Tips for packing the car for a camping trip?

[ArtyFartyQueen]

Off camping we go on Saturday for 7 nights, me, DH, DD and DS and a ginormous tent, newly purchased COBB BBQ! and of course Gin!

Does anyone have any tips that most effectively use the space in the car (small 4x4) with a 330 litre capacity and someone who is known to be an 'overpacker'!

HELP!!

Vacuum pack some of your clothes and bedding. Obviously you won't be taking a vacuum cleaner with you so you won't be able to do it when you return, but when you return you won't have all your food and toiletries so you'll have more space.
Always make sure larger, solid items go in first, otherwise you could have wasted space where smaller or squashy items could be crammed in.
You could get a supermarket delivery to the campsite with all your toiletries and food.

A roofbox is a fantastic way of gaining more space for camping and next-day delivery of a car model specific complete kit is available from the leading online supplier ;)

But more practical suggestions:

• Small and soft packages are easier to stow, so avoid large boxes or cases as far as possible.

• Stow the fixed-size big/rigid items first (except for the tent, see below) and pack smaller items into the gaps and spaces around them.

• Make sure the tent (at least the outer) and everything you need to get it up (poles, pegs, mallet/pump, etc.) are packed where you can get them out first. That way if it's wet when you pitch you're not shuffling your bedding around in the rain just to get the tent out.

• Make the most of under-seat space.

• take enough food for the first evening and the first breakfast only. Shop locally to avoid schlepping a box of groceries across country. The Tesco at your destination likely stocks the same things that your Tesco close to home does.

• you need less stuff than you think, and you definitely need fewer pans, crockery and cutlery than you would for the same period at home. If you find you forget anything, Tesco has almost all the essentials cheap.

• Look for the little things that make a difference, examples:

-- when I pull the backseats forward in our car it creates a gap between the back of the seats and the front edge of the parcel shelf. This lets me stand something upright at the front of the boot that's taller than the parcel shelf whilst still having the parcel shelf fitted.

-- camping mats and other items that roll-up usually leave an empty hollow in the middle. Use this for your gin, wine, and other essential supplies.

My children used to like travelling in their sleeping bags with pillows to rest on - that saves boot space.

I use folding crates in my boot as they are stackable and fold flat / are useful in the tent for storing food etc.

Put the gin / wine / beer next to the tent to drink whilst wrestling with erecting the tent.

Do not overpack - plan what each person will wear each day - wellies / shorts / tshirt and raincoat. Something warm for the evening. Grubby is fine.

I have found it really handy to put a days worth of clothes for each person in a freezer bag (Ikea do good sized ones with a zip which helps squeeze the air out too)
ie. pants, socks, shorts, tshirt / skirt, top, pants, bra

These bags can fit into really small spaces in the car, without getting dirty, or muddled up.

They can be thrown into a box/bag in the tent as you unpack the car and each morning you can just hand out one packet to each person without trying to find where all the socks have gone.

AMAZING - Thank you to everyone who has shared their tips so far. Keep them coming please. @Ricekrispie22 - I missed out the word roof box in my initial post - it was meant to say with a 330 litre roof box.

DS and I went camping at the weekend and struggled to fit everything in, and we now have 2 more people plus their belongings so I'm working hard at just taking what we definitely need.......the COBB, bucket toilet and gin are my essentials!

camp chairs take up so much space! consider inflatables for lounging around and then a suitcase type table and chairs for meals

@ArtyFartyQueen - I also didn't realise you'd already got a 'box and the 330l was additional volume! (I've stopped being surprised at the low volume of modern car boots and assumed 330l was the boot volume).

The roofbox will take more than you think (330l - Husky L?) but watch the weight. Both the box and the car roof will have maximum weight limits, the car limit including the weight of the bars and box. Use the box for bulky items like bedding that don't weigh much. Our tent skin goes in the 'box but the pole pack goes in the boot as it's the heavier but denser component. Loose pillows and sleeping bags are great for stuffing into empty pockets of the roofbox and they make the roofbox load more secure and stable as a result.

If you're taking an electric coolbox, have a few jiggles about to find the best way to orientate it so it takes up the least room - but always remember that the vents need to be kept clear.

Don't forget the spare wheel well (if the car has one) as a potential extra storage location. Don't put anything vital (e.g. the mallet) in here but you may be able to relocate some of the regular car clutter essentials down here. Particularly if it's a model of car that still has a full size wheel well but only has a can of goop where the spare ought to be.

If you've a rigid water carrier, replace it was a collapsible one. A 25l rigid jerry can is just bulky empty air (embarrassing how many trips it took for us to work that one out..).

Do not forget the roofbox keys
(a lesson I was fortunate enough to learn from someone else's mistake)

Thanks so much! I brought a vacuum bag yesterday so going to put all the blankets/pillows etc in there as hopefully that will save some space! I went through the camping boxes and actually took out quite a few things that wernt ‘essential’ so hopefully that’s helped too! Will be packing the car up this afternoon so wish me luck!!