Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

First camping trip!

25 replies

Warmsunnyday1 · 12/05/2025 14:09

Hello, we are a family of 4 and have just bought our first tent. I would really appreciate to hear any tips and tricks and any essential items we really must take with us. Anything to consider when booking a plot? Its a Kampa Croyde 6 man Air tent. Thank you :) x

OP posts:
Bunnyisputbackinthebox · 12/05/2025 14:11

After over a decade of camping I discovered how much easier it is to keep warm overnight making the double sleeping bag into 2 singles....

coxesorangepippin · 12/05/2025 14:25

Blow up mattresses

Freeze your food, makes a good ice block (I e.chilli, spaghetti sauce, not bananas, obviously)

Bear in mind it's not really a holiday, but it's a lot of fun.

If it rains, just go home

AnnPerkins · 12/05/2025 14:54

A warm comfortable bed is essential if you're going to enjoy camping. Have blankets underneath you as well as over your sleeping bag or duvet. We always preferred duvets and real pillows but depends how much room you have in your car. Ikea sells cheap fleece blankets. Also a foil backed picnic blanket makes a warm carpet for your sleeping area.
If you have space get yourself a kampa khazi. I found if I had one available I didn't lay awake all night worrying about needing the toilet.

BangersAndGnash · 13/05/2025 10:53

Depends on your style of camping.

I like sites which are quite 'wild' and pitch where you like rather than rows of tents on specific pitches. There is generally a lot more space and it feels more outdoorsy. I choose one where camp fires are allowed and either hire a fire pit or take my folding one.

Pitchup has good filters for finding the style of site that you like.

However this is harder if you want EHU (electric hook up)

Think through your day:

Warm and comfy sleeping conditions - lots of us like SIMs (self inflating mats) which are insulated from the ground cold, but more expensive than air beds.

Cooking: usually a gas stove, one ring with small cannisters, or a two burner stove and a gas bottle? Maybe something like a Cadac Party Grill that you would also use at home for BBQs?

Portable BBQ?

Some kind of table and a chair each. IME kids fall off those little folding stools.

Plates, bowls, cutlery. Pound shops are your friend or just use old / unbreakable stuff from home. Pans suitable for the cooking you plan. Stove top kettle? Unless you have EHU. But you can just use a pan. Matches, tin opener, corkscrew, bottle opener

Washing up bowl , detergent, tea towels.

Lanterns and torches. Spare batteries.

Easy on-off shoes - best to keep outdoor shoes out of the tent especially when wet. Flip flops for showers. S hooks / butchers hooks for extra hanging in showers - put your stuff in a plastic bag.

Wipes. Loads. Anti-bac and for hands.

Coolbox?
Food: loads of good 'pouch food' that doesn't need to be kept cold - microwave rice (just heat in pan with a spoon of water), Canned chilli, etc. Bags of brioche and a satsuma or banana make a good breakfast.

A kite, boules, etc - NO BUBBLES. Campers hate bubbles, the detergent destroys the waterproofing on canvas tents and the 'beading' on poly tents.

Power bank for charging phones or do it in car when you are out and about.

StandardLampski · 14/05/2025 06:56

All the socks.
Thjnk about how many socks you will need ( esp kids) double it, and then have a secret stash.
And bed socks.

StandardLampski · 14/05/2025 06:56

All the socks.
Thjnk about how many socks you will need ( esp kids) double it, and then have a secret stash.
And bed socks.

frenchnoodle · 14/05/2025 06:57

How old are your kids?

Because the advice will be very different depending on their ages.

Funf · 19/05/2025 07:18

Practice in the garden if you can, don't get sucked in to buying all sorts of gadgets.
Plan food and how you are going to cook it.
It's great fun but the more you take the more stressful it can be.
Top tips.
The Coleman twin burner petrol stove is 100 times better than any gas one, cheap and simple to use, much faster cooking and no matter how wet and windy it is it will work.
Head torch just a great idea
Keep a spare set of clothes in a dry bag for emergencies

itsturtlesallthewaydown · 19/05/2025 07:33

Put ice into the biggest thermos flask you have.

It will last 24hrs and makes a big difference to your Saturday eve gin and tonic.

Roundaboot · 19/05/2025 07:35

Beg, steal and borrow as much equipment as you can for your first few trips. Camping can get very expensive very quickly if you buy every gadget out there. It's best to try things out at first (and have a nosey round the site to see other people's set ups) and then work out what's important to you and what's worth spending money on. For example after a couple of trips using borrowed air beds which kept deflating overnight, I discovered that I prefer sleeping on a SIM.
Be prepared to let standards around hygiene and what you normally feed your kids slip a bit while camping....it's all part of the fun!

