Camping hacks

[Silverbirch2]

Camping for 10 days I summer with 2 dc 6 & 8
Any tips, tricks or help

Put crocs in sports mode

@Tiredoftiers were going to Devon. Weve camped before a few years ago and I was freezing and looking back we weren't well prepared, so I'm determined to be this year!

Great tips everyone!
Food wise- going to take meal for first night. Aand breakfast and basics. Then does everyone shop the next day or do bits as you go?

Also we have a tent with 2 bedrooms one either size of living area. Kids ok across the tent from us aremt they? They'll be 8 & 6. The 8 year old may be more sensible than me!! 6 year old got a great set of lungs so will scream if in need. They'll be fine wont they?

If you don't have the interlocking tiles for the floor try insulation bubble wrap. Nice and light, rolls up for easy storage and keeps you warm.

Last year my 9&11yos opted for their own tents. I was a bit nervous the first night of 9yo being on his own (we were only a couple of meters away. ) Yours will be fine in your tent.

@jessicaBrassica thanks, I kind of know they will but needed to hear that! Yes I can imagine my eldest wanting own tentbin few years!

One of these

For DS, I put an entire outfit (pants, socks, shorts, t-shirt) in a sandwich/ziplock bag then squeezed all the air out of it to be as flat as possible. Then in the morning it was just grab a bag, put on clothes. Ziplock bags are now 8yo and still going strong!

We had a bag for life each with our clothes (so DH was responsible for his own, no 'has anyone seen my...?' crap!) And I had another I'd take to the shower with me, waterproof, could hold everything, kept hairdryer dry, could sit it on the floor.

Washing line and pegs a must, for stringing between trees and drying towels (we'd have shower stuff and pool stuff drying off). You could also do something like bobbing for apples by tying a string around the apple stem and to the washing line: hands behind your back, who ears the apple quickest? Could involve other kids yours make friends with.

Card games: Uno, snap, exploding kittens, virus - whatever floats your boat. Then: that velcro tennis kit, a treasure hunt (internet has huge lists), little notebook if your DC are into writing a diary of what they've done/seen with a little drawing or adding seeds/leaves etc they've found.

A multi socket extension lead, so you can charge a phone and a tablet at the same time you're making a cuppa!

Minimum first aid kit: aspirin, plasters, small tube suncream type thing.

The shoe tidy helsscatspanhle posted is invaluable! You can fill it and still see what's where. Great for charger cables, pens, scissors, some kitchen bits.

We're off camping in July, can't wait!

Tent zip right at the top so dc can't escape!

Dressing g gown/Oodie style blanket and slippers. Keeps ypu nice and toasty before bed.

Fleece pjs. Not onesies for girls/women, as then you have to undress for the toilet

Test all your equipment before you go.

Flagpole and flat so kids can find their way home

Washing line or clothes airer.

Have fun.

Take a very small cullander and place it behind your tent with grass inside it. Whenever you eat or cook anything drain the leftovers through this. It's called a grease trap.
This way the liquid will not be sitting in bin bags.

Make sure you bring any bin bags into your sealed area overnight as animals will pick through it otherwise.

@elQuintoConyo

For DS, I put an entire outfit (pants, socks, shorts, t-shirt) in a sandwich/ziplock bag then squeezed all the air out of it to be as flat as possible. Then in the morning it was just grab a bag, put on clothes. Ziplock bags are now 8yo and still going strong!

We had a bag for life each with our clothes (so DH was responsible for his own, no 'has anyone seen my...?' crap!) And I had another I'd take to the shower with me, waterproof, could hold everything, kept hairdryer dry, could sit it on the floor.

Washing line and pegs a must, for stringing between trees and drying towels (we'd have shower stuff and pool stuff drying off). You could also do something like bobbing for apples by tying a string around the apple stem and to the washing line: hands behind your back, who ears the apple quickest? Could involve other kids yours make friends with.

Card games: Uno, snap, exploding kittens, virus - whatever floats your boat. Then: that velcro tennis kit, a treasure hunt (internet has huge lists), little notebook if your DC are into writing a diary of what they've done/seen with a little drawing or adding seeds/leaves etc they've found.

A multi socket extension lead, so you can charge a phone and a tablet at the same time you're making a cuppa!

Minimum first aid kit: aspirin, plasters, small tube suncream type thing.

The shoe tidy helsscatspanhle posted is invaluable! You can fill it and still see what's where. Great for charger cables, pens, scissors, some kitchen bits.

We're off camping in July, can't wait!

Brilliant! Love the ziplock bags!

Fingers crossed for a heatwave for your Devon trip.
We use a couple of the cheap travelling rugs from supermarkets for our tent carpet. Nice and soft under foot. I decant stuff into ziplock bags, like tea bags, coffee bags etc. shopping wise tend to do little and often.

