[Closed] 2014 is the year I start camping........

Assuming it's car camping then,I'd have a look at one of the big website suppliers and have a look/decide what you want.
We used to have inflatable mattress and took the duvet,two ring gas burner with grill under it,electric hook up lead,electric coolbox,larder/kitchen cupboard thing,telly,BBQ, and a pile of furniture stuff.
All of this into a estate car with roof box.
Probably missed a fair bit out as well,it seemed as though we used to take loads.
47 yrs old now and my favourite hols have all been camping.

You're definitely going for glamping with a tent that big!

If you're heading that way and have a big car or trailer to fit it all in then why not go for a proper two burner gas stove, blow up beds to sleep on (significantly more comfortable than foam), pump to blow up said air beds from car ciggy lighter.

Beyond that you need to decide if you're going to carry duvet and pillows or go for good sleeping bags, depends on time of year, level of cold willing to stand etc.

Also you might want some decent seating and lighting for in the tent and if you don't already have one a footprint for the tent to keep the communal areas free from dirt.

If you're glamping not too far from the car, just pack it full of stuff from the house and provided you stick to summer, you'll all be fine 🙂

Airbeds are comfier, but will require some insulation either on top or underneath (a couple of heavy blankets will work OK, closed cell foam mats are better).

Sleeping bags are generally warmer for the weight, but again, if you're camping in summer, just throw a few duvets in the car and you'll be fine.

If you can borrow a camp stove then just bring kitchenware from the house.

Spend money on stuff once you know the kids are likely to want to go again, and you'll have a better idea of what you need 🙂

Enjoy!

Oh yes. A car is a must.
Already looking for bar and a box.
Telly? Really? I thought the idea was to get away from civilization :O)

A camper van.

Lighting. good shout. How many lumins for tenting?

Too expensive and no where to keep it.
I had to convince the wife we didn't need one.

Buy cheap basic stuff from likes of Decathlon for initial trips and to see what works best for you

Initially I'd take as much stuff (bags, duvet, warm clothes) as you can shoehorn into the car - nothing is fun if you are cold and wet.
Lots of lights and head torches.
We used a double ring and grill for years, latterly with one of those nifty kitchen things (saves your back).
A cheap folding table and chair combo that folds into a sort of suitcase was ideal for years until it broke but it allowed us to put a parasol up in the centre and was cheap and convenient.

Started in a 69 VW Beetle via Pug 407 mahoosive estate and now have a VW T3 camper - would not choose to go back under canvas if at all possible unless bikepacking.

Electric hook up !
Worth it for a kettle alone so you don't have to heat water on the stove.

Cooker, I guess. What's good. Two rings and gas?

Depends what you're cooking. Top tip though, you see those rings that fold up into a suitcase and take gas canisters that look like big tins of hairspray? Usually made by Gellert / Hi Gear? They're monumentally shit, don't get one.

Sleeping mats or inflatable mattresses?

"Closed cell" mattresses, Thermarest and the like. Alpkit do a brilliant value for money range, but last time I checked they seemed to have disappeared on their "new" website.

Airbeds seem a great idea, but they're stone cold, tend to leak, and if you've got a double mattress then this happens every time you move:

Buy cheap basic stuff from likes of Decathlon for initial trips and to see what works best for you

Then buy it all over again.

Keep an eye on your local newspaper classifieds or local online bargain type sites - regularly see job lots of kit either people moving on from tenting to caravanning or those that have bought all the kit but not used it. By job lot we're talking stove, kitchen unit, air beds, table, chairs, all sorts.

Edit: and whilst cougar is right(ish), a lot of the bargains to be had are from people who have spent big on all the kit and then found it's not really for them 😉

I think its really easy buy loads of rubbish. Turn with loads of junk looking like a total dauk as you unload a mountain of stuff which you then don't use. Finally you pack it all back into the car. If you lucky you'll get a brief cuper between the loading and unloading

Much better to keep it simple and add stuff as you need it

start with good sleeping bags and ground insulation. Some sort of cooker and an LED lamp.

Do buy good sleeping bags. I don't mean really flash but proper 3 season synthetic. A friend at work said they bought a camper because they were cold at night. Its cheaper to buy proper sleeping bag really isn't it?

Good idea re buying a job lot second hand - find someone that has done lots with kids etc then moved on rather than someone who has been once and didn't like it, it could have been the crap gear they had bought.
Also I'd go for warmer bags than you think you'll need - we used 5 season bags, you unzip to vent but if you get cold that's game over.
Also avoid airbeds, we used cheap karrimats in layers with blankets, a bit firm but warm and toasty

timbur,aye telly mate,Mrs houndlegs is intolerable without her daily dose of eastenders :D,oh and I was surprised how much comfier it all was after we bought a fitted carpet. And yes,that does say fitted carpet.

Essentials for a "would come again" first camping trip. Arguably some of this is excessive for minimalist camping, but if you're new to it then you're better off with a little luxury. (Do you know anyone you can borrow kit from?)

Tent, mattress, sleeping bag, ear plugs. Mallet for tent pegs, tent peg puller. Head torch, some sort of lantern. Batteries for these.

Warm clothing. Don't run out of socks. Bog roll, kitchen roll, towels, bin bags.

Emergency knife / multitool (with bottle opener) / duct tape / cable ties / strong cord.

Books / magazines / board games. Otherwise if you get rained in you might end up having to talk to your family all night.

Water carrier, kettle, stove and gas, mug, coffee / tea, milk (UHT skimmed lasts longest out of a fridge, you'll get a few days out of it). Sweeteners are easier to pack than sugar and won't attract ants. Take a couple of Pot Noodles, tremendously good for the morale if you're cold and damp (as is a hip flask filled with something expensive).

If you're cooking for yourself, consider a travel frying pan and a couple of regular ones. Some sort of spatula / stirrer, plates, cutlery. Washing up liquid (I decant it from the kitchen into a little 100ml travel bottle before I go) some sort of scrubber and a tea towel.

Quick and dirty food ideas: there's nothing quite like a sausage butty to start the day. Oil the pan, get the sausages going for a few minutes, add half a diced onion and black pepper. Wear something you don't mind getting covered in oil splashes!

Microwave rice and pasta like the Uncle Ben's risotto aren't exactly haute cuisine, but add a couple of chopped hotdogs and you can have something hot and filling inside of five minutes. Think 'student cooking'; couple of pouches of pasta and a jar of ragu and you're laughing.

Anything you can grab and eat is handy; crisps, cereal bars. Avoid things that are going to attract wildlife, unless you can seal it properly.

Consider going veggie for the holiday; badly cooked food is then less likely to kill you.

Oh aye, I forgot furniture. Folding chairs to relax in with a beer, some sort of flat surface for eating / cooking on. For cooking, I've got a tiny three-legged folding stool and stand the stove on a chopping board for stability.

A generic groundsheet (we've got one a couple of metres square) is useful for putting gear down on rather than dumping it on the grass. A picnic blanket is handy too, and can double as an actual blanket in an emergency.

+1 for buying a tent from Gumtree or similar, also a stove & basics. But sleeping bags are worth getting new, & good. for kids, buy synthetic fill as they will get cold & wet.
You can use family pans - no need to buy new! remember the cleaning kit and extra towels

I think its really easy buy loads of rubbish.

That's what I was getting at. "Buy cheap, buy twice" is really, really relevant to camping. Stores are absolutely awash with cheap crap, the amount of stuff I've had to replace over the years (mostly from Gellert, purveyors of the porous) is astonishing.

Oh, and,

Source of fire. Stoves should light themselves, but the first time it doesn't you'll be glad of a cigarette lighter in your pocket.

Cougar - Thanks, that's just what I needed! Experience and realism in one (well several) posts.

I'll be pointing the Mrs towards this thread later tonight.

Thanks all.
Tim

My tip would to be to find a Go Outdoors and browse. They have tons of brilliant cat camping stuff.

I would not recommend air mattresses. Bouncy, sweaty and cold at the same time, and they take ages to inflate. Either a big thick slef-inflatable (thermarest type, if you can find one with dense enough foam it'll be the best outdoor night's sleep you ever had) or a camp bed.

When shopping, keep simplicity and efficiency in mind - taking hours to pack away really makes it more of a chore.

I would not recommend air mattresses. Bouncy, sweaty and cold at the same time, and they take ages to inflate.

Plus they always seem to puncture, then become really uncomfortable. We used to get through one every camping trip....

I have a plastic crate of basic essentials e.g. stove, gas, washing up liquid, pans, cooking oil, candles, matches, towel, loo roll, tea bags, cups, folding washing up bowl, washing up scrubber, clothes line, etc. Saves having to remember all the little essentials every time we go away.

self inflating mats over airbeds every time.

dont know how much money youre wanting to throw at it but cadacs are great for cooking. they have different plates for griddles, BBQs, stir frying etc etc and pack up fairly small. but are fairly expensive.
we use one in conjunction with the smaller stoves for beans. eggs can be done on the cadac hotplate.

decent power supply for kettle, tv, coolbox etc.

Wellies.

+1000 for pre-packed plastic crates for everything.

