What invaluable item would you always take camping........

[DrZeus]

Just asked DH (having just returned from our 5 rainy days) and he said:

Fan heater
Separate gazebo for cooking (or at the very least a sheltered cooking area - having tried to cook in a howling gale this morning)
Adequate lighting using electric hookup
Trailer to carry all the crap stuff
Kontiki
Hymer
Caravan...........

at which point I stopped listening!

prebooked receipt for nearest hotel

Definately a heater for DS2 but also a bucket with lid or portable toilet. I learned my lesson the hard way with my ds's over the weekend. Ds1 was fine going off to the loo on his own during the day but I was not too happy when he told me he went at 5am on his own. Ds2 still has daytime wetting issues at 4 and we got through alot of pants/trousers/socks

Lol, I really wish I hadnt reas the camping section on here!!!!!!!!!!!!!

we just bought a tent and I really dont wanrt to go now!

Hot water bottle, fleece blankets, waterproof trousers, coat and hat, a screw top bottle of wine and a straw. Job done!

wind up torch

Gas powered frdge Wine warm jumper and rugs

lol, just reading all the things that people dont like!!!!!!

feel a bit better now after reading on my other thread the things that people do like

Well I'm going tomorrow with 1L of Vodka and 2L of diet coke..is that a good ratio?

Make sure you take socks. Last year (our first family camping trip) we had nice weather the week we went and so I only had flipflops but had to buy socks halfway through the week because my feet were cold at night

A Husband/ A man. Camping involves lots of 'men's' jobs.

A sleeping bag.

It's the only thing you'd really need, although even that really isn't necessary if it's warm and you have a hammock.

These threads always remind me that not everyone is a proper minimalist camper

Bollocks GivePeas, utter utter bollocks.

My Buck knife. It goes EVERYWHERE with me.

Has a beer opener on it, too.

I must be a man then, GPB.

I don't know how we managed it, me and my best pal Suzi, us two dainties, out there in the wilds of Colorado, backpacking, camping and climbing peaks all on our lonesome.

TENT - def need to remember a tent!

Heartmum why couldn't your DSs just pee in a bush?

Gosh even I wouldn't bother traipsing to the loo at night when camping.

nah Redhead, tents are luxury extras.

I must be a man too , having survived and, in fact enjoyed, many succesful camping trips around the world as a single mum with no man in sight.

Oh, all those buckets with cat litter and shared latrines and that.

BARF!

Find a friendly bush.

I never go without my metal fold up shovel.

Suzi'd always unfold it and stick it in the dirt when we'd found a place to camp and quip, 'There's the turdshack.'

Geezus, where are you people camping, The Four Seasons lobby?

Pillows -- nothing like your own pillow.

Martyr camping - love it !

Nah, not martyr camping for us, we were forced to trek in that far just make sure we got away from all the posers.

no not martyr camping, real camping.

Do you really honestly think you need a man though GPC? Could you give examples?

I find camping refreshing with a man as it is the one place I can officially lose at competitive tiredness. While he busies himself getting things set up, I crack open the wine and mess with the kids.

( I have actually camped without him - he works away all the time - and obviously did it fine, but much prefer having him do the 'hard' work)