Seasoned campers: what do we need for a REALLY comfortable and happy week camping in the UK.

[flowergirl24]

We’ve got a (large) tent. Three small kids who are excited for Friday when we head to a non-electric campsite in Wales.

If you are a regular/experienced camper, please can you share what we need to be comfortable for this trip?

We’ve got sleeping bags and two double air beds. Our test in the garden wasn’t great for me as I woke up with two DC’s heads pressed tightly up against me!

Tenby's a great place for the kids.

Insulated travel mug for morning tea. Stays warm and stops spillages when you are dealing with kids breakfasts.

The mini multipack of cereal boxes are brilliant for quick brekkies (less storage headaches), or porridge pots if your kids will eat that. You can get a toasty maker that works on a gas hob (maybe for the future?)

heres a few things I do. I have a 6 year old and 11 year old and they’ve been camping for years.
i pack outfits in zip lock bags so easy to dress them.

Get the kids head torches and glow sticks. Put up fairy lights inside the tent ( my kids get scared if they woke up if it was pitch dark)
fleecey pjs/ oldies and or onsies
a comfy pillow helps sleep
a fluffy blanket
socks and hat for bed.
I put foil picnic blankets under the beds. Adds warmth

have easy breakfasts inside the tent ( brioche, cereal bars, fruit and smoothie drinks ) to grab to give the kids when they wake up starving.

have (crocs or shoes / warm coat or raincoat / torch )near the door of the tent so when you or the kids need the toilet you can make a quick exit.

buy a stomp rocket 🚀 toy, all kids of all ages love them.
also a football, wailer balls are great.

top trumps and card games are fun.
you can buy colouring books that just need water. My 11 and 6 year old love these.

Don’t worry about what foods they eat, i buy fruit, smoothies but they can eat whatever else we eat ie bbqs, fish and chips, pizza.
I stressed about routines when my kids were little but now I don’t care as long as they brush their teeth well before bed. And they have a shower after they’ve been in the sea.
they will have the best time camping.

x

A mat for outside the tent where people an take shoes off. As much extra warm stuff for bedding as you can fit in. A complete set of warm clothes for the evening that can go over your day clothes. If it's cold you will want to put jammies on over your day clothes.

Night time toilet considerations, if it is wet you will need wellies to get to the toilet, if the toilet is a long way away accept you will need a designated pee area (or take a portable toilet)

If it is going to be wet or even damp at least 2 changes of clothes a day for smalls.

A shelter to cook under, if you are cooking fatty food and it starts to rain it will explode!

Don't take too much food it will just go to waste.

Clothes pegs, glow sticks, string, head torches, gaffer tape, batteries, cables for charging, beach shelter if you plan on a day at the beach, water bottle, solar lights, frisbee, football, boule, towels, cooking oil - these are all things I usually take and have forgotten at least once. (Tie glow sticks to children at night time)

Set up tent to avoid wind.
Remember wet = cold.
Wellies.
Wee bucket.
Baby wipes for hands.

@lilyborderterrier thankyou for such wonderful advice!

Thank you so much for all this advice everyone!! I’m getting a list all sorted and I’m feeling a bit happier (maybe slightly less daunted!) about it now.

Keep the great ideas coming! I’m learning loads 🙂

A bucket for a night time wee, saves trotting across a field in the middle of the night and a piece of carpet for your feet in the tent, ground sheets can be Soooo cold!
Torches, lots of torches.

If you have glow sticks... Old milk bottle. Turns glow stick into an effective lantern!

Marshmallows and skewers, plus chocolate digestives... smores. And if you don't like marshmallows... use rolos instead. (Or both)

Self inflating mattresses on top of a camp bed are way better than air beds.
Have something warm for under foot - throws/ fleece blankets/ rugs to keep feet cosy.
Decent sized tent - I prefer to be able to stand up inside and have a separate area for sleeping.
Plus a porch space for shoes etc. if you haven't got a porch then a watertight storage box for outdoor shoes - no shoes in the tent.

Duvets over sleeping bags and an extra fleece blanket for each person.
Eat out as much as possible. Saves washing up and cooking in the rain.

gazebo for creating an outdoor seating/eating/cooking area. Camping cupboard to store clothes www.millets.co.uk/15905116/hi-gear-storage-organiser-15905116/1374396/?istCompanyId=b238823a-59fd-4816-9c36-7dd47877f2a8&istFeedId=d327d2f7-daeb-4bb5-902f-73ab18c88c01&istItemId=ilrtwwipq&istBid=t&sv1=affiliate&sv_campaign_id=176013&awc=1521_1721596722_096743d9ca764533c4f5b7f621f05450&utm_source=affiliate176013&utm_medium=Comparison+Shopping+Service+%28CSS%29&utm_campaign=Redbrain

I find keeping warm a challenge when camping and make a big effort to not get cold and be unable to warm up. Take your winter coats for the evening. Plus a woolly hat you may want to keep on in bed. Hot water bottles are essential, make up early to warm the bed up before you go to bed.

Take a flask to pour any boiled water into to keep hot. I take it already filled with boiling water so I can make a cup of tea after getting set up without having to wait for the kettle.

Bath mat to have by the door to wipe feet and catch any rain water.