The only plus of air beds is the height - my wife has a bad back and can't manage on just a mat, so we have been through 5 or so airbeds over the years...

My top tip is get an electric hook up lead - makes everything much easier - electric lights, kettle, toaster, BBQ thing, slow cooker, fan heater (oh yes...) and for us a full size under counter fridge (but there are six of us to be fair, and we have a large trailer to fit it all in).

Check out ukcampsite.co.uk as the STW of camping. Highly recommend checking reviews of campsites on there before booking too.

If I didn't have a caravan I'd be eyeing up some of those folding cupboards and kitchen thingies.

+1000 for pre-packed plastic crates for everything.

I use blue Ikea bags.

Cougar - Thanks, that's just what I needed! Experience and realism in one (well several) posts.

I was trying to think of "things I wish I'd known five years ago." If I could give my younger self one tip regarding camping, it's "stop buying shit." It truly is a false economy. Buy decent gear, borrow it, or do without.

A washing up bowl

+1 non stick frying pan

Think about menus. Don't revert to eating a really crap diet as its easier. Plan to eat what you like and what can be done on 2 rings. Thai green curry kit plus chicken and green beans served with noodles is one of my favorites

+1 Cougar don't buy rubbish. Improvise to save money for the essentials of a warm night

Get a great big tarp - 4m x 4m at the minimum - and at least three nice big hefty poles to pitch it with at campsites that don't have the decency to put their fire pits between two conveniently positioned trees. Honestly, it will save your sanity when it rains and you need some something outside to cook under or just to give some shelter to you and the fire.

If your anywhere near the Midlands, [url= http://stores.ebay.co.uk/TENTHIRE-LTD-DIRECT ]Walsall Tent Hire[/url] are worth a visit. Its an odd place, its in a residential street but its full of nooks & crannies & the family who run it are spot on. (I don't think they actually hire tents any more oddly).

After many years of trial & error:-
[url= http://www.leisurefayre.com/product.php/107519/0 ]Camping Gaz Double Burner & Grill[/url]. Because they just work, & work well.
[url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coleman-205237-Comfort-Double-Airbed/dp/B0030BGA6O ]Coleman Comfort Double Air bed[/url] Forget fancy self inflating trendy sleeping mats, these are well worth the money. Separate chambers means you don't end up rolling in to the middle together. They don't puncture if looked after, & ours is almost 10yrs old now. A battery powered inflator is a must. We put a picnic blanket underneath but even down to single figure temps, we have never noticed it being cold.
Cheap Crocs. For wet camp sites, & wearing in the shower, they are useful.
We have a Hook-Up lead & even in a big tent, a 1kw heater will keep it comfortable, but you end up paying Caravan pitch prices (£30+ per night).

The rest you'll cobble together but the only thing I wont compromise on is the ability to cook properly, & a comfy nights sleep. (And having to stand in the shower with bare feet...) 🙂

Fear not though, in a year or two (perhaps less) you'll end up with a Caravan like us. 🙂

Got a couple of alpkit fat airics not in use any more if your interested?

we always take 3 spare sleeping bags as our two boys did have accidents in the night, now they don't but drinking milk/juice is banned from the sleeping pods ! still take the spares as someone always gets cold !

cheap washing drainer for when you go wash all the plates etc I always wash and load and dont have to bother trying to carry it all back to the tent or drying it!

crocs are a must night time wees !

we keep all the clothes in the car so if it does rain and tent should leak everything is dry, including all shoes.

I would never buy a second hand tent you wont know the history of it even if the seller swears blind its water proof even.

I could go on and on but I won't...

oh and book early is you want to get a good campsite

have fun

nb always have a tin of sardines just incase you're starving !

we had 1 great fortnight followed by a fortnight of rain and wind one year later not been since ! the best kit we had was some thick self inflating mats from go outdoors you can blow them up a bit if needed but dont go flat and cold like air beds. +1 for electric hook up
the mats take up a [u]lot[/u] of room when rolled up maybe start with a long weekend? iwould go again anytime but overruled

The ultimate in comfy nights sleeping under canvas:

http://soulpad.co.uk/products/zonkpad

And this is from a life long hater of inflatable beds! I have sworn by Thermarests for ages, but this thing is superb (if expensive).

Looking at getting a campervan ourselves though, hopefully in the next few months (well, t'other half is rather than me - and by camper van we mean Bongo and drive away awning!). It would give us a bit more weatherproofing for Scotland....

Get one of this for £9.95.

Good general purpose tool.

From [url= http://www.heinnie.com/product.asp?P_ID=4209&strPageHistory=related ]Heinnie Haynes[/url]

[img] [/img]

Haven't raked through the whole thread but the one thing which has given me the most comfort and pleasure when car camping, has been my Coleman inflatable sofa. Tough as old boots, massively comfortable and made up for years of sitting on bits of chopped off camping mats.

Makes everyone else in the site green too 🙂

Ok, so it's not a necessity but by God it's good.

Something to drink wine out of. Rather than plastic wine glasses, I take little tiny glass tumblers from ikea - easy to pack and unlikely to break, and it makes you feel all continental, like.

If you go to one of the all singing all dancing campsites with huge shower blocks and bars, shops, ghastly club house etc then take all you can....air beds, duvets, ipad, camping tables, chairs. It makes for a more comfortable stay. Also don't forget you are only ever a few minutes from the likes of tesco etc which sell just about everything these days....even tents if like me you forget to pack the poles. Trust me if it starts raining and you're stuck in the tent for a few days you will be very glad of some creature comforts.

If you really want to sleep well take the PILLOWS you use every day. Plus all above advice re quality bags if going three season.

Don't forget the corkscrew. This also aids sleeping soundly. 😉

We use these to sleep on for car camping and they are extremely comfortable and warm. We take a single sheet for each of them too.
[url= http://www.sportsdirect.com/gelert-xpedition-xl-10cm-self-inflating-mattress-789191 ]Gelert XL[/url]

I have a double burner with grill, kitchen unit and maybe some other bits (I'll have to look in the garage) that I'd be willing to sell if you're interested?

I went in the summer, just took pillows from the house and one of those "split" duvets for summer/winter and used one half on the sleeping mat, top half for sleeping under.
Light was an Exposure Maxx-D with one of those diffusers (amazing) and a couple of bike LEDs
Cooking was on a disposable BBQ
Couple of folding chairs.

Didn't cost much and we had a great time.

I got fed up of sleeping in fields. I think the rainy 2009 Singlespeeds at Drumlanrig did it for me, So I got a bongo. amazing vehicle. although, I'm trading up and [url= http://www.scribd.com/doc/202168583/Bongo-for-Sale ]it's for sale[/url].

Carpet for the tent has been my best camping purchase. Warms it on the feet and can soak up a little condensation. Elec hookup and a beer fridge (not just beer mind!).

I've never felt the need for an electric hookup and have been family camping for a good few years, can see the attraction of a heater but a tv and fridge etc totally unnecessary imo.

One top camping tip (for blokes only sorry) is take a plastic 2L milk bottle with you as a night time toilet, saves trips to camp toilet in the middle of the night, big enough to get your willie in (it's murder trying to use a soft drinks bottle for the same function!) A must if you like a few beers when camping!

A decent folding table and campchairs are vital.

If no kids get the tent & mattress up then nip inside for some quick holiday nookie, then put the kettle on. Love camping in the lakes, sipping post coital coffee while admiring the view, marvellous.
Also cuddling up to your partner while the rain is hammering down is a magical experience you only get camping.
Some sort of old used jug is useful for a piss in the middle of the night, a jug is easier for the ladies to get it into. The wife might say 'aghh that's disgusting' but after one night of trapsing to the loo in the rain with umbrella she'll be pissing in a jug like the rest of us.

We have a 4 person tent for us and the dog - big enough to stand up in and sit in comfortably if it's raining, and we can fit the dog's travel bed in it so he settles for the night. We have a van so easy to transport our gear.

We take camping chairs and blankets, a camping table (easy to prep food on) our gas stove or a portable BBQ. In summer we will wild camp, but other times of the year we usually go to campsites where there is at least the option of a hot shower and somewhere warm to sit and have a cuppa or a pint.

A decent tent lamp or two is a godsend! Means we can snuggle down and read, or play a game inside the tent if the weather is foul.

Thanks all. Slowly building up the kit but thanks for all the tips.

(puts 2ltr milk bottle on the list but will keep it a secrete why from the Mrs!)

[quote=jekkyl ]Some sort of old used jug is useful for a piss in the middle of the night, a jug is easier for the ladies to get it into. The wife might say 'aghh that's disgusting' but after one night of trapsing to the loo in the rain with umbrella she'll be pissing in a jug like the rest of us.
50 years of camping and I've never wanted/needed a bottle or jug in the tent. As a result I've seen some amazing star-filled skies, meteors, the Northern Lights and all sort of wild creatures.

If you're going down the electric hookup path then a small electric kettle.

We do all the cooking on a single burner briefcase style stove (breakfast) and a BBQ (Weber smoky Joe), plus BBQ needed for toasting marshmallow.

Assuming you have kids, coloring pens and paper, and playing cards.

Stomp rocket as well. Not just for the kids :O)