Since I started a cuisine thread, can you WOW me with TIPs, everything you forgot about when camping and remembered.

[Scattybird]

Tips here please. I don't need to know how to put my tent up, but I haven't ever done it before (we plan to do it in our friends garden before)

So tips for children would be good

As would cleaning (not too much of that though)

And general tips will be great.

Take a pillow each for the kids, and a fleece blanket, so if they decide they hate the sleeping bag, they won't freeze with a blanket over the top of them.

Headtorches are great for the kids too, millets do some great kids ones, they can go to sleep with them on and not loose them.

Take spare torch batteries.

If your kids are small a porta potty is useful, saves loo treks at 3am.

Anti bacterial hand wash stuff is handy too, as are wet wipes!

Have cereal bars and chocolate brioche kicking about for breakfast, that way if they're up before you or starving and you're attempting to fry bacon, they can eat whilst waiting

Take a washing up bowl and a small amount of washing up liquid. You can carry your dirty dishes to the tap, and then carry your clean dishes back to the tent with it.

Don't forget salt, pepper, cooking oil.

Take a headtorch, especially if you need to go to loo after dark or want to read late.

Alcohol gel is good for keeping hands clean.

alcohol gel stuff, that's what I was trying to say Dragon

Hi scattybird

I'm excited just talking about camping - I really can't wait!!

tips for kids;

get them all involved, even the most reluctant helper at home comes into their own on a camping holiday

Get them to bring a rucksack of toys, games, colouring stuff, comics etc and give them somewhere of their own to store it - (plastic box with lid)

Let them make up their own beds - like their own little den

Even washing up the dishes after the meals is fun for them

Cleaning;

Long handled dustpan and brush - essential for all the grass, food, mud

Store your clothes in the boot of your car and have a binbag in there too to chuck dirty ones in - you'll fing it's much easier to keep precious space in the tent that way

Keep dirt , grass to a minimum inside the tent by giving kids flip flops to wear that are easy to slip off and on as they come in and out 300 times!!

General;
take more chairs than you need - they come in handy for storing things off the floor, hanging wet towels, coats etc if it's raining

take an extra table as you'll have no work surface like at home

My 'can't do without' item is my compact rotary washing line for towel, damp clothes , swim suits etc

gosh, I could go on and on I LOVE CAMPING

Everyone can type so much faster than me and thought of loads that i didn't

Frizbe - pillows are an absolute essentiel - you are right - had a nightmare camping trip when we tried to use rolled up towels etc cos we'd tried to travel light

What tent do you have Scattybird?

If you're going to a possible midgy area, mothercare do an anti midge bracelet for kids, that works a treat.

Take pillows and take as many blankets as you can possibly manage. There is nothing worse than being cold whilst camping and it can get really cold at night.

I use an old pringle tube to store cutlery and chopping knives in to keep them all together, also a small wooden chopping board doubles as a pan stand.

OH good good waiting for even more tips .
Can I be an honourary camper even though I have my camping van (its not a full on camper van) .

My tip is take cool packs and write name on them with marker pen. Most campsites will refreeze them and will appreciate the name on them so they are easy to find for you if they fall out of the bag or they have to take them out the bag to fit them in their freezer.

Flip-flops for all family for showers-as they are often a bit grotty and don't want to catch verucas.

Corkscrew!

Chopping board.

Hot water bottles!

Put proper socks and shoes on before the sun goes down...it gets cold very quickly at night..

Lay out your night things on top of sleeping bag before it goes dark.

And brandy to go in your coffee/cocoa last thing at night.

get into your pjs at the same time as the dc - put your clothes back on top! then you don't have to get completely undressed and cold when you want to go bed!

Take a bucket with a lid for night-time wees

If camping early or late in the season then take a hat to wear during the evening.

Take more towels than you think you need as they can be a bugger to get dry.

Get some travel sized games for the kids so that they don't take up too much room in the car. Also swingballs are good as the kids can play right by the tent without the risk of bugging other campers by whacking the ball against their tent every 2 mins They do a football that goes on it too. Ds loves it as he can boot the ball as hard as he likes