Starting from scratch, what kit do I need?

[thereistheball]

So we bought a tent at the weekend, and some chairs, and a mattress / bed set for one of the 'bedrooms'. DD has her own inflatable bed for the other one. We spent two nights in it and had a great time, but ate at the campsite cafe every day (which only sold pizza and chips) so we need to get some of our own kit for cooking, plus other camping essentials. What do I need?

So far my thinking is:

• bucket with a lid (or do you just tramp off to the loo block in the middle of the night?)
• cool box (do these work over several days? can you recommend one?)
• stove of some kind - I like cooking so a double burner would be helpful.
• plates, knives, forks, spoons, cups etc
• tin opener, corkscrew, wooden spoon, spatula etc

What have I not thought of? What could you not camp without?

Also, we found that DD wasn't enjoying the darkness when she woke up in the night. Our tent has hooks that we could suspend some little lights from - can anyone recommend something?

Thanks for your help!

I'm afraid that we tramp off to the loo block in the middle of the night (not usually necessary though, have a last check at bedtime) - can't face a bucket!

We do have a coolbox, and most campsites sell bags of ice OR offer a service whereby they refreeze your ice packs so that you can keep things cool over several days.

The only things missing from your list (imo) are a kettle, collapsible water bottle (for collecting water from the site tap) and gas supply for the stove (can be surprisingly expensive).

Oh - and we couldn't manage without folding chairs for lounging about in the evening and a table/chair set for meals.

We also have a lantern that hangs from a little hook - it is remote control so you can switch it off from the comfort of your sleeping bag, but I bought it years ago from Woolworths so not sure where you would look for one now.

I'm sure someone more helpful will be along soon.

Just a few things we couldn't manage without that haven't been mentioned.

Pegs and a washing line
Washing up bowl
The first night spag bol ready to reheat!

Two pans - a deep sided frying pan and a decent sized pan for boiling pasta etc.

We actually take everything and anything you could imagine we're very comfortable campers!
There are really detailed lists on here somewhere. I think someone may have put one in the travel/camping section. These lists are great to start with. Have fun!

For lights in the night I bought a couple of solar lanterns from B&Q. Remember to stick them outside the tent during the day and they give a very pleasing low glow during the night. We also have a wind up lantern and each of us has a head torch.

re the coolbox I now take quite a small one. We do have a ginormo one but it took up acres of space in the car and didn't really stay cool if the weather was very hot. Our small one fits two slim iceblocks, 2 pints of milk, butter and has room for a few other items, like sausages or the defrosting bolognese we always eat on our first night. So long as you have access to somewhere selling milk everyday then it's fine.

Plastic backed rugs very useful.

We have a 2 burner camping gaz stove.

I take a bucket with a lid but that is my rubbish bin. We all have gigantor bladders chez degullion [proud] and it is only me that has to get up if I've been mainlining tea before bedtime.

Thin chopping board and sharp knife.

Spare guys and tenacious tape or the like for emergency repairs.

we have one of those really cheap barbecues that doesn't take up much room - you can cook an awful lot of your dinner on these. ear plugs, wind up radio.

oooh i was just about to start a thread like this, only we havent even bought our tent yet....

Any tips would be appreciated. There is dh, ds(3) and i, so was thinking 4 man tent?

Fantastic, thanks for all the suggestions.

Love the idea of solar lanterns. We also need some kind of mobile Blackberry / iphone charger, either a wind-up one or one that works through the car. Plastic backed rugs and washing up bowls - so obvious and yet I had not thought of them. I'm sure there's loads more - keep 'em coming.

I will be adding two lidded bins to the list as we tend to drink a lot of wine then water before bed so often need to pee in the night.

a large plastic box to keep your food in so the flies don't get in

There's this thing called a lugable loo which people who do the wee bucket thing seem to think are quite good. Can't vouch for it myself, maybe it's just an expensive bucket but the seat looks good!www.gooutdoors.co.uk/product-search/text/lugable+loo

Get a largish tupperware type container to keep all your cutlery / sharp knives in. have a look round your kitchen and try to imagine what you might need to take - chopping boards for e.g.
Glowsticks are nice in the evening and don't take up much room.
Lidl had their electric coolboxes on offer (last week?) we have one andit's great although you'd need ehu as well.
Look on ebay for your gas bottle and adpter as they can be expensive to buy, although the gas to go in them isn't expensive.
Oven gloves / teatowel / scrubby things?

and wine boxes are an essential as when they fall over on the grass they don't spill.

overmydeadbody will be along in a amo to tell you that you need a tent, sleeping bag and woodcraft skills a la ray mears..and nowt else
It's about finding a compromise between taking the kitchen sink and....well..not

Get a decent size plastic box with a lid and start stocking it with your camping kit. I got fed up of raiding the kitchen and forgetting things so I went to Asda and spent about £10 on Value kitchen stuff (boards, spoons, etc).

Think: stuff for eating - cutlery, mugs, plastic plates
stuff for cooking - cooker, pans, utensils, kettle
basic washup kit - a small trug makes good bowl
cleaning: various wipes/kitchen roll/binbags
Water carrier and coolbag/box with iceblocks
Light/torches
table and chairs or rug
Sleeping

Not to forget the mallet

I also have an emergency box: batteries, tape, string, Seamgrip, lighter etc.

I would not camp without my duvet and pillows as hate nasty slippy-slidy sleeping bags (but that's just IMO)

Red wine is good as it doesn't need chilled .

Plastic wine glasses.

Chilled pimms, ginger beer and ice for 1st day for tent putting up reward drink.

Citronella candles and old baby food jars to put them in

Tea bags/coffee, salt/pepper, oil and a few garlic cloves. Emergency dinner rations: Dry pasta and a jar of pesto.

We keep a bottle of sun block and fairy up liquid in our tent bag as they were the things we kept forgetting!

A bin!

Ok we haven't actually done our first family camping trip (will do this summer) but we use to camper vanners. My major tip is to buy a hamper rucsak (plates, cutlery, chop board, knife) and to add a bowls, plastic cups, spatula, seive, frying pan and pot. Kitchen stuff sorted!

We need all the other stuff mentioned above so thanks for sharing tips guys

Tootootired and thatsnotmymonkey - was planning to both of those things. Live in France so am doing a big trip to an hypermarche to stock up on kitchen things and non-perishable stapes that will go in a big lockable box that can just be chucked in the back of the car without planning: also has to include sunblock and insect repellant as am allergic and currently covered in what can only be described as boils, from yesterday's woodland walk.

Wiggletastic - I also feel strongly about my bedding. I took my feather pillow with me this time and did not share even though DH was sleeping on a scrunched up t-shirt. DD got a corner though, eventually.