Camping tips

[plum1985]

Hi all, myself husband and two children 8 and 4 are camping for the first ever time mid August.
We don't have electric on our pitch.
Do you have any tips?
A list of things I should bring?
We have the obvious, tent, camp chairs, sleeping bags.
Thanks in advance x

Just back from camping. Our 17th year. My youngest is 18 now. We have a list. Give me 5 mins

Perfect! Thank you x

So many things. It sounds like Japanese will be back with a full list though.

I recently had a similar thread...having road tested the suggestions for a weekend my tip would be get electric! And then take a handheld vacuum for all the inevitable crap that gets brought in the tent

Battery operated fairy lights.

Head torch and crics or flip flops for middle of the night toilet trips.
Plenty of layers, it's colder than you think at night.
Ice blocks - most sites have a communal fridge/freezer

Crics?? Even autocorrect doesn't like Crocs

A bucket

Self inflating mats much warmer than air beds or camp beds imo

Proper wool blankets - army style. One each. Great for if you get cold at night and you can use them around the fire without worrying about sparks.

Take your first meal already cooked and frozen then it’s easier to heat. Eg I take bolognese sauce and pasta then warm it in my Dutch oven on the open fire.

Take a couple of large picnic blankets (plastic backed) to act as a place to wipe feet etc before entering the tent and one inside as a carpet.

Solar powered torch lanterns.

Fairy lights.

A bag for each person in the living area to help you organise. Eg toiletries, PJs etc

Tent
Air beds
Pump (plugs into charger socket in car to pump up air bed)
Sleeping bags
Pillows
Chairs
Table
Gas stove with wind shield
Regulator
Gas bottle
Picnic hamper (contains all our crockery and cutlery)
Saucepan
Milk pan
Frying pan
Kettle
Sharp knife
Chopping board
Spatula
Wooden spoon
Salt/pepper
Herbs and spices mix
Rubbish bags
Toilet roll
Torches x 2
Spare batteries
Wind break
Cool bag and ice packs
Picnic blanket
Washing up bowl and washing up liquid
Gas lamp
Playing cards
Clothes pegs
Tea towel
Dishcloth
Kitchen roll
Corkscrew
Towels and flannel
Swiss Army knife
Clothes
Toiletries
First aid kit and painkillers
Camera
Reading books and OS maps
Camera
Purse
Wellies and waterproofs

We have dogs but haven’t put their essentials down as assume you don’t have one.

You will either love it or hate it. If it’s raining everything is hard work.

I have a forester with a roof box as 2 large dogs, the tent, air beds, pillows and coats take up most of the boot space.

Where are you going

You can get good LED lights to hang inside.

Blankets under and on top of whatever kind of mattress you use.

Waterproof bag to put your stuff in when you go to the showers.

A lamp for evenings in the tent is most important for me, it gets dim earlier than you imagine, especially when it's raining

Snacks

Waterproofs

Lots of warm layers to sleep in and hot water bottles, it's always much colder than you imagine!

Outdoor games, balls, frisbee etc

Toilet rolls to put in pockets in the tent so always some handy in the night

Wellies or crocs to wear for night time toilet runs in the dewy grass

Solar or car cigarette lighter powered phone chargers

Haven't been camping for years but spent a month camping without electricity every year throughout childhood and adolescence and these are the main things I remember

Lol. I’ve just noticed that kite/cricket bat/ball has been crossed off my list and replaced with phone charger! Which I have then crossed out as a phone may be taken camping but only turned on for emergencies (not happened yet)

Thanks everyone, its going to be a struggle getting everything in the car! We are going to Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. Fingers crossed for dry weather. Please come back if you think of any other tips.
Xxx

Best camping tip ever is to throw the tent in the bin and book a hotel 😂

Rubber mallet

First camping trips should be within easy reach of a decent sized town with a Go Outdoors. What you forget you can buy.

Try camping in the garden first. You don't want to be putting up a tent for the first time in the wind and rain and find there's a pole missing.

Most things you can cope with and muddle through if they're not right. A few very important tips:

Stay warm. Hats, layer up, and DO NOT GET WET! Wet=cold.

After warmth, wind is your biggest enemy. Don't put a big tall tent in an exposed position, and check the weather regularly. Tents do blow down.

Don't cook inside a sealed up tent. Carbon monoxide might kill you.

Don't get undressed in your tent between a light and the tent side. It makes a shadow striptease show for all the other campers.

Pegs and S hooks are always handy.

Does it get cold at night in this weather?

Pamster there is usually a point in the night where it does get cold, even though it feels so hot when you're in a house. You need to make sure you have layers. Then when the sun comes up and starts shining in the morning you have to throw it all off.