EveryDayisFriday · 19/05/2025 07:39

Welcome to the club. I'm quite new at it but seems to have everything sorted now. I need comfort and convenience so we are glampers rather than campers (always EHU), it does limit our choice of sites.
We ended up needing to buy a trailer as our car isn't that big and our teens were struggling to fit in with everything. DH and I joined a lot of camping groups on FB which helped in finding new sites and hints and tricks.
What we always take:

  • Thick SIMs. Ours are 12cm and comfy enough to sleep on the floor. I have a very thick soft mattress at home and being able to sleep well was my non-negotiable.
  • warm sleeping bags. I've had a lot of trial and error with sleeping bags with staying warm and not feeling too restricted.
  • with EHU, we run lights, heater, kettle, coffee machine, electric coolbox and induction hob.
  • comfy chairs, you may spend a lot of hours in the evening in these or sitting out in the sun with a 🍹. Try out loads in outdoor shops to see which is comfortable. I like a bucket/ moon chair, they are warmer in the wind.

We started camping last September and are on our 3rd tent already ☺️. We've spent a fortune but go away as often as we can even if it's just DH and I. The weather has been a godsend for us.

Twpsaesneg · 19/05/2025 07:49

We’ve found that we struggle with getting off air beds, we are a bit on the portly side! So our newest purchase is actual fisherman camp beds. They generally have some sort of memory foam on them and are so so comfortable. We have ‘carpzillas’ and had a solid 8 hours of kip on Saturday night in the tent. Highly recommend them!
Whatever you chose, I hope you have a smashing time!

sparrowflewdown · 19/05/2025 07:53

A camp bed with a sim on top is a game changer. It also gives extra space as you can store things underneath.

I love camping and is very much a holiday for me.

sparrowflewdown · 19/05/2025 07:57

Also a Cobb BBQ they are a thing of beauty, compact and a brilliant buy. You can pick them up off Ebay for not that much.

ThreenagerCentral · 05/08/2025 21:36

You need a broom and a dust pan and brush as the tent will get dirty quickly. If you can get a pitch with electric hook up you will need a cable that can go outdoors, but I would recommend this so you can charge your phone and have an electric cooler.

Matheo22 · 07/08/2025 22:57

Congrats on the new tent! A few essentials: mallet, spare pegs, decent lighting (head torches are a lifesaver), and a good doormat to keep mud out. When booking a pitch, try to get one that’s slightly elevated to avoid water pooling if it rains, and check where the morning sun hits for a nicer start to the day.

nailslikeknives · 17/08/2025 23:20

These are the extras I bring on top of a car load of standard things:
Woolly hat in case you’re chilly in bed, eyemasks so you don’t wake at the crack of dawn, some form of shade if you’re going in a heat wave. Have fun!

Shoemadlady · 20/08/2025 23:25

Make sure you have a potty in the tent in case the kids need to get up for a wee and shoes that you / kids can throw on easily (crocs / flip flops).
Don’t get Cole if you’re sat out at night as it’s hard to get warm and take really warm sleeping stuff as it can get Very cold at night even on the hot days!

Pops1985 · 26/08/2025 20:27

I am also a fan of the EHU. A kettle to fill hot water bottles before bed means I’m usually too hot if anything.

whiteroseredrose · 26/08/2025 21:06

For me the most important thing is a good night’s sleep, so very thick SIMs and 4 season sleeping bags.

We haven’t camped for years so nowadays I’d probably need a camp bed too.

With DC the trip was better with EHU and a fridge and fan heater. We also had a portable toilet for nighttime wees.

Agree that a prepared frozen meal is great for the first night after you have set up. Plus a nice bottle of wine.

Matheo22 · 29/08/2025 15:14

whiteroseredrose · 26/08/2025 21:06

For me the most important thing is a good night’s sleep, so very thick SIMs and 4 season sleeping bags.

We haven’t camped for years so nowadays I’d probably need a camp bed too.

With DC the trip was better with EHU and a fridge and fan heater. We also had a portable toilet for nighttime wees.

Agree that a prepared frozen meal is great for the first night after you have set up. Plus a nice bottle of wine.

If you're at a campsite and you have your car with you, you can actually take a lot of useful things with you. It's worse if you're camping somewhere without a car – then you have to limit the amount of stuff you take.

Matheo22 · 29/08/2025 15:15

Pops1985 · 26/08/2025 20:27

I am also a fan of the EHU. A kettle to fill hot water bottles before bed means I’m usually too hot if anything.

without it, you are left with a fire and heating in this way

Caleb111 · 27/09/2025 20:03

On my first camping trip, I fumbled with the tent but laughed under the stars.
By morning, the crackle of the fire and sunrise made every struggle worth it.

Baital · 27/09/2025 20:20

If you have a garden, camp overnight in the garden as a first step. Make a note of what you need to get or use from the house, and fill those gaps.

It used to be a treat for DD when she was little to put up the tent in the living room (we were in a flat so didn't have a garden) and 'camp' in it in sleeping bags 😁 perfect when I was too tired to.organise actually going somewhere!

Caleb111 · 06/10/2025 12:09

I remember my first camping trip — got the tent half set up, forgot a few essentials, but it was amazing being out in the woods. My tip: make a checklist, pack a little extra, and don’t stress about small mistakes. It’s all part of the adventure!

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread