Camping with 4 kids

[LizinFrance]

Hi there,

Have 4 kids, 12, 10, nearly 4 and 14 months. Go camping in our caravan each summer, but so want to get into regular week ends away now weather getting better. Anyone manage to do this with 4 DCs? Cant get us all in our van so always need to put up the awning. Thought about getting a big tent so we can all get in? Whenever we go away in the summer it seems to take sooooo long to get ready for it, cant imagine ever being able to manage it regularly.

Many thanks,

Liz

We're just back from camping with 3. It was brilliant! Admittedly it took all day Thurs to prepare and all day today to pack down, but I think it always does first go of the summer.

We have a big tent with 2 bedrooms. 6 and 4 yo in one, us and baby in other. There's a big central area for rainy activities and where we stash everything.

I keep a box of designated stuff for camping, tea, coffee, ketchup, oil etc and crockery and cutlery. Then we just need to grab fresh food and go. Put all sleeping bags etc back into an ikea bag when you're home, and they're good to go too.

I'm looking forward to the boys being older and being able to put them in their own tent. could you get a little one to put adjacent to your awning for the bigger ones, then they can have their own space.

We've camped all over Europe with 4 DC (now 12, 10, 7 and nearly 5) and every time we're a bit better prepared than the previous time. The tent's just about big enough for all of us, but all we do there is sleep, so that's OK. The kids LOVE it - they've camped on the banks of the Seine, been flooded out of the tent in the Alps and just escaped a forest fire in Greece.... I'm not big on planning and organization, but just have a list of absolute essentials that I add to when we're away and realise that something is missing. The older three go to scout camp too, so they're used to getting their own stuff ready, and I can more or less trust them to pack for themselves. In the summer, all the camping basics are always on the roof rack, so I don't have to think about them before we set off.....

We camped all round the states over the last 2 years (there with DHs job) saw every mainland state and the 4 DCs (10,8,7,4 now a year on) loved it. Box everything up after each trip and the more you go the better you get at it, we had it down to a fine art on the last trip could put up or break camp in 30mins and fit us and kit into a minivan. We do have a big tent with 3 rooms but for the odd weekend away we have a pop up (sounds strange) tent with 2 big rooms and we all sleep in one room and store kit in the other. Great tent it goes uo in roughly 2-5 mins!! Top tip would be not to camp in the snow as we did once in the US and our tent collapsed under the weight at 2am we had scared cold children for the next day

thanks for all the tips. Yes,the key is getting organised and keeping it all in boxes so you can just grab it and go!!

Whereisthepimms - what make is your pop up tent. That sounds a great idea for week ends away.

Thanks again and have a good day,

Liz

It's a Coleman Instant 6 cabin tent, you can find it on walmart.com (we brought it in the states) and am sure you could then find a uk supplier (sorry doing this on my iPad so slightly technically challenged today)

We out it up with our friends in the back garden last week and they couldn't believe how quick it goes up, which is great for those Friday night starts where you get to the campsite late with sleeping kids.

Hope you enjoy camping :)

We have camped many times with 4. We forgot the travel cot once and it was a nightmare!! My ds around 14 months then kept wandering round the tent everynight. We tried everything to keep him on the air bed. He thought it was great fun. We were worn out!! Its funny looking back but its the first thing that goes in the car every trip since!!

We tent camp with 4. I tend to share with ds3 as I often do at home anyway.