What is your essential kit for one/ two nights away?

[NorthernGravy]

Going with DH and 6 yo DS for the odd night/ two away. We have a tent, inflatable mattresses, sleeping bags, tiny gas camping stove and cheap pan set.

I keep looking at inflatable furniture, folding table and chairs, wardrobes, electric hook up unit, and the list goes on and on.

What is the minimum amount of kit that you need to make a weekend away comfortable? What can’t you do without and what is a waste?

Have you searched the threads?I'm sure there is a thread where everyone shares their camping lists

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/camping/3589647-Totally-new-to-camping-where-to-start-what-to-buy

I remember a Guardian article about minimal camping. Basically the guy had a knife, plate, picnic rug and couple of glow sticks, that was about it!

For short trips and festivals we take
Stove -
Small roll up table and chairs. (table is low enough to work with armchairs)
Cold bag and few tins/packets
One box of cooking stuff/mugs etc
Sleeping bags,mats, pillows, blanket.
Tents and tarp

As long as you have some where comfortable to sit, a bit of shelter and means to make a cuppa, sorted. There are lists right down to the last spatula on MN though.

We started off with the basics and sniggered at families who took all their home comforts.
We quickly progressed to taking every home comfort imaginable. The more you take (like pillows and chairs) the more enjoyable you'll find camping.

I take a folding chair for each person.
A table
A small low table that the cooker goes on
Coolbox
Kettle, fry pan , other pan
BBQ
Plates, mugs, cutlery, cafetière
Collapsing washing up bowl.
5l flagon of mineral water to be re-filled as water carrier.

If going for longer than two nights my cupboard, which provides storage plus extra work surface.

No sofas ever, no big camp kitchen, no EHU.

We sit out by the fire in the evening, not in the tent, never really do anything inside the tent so have a modest tent size, with tarp.

Massive set-ups are too much hard work for me.

Thank you! I’m one of those bloody annoying people asking the same question. Apologies. Sometimes I wish that mumsnet had a pinned FAQ section.

We do have 3 folding chairs- I had thought of buying a table and folding chair thing all in one but thinking about it we only really need a table to go with them.

Heres a tip, we cut about four inches off the legs of our roll up table with a hacksaw. Otherwise they are too high when you are sitting with those armchairs. Saves taking extra stools
When DC were small we took a low table and got them to sit on a box so it was the right height for them. Otherwise they were always knocking over cereal etc.

NotMe- do you have a link to your roll up table?

www.halfords.com/camping-leisure/camping/camping-furniture/halfords-roll-up-aluminium-table?istCompanyId=b8708c57-7a02-4cf6-b2c0-dc36b54a327e&istFeedId=367c5610-f937-4c81-8609-f84582324cd6&istItemId=xmlxxtrqw&istBid=t&_$ja=tsid:94971|cid:868555882|agid:49387673692|tid:aud-297219198889:pla-347297277548|crid:203456299392|nw:g|rnd:3795439632048252524|dvc:m|adp:1o1|mt:|loc:9045878&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiJ3_iO_H4gIVihrTCh3cQgnAEAQYASABEgL8ePD_BwE Roll up table.

In addition to what you're already taking, I'd definitely take an electric hook-up, a little blow fan heater, a kettle, a plug in cool box (basically yo refrigerate butter, milk and meat) and a lamp. I'd also ditch the cheap stove and pans. You'll be so frustrated when cooking if your food is sticking and if you've got a poor chopping knife etc. I tend to take two of my best pans from the kitchen, as well as a good chopping knife, board, and utensil such as a ladel. Whatever makes things as easy as possible and which ensures I can feed the family well. However, we don't tend to camp for any less than 3 nights either. We've just return from camping this week with our 7 and 1 year old. It was fantastic, but I'm sure I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much without being able to plug things in. The table that someone has put a link on about above is NOT a good dining table. It's far too small. We've got the exact same one and use it to put the camping stove on with a gas bottle below. We do have a fold up dining set, but you'd manage without with folding chairs. You'd definitely need something to put a stove on though.

