DD17 camping for the first time

[worriedmother1929]

DD17 is going on a camping trip this weekend with her friend and her parents (I trust her friends parents and know everything will be secure) she has a tent, air bed and sleeping bag but that's it. Toilets will be near by and the camp site seems to have great facilities.
Camping has never been our thing as a family, and this will be DD's first taste of camping. She's only sleeping for one night, but I'm dropping her off and picking her up so taking too much stuff won't be a problem. What will she need? It's quite cold here so DD thinks she should take an extra blanket, I think she should take a light duvet just in case. She wants to take one pillow, and I think she should take both of her pillows because she'll be more comfortable. I think she should take a sheet for her air bed, she doesn't. Basically we're fighting over this at the moment and we can't figure out what to do! Any help?

She is 17 let her decide what to take herself, she is only away for one night.

Harridan she hasn't been camping before (I haven't been for nearly forty years), so she doesn't have a clue properly, neither do I!

Let her take what she wants. It's only one night and if she is cold and uncomfortable then she will learn a valuable camping lesson!

Let her take what she wants. It's only one night and if she is cold and uncomfortable then she will learn a valuable camping lesson!

I'm just worried as it's her friends birthday and don't want anything ruined by DD being moody, family are also coming round on the Sunday (camping invite was last minute today and everything was ordered this evening) so don't want her too tired/grouchy, I'd never imagined camping could be this confusing

I would let her choose also. She's 17. She can look on the internet also for suggestions, ask her friend who presumably has been before, or just not take something and learn the hard way.

Depends how good the sleeping bag is but an extra blanket is a good idea. One pillow will be fine but wouldn't bother with a sheet or duvet.
It's only one night.

Take a blanket to go under the airbed, the cold strikes up from the ground. If cold, another for on top. One pillow is usually fine, I use a rolled up coat or jumper if I need two. She can always wear a jumper at night if she's cold. You don't need a sheet imo. She'll be fine.

It's a cheap number from Amazon (£8) did think she would be fine as she gets quite warm at night but tonight it's freezing! The description says 11-25 degrees, but I suspect it's going to be colder than that, especially on Saturday which is set to be clear.

As long as she has something like a blanket plus sleeping bag, she'll be fine. Tents can get pretty cosy, and she can sleep in some of her clothes if she has to.

One pillow is plenty. No sheet. The whole point of camping is that it isn't like being at home.

Warm jumpers is what she needs. Much more effective than blankets or duvets which will fall off the sleeping bag when she moves. A warm jumper, warm pyjamas, and warm socks will see her through. Insulation from the ground is more important than insulation on top. Consider getting a foam mat to go under the air bed so the air inside doesn't get so cold. One pillow is likely to be enough.

I wouldn't over-think it. At that age she's likely to stay up half the night discussing bollocks the meaning of life

Plus a woolly hat and gloves is a good idea, and I always take my quilted ski jacket for the evening, even in August.

I would add a torch and a water bottle to your list. And maybe a waterproof. Waterproof trousers if it's set to rain. Hope she has fun!

Potable charger/ extra battery for her phone, and as per previous posters warm socks, hoodie and jogging bottoms/ thick pj's. I take a double quilt and sleep in the sleeping bag in the folded quilt.

A hot water bottle, a hoody and a pair of bed socks. Just in case. As she's not been camping before she could get a shock.

Also a torch for night time wees. And emergency loo roll and hand sanitiser.

Airbeds get cold so it probably would have been better to get a thermal mat, but as you didn't a wool blanket under the mattress will help.

Of course no bed sheets!!

If she's in a small tent with her friend it'll get warm just with the two of them being in there.

She'll be fine!!

(Has she got a pump for her bed?)

When I was 17 I went camping with a gang of friends for a week in the Coldest Place on Earth (Scotland in August). I had a sleeping bag - no pillow, no groundsheet, no blanket - and no parents.

We drank like fish, sang/rowed/cooked round the campfire, hiked to the pub and vomited in each others' tents.

I'm sure she'll be fine.

She is 17. Let her consider her own needs.

She will gain more warmth by putting more layers under her, so air mattress then blanket then sleeping bag - maybe an extra blanket she can put over her too, but if it's a good tent she should be fine.

She'll need a torch.
Take an extra jumper, she can lay it over her at night.
The grass will be wet and cold in the morning, so shoes she can slip into quickly and easily to get to the loo block.
Will she need crocks and utensils, or will her friend's family be providing those? I don't suppose you have one of those thermal cups knocking about - great for keeping tea hot for longer.
The longer you leave your tent unzipped, the more creepy crawlies you'll get coming in.

(Our camping rules include no shoes inside the tent, no drinks inside the tent.)

DD has come downstairs this morning and said she's taking her duvet. She's taking the sleeping bag in case it ends up being a mild night but she froze last night under a blanket and had to dig her duvet out of storage from summer (very fun at 2am)
Friends family are covering everything expect tent, sleeping bag & mattress, I'm going to see if I can dig out an old picnic blanket for insulation under the mattress, and something for between the mattress and her

I second the suggestions of socks and a covering for her head in bed (I'd actually put on a hoodie in the evening to keep warm outdoors, and then a beanie hat in bed, perhaps with the hoodie as well if cold.

Layer up in bed - dig out a pair of winter thermals to put under pjs. And put that thermal layer next to her skin early in the evening rather than letting cold air in late at night when putting on pjs or bed attire. It's much harder to warm back up at that stage. (I also take a hot water bottle camping).

Picnic blanket under mattress is a great idea, especially if it's a foil backed blanket - put the foil side on the bottom and it will help insulate that little bit more from the cold ground.

Why can't she go for 2 nights?

If she has a sleeping bag and duvet she will be fine without all those extra blankets. she can just keep her hoodie on if cold.

Torch
Wipes

She'll be fine.

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