Advanced camping tips...

[Sittinonthesand]

I love reading camping ‘hacks’ and ideas (and looking at all the lovely camping gadgets) but I think I haven’t found any new ones for a while. So, has anyone got any unusual, weird or new advice (or new lovely gadgets)?

My advice is lining your camping loo bucket with a compost bin bag and cat litter (the wooden sort).

My electric air bed pump has a deflation mode. It can be plugged into mains or into a car cigarette lighter and we use it to suction the bags when packing up.

However, the bags we bought also came with a hand pump.

I've learnt something there.

I can't stand people who do the cat litter in the toilet. It is disgusting for the poor people who have to empty the bins. Put some chemical toilet cleaner in the bucket toilet and poor it down the toilet emptying point like a normal person.

@JocastaNu

My electric air bed pump has a deflation mode. It can be plugged into mains or into a car cigarette lighter and we use it to suction the bags when packing up.

However, the bags we bought also came with a hand pump.

I would love to know the model for this pump as I'm trying so hard to find one that works from the car lighter that successfully sucks for vaccum bags...

Firefighters tumble dryer fluff inside of a toilet roll centre.
For lovely campfire treat, make a pocket out of tin foil put frozen or tinned fruit such as apples or summer fruits, fill up with crumble mix and close pocket. Cook on the fire and open packet when cooked and pour over cold custard as the heat from the pudding warms it up. Delicious and no dish to wash!
We each have a tote bag with our own toiletries-
Including own toothpaste shampoo etc. Into it goes your clothes and towel and then when your finished your pjs go into there. Stops losing things and having to wait around for someone to be done with toothpaste etc.

I do love a pro camping tip. Not sure mine are pro tips but I'll add anyway in the hope of bumping.

I live for tea. In the past camping has been blighted by the lack of a decent cup of tea. These days I take an actual ceramic mug and a litre of Cravendale that's been frozen in advance. It's just not the same with UHT and plastic mugs.

It's sometimes tricky to make sufficient quantity of filling food on a single ring, so we sometimes have a pud a bit later to top up. Assorted tins of semolina and rice pudding, also custard that can be added to tinned fruit or loaf of gingerbread chopped up or something. Warms people up just as the day cools down as well.

Since COVID we've been taking boxed escape games for adverse weather or just evenings in the tent. Creates a bit of a holiday feel and a treat when some of the other things you might do aren't available. We sit round for rainy hours arguing about which door to go through next or whatever.

Pro tip for flat dwellers - I've bought a wedge for the main door. Humphing all the kit from the flat to the car and back is the worst, and the blasted main door is on an automatic closer. Jokes on you, main door.

Freeze a four pint of milk and put it on the cool box, milk is fresher for longer and cool box is kept cold.

For warmth, a hot water bottle is a must. I also use those cheap fleece throws as a pillow, but if really cold you could use it to help warm up a bit too.

@Beachmum23

I can't stand people who do the cat litter in the toilet. It is disgusting for the poor people who have to empty the bins. Put some chemical toilet cleaner in the bucket toilet and poor it down the toilet emptying point like a normal person.

Or just get up and walk to the loo like a normal person.

We have a couple of squares of artificial grass we take for the entrance of our tent which are very effective at de-sanding. We use the guy ropes for beach towels, held on with pegs. S hooks really useful for hanging light things inside the tent, like tea towels etc.

If you have an electric hook up then a slow cooker is great.

Agree with @Namechangeforthis88 about a ceramic mug for tea!

@Marcanana I don't get the cat litter etc business, but if you wake up in the night needing a wee, it's a whole faff of finding your shoes in the dark and the zip is about a thousand decibels at 2am. The walk to the toilet block is the easy and quite pleasant bit. We have one of those purpose made bottles with adaptor. Empty it into a toilet in the morning. Otherwise certain members of the party are waking people up with all the zipping and unzipping at least once a night, possibly more.

Actually, I think the night time wee issue was addressed head on when we hired a campervan, as the noise of opening and closing the campervan door at night would be even worse than a tent. Would've disturbed half the campsite.

LOL @Beachmum23 it's no more disgusting than when a cat has wee'd on it. What do you think cat owners do with their used cat litter? 😂

I know this thread is a few weeks old, but maybe it's one people will find late...

Vac bags are perfect for camping, but most don't need any form of pump at all. Just close the bag until it's almost shut, and then roll it up. The air comes out, and then close the last little bit.

In a similar vein, we have packing cubes for 'normal' holidays, but these are perfect for camping too - we take our clothes etc in those, inside blue IKEA bags, so there's no ferreting around in a backpack/sports bag.

Torches, these are recommended for night time use

First aid box in case

Lots of tissues

Spare clothes for crisises

Money for food etc

@Whatalottachocca

LOL *@Beachmum23* it's no more disgusting than when a cat has wee'd on it. What do you think cat owners do with their used cat litter? 😂

Bag it up securely and put it in a bin! Certainly don’t try to flush it down a toilet, or put it loose in a bin!

Camped last weekend and tried the microwave rice as opposed to boil in the bag. Total game changer (apart from all the non recyclable packaging). Will be stocking up for our 10 day campathon next month!

A roll of gaffer tape. Mends most things. Very handy when a car backs into your tent ripping a car shaped hole.

I hope no one was in it!!! we usually take gaffer tape but it has obviously been appropriated for ‘other jobs’. Would have been handing mending our splinted tent pole and stopped me getting enormous plasticky splinters

@LazyDoll. No we came back from a long day out to find half the tent flattened. Neighbouring camper had apparently done in on vacating they site 😡 Managed to salvage the rest of holiday! Became a funny memory!!

I find a few home comforts go a long way. Use the vacuum bags for pillows and single duvets. We always try to get an electric hookup so we can use a normal kettle and charge things faster. A bit extra spent on a really good cool box was a game changer for us.
Oh and we go with friends so the kids can play together and we can relax!

Some great tips on here! My absolute musts:

Flip flops to wear to the showers
Head torches - one for each person
Hamman towels instead of ordinary towels - dry much faster!
Uno for the children (and adults)
Wine - lots and lots of!!

Take a couple of plastic garden trugs, one for chucking shoes into inside the door and the other for washing up. It's nice and deep and if not too full you can bend it to carry one-handed. Stack together and fill with shoes, balls, dog toys etc to save space in the car.

Wipe all plates and pans with kitchen towel before putting into washing up to keep the water cleaner for longer.

Put a large foil-backed picnic blanket under the sims for insulation.