IKEA bags for taking stuff to the bathrooms.

Good light sources, it amazing how dark a tent is.

Plenty of instant food. Bread rolls for sandwiches etc. Cup soups, pot noodles are easy.

washing up bowl to take your washing up over to the sinks.

water carrier, chopping board, zip lock food bags so you can store any food in a bag and then in the ice box ie your packs of cheese and ham etc. So if it get wet in there everything is protected. Tin foil for cooking on a fire.

freezer blocks with your surname sharpied on them so you can find them in the freezers

take pint of milk frozen and one chilled. The frozen one will be for day 3.

Fleecy clothes, Birkenstock Boston’s, Nordic socks. Lots of snacks

It will be colder than you think on a night. Take layers to wear including a hat to cover your head.

Take toilet paper.

Most of my recommendations as a seasoned camper with and without children have been covered.

One thing that I think is absolutely critical as a woman (especially if you have reached an age where nighttime loo breaks are now standard, is panty liners or thin pads - middle.of the night wild wee's or a trip to the toilet block when (yet again) there is no loo roll 🙄 are a life saver for feeling a bit fresher. I also have a "she-wee" for times when we are pitched up that little bit too far from the toilets 😁

Other than that, don't over think it, the kids won't need much (except ALL the snacks!), they find all sorts to keep them occupied, and if you're lucky they will make plenty of friends on the site. I have walkie talkies for mine now they are a little older (9 & 6) so they can have a bit more freedom but stay in contact, and I always set out the boundaries/rules of where & how far they can go from the outset. Glow sticks are always fun for after dark fun and games too.

Enjoy!

I disagree with duvets instead of sleeping bags. Way too cold. Sleeping bags are insulated underneath you too.

Flip flops for showers

Bucket with lid / porta potty / Kampa Khazi for nighttime wees

Lots of easy food. Bags of brioche rolls, satsumas and bananas for breakfast (and porridge pots as suggested above are good too) . Cereal bars.

Spare gas - what sort does your stove use?

Simple lunch or supper: camping quesadillas: dry fry a tortilla sandwich with grated cheese and whatever else you like, cut in quarters (packs of tortilla wraps keep well)

Don’t plan to cook things that need long boiling, you will go through your gas. The microwave rice pouches can be emptied in a pan and heated with a tablespoon of water. Can of chilli or whatever.

Portable BBQ .

Don’t take bubbles for the kids to play with: detergent is bad for tents and everyone will hate you

Relax, go with the flow, have a wonderful week!

Flip flops to wear in the shower

When you give them variety cereal packs for breakfast put the milk straight in the packet. No washing up and the kids love it.

Have one box for kitchen, one box for bathroom, one box for food, one for games.

Bin bags!
Condiments
Washing up liquid and sponge

Oh: wipes. Loads of wipes. Ordinary wipes, anti-bac surface wipes, anti-bac hand wipes

Bin bags

Buy a 4 season sleeping bag even for the summer as it does get super cold in the nights! Ex military ones are nice and cosy.

Also sleep inside the sleeping bag with minimal clothes rather than layers! DH told me this and I thought he was having a laugh but it actually works.

SIM,
Wine
Sheets, Pillows and duvet not sleeping bags

you’ll have a great time- it is beautiful in Tenby and so much to do.

campwise- we have comfortable chairs and some time take folding loungers.

we put a tarpaulin underneath our large tent and out in the front to stop the tent getting damp and also gives us some space outside the tent to put shoes on etc. ( ours doesn’t have a porch)

keep food simple- we take a small bbq or a disposable one with sausages and rolls and as PPs have said we take lots of cereal bars/ pain au chocolat/ juice cartons etc.

we have a fridge that goes in the car so even without electric if we drive in the day it keeps it cool and we have cans and bottles of water in there.

as a PP has said don’t be fooled by a hot day. Get your Pjs or sleep loungwearnin with socks before it goes dark. One night we were freezing with no socks on but too cold to move.

we have insect repellent stickers, wipes, spray and candles for outside.

lots of bin bags and plastic bags.

and sliders to put in quickly for a trip to the loo or pottering around.

here’s some photos of our tents from around 3-4 years ago.

Definitely do not share an airbed - it's a bouncy castle nightmare.
These are great for kids.
https://www.millets.co.uk/15988456/eurohike-camper-compact-self-inflating-mat-15988456

Layer the floor under your sleeping area -
Foil marathon blanket
Foam squares that click together
Picnic blanket
Your airbed mattresses
Pillow and duvet from home
Extra blanket.

And always take clothes pegs, v useful in many ways. Clippets to seal packets. String and scissors. Glow sticks are useful for kids, break one or two each night and attach to the zippers or above their heads in tent seams - just a glow, not a light.
Freeze milk and use as an icepack for a couple of days in a toolbox. This works for spag bol and chilli too, both of which you can eat with bread, crisps or chips from the van!

Warm sleeping bag. Sometimes I take a hot water bottle. It can get bloomin cold on a night. Comfortable camp chairs. Kettle. Table for food prep and to stand a camping stove on. Portable camping stove. Bin. Don’t forget the pillows!

Pop up laundry basket (the net round ones from ikea are great). Really good to hold shoes / coats / footballs / random stuff in a small space and pack away to nothing