Camping alone with 5 yr olds

[SWzz]

Hi, I'm a mum of 5yr old twins. I am lucky enough to be able to take most the school holidays off with them and want to get them outdoors on some adventures.

I'm looking at possibly an air/inflatable tent - those who have them, is it easy to put them up alone while watching the little ones too?

Do you feel safe in a tent at night alone with just your children? What do you do to make you feel more secure?

What tips/must haves would you advise to make camping fun/easier?

I don't want to spend money then realise it doesn't work for my situation or even worse, I really don't enjoy the hassle of camping on my own with them.

Thanks.

DH went with DD (5) last year when I couldn't get time off.

We have a 4 man blow up tent which goes up really fast, but it's very heavy and I wouldn't be able to carry it from the car. I could put it up myself though.

One downside is if it's wet - ours was 25kg dry - when we were escaping leaving because of terrible weather, DH nearly put his back out trying to pack it up.

If you stick to the better/more family orientated sites you'll be fine - we've had a couple of shockers recently with really pissed people making loads of noise and acting like absolute wankers all night.

We've never had an issue with NT sites and we've been going for years.

Loads of layers. Decathlon is great for stuff and make sure you take waterproof stuff. Last year we took 2 jackets for DD in case one didn't dry out.

Can't wait for camping season this year!

The air tents are easy to put up on your own if you've decent weather, I highly recommend practise and watching youtube videos before .

The one thing you will need to come up with a plan for is when you get there, inevitably the kids have slept in the car so are wide awake and bouncing with energy and excitement and your trying to put the tent up, watch them and not get stressed. But if you and your kids will have a ball I'm sure.

The bigger the tent the better for crappy weather, but generally the harder to pitch and obviously take up more space in the car and store.
Not as cost effective are the places you go to that have pre pitched tents but could be a toe dipping exercise before you spend a lot of money on kit.

I go camping every year on my own with my little boy who is 10, have been doing so since he was 4 (used to also bring my doggo until she passed last year 😢). We have a 2 room tent with a little porch in the middle. Not inflatable but easy to assemble. We bring DS blankets, pillows and cuddly toys, board games and books for wet weather, battery lights to decorate his little room 🥰 and torch for nighttime pee time adventures!

Always bring some disposable BBQs as we love going to markets during the days and letting DS pick out sausages, prawns, veggies etc to cook that evening.

Definitely feel safe when pitched in a campsite, always choose a proper campsite as facilities make everything easier and DS will generally make a few new friends! If you felt unsafe or feared the boys will take off on a night time adventure a little suitcase padlock in the inside zips will do the trick!

There are a few sites where you can hire a pre-erected tent. It would not only give you a chance to see if you like it before actually buying your own, it would also save the faff of assembling and disassembling a tent whilst dealing with the wants and needs of small children!
At this site you can hire a tent either already furnished or unfurnished. www.plattsfarm.com/pre-erected-tent/
Here are a few more which have that facility
www.orchardcampsite.co.uk/pre-erected-tents/ This one has an enclosed play area, a kitchen area with free to use hot water, fridge, freezer, kettle and microwave, plus a coin operated washing machine and dryer which is always handy!
www.treenfarmcampsite.com/pre-erected-tents
www.eazycamp.co.uk
Wherever you end up going, take lots of toys for the kids. Really handy when you're cooking or wake up early!
If you buy your own tent, practise pitching it in the garden before heading to the campsite. And if you’re going to do that, the kids may as well sleep the night there too. Don't forget that tent sizes don't take into account luggage. With two small sprogs I'd choose a two bedroom tent with middle area.
You'll need a couple of good lanterns and perhaps a night light for the kids.
Make sure every camper has a head torch. Also glow sticks to make it more fun.
So far we've avoided using an electrical supply. Firstly, it's because we've got little kids and also we're worried about it getting wet. Secondly, I think one of the joys of camping is going without lots of appliances.
Take waterproof dungarees for the kids, 5x more wet wipes than you think you'll need, bin bags, washing line and pegs, washing up bowl and zip lock bags.
Read some story books about camping together before you go.
Buy them a sleeping bag that they’ll want to sleep in, but beware of cheap sleeping bags with printed characters on. These tend to be really thin and are only good enough for very warm summer night.
Allow them to help contribute to menu planning so they get excited. Ask them what they would like to eat and what treats they want. Pack foods you know they’ll like.

@ricekrispie22
some excellent advice
We tried to do simple easy to make food, Hotdogs etc

Inflatable tents are more expensive than poled tents, and as PP have said much heavier, and also bulkier taking up more room in the car.

5 year olds are actually able to be helpful putting up a tent if you know what you need them to do. Hold a pole steady, hold a guy rope out.

I would go for a tunnel tent, (front door at the front, a living area and then the bedrooms behind that) and preferably one with a small covered porch area so that you don’t have to get wet kids in wellies directly into the tent.

Look on YouTube at Gary Cross camping videos ‘the Cross Camping method how to put a tunnel tent up on your own’.

You need a sewn in groundsheet throughout the tent,

Best to go to a place that has a display of tents put up, and have a look at what suits you.

SIMs (self inflating mats) are good to sleep on, they insulate you from the ground, which blow up beds do not.

My husband works abroad a lot, I took my then 2/4 year old camping a few times last summer alone we had a great time

I just had a 4 man tent and it was easy to put up

You will have a great time - enjoy

I love our airtent - we went out for a family camp with my siblings, and our tent was up faster (and would have been ridiculously fast, but ours still has fibreglass poles for the porch bit - and it's great having the porch bit, I just wish it was also air poles).

Coming down I was at least twice as fast (do a test-fold in your garden so you know how to do it) - even with the bloody porch poles.

I can carry ours - it's heavy, but I could lift it in and out of the car www.coleman.eu/uk/p-26803-valdes-4-air-blackout-tent.aspx This one - 20kg it says, which feels about right - it is pretty big, a large suitcase size I'd say. I reckon you'd have the kids inside within 10 mins - just long enough to pump up a couple of the poles and and they can be safe inside while you do the other poles/porch/guylines. was no

It has 2 bedrooms, I put a queen airbed one side (or you can use it as one big bedroom, and some stacking camping bunks in the other (2 airbeds wouldn't quite fit - would have if I'd got doubles not queens I think).

You can zip the doors to the top so the little ones can't escape.

Oh I forgot to say - it got really blowy and wet the second night we were there, and the tent was absolutely fine.

And my secret for having a cosier airbed is to put a fleece blanket under the sheet, one of the sherpa ones, makes everything more snuggly.

I've always gone camping alone with my two and the dog.
I take a 4 man some tent and leave a lot of stuff in the car. Pay a bit more for a sight that's got security etc not that you need it but a lot do.
Where abouts are you going I can recommend some that we love.
Make friends with people nearby that makes you less nervous and you will find that most camping people are friendly and resilient folk.
Take lots of spare clothes.
Waterproofs.
Fairy lights so you can see the tent and the kids love it.
Torches
Plenty of snacks. Cereal bars etc
Washing up bowl and liquid
Anti back gel
Suncream.
Wooly hats and sunhats
Pegs
Chairs
Bbq lighter coolbox although many have fridges and freezes that you can use so you can keep your coolbox topped up.
Towels

Oh inflatable mats. I dint bother with camp beds or blow up beds.