Camping Essentials

[KellyJo]

Have now got our family tent and spent a couple of interesting hours erecting it (a few colourful words included due to very dodgy instructions!).

 

Now need to go and get bedding, cooking gear etc and would be glad to get some advice from the more experienced family campers out there as to what you consider essential (apart from the beer) and what might be really useful to take out with us but we wouldn't necessarily think to buy. Our youngest is only 18 months so not sure whether to take travel cot or buy one of those 'baby' sleeping bags, any advice gladly received, thanks.

 

Oh yeah, i'd be very grateful for any advice on how to stop 'im indoors moaning the whole time spent in the great outdoors aswell :lol:

 

Kellyjo xx

[teresa]

well last time i went camping with other half we had tents, sleeping bags, roll mats, a small colmans stove and a couple of throw away barbies that did us a weekend. the last meet i went with this lot one of the members took a large barbie so all the food could be cooked on that theses are good from argos they are about

[Guest wolfie]

Oh yeah, i'd be very grateful for any advice on how to stop 'im indoors moaning the whole time spent in the great outdoors aswell :lol:

 

Kellyjo xx

 

book a decent hotel with wifi, piped satelite tv and a well stocked mini bar :lol:

[NikpV]

Oh yeah, i'd be very grateful for any advice on how to stop 'im indoors moaning the whole time spent in the great outdoors aswell :lol:

 

Kellyjo xx

 

book a decent hotel with wifi, piped satelite tv and a well stocked mini bar :lol:

 

now that sounds more reasonable :)

[Grumpy]

The best way to stop "im indoors moaning the whole time spent in the great outdoors" is a well stocked coolbox for the beer, a few bottles of wine and a comfy chair with foot rest.

 

Well that works for me!

[bingo nightly]

Its much easier if you can sort out a whole load of stuff that is dedicated camping stuff rather than having to take things from the house, by this I mean melamine (unbreakable) plates and bowls, cutlery, cooking pans, tin opener, salt and pepper, corkscrew washing up bowl, sponge and liquid, clothes pegs, etc. etc. This way, you can just keep it all in stacker boxes or whatever in the garage/shed/loft, that way the next time you go away you don't have to sort it out again, just grab it and go.

Thinking back to our days camping with young kids, I recall that buying a 3 way fridge was a godsend, as it was impossible to keep fresh food or milk and we used to end up going to the shop constantly for supplies. Also having somewhere to sit and a folding table are essential, with a second table or bench for cooking stuff. And the thing that many people forget the first time, some form of lighting! I used to have a 12volt strip light with a long lead running to the accessory socket of the car, though an electric hook up from the camp site does make things a lot easier, as you can have mains lighting, fan heater, etc. but it does take away your ability to just turn up on a site and find a space without pre booking at busy times.

We had good times camping and children love it, but I'm glad I have a caravan these days!

[Grumpy]

Ah yes, having a complete set of camping essentials (crockery, cutlery etc) stored ready for use is great. Thats what I do, although like bingo nightly mine are kept in a caravan ready to hook up whenever needed.