Thing about camping is unless you a wild camping type weirdo who only takes a foraging knife and a jug of home brewed cider, there is no shame in totally filling the car.

Take your duvets, your pillows, extra blankets, comfy camping chairs, a camp kitchen, a water container, two tables (one for the stove, one for prep..... we eat on our laps) loads and loads of snacks and wine. Take cold packs, most campsites have somewhere you can exchange them. Don’t try and cook too much, get pizzas/go to pub for most meals. Take a gazebo if you can, provides shade in hot weather or some where to sit in the rain. Fairy lights and bunting. Definitely need lights for all compartments of the tent and head torches. Take something to pee in in the night ( I take a potty).

Earplugs. Absolute Godsend on every campsite. It's either loud blokes talking about their mate's wife issues at midnight, the toddler in the next tent wanting a wee at 2a.m., or Farmer Giles revving up the quad bike at dawn to go and check on his sheep.

I really enjoy camping, but I enjoy it much more after a good night's sleep.

But seriously, you don't need a lot for a few days away. Tent, sleeping bags, roll mats, cooker, table for the cooker, a few chairs, some sort of light, enough mugs, plates and cutlery for everyone, and a few pans and bowls. Something to light the cooker with (matches in a small airtight box). Corkscrew.

Oh, and if you plan to cook from scratch, a decent chopping board and a sharp knife.

I would also say choose the right campsite. We camp regularly, usually 3 or 4 times a year for up to 2 weeks. We've been as far as Cornwall, but usually go to the Lake District. We've never, ever been to a site where ear-plugs are necessary. Read site information carefully; many have no noise polices after 10/10.30. Also, don't assume camping is cheap. Once you've visited pubs for meals, coffee shops for cake etc, you'll find it'll cost as much as a holiday abroad. We camped this week for 4 nights in the Lakes paying around £40 per night for our pitch. The Quiet Site next door charged £45. Tge cheapest we've paid has probably been around £30 eith electricity.

Yes I should have said it's a bit of a lightweight table and kids will probably knock it over, it's more for festivals etc.

This is better for young DC and has adjustable legs and a solid top
table

It all depends on the size of your car, storage at home and style of camping.

It is a lightweight table, but in 6 years no one has knocked it over and we have managed. I have a normal family car and no storage space.

And we go to sites with no EHU, loads of space (no earplug issues), and cook over the fire.

Not a weirdo, just a different preference, and the Op asked about travelling light.

A tarp is one thing to think about, it's a big square of tent fabric with a couple of poles that can be pegged different ways to make a canopy/windbreak/gazebo but rolls up into a little bag. Decathlon do a good one, all their camping stuff is very business like and value for money, the French being a serious nation of campers.
Otherwise a normal seaside type windbreak is useful.

But oooh, yes, don’t put kids in the small folding stools. It’s like skittles.

Aldi currently have a good double table, £19, folds in half, adjustable legs, carry bag.

Enough lights. If you have electric hook up the USB chargeable ones from decathlon are good

Put a fleece blanket between you and the air mattress (makes an enormous difference to warmth - I take a hot water bottle too), warm pyjamas too.
Eye shades and earplugs.
Wet wipes for emergencies.
Personally if I ever camped again (please god no.....) I would pack all but the kitchen sink. I know one couple with a van who took a single bed and mattress because the wife was so reluctant 😃

OP, have you got a blow up mattress or SIMS?

2 Ready-bed all in one things.

Basically the air gets cold at night (including the air inside the airbed) so have a layer between the person and mattress, and a spare blanket to put over you. Personally I would not bother putting insulation between airbed and ground.

It can help: the air in the air bed conducts the cold up from the ground. Insulation underneath stops this.

A tent carpet or interlocking foam mat on the sleeping pod floor will insulate the whole pod.

But foam yoga mats on top of the blow up mattress will insulate well.

Wine

And gin

And blankets in case you don't drink enough wine or gin