How many clothes do you take for a week's camping?

[Surfermum]

I always take way too much. We're actually going for a fortnight but am thinking of packing for a week and then washing stuff after a week for the second week.

I am a minimal packer for our m-f holiday I took 4 pairs trousers, 6 tops, pair pjs, shoes I was wearing, and underwear and toiletries! Was fine, and didn't need a trip to launderette. Have done similar when camping too.

Wow! I'm impressed.

I'd better add I'm packing for a 4 year old and 11 year old too. Dd (4) gets dirtier than dsd (11) does.

And it's in this country, so we need to cover all eventualities weather wise.

3 complete changes plus extra underwear. Can't stand piles of stuff, and can highly recommend a couple of hours 'doing the laundry' with a magazine, chocolate and no children.

im packing today for fortnight camping and already have way too much. need to cull or we will have to take 2 cars! or buy a caravan to put the tent in...its the 'covering all weather eventualities' that killing me too

Our car has a huge boot, we have a roof box and a trailer - and we manage to fill them all!

top tip - buy waterproof trousers so on damp dewy mornings the kids stay dry until the sun warms up!

I used to take tons but now I take washing tablets and just do a load of washing if we run out of clean/dry stuff.

When I go to Scotland I do all my washing before I come home on the last day when DH is having his last day of fishing and the DCs are having their last day of bike riding, camping or whatever and I have my day of washing, drying and sitting reading magazines and eating biscuits with Maureen - it's a fab idea! No piles of stinking washing to come home to.

That's where I go wrong I think. I put in cropped trousers for us all but then think if it's cold in the evening I'll want full length trousers on, so put in both.

What do you think of this packing idea:
Allocate every family member one of those big reusable tesco bags (i reckon i can fit about seven or eight in the boot). Put in their clothes/shoes then they have the remaining space for toys/books etc. That leaves one for bedlinen & towels and one for assorted junk. Anything that doesn't fit in the bag gets left behind. It might just work?

I have gone faint, to be honest . But thanks for the suggestion!

We'd fill two of those with our wetsuits and beach stuff.

will let you know how it goes, i will be getting my packing done at the weekend..or not as the mood takes me

i do that too re the bags, can't remember where I read it originally - not my idea, but worked really well for us. I use the blue ikea bags, like cmc says, one per person, one for towels etc, one for toys & I take one empty one for laundry. Then each person has their bag in their pod with them, so getting dressed/finding own stuff easy as each has own bag, and helps to keep tent tidier and makes packing & unpacking easier too.

If I'm going for 2 weeks I always do a wash half way through. Don't think any of us possess enough clothes for 2 weeks

For long trips in our larger tent everyone has one of those underbed storage bags. Found they fit nicely in the bedroom pods. Find them easier to fit in the car than normal bags.

I told dh about the bag idea. We're going to fill one and see how much we can get in. I might be eating my words yet!

At the moment I'm thinking 4 outfits each and then washday on the middle Saturday. But with variations on the outfit for the weather.

3 of each basics ( shorts/ trews, t shirts, undies) + 1 warm top ( 2 for boy) + pjs for boy + waterproofs 1 pair shoes & 1 pair sandles each . Wash something most days in the shower.
each person has one hat, one bandana, one pair shades one set swim things & one towel.
we camp very light.

the tesco bags work! My car is packed, the boot has never looked so organised.
A bag each for:
DC x 3 clothes (they have small clothes!)
toys & games
DH & my clothes
shoes, waterproofs, buckets & spades
food & assorted oddments
swimming stuff incl. towels, floats and toys
bed linen and towels
plus the DVD player, CD player, vanity case, an overnight bag for the ferry and a backpack with snacks for the journey

On the way home it will be thrown in & squashed down in the time-honoured manner, bien sur