Transporting all the camping gear

[TheWayOfTheWorld]

How do you all do it? We went camping a couple of times last years but went to places where the tent is already put up for you so we could decide whether camping is for us.

I've now bought a tent (yay!) but trying to work out how on earth we will pack everything.

We haven't got a huge boot so we hired a roof box last year and the car was stuffed to seams, and this was without a tent, beds or tables etc...

We do have a second car but it seems a bit ridiculous to take both.

Does anyone have a trailer? I've been having a google but don't know where to start

What are you taking?? We managed in a Meriva with 4 of us, and a roofbox. We had table, chairs, airbeds and pump, sleeping bags and pillows, food, stove, kitchen shelving thing and cooking utensils. Also clothes, towels etc.

We always piled pillows into the back with the kids, put the chairs and tables in the roofbox and the rest in the boot.

Don't take more than you need!

What gear are you taking, how long for and for how many of you? In what car?

Sounds like glamping which I approve of 😉

We use a trailer

Ok, so it would be:

• tent (just got the 10T Desert 10+ with canopy)
• camp beds (x 2 for children)
• bed(s) for us (thinking of the Decathlon inflatable camp bed bases with SIMs)
• 4 x camping chairs
• folding table for sitting at/eating
• fold-up camp kitchen
• cool box
• sleeping bags
• clothes
• gas stove
• envelope BBQ
• eating and cooking equip
• lamps

Sausagefingers9, what trailer do you have?

Are you packing around the children too OP?

We have a grand scenic +roof box. Take 4x dc and a dh! And a ten man tent and all paraphernalia.

That's not too crazy, but if you're trying to fit it into Polo rather than a Landrover, it is problematic.

Agree with stuffing things around the kids - especially bedding.

Many campsites will let supermarket delivery vans drive up to your pitch, so you can get your food shopping delivered to your tent rather than having to fit it in the car!

A couple of summers ago we watched a family of four pack up their tent and drive off in a Nissan Micra. If they can do it...

Yes, try and pack stuff around the kids (and me, in the passenger seat!) - no idea how people managed it in a Micra

We have a Prius but I think the boot space in rubbish. We don't really need a new or bigger car though, hence why I was thinking of a trailer.

Also, I am currently eyeing up flooring for the tent

Roof box
Sit on sleeping bags and pillows

Do you have a small car?

Framey it is a mid sized saloon - we use the gaps between the children's car seats, the footwells in the back and the passenger seat.

Ah fuck it, if we need to take two cars then so be it - I am sure we can work out how to reduce to a certain extent/look into a roof box etc but I like my comforts.

We manage in a Qashqai, 2 kids, 2 adults and a large tent. I have a SIM but kids have blow up beds. We take duvets. We have a roof box and wouldn't manage without that.

Trailer! 3x dcs and 2x dogs. No roofbox as we have boards & kayak on the roof. We have a land rover but it’s full to bursting and dogs are in the foot wells. We don’t scrimp on taking home comforts though as we camp for over two weeks. Luckily I’m quite good at packing though ...

A large roof box is the way forward. As big as you can afford we just picked up a 415ltr one second hand for £40.

I wouldn’t take camp beds for the kids-unless they pack extremely small. A good foam mat should be OK and take up less space.

I've no idea how people do it. We have a Renault Grand Espace, a huge roof box and still have things tucked around the 4 children.

I do like my creature comforts though!

We had a trailer. Worked brilliantly. Especially if kit was wet and muddy! We’ve stopped camping and need to sell it now. It obviously takes up space in the garage.

Lift up your boot liner and see what you can squeeze around your spare tyre. I have a whole box of lamps / kitchen stuff that gets shoved individually in or around it plus the camping towels laid on top then get squashed down with the weight of everything else.

Can you fit clothes in the bags for the camp beds / kitchen stuff? There's always extra gaps I find.

Do you use packing cubes for clothes? If you use the small ones it's easier to fill very small spaces.

What size trailer do you all use? We were hoping to get one to add bikes on the top.

I have done it in a Micra! I had the tent folded under my feet in the passenger seat. It was not a comfortable journey....

We have a bigger car, roof box and small trailer now.

Take less? Tent, sleeping bags, roll mats and small stove will fit in the boot. If you are taking the kitchen sink, get a trailer.

LVacuum pack bags for clothes, blankets duvets and put in first or in roof box

Do the food shop when you get there or have a delivery. We just pick up most bits of fresh food on the day we use it so it doesn’t go funny in the cool box!

Put the bulky things in first and then fit everything around it, with access to the tent a priority!

We take two cars. It's way less hassle than trying to squash everyhting around the kids and dog for us :-)

I'm not a back to basics camper though, so our equipment isn't of the small, compact variety! We also take bikes, a kayak and a BBQ.