Another essential... a watch for DC so they can play with their new friends and know when their time is up.

Will you have EHU?
If you don't, consider how you will charge your phone and keep stuff cool. We have a little solar charger but it struggled with phone charging. We managed to leave the power banks plugged in at home....

Also jump leads. If you don't personally need, their will be someone wandering around the campsite with a dead car looking for them...

I give everyone a Really Useful box (you know the sort with the clippy secure handles?) for their clothes/stuff. They can be stacked if spaces is at a premium, they’re waterproof, can be used as tables/stools.

Always get electric hook up, a kettle is a godsend. Duvet and pillow like others have said. I also freeze a curry/bolognese and put that in a cool box on the way to the holiday. It’ll keep everything cold and will have defrosted for tea once you get there. You have a quick and easy meal for your first night.

Get battery powered fairy lights to hang up inside tent. Much better than a head torch as it creates an even light. Just don’t leave the zip open or it’ll be mosquito central.

Tote bags for each person filled with their toiletries and an S hook to hang it up in the shower cubicle.

Foil blankets to go under the interlocking foam mats, makes a hell of a difference when it's cold.

Pop up hampers for shoes and a bin, just stick a bin bag in one. They old up really flat.

Make spice mixes up for various meals I mini jam jars or similar, saves faffing about. I tend to do a Mexican mix for tacos, a paella mix etc.

Definitely put clothes into bags like others have said and as an extra precaution keep a few of the sealed outfits on the car. Damp creeps into everything overnight and it is MISERABLE to have to put damp clothes on. Keep your matches and loo roll in a zip lock bag for the same reason.

Double up where you can. So don't take a kettle AND pans. The pans can do both. I like to pack my entire camp kitchen into a large really useful box. Once it's all set up on the table the RUB can be used outside to keep shoes dry and safe. Kids can play cards on it etc. Blue IKEA bags are ridiculously useful for damp clothes towels etc. washing line and pegs or a few of those sock hangers too dry bits and bobs.

Before we go I work out what seasonings, spices and sauces I need. We save up the free sachets from kfc/maccies through the year. Il mix up the herbs etc I will be using to save taking all sorts of bottles and jars. A good set of scissors, one decent multipurpose kitchen knife and an emergency kit with medical bits in and tubs like duct tape etc.

For kids, take a low table and let them sit on the Really Useful Boxes (see PP), much more stable than wobbly little stools and less likely to empty milk and cornflakes all over the tent.
Forget bedtime, sit out with hot chocolate and blankets until they nod off.
Flexi-trug makes a good washing up bowl.
Coffee maker (Aeropress for us).
Take a big shopping bag to hang on the tiny shower hook and put your stuff in.
Some sort of tarp/ awning useful for shelter from rain (UK) or sun (Europe).

10 days is a long time, do you have an electric cold box?

Walkie talkies so kids can go off but still be in contact.

If forecast is on the cooler/wetter side:
Hot water bottles for adults (and to warm up kid's beds before bedtime then remove for safety)
Extra coats, jeans etc as nothing will dry out
Windbreak

If heatwave:
You can get huge silver reflective blankets to put over the whole tent that would stop it turning into an oven
Battery operated small fans
Beach umbrella / awning etc

Either way:
Tin and bottle openers!
Lots of kinds of whole milk plastic milk bottles freeze well (trial run 1st, obvs) which will help keep the cool box cold and milk fresh for a while longer.
If you have two cool boxes, spilt into 'now' and 'later' so one always stays closed, keeping the contents cold for longer.

I have a few of these big garden tubs that I use for shoes, coats, toys and the other stuff that otherwise ends up cluttering the tent.

www.homebase.co.uk/40l-storage-and-garden-tuff-tubb/12838992.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=shopping&affil=thggps&switchcurrency=GBP&shippingcountry=GB&afil=thgppc&gclid=CjwKCAjw9e6SBhB2EiwA5myr9lYIbOsUAhhku9t7cwWTOAgVB5Wpv5lYMnMMfvlm3KKPuZa6EE0bWhoCCXEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Crocs are essential - you end up in and out of the tent and they’re easy to slip on and off. Flip-flops etc are ok but on a dewy morning or if it rains you get soaking wet feet that pick up all the cut grass!

We used to do camping. We don't anymore. It just got too expensive and daft. We found that we were having to take so much stuff with us because the sites we used just didn't accommodate us.

We now use hotels instead. Premier Inns and Travelodges are fairly cheap. We can stay there and travel.

PrincessInPyjamas that may just be the BEST. CAMPING. HACK. EVER!

Make up a squeezey bottle of egg, flour and milk and freeze it. Once it's defrosted overnight, instant pancakes for breakfast!