Essentials- what are they?

[bronze]

Not having ben camping for a while I'm not much up on campsite camping (with children) so was wondering what people consider are the essentials?

My kind of camping always consisted of stove, pot, tent, sleeping bag, waterproof and boots etc. Now we are going in a car an dI understand it can be almost luxurious so what do I need/want?

Bronze, I've only recently got them, but having tried it out at home, I love our Fat Airics I haven't used them whilst camping yet, but reviews are consistently good. They are quite big though, so definitely more suited for car camping.

Wine

I do like a table and chairs.

Bronze, your list of essentials will very much depend on how long you are going for and what sort of camper you are.

The Glampers need solar powered fairy lights
The Utilitarians need plastic boxes with lids
The Minimalists need a spoon
The Outwell family need matching sleeping bags and fruit bowls

So your list is fine, but in a cosmo type analaysis I sense you are a minimalist at heart .

I second MisSal re self inflating mats but we have Thermarests which are an altogether better and classier type of self inflating mat

Cooking stuff, chopping boards, knifes, few pots and pans, can opener.
Box (see I am a utilitarian) with spare pegs, duck tape, first aid kit, mossie cream, tenacious tape etc
Plastic backed picnic blanket
Chairs? Table?
Torches, lantern, head torch
Lighter jobby for the stove
Cool box and freezer blocks or fridge (EHU or gas)

then you can move onto the 'luxuries'

Washing up bowl [contraversial]
Wind break [even more contraversial]
Mallet [forge steel]
Tent carpet
Cobb, bbq or piece of crap cadac
Pimp my tent guff: bunting, cushions, throws, light up dragon flies, flags, wind chimes
EHU

umm

I'm sure there is more....

Tent wardrobes and cupboards (see outwell family)

www.deltagroundanchors.co.uk/ PEGS

Uno

Earplugs

Good book

Biscuits

Water bottles that don't leak all over the pissing airmats when they topple over in the middle of the night

link fail

try again

delta pegs

Ignore Slubber, I suspect she's trying out the camping wine already. I love my Airic. Great list btw, Slubber.

I think what you really need is a gun to rob a bank with and then two sets of camping equipment: One with all the "proper" camping stuff (including the much coveted Kelly Kettle), and one with a bell tent and fairy lights and bunting and little pots filled with wild flowers...

I am mostly researching camping beer tonight .

beer has disabled spell check facility

wipes, wipes always handy

bottle opener

bucket with lid (mn favorite)

What's with the bucket with lid? Night-time wees?? Dh will stop going if I make him sleep in a wee-filled tent. Honestly.

Or am I confusing myself here? Easily done, mind you. I remember something about cat sand in a bucket though... Ewww.

I think the bucket with a lid is a versatile piece of kit, hence inclusion in mn campers lore.

So it can be:
a bin
a piddle bucket
beach bucket for spades and smaller buckets

um

a useful receptacle for carrying things in like soft batch rolls or crabs or maybe a severed hand

vomit bowl

Safety First water bucket if having a camp fire

a hat

Folk put cat litter, nappies etc in their bucket with lid to absorb night time wee and muffle tell tale pissing noises

Hahahahaha. Ok well, I did ask...

Subber, I am shocked at your ists!!!

You have me in stitches though

And there I was thinking I had trained you we, and a few beers and you're on about windbreks, buckets and bunting again!

Nooooo to cat litter. After your post yesterday, I showed dh a Shewee. He had nightmares. Nightmares, I tell 'ya.

omdb, I am your minimalist padawan.

I DID put windbreaks under luxuries.

My bucket with a lid is currently containing all the peanuts that the BASTARD mice did not get their tiny paws on over the winter.

i love my bucket.

I'd love a she wee. I might ask for one for my birthday.

bronze I'm a minimalist camper, we don't bother with mats or fat airecs or beds, we just unroll our sleeping bags direct onto the tent floor.

We do have an (aldi) picnic blanket that we use like tent carpet (but it's not really tent carpet, that would go against the minimalism and venture into glapmer teritory)

I have a swis army knife, a small tent (not those ridiculous canvas tents with seperate rooms, wardrobes, airing cupboards and sofas in them) one set of cutlery and a bowl and mug per person, head torches, towels, tarpaulin and a trangia.

Wine and chocolate are essential. A first aid kit is useful.

Apart from that, clothes, wipes and some sig bottles for water everything else is a luxure and taken if we go in a car.

You do not need:

kitchen cupboards
buckets (with or without lids)
washing up bowls
chairs
tables
hanging wardrobes for your clothes
huge cooking ranges
flags and bunting and cuchions and fairy lights
windbreaks
hair straighteners
hairdryer
42 bottles of toiletaries from your bathroom shelf. Seriously.

televisions
huge boxes full of toys

If you have room in your car though, take extra duvets and pillows! That is worthwile luxury

I assume you're not a "Valentine's" kind of person then? I wanted an electric drill for ages, so probably shouldn't laugh...

All was well, until he read that you should practice in the shower.

Ok noted slubber, you did put them under luxuries and note their controversial nature!

Buckets of peanuts are fine, at home! I feel your pain re the bastard mice though.

I am teetering on the edge of investing in more camping equipment myslef, if I buy some luxuries is it a slippery slope to fairy lights and kitchen sinks and bunting do you think? Will I be buying a trailer next?

You don't really want a she wee do you?

I can see it might have it';s uses though, but not for weeing surely?

lol Sal. No I am not a Valentines person

omdb what is the nature of this kit which you are teetering over?

The day you announce you have bought fairy lights is the day I resign from the camping topic and start asking about cruise holidays.

yeah I do (want a she wee)

I hate all that scrabbling around behind bushes and pissing a little bit into your walking sandals or worse into you trousers.

This is when you are out on a long walk with no loos obv.

I'd love to whip out my she wee and piss freely up against a tree like dh does.

well, a larger tent for starters, I have been looking at 3-berth tents

and I need a new headtorch but was sidetracked by the lanterns.

I have some battery operated led fairy lights in my bedroom, I did have a very breif think about possibly taking them . I promise I won't though.

not enough s in the world to cover your fairy light contemplations.

A 3 man tent eh?

Careful now, you are venturing into comfort territory there.