Can you give me a list of essential camping equpiment

[SweetCheeksLovesSweetTalk]

We are camping for the first time but on a small budget, what items will we need?

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I don't get the matches - why not a lighter?

This is all fab, thank you

Can't add much to the comprehensive lists already posted though wellington boots are useful, easy to slip on for middle of the night trips to loos when grass is wet, washing up bowl I find essential as v useful for carrying plates to washing up point, tend to take an antibacterial washing up liquid and frozen home made veggie meals such as veg chilli/curry which can be kept cool and safe to eat after a few days, agree disposable BBQ useful, this is the first year we will go away with our DS too so good luck and enjoy

I'm getting a very good list together now, just added wellies, good idea about vegtable curry, its one of my fav. meals as well

This is great -- very useful. Can I ask, how big does your car need to be to take all the 'essentials'? We have a Scenic, 2 kids and a big dog. Will we have space for all of this for a shorter trip?

We got all our stuff in a clio and roof box last year. Just one child and no dogs though. We did have a pushchair to squeeze in too. This year we have a picasso, roof box and no pushchair so should be easier. But if we go after July we'll have a newborn plus baby equipment to add in too

My friend has camped loads of times in their picasso with roof box and 3 kids and they have way more stuff than just the essentials

Thanks Pheonix. So we probably would need to get a roof box, then, eh?

cake!

and babywipes.

There was a thread a while back asking what car everyone had for camping, i'll see if i can find it

doesn't really matter whatcar you have. If you had an artic truck, your stuff would expand to fit the space available...
It's a slippery slope. You start with the bare neccessities and before you know it, you're packing purple fluffy beach umbrellas, fairy wings and inflatable sofas....

Here

Thank you Pheonix & Molly Roger

eeek, you guys really take all that stuff?

We camp with a 5 yo, 3 yo and 1 yo, driving (til recently) a skoda fabia (small) with no roof box and take:

1 x tent (vango ventura 500)
2x double airbeds
4x 3 season sleeping bags
4 x pillows & sheets
torch
tea and coffee
kettle
a small primus stove and gas cannisters
waterproofs

Sometimes we take basic cooking stuff (saucepan, plates, cutlery), sometimes we eat cold food and get a few takeaways.

that does us for a long weekend.

This year we're going to take duvets and invest in some foam mats and replace the airbeds but not actually take more stuff...and we are camping in the colder parts of wales.

I'd always recommend camping a few times then work out what you need.

Earplugs, earplugs and earplugs! Being a light sleeper and the slightest noise waking me up, I find the foam expand-to-fit type the best - they're comfortable and they don't half cut out the racket. You'd be surprised at how noisy even camping in the middle of nowhere can be - cows, muck-spreaders, sheep, tractors, foxes, the dawn chorus, you name it, it'll wake me up unless I've got my trusty plugs!

The best thing i ever bought for camping was a gazebo. My family and our friends put the gazebo up with the table and chairs under it and the tents around it so we've got a big undercover eating/drinking area.It really worked well when it rained because when we stepped out of the tents we stepped straight into a dry area which helps alot!

Oh yeah and dont forget a sharp kitchen knife and citronella candles are handy when cooking and eating. I pack all the little bits like cutlery, plates, dishcloths,cups etc into a plastic storge box then use that to carry the washing up back and forth to the taps.