Tips for basic camping, with a small tent only

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I like to camp by myself occasionally, with a small tent which I was given as a present (I’d probably have got a bigger one, but without it, I might not have taken up camping).

Here are a couple of inconveniences I came across with my last trip, which I shall look out for next time: feel free to comment, or share yours.

1. Not being able to keep my car by the tent. With a small tent, it can help to store things in the car, instead of in the tent; having to park elsewhere was a real faff. I realise the idea is to make the field safe for children, but even so.
2. No communal fridge. This meant buying food every day, and it can be difficult to buy it in small enough quantities, such as milk. Even UHT milk only seems to come in big cartons.

Plenty of campsites allow parking next to your tent so that is easily dealt with. Even most ‘wild camping’ style sites have parking next to your tent. But not all, obviously.

Again lots of even basic sites have a freezer facility. PitchUp.com has a filter for freezer pack freezing, and a really good coolbox )Coleman Xtreme, Icey Tek) will keep food cool for days if you use it correctly and have an opportunity to change freezer blocks.

A good tarp can be a good way to extend a small tent, and create a porch / storage area in front of your tent, or for cooking in the rain

Amazon sell bulk sachets of UHT milk.

Individual portions of things op, like sauce sachets, sugar sachets, jam/honey/butter portions and milk jiggers. Or tubs of milk powder for tea and coffee.

You can collect some of these things day to day instead of buying in bulk. Bought a coffee and they've given you too many sugars? Save the others. Go to maccy d's and they give you 4 bbq sauces when you asked for 2? Save the others. Ect ect.

You need to undertake more research on campsites. Plenty of campsites let you park on your pitch and many have fridges. The ones aiming for the family market tend to keep cars out.

A gazebo and ice box are useful.

Coffee bags.
But use two, otherwise they are too weak.

@BangersAndGnash
FaffCoffee company do a double size bag!

I’m a small tent camper as well and transport most of my gear in Really Useful storage boxes which are pretty much watertight and can then be kept outside the tent with food, clothes etc in to save space inside.

Very rarely take a cool box, powdered milk and cream is fine in tea/coffee for a few days. Porridge pots, fruit and pastries do for breakfast, I usually eat out at lunchtime then have something like beans, scrambled eggs and mushrooms for dinner.

If you look online, there are lots of suggestions for meals which don’t need refrigeration. I obviously have to sacrifice my cold rose wine though and switch to red!

My DH and DS do very simple camping trips when they go fishing, often Fri to Sunday, meaning they’re away two nights. If there’s no catering onsite they take disposable BBQs, burgers and/or sausages (the meat for the second night is frozen and kept a cool bag with ice blocks), bread rolls and those single portions of butter and sachets of ketchup that you find in cafes.

I camp in a small tent and travel by bus and train. I take minimal stuff with me, and I use a small trolley to transport it which doubles as storage and fits nicely in the porch of my tent.
I also take a small tarp so I have somewhere dry to sit if it rains.
Food wise - take long life food, powdered milk works well in porridge, tinned food like tuna and sweetcorn, couscous and noodles cook quickly. I save the little uht cartons of milk for cups of tea. I've just done a four day trip with no need to refrigerate any food. If you are going by car, you can take a coolbox though.

If you want fresh milk for a morning coffee, just use instant flat white sachets instead. Saves the need for milk. Ditto for instant porridge pots; they just require boiling water. If you really really do need milk for your trip, take a carton of frozen milk which can gradually defrost in a cool box.
On warmer summer’s days when you don’t fancy porridge, you could have yogurt, fruit, honey and nuts. Small pots of yogurt are freezable so they could gradually defrost in a cool box for when you need them.

The old style way of keeping things cool is to put it in a bowl of cold water and then soak a tea towel and drape it over the top. Obviously things needed to be in waterproof containers fist but it works well for milk. It doesn't keep things for as long as a fridge but it isn't bad

Water from the standpipes at a campsite will be quite cold. On a very hot day you could change the water in the bowl if it gets warm.

Even better, if you are camping by a stream is to put things in watertight containers and then in a carrier bag. Tie some cord to the bag and let it into the stream but keep the other end of the cord well pegged or tied to something on the bank.

All very old school!