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Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

The minimum!

17 replies

emmskie03 · 20/07/2018 20:37

We are going camping for a few days in Sept to try it out. We've borrowed a tent, got airbeds and sleeping bags.

What is the minimum we need to take? I don't want to spend loads and discover we hate it but I also want us to give it a good go!

OP posts:
HoleyCoMoley · 20/07/2018 20:39

Where abouts are you going, UK or overseas, are you going to stay on a campsite or in a field.

emmskie03 · 20/07/2018 20:51

UK and staying on a campsite. It's taken a while to convince the other half to go at all!

OP posts:
fedup2017 · 20/07/2018 20:57

Tent
Something to sleep on and sleeping bag
Depending on where you are going and when torches ,warm clothes andsocks /hat for bed
Some chairs (can be super cheap ones though)
Glasses and corkscrew/bottleopener.
Perhaps some plates.
I wouldn't bother with cooking stuff if only going away for a few nights. I'd eat out or get a takeaway.

WinkyisbackontheButterBeer · 20/07/2018 21:00

Don’t forget the mallet.
Some kind of light
I always take the duvet to go over the sleeping bags.
Chairs
Disposable bbqs
10 quid stove for boiling water for coffee

HoleyCoMoley · 20/07/2018 21:00

It can bet chilly at night in the UK. Take hot water bottles, pillows, a blanket, towels, toiletries. Portable gas stove to make a cuppa, mugs, plates, bowls, cutlery, glasses, a cool box to keep fresh milk and butter in, and alcohol. Flip flops, jammies or tracksuit bottoms to walk to bathroom and toilet block, torch, battery lights, a mirror, portable kettle, saucepan. Look up the campsite and see what facilities,they have, you might be able to have an electricity cable so you can watch tv on iPad, use mobile phone. Do they have a cafe and shower block. Midnight munchies, baby wipes, nappy bags.

HoleyCoMoley · 20/07/2018 21:04

Tentpegs and a piece of rope. Look up the Halfords accessory page, you don't need to buy it there but it shows you what you might need.

Ricekrispie22 · 22/07/2018 09:13

I agree that you don't need to invest much in cooking stuff, but just need something for boiling water. We take on-the-go porridge pots which you can just add hot water to and latte/cappuccino sachets.
Check out what's available at your campsite. Some campsites have fire pits to hire and whilst campsite shops are expensive, you could buy fresh food as and when you need it to avoid having to take a coolbox or fridge.
Depending on where you're camping, some takeaway delivery firms might actually deliver straight to your tent. I've also stayed on campsites where the local pub will deliver to the site. This would save you having to take washing up stuff and crockery/cutlery.

BiddyPop · 24/07/2018 10:29

Do you have any kind of picnic bag or coolbox, and some ice blocks to go in it? (Or even buy a bag of ice, or have 1 meal frozen to thaw in the box but keeping it cool at the same time).

Do you have any plastic plates and cutlery and glasses? If not, buying disposable ones like for parties would do for a first trip. But I use Ikea kids ones, as they are plastic, different colours (so DD and I can tell who owns which one), and the plates have a decent lip so can act as shallow bowls as well.

A torch - you probably will have some lying around at home for powercuts etc.

Some kind of cooking appliance to heat water and a pot with a lid/kettle for that. (Pot is handy because you could opt for something else cooked too, but don't feel you need to).

Sleeping mats for UNDER the sleeping bags, as that's where most of the cold comes from.

If you have any rugs, picnic blankets, regular blankets as well (and car space), have some spare with you.

Pillows, for comfort, from regular beds.
Hot water bottles taken from winter storage spots, and a woolly hat for wearing in bed (and woolly socks in bed too).

Do you have any folding chairs for the garden, or a folding table? You can live without them if you don't but it would make it easier.

Bringing some spare rope and tent pegs is sensible, and cheap, a mallet (even a regular hammer from your toolbox would be ok for a trial run) would probably be useful after all this dry spell as the ground will be harder. (If you have spare rope, you can use that with 2 sticks or tied between trees to make a washing line for towels/togs etc to dry out).

Regular clothes, toiletries, towels etc. Shoes - a pair that are easy to get on for late-night treks to the toilet block are useful as well (crocs, wellies, flipflops etc). Spare SOCKS.

