We are going camping!!!!!!!! - ANY HINTS AND TIPS?

[super1971]

We are going camping in two weeks - hooray any tips on how best to do it with a 14month old?, have been before and goingto a good capsite but is there anything i should know??

Yes, we just came back from "caravanning" and we took:
~loads of nappies/babywipes/nappy sacks
~loads of toys/books
~loads of clothes for warm/cold/wet weather
~snacky type foods
~those pygamas with feet in for warm toes
~sandles that can be rinsed off due to cow/dog/sheep/shit and mud galore
~babies fav blanket/pillow
~Plan your days out, we ended up travelling in the car for long periods of time and on very hot days this was awful for ds,try to make car journeys short.
probably all very obvious to you but that was our first time away as a family and i found that the volume of stuff we needed just for ds was unbelievable. We had fun though and would do it all again. (in20 years time)

thanks hadnt thought of sandals mud and sand galore sounds fun.

In my camping pile ready for the Big Chill festival is:

• a new tent as this one has seperate bedroomns so we can all sleep a bit better with kid/s in their own rooms
• a gazebo for hanging out and eating
• thise fold up camping chairs that have arms and fold up into a long narrow parcels
• insence sticks that keep mossies away
• those long candles for outside a fan that clips onto buggy from mothercare
• a parasol
• a UV un tent for lottie
• id braclets for kids incase they wonder off
• a potable webber bbq
• a cool box that keeps ice cold for 5 days
• inflatable double beds
• toys
• warm & cool clothes

would you take a travel cot for a 10-month-old, Donbean/Thomcat?
sorry to hijack, Super1971

fab, thanks handn't gott the washing line (we usually go for the grunge look when we camp{grin]

Yes, if you have the room i would take a travel cot, we didnt but at 2 ds is discovering how to open zips, we would hear him but it doesnt bear thinking about if he were to get out of the tent and wander off!

I'd like some hints and tips too esp. re sleeping arrangements/routine we haven't got a travel cot what will it be like having our 2 yr old sleeping on mattress in with us?! (in cot at hme dark room) hmmm I'd like to hear your experiences. we went when she wass a baby but it was easy to get her off to sleep in a pram.

Take a tin opener - i always forget and have to buy one nce we get ther 9we now have 5 in the cupboard!!)

Have just been with 2 & 4 yr olds. It was good but a few things I found out

• it got very cold at night in a tent, even when hot in the day. Take plenry of blankets. We ended up buying some!
• don't try to put them to bed at their usual time. It's too light & they'll keep getting up. Let them run round til they're really tired then they won't notice the light.
• kids roll off inflatable matresses & wriggle out of sleeping bags. Wish I had bought those all in one kids beds/sleeping bag things
• most importantly take a corkscrew.

Take screwtop wine! And plastic glasses are nicer for drinking out of than IKEA beakers

super, have a scroll through this thread paying special attention to Katherine's posts - she is the queen of camping with little children