Your camping must haves / must do's please for a complete and utter novice

[Monroe]

Our financial situation will be taking a significant hit over the next few years. DH has therefore bought a tent and thinks this will solve our problem of at least getting a few breaks away with the DC's. The problem is neither of us have ever been camping and are pretty much winging it.

So please can you tell me what your essentials would be, what we should definitely do and also what we should also avoid. It will be me, DH, 9 year old ds and 6 year old DD, thank you ☺

I always take a wok to cook with, heats stuff faster than a pan! And yes, defo try putting the tent up- we borrowed one and had no idea what it looked like up so we were the laugh of the campsite until some kind folk helped...

The tent is up! Has been for a few days and has already provided hours of endless fun for the DC's and next doors dc.

Also my aunt has apparently hung up her camping boots so we're going to have a look at her kit and see if there is anything we can buy cheap from her before hitting the shops

Have a fab time!! We've had a few years away from camping after the teens decided they hated it, but our 9 year old has asked if we can go again - this thread has really got me in the mood

Getting it all in the car, don't take large bags per person, pack what you can directly in between the tent and hard camping stuff. Every blanket, jumper even t-shirt are squashed in separately. I made a load of drawstring bags from old sheets to group the really small stuff together. Then when you unpack use ikea blue bags or a zip up plasticity to put the stuff into in the tent.

If your tent doesn't have an awning or porch you'll need a bunch of old towels to mop the tent entrance when/if it rains.

Solar powered fairy lights and those £1 solar light stake things.

First aid kit, including something to treat itchy bug bites and sunburn, antiseptic wash, allergy medicine for an unexpected allergic reaction, and to reduce itchiness of bug bites) and headache medication.

Frozen plastic bottles of water(fill 2 litre pop bottles 4/5th full of water and freeze, they stay frozen longer than small bottles) make good ice packs for your cooler, and then you can use the water once thawed.
Flashlights for everybody and extra batteries.
Have fun.

We have some lovely bits of vintage camping kit complete with eyewatering 1960s fabrics, from DH's parents. Hope your aunt has some good bits to get you started.

Hello, I need some advice! My friend has just given birth and is determined to take her newborn to Glastonbury Festival in four weeks time to finish her 12-years-in-the-making documentary. I may be going to help her. As a mother of two boys, we took them when they were 9 and 13, which was hard enough. Has anyone ever taken a tiny baby to a music festival and if so, what tips do you have (apart from don't do it!) ?

[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=large+s+hooks&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=28733622608&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9274239841844237157&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_44vv9c20se_b S Hooks!

These are great! I use them for hanging up carrier bags to use as a bin, hanging up coats in side the tent, hanging up clothes in the shower block if there are no hooks and for hanging kitchen utensils and pots and pans off my kitchen stand.

Possibly loads more uses for them too.

I got so excited, I forgot how to link. S Hooks

They do look handy and a bit lethal

curseoflovely you would probably be better starting your own thread in camping, camping with a newborn maybe. I'm sure you'll get lots of advice from others who have done it

It's probably been said already but a good night's sleep is essential so make room in the car for pillows, duvet if you're not into sleeping bags (I hate them) and good camp beds or air beds. Re air beds: you'll be reinflating them daily so buy a pump with a car adapter.

May sound daft, but decent spatulas for scraping as much food as possible out of pans, to make it less gross when washing up - and decent washing up kit

We always have a BBQ on the first night, easy stuff like burgers, salad etc... lots of wine
Then we eat out at a pub second night...

Glow sticks are great for kids and useful night lights when it's v dark...

Battery fairy lights

A flag so you can find your tent!

Big marshmallows!! For toasting.

If you take duvets, drape them over back seat of car and sit the kids on top... ditto to pillows.

For all those who have mentioned glow sticks, where do you get them from?

I think I saw some glow sticks in The Range?

Glow sticks also in pound shop and The Works.

Sainsbury's have quite cheap ones, you get loads in the packet

I get my glow sticks from Poundland.

I must admit on my last camping trip it felt slightly odd to be clutching a glow stick in a field but not being completely off my face. I don't even drink any more.