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Want to take the girls (5 & 9) and probably the wife camping over the summer.
Not really been camping much, and certainly not with family. Other than a tent, what else will I need?
car camping?
pillows
decent sleeping mats.
maybe a cheap fleece blanket if it's chilly
small torch for toilet runs
bog roll in case the campsite doesnt have any
a strong bag to get your washing up to the wash block, IKEA blue one maybe
travel plug for washing up
sandwich bag with sponge/small w-up liquid bottle
tea towel.
corkscrew
jam jar and tea lights to sit round of an evening whilst drinking large quantities of red wine.
Really depends how hardy your family is!
It varies from not a lot - sleeping mats, sleeping bags and small stove. To everything you can imagine - including a kitchen sink!
This being STW, a woodburner obviously
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I asked the question recently and had our first trip (successfully) with two 5 year olds.
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This being a cycling forum, I reckon you need one of these... 🙂
Depends how long you're going for. We took this lot to France for two weeks for 3 (2 adults and 3yr old).
Tent
Airbeds
Sleeping bags
Pillows
Fleece picnic blankets for the floor
More blankets
Chairs
Table
Coleman 2 burner stove
Single burner gas stove
Cobb BBQ
Plates/Bowls/Cutlery/Pans/Cooking utensils
Washup bowl/Sponge/Teatowel
Coolbox (plugs into car power outlet)
Lots of other superfluous crap that could really have been left at home but she just wouldn't bloody listen.
children's inflatable air bed the sort that has an inflatable edge looks like a commando dinghy . warm cosy and stops them migrating onto the floor. sun hats and warm sleeping clothes.
loads of torches we like head torches..wet wipes .. camping stuff outdoor games swing ball etc books ipad if rains.
I long for a small plastic gardening trug to carry the washing up to the sinks in.
Gas lamp (or Tilley lamp) is a worthy addition for the sitting around in the evening bit, if you can't have a fire.
Take more bedding than you need, and then some spare in case of accidents - being cold at night is usually the main gripe. Unless it pishes down all week of course.
Bitey insect repellant. It won't do anything but at least you tried.
A ready bed for the kids is a great idea:
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/6342676.htm
airbed and sleeping bag in one, very useful.
Want to take the girls (5 & 9) and probably the wife camping over the summer.
You need to work out whether that probably is a yes or a no.
If it's a no, sleeping bags, beans & a cookstove.
If it's a yes, there isn't enough room on STW.
Countless duvets and cushions pack down really small- hassle-free compared to tables, etc and really make a difference to your enojyment and feeling of comfort.
A couple of decent lamps too.
Our next purchase is a hook-up cable and heater. Just incase its needed but with decent sleeping bags (go up colder-spec than you need to) its not really needed as you get hissed, enjoy a fire and only end up back in the tent to sleep if you are upto stuff.
It feels like we just take pretty much everything we own !
If you get some of those vacuum bags that you suck the air out of with a hoover (or use a 12v socket inflator in reverse for when you go home) you can save loads of space with your pillows, blankets etc.) It's best keep warm particularly in a larger tent otherwise it can lead to a pretty bad nights sleep coupled with the inevitable early awakening due to the light. Dunno about anyone else but I always need the loo in the middle of the night when camping but never at home! So a decent torch is a must.
And wide neck bottle 😉
Wet wipes , mosquito/insect repellent , bite/ sting relief , Wet wipes , antihistamines -all x3 according to Mrsbeanz .
Have a couple of practice runs in the back garden if you can. Test out the kit and kids (and wife) with the safety net of the house being next to you.
Lots of other superfluous crap that could really have been left at home but she just wouldn't bloody listen.
You are describing my wife. Latest purchse is a carpet for the tent.
Although she is a very intelligent woman, she does not seem to understand the basic principles of physics:
already full car + more stuff = it will fit.
A ready bed for the kids is a great idea:
No
Unless you buy these for yourself....
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[b]SQUEEK, SQUEEK, SQUEEK![/b]
Must packs for my 6 and 9 yr old girls...
marshmallows
wooden skewers
mini bbq
top trumps
+1 for the most important thing is to keep warm but to begin with just take lots of blankets and duvets (and reasonable sleeping mats and pillows for some comfort).
NorthernMatt's list covers most stuff, plus games for the kids.
For your first time consider staying near a town where you can just buy your evening meal(s). Get a cheap stove and coolbag for cups of tea / coffee and bacon butties in the morning. If you like camping, then you can buy more stuff (and a box to put it all in). Similarly I would say you need chairs to sit around on during the day / evening but things like a table can come later.
Actually earplugs aren't a bad idea. One of our neighbours when we camped in France snored like a bloody drill for 5 nights.
VW T5 camper van with a pop-top for the kids.
Blowing/ making bubble kit - they can mess about for hours whatever the weather