first time camper making preparations/buying... any tips?

[time4tea]

I had a look at Cool Camping but there was nothing about a basic list of equipment to bring. any books/tips you can recommend.

I'll probably end up camping on my own with DSs (5 and 2) DH is like Marcel Proust, wincing at the idea of roughing it...

thanks

T4T

Hot water bottle
Airbeds (with built in pump)
Sleeping bag
Electric hook up lead + extention lead
Torches/lamps
Pillows
Sleeping bags
Waterproof clothes
Decent chiller box
Toilet roll
Wipes
Dustpan and brush
Bucket (night time emergencies)
Table
Chairs (fold up)
TENT YOU CAN STAND UP IN!!!
Wind breakers
Kettle
Camping stove
Washing up bowl
Plates
Cutlery
Saucepan or 2
Serving spoons
Frying pan
Toiletries
Decent PJS to nip to toilet in
Flip flops for showers
Mallet
Scissors/knife
Black bin bags
Duck tape
Not too many clothes.
Small toys
Books for kids
Tea towel
Washing up liquid
errmmm could go on but off to bed.

Am camping 5 times this year with 3 kids 2, 9 and 14.

You will love it esp. if you have nice weather

My advice is .............DONT DO IT

Ok. Here is my list. But I warn you. I am a minimalist camper, who loves camping in the wild. (forest, mountain, beach, no civilisation in sight)

sleeping bags
sleeping mats
KNIFE (for buttering bread as well as turning twigs in to bbq stics for sausages)
matches
(a bag of fire wood to start you off)
newspaper (both to read and to use to kindle your fire)
clothes
toilet paper
spade for digging down "deposits" after your loo trip in the bushes
handsoap
toothbrush
toothpaste
water
bread
margarin
hotdogs
hotdog rolls
jam
apples
aluminum foil
coolbag
tent
clothes
torch light
beach toys, if on the beach
badminton
imagination

honestly, you dont need much

we had a fab list going last year

please please tell me you are doing fab advance preparation for the summer/ish

dh wants to do winter/snow camping in the wild. On skis. That is my limit.

Nowt wrong with camping this time of year in teh UK, you dont even have snow, right?
You will be fine.

QS- you missed off the tent!!!!

noooooooo

that is much too 'ard for me

is this of any interest whilst i'm still tryin to find the 'list' thread?!

darn it- should read better, no you didn't!

Got it!!

nah. did not miss the tent out. not THAT hardcore. but my dh went camping on his latest adventure without a tent. He just had his sleeping bag and a cover, ON THE GROUND. It was a cycling camping trip...... I forgot to tell him there was both bear and wolf in the region..... oh dear...

the lo's can escape from both bedroom and tent - heaven help 'em with just a sleeping bag and start

err, that was STARS

this is great! thank you very much indeed. I like all the little extras - proper coffee, rum, books, candles/nightlights...

I think my list would be far more erm, compact if I was not going it alone with the kids for a week. But I would rather have a few things to make my life a bit easier.

I am not camping in "the wild" (can you still do that in England?) I am on a campsite with showers...how very uncool of me :rolls eyes:

Don't spend a fortune on the first trip!

One our first trips we took a gas stove, a teeny tent, a sleeping bag each, a kettle, two cups, a pack of cards and a pen knife.
That was our honeymoon - 3 weeks driving round europe in a leaky old sports car.

Things I'd consider Essentials: (for most family campers!)
Decent sleeping bags and mats. If you are warm and comfy when sleeping then you can put up with a lot.
Cooking stove (we do fine on one burner but we do use a bbq too)
kettle and pan.
Plates, washing up bowl, mugs, lots of tea towels. (hard to dry if weather is damp)
Wellies or crocs for damp fields.
bottle of whisky/ brandy
some means of lighting - torches, lantern.
rug to sit on

Things we've added as we've got creakier:
A chair each
A fold up table
dust pan and brush
A whole load more blankets.
board games
dds nintendo for pouring rainy days.

Things we've not succumbed too:
Electric hook up and all the fridge, heating, lighting blah blah stuff.