Bring a tea towel for washing up. If you have any kind of basin or bucket, that would be useful for washing up/moving things to washup areas etc. And a small bit of washing up liquid (use a travel sized bottle to bring some from under the sink at home as you don't need a lot). And a couple of black sacks - rubbish bags, and another for wet/dirty clothes for coming home.

The only thing I think you NEED to have/buy are sleeping mats and a torch.

And while I'd suggest mostly buying meals rather than cooking, you might want to bring a chopping board and small sharp knife from the kitchen to be able to make a sandwich, cut cheese, etc.

Tinseltower · 24/07/2018 10:43

Bare essentials:

Tent
Something to lay on. If using an air bed you must have some form of insulation between you and the air bed (sleeping bag will be fine or a duvet under you as well as over the top).

Sleeping bad or duvet

Food or cooking facilities (bbq or gas stove).

Torch (can use phone light if you can charge it)

Water bottle.

ForgivenessIsDivine · 24/07/2018 22:43

Do you have any friends who camp? I would be happy to lend things and regularly do!!

emmskie03 · 25/07/2018 22:28

Got a torch and I'll take the little ones plastic plates.

Got some thick fleecy blankets (they are huge) to go under the airbed and theres a second one for on top of sleeping bags if necessary.

I do have a cool bag but I'm worried with this kind of whether that it will be utterly pointless and we will all end up dead from food poisoning. Are they actually effective enough to deal with this weather?

I think we will take disposable BBQ and then eat out with sarnies/cereal for other meals.

We actually do have a pitch with an electrical hook up but I'm boggled as to how this works? I guess we need to buy or borrow a mobile unit?

No one we know really does camping. It seems that a number of people are seeing his we get in before giving it a go!

OP posts:
QueasySqueezy · 25/07/2018 22:41

It’ll be colder than you expected at night, bring hat/ gloves.

Don’t put a lock on the tent zip, it makes it look like you have something worth locking away.

Bring flip flops/ plastic shoes for showering in.

Eye mask and earplugs as it gets light very early, and all the birds get shouty and wake you up.

Be prepared that insects will get into your tent. It’s ok, if you’re in the uk they’re v unlikely to hurt you.

Don’t blow bubbles/ use insecticide / get sunscreen or makeup remover etc on or near the tents, they bugger up the waterproofing.

You’ll need a mobile unit for the hook up, and be careful what you plug in, you can trip a chunk of the campsite if you’re not careful!

QueasySqueezy · 25/07/2018 22:42

That sounds patronising, sorry, just a few of the things I’ve learned!

emmskie03 · 26/07/2018 08:58

Not patronising at all, all very helpful and I definitely don't want to cause others to lose their electric!

OP posts:
peridito · 27/07/2018 13:33

Ask the camp site owner about the hook up . Say you're a total novice and know nothing ,ask if you have to bring something to be able to use it .
IME owners and other campers love nothing better than helping /sharing knowledge .They might have a hook up lead you can borrow or hire .

Hook up will make all the difference - electric kettle ,phone charding ,lighting !
Where I camp ( very basic ) hook ups have never caused tripping out . When I was lucky enough to use one ( no longer in that category ) we were running a fan heater .

Cool boxes do work in this heat ,even bog standard ones .Will keep stuff like bacon ,eggs ,fruit cool .Won't keep seafood ,mince fresh .

Try and keep in shade ,cover with anything - spare clothes/towels for extra insulation .Pack with frozen stuff ,water bottles ,cooked spag boll before you set off .Take freezer blocks - some sites have freezers . Or as suggested buy a bag of ice .

Don't forget a water container - 3 or 5 litres .

I'm a fan of wet flannels in plastic food bags for this heat .

peridito · 27/07/2018 13:34

Oh - you're going in Sept ! Scrub the wet flannels .Take hot water bottles ,socks ,track suit /joggers to go over PJ's .

shouldwestayorshouldwego · 27/07/2018 13:40

I would hesitate to call this 'the minimum' or essential but with a hook up you could take a slow cooker. We pop it on in the morning, ready by supper time.

Chairs add to the feeling of comfort and then dh more likely to go back.

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