just boil water for coffee and cook eggs and bacon for breakfast. Now's not the time to try to cook a three-course dinner, baked beans are part of the joy of camping!

In terms of sleeping mats, I'd suggest a foam roll will at least keep you a bit more insulated than sleeping directly on the ground, and it's not too much hassle to just strap to the bottom of your rucksack. If you look on Gumtree you can usually find them fairly cheap around this time of year as the festival campers sell off their stuff.

It might be worth checking if the site you are going to has camping pods. Not the same I know but at least you wouldn't have to carry the tent.

Excellent towel and mat, info, thanks.

The campsite has all sorts camping options but we are booked in as a tent with a group, so that's that. Spoken to one of the other families today and we are going to borrow another two man one, but long term really fancy a bell tent four person with living space one, thanks for the recommendations. We've coordinated on food, too, so we are responsible for snacks, oats and halloumi, the rest are bringing the rest of the food. There are firepits for each pitch so we don't plan to buy a camping stove at this point, sure we can do without tea for the weekend specially as the others are bringing boxes of wine

Head torches, check.

I really think this is going to be fab, we're all.excited now!

Did like the look of the monolith tents, thanks, we'll keep an eye out for them on gumtree and similar. I love a compartment, me, though DP is a bit of a purist. But if I can compromise on mats...

I actually think no mats is a wild sampling hangover, we used to insulate and soften with a bracken or grass layer which I suppose you'd find harder on a campsite cos they cut the grass back, don't they? Really looking forward to being able to shower with hot water though, it's worth packing towels just for that!

www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Outdoor-Light/

Rescue a milk bottle out of the recycling when you get there and use with a head torch to make a light for your tent.

OP, you sound fab mad. I really admire your attitude.

I do think you might need mats - may just be worth ringing a local Aldi if you have one, though their camping specials week was a while back, as they may still have some cheapy SIMs in stock. Our SIMs come from there and I put some of that sticky-back Velcro on to link the mats together, as we also co-slept with DS2 that first trip. Basically, he was in warm fleece PJs, his warmest grobag, with a woollen blanket over the top, and I had my sleeping bag wrapped securely round my body, away from him, and my customised fleece co-sleeping top, with a slash cut in it. He was 8 months. He and DS were like stoves. I was cold. (august)

I think mats are a must, sorry. Even if you have the constitution of an ox and don't mind sleeping on the ground, they will keep you warm.

Can you take one of these www.diy.com/nav/fix/handtools/hand-trolleys/hand_trolley/B-and-Q-Hand-Trolley-HT2022-9686783?icamp=recs and some bungy cords? It's amazing how much stuff you can fit on a sack truck!!

I caved and bought mats though they were due to be delivered today and failed to show, along with microfibre towels and new headtorches, plus a double sleeping bag for the cosleepers. Our food is coordinated and the train is booked.

Sticky back Velcro sounds great, where did that come from?

Everyone is very excited, though there is the small issue of a severe weather warning at the weekend....

It will be fine. Late to the thread, but I camp via public transport a lot. Me and 3 DDs who are 7, 5 and 2. I have a trolley system! And the elder two carry their own clothes, books and sleeping bags.

I can do a long weekend if I have to take food with me, or a week if I can get to a shop once I'm at the camp site.

BTW, if you do fancy a cup of tea while you are there without increasing the size of your kit much, these are fab: www.wilko.com/camping/wilko-stove-compact/invt/0299806?VBMST=camping cooker

Added to a small gas bottle (which Wilko also sell I think) they are really good and tiny and very fast boiling (albeit you will need a kettle (collapsible?) or metal pan of some sort)

We're packed! The mats are definitely the heaviest thing next to the tent. And they claim to self inflate, but failed to in the house... this is a trial, I'm happy to go back to matless at the moment...

So excited now, thanks all for the advice and shareholding

I was going to suggest a granny trolley to pack stuff into as well for ease.

Enjoy your weekend!

How did it go?

Yay, it was lush! We were well equipped, and had a fab time. It was so warm we didn't even sleep inside the sleeping bags, for all the fretting that I did over who was where.

The mats were okay, we kept slipping between them so will definitely be looking out some sticky backed velcro tape. Everyone else thought them indispensible, I do see that they are comfy so will continue using them but still think they are overrated....

Food wasn't a problem at all because the group had all brought stuff and the campsite shop was lovely. We could manage the baggage, which'll be even easier when the baby can walk. DS realistically could carry his own stuff, he just needs a better bag.

We had borrowed a second tent and think on balance, two is better because we can carry one each and eventually DC can have one and we can have one, which sounds very civilised to me, ha ha.

The towels were brilliant, such an improvement on a bulky, slow drying one from the bathroom. We took two between four of us and they were totally wash and dryable between washes.

Already planning more adventures! Thanks so much for the sane and calm advice.

We'll done outs I am in awe of your bonkersness sense of adventure :o

thanks

Yay! Glad you had fun!
The torrential rain and and thunderstorms weren't a problem then? Ace.

NO, we only had thunderstorms on Friday, mad flash rain but over really quickly and then an amazing lightening storm in the distance. Are you being funny?

Trying to be funny (gently amusing as opposed to sarcastic and unfunny) without success. Have camped in some really terrible weather over the years. I know what a difference it can make and we had tons of torrential rain here ( midlands) on Saturday. I really am glad your weekend went well.
Plain text can lose a lot between intention and reading.
Have you read a book called 'the art of camping' by Matthew de abaitua? A story about the author and his wife going on a car free camping trip with their child runs through the whole book. Some of it is really good and funny. Worth getting out of the library if you have an interest in the history of camping.

Oooo top book recommendation, thanks. I'm very much a read the book person, DP likes to tell everyone I won't do anything I haven't read a book about first. I haven't read a book about camping yet though!

We have had a rainy holiday or twelve in Wales so the short, and warm if quite torrential downpour was nothing really. DS led a bizarre run-screaming-between-tents game and all the adults drank wine, so the actual storm was that special sort of fun you can only have camping. We're all brown from the sun - the weather was really not a problem!

Ah yes, me too with the book thing, and we have also had a few memorable hols in wales (summer 2007 was quite a do.......)
Another time we had to get the kids to take the kite down QUICKLY! As the electric storm approached....
We are camping this weekend, very much looking forward to it

Oh, have a fab time! I'm a bit envious but there's plenty of summer left, right?!

Have so enjoyed reading this thread .Another in awe of your bonkersness !

Just to add to the tent debate - you could have a larger one and divide it into stuff bags between you ? Might enable you to get one with enough headhight to stand up in ?

Ha ha, I have a plan to, I dunno, have a few more children so we can section off a bell tent between us! Our tent is quite good in that it is a good shape so you get the full floor print in sitable space. DP is very attached to it and wants to get another like it with the thought that one day it'll be a children's tent and an adults tent, which does sound heavenly. We quite liked having the two tents close to each other, entrances facing but the weather was very good to us so we haven't had to deal with a rainy day in the tents with the DC. The thought of this is really motivating me to get on top of their reading...

I saw a convo on MN once about the lovely areas of the site where you could always expect kindness and support, this place came out top for lots of posters. I can see why, you've all been very kind about my near irresponsible standards of camping

Oh no ,not irresponsible at all - absolutely inspiring !

And understand and loving the emotional attachment to the tent - it's funny how one does get attached to tents! ( and don't get my started on bicycles - I've never recovered from having my beloved bike stolen after 25 years of partnership )