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?

lool

in my books that makes you a 'proper camper'

Loads of tub trugs in Asda at the moment including the handy washing up bowl-sized ones.

ok tubtrug it is (or two)

no wine... I dotn drink wine

maryz, we take a couple of the garden solar lights you can pick up in B&Q for about a fiver. So long as you remember to take them OUT of the tent every morning to charge them up in the sun they give a lovely soft night-light glow all through the night which is perfect for donning pants/finding bucket with lid etc.

DH does drink wine. He can manage enough for both of us

I'm liking the solar lights idea. The children like having nightlights.

Water
potatoes
sausages
Penknife
Matches
light weight pan
grid to stick on fire and hold pan
tin foil
fork
bowl
cup
self inflate matresses
tent
sleeping bags

For kids;
All terrain pram
babywipes
roll up car mat with little toy cars
emergency breakfast bars
juice

oh god yeah a torch might help, eek

Oh lordy, we went camping last year with friends (and their kit) and have caught the bug. I was in this section rooting about for "what do I need" lists, and think I have already landed squarely in the "crap camper" group.
At the risk of excommunication.... what's wrong with fairy lights??? Aren't they good for kids? My battery ones are great outside under patio brolly for late night summer BBQs, I'd already mentally packed them. eeek!

And if you're rustling about in the night trying to have a secret wee what's the point of muffling the sound if most of Cumbria can see you anyway, balancing on one leg in glorious torchlight silhouette trying not to wee on your tent carpet??

tent carpet? fairy lights?
camping isn't so fun if it takes you hours to pack everything and set up camp at the other end. I'm of the feeling you don't need stuff to have a great time.
Though the past couple of years we have got a table and chairs - luxury!!

kitbit
you wee in your tent?

We all take a good few minutes walk into the woods..

If you don't have to carry everything in a backpack why not take everything?
Apart from a TV that wouldutterly defy the point IMO

nooo don't you see why I have already failed???!!!! I used festival loos when I went camping, assumed that any sort of portable weeing arrangement was to make it possible to wee indoors. I know nothing. Am going to need to pack china teacups and proper dining chairs in order to survive, I see that now...

kitbit

kitbit kitbit kitbit

You are already mentally packing your fairy lights are you? You have been infected with Glamperism before you have even started.

BadKitten has it, the excess of STUFF is what makes for rage and blasphemy especially when you are packing the car. You have got your pile of essential stuff by your front door and then start adding all the extra crap to it like pillows and books and children fgs who take up loads of space then you are already getting a tic.

THEN you bring out a string of fairy lights when the roof box will not shut despite you rearranging it 40 times, you can't see out of the back window and your dc are having to breath through snorkels as there are pillows and rugs and shit piled up all over the top of them.

The fairy lights are the final straw.

believe me

Does this mean I don't qualify to go and buy a kelly kettle? I am guessing that the uspoken vetting process that you have to pass in order to be permitted to buy one, is smashed to bits by the mere mention of battery powered tiny lights?

(and why are washing up bowls contraversial?)

See I can't help myself, I had to ask...

look now

calm yourself muriel

You can buy whatever you want my dear. if you want to buy fancy pants kettles and twinkly lights you go ahead.

No one here will judge you

much

no no no judging here in camping.

The thing is the the amount of stuff you take is directly proportional to the amount of rage and despondancy you will feel when you come to pack and then unpack it.

So you have to do yourself a little graph:

Pleasure of seeing twinkly lights at night
vs
displeasure of getting them packed into the car with all the rest of the gubbins.

I am thinking about getting some of these for our next trip. Is that going to catapult me into Glamperism?

and don't be thinking it is as simple as taking fairy light and putting them into your boot right now, when it is empty.

That would be a mistake.

imagine your car full of water with 1cm at the top for breathing and then picture yourself putting your lights into your air supply.

It's a bit like that.

Washing up bowls is a tricky one. I say yay, omdb says nay and will come and roll her eyes at you.

LadyBiscuit, that is a pouch of soup!

Soup does not make you a glamper, no.

In fact soup is the universal food of campers. it binds us together.

I wasn't thinking about the soup. I want the chilli con carne in a packet

umm

um

chilli in a packet will not define your camper status, no.

Do you think it is like m&s chilli in a tin? Fartogenic

I don't know. I had some of that M&S food in a can when my DS was in hospital and it was beyond grim. I'm hoping this will be nicer. I shall report back - we are off in a couple of weeks with our brand new 4.2 Seconds. I am stupidly excited

well I've used deydrated food when camping and that was proper minimalist camping. Same trip as the crap in wistmans wood.
I dont think its glamperish at all

just realised thats not dried stuff

to me they're the equivalent of thinking the rip off meal for deals at m&s are a bargain treat