[Closed] Full camping set up - what to buy?

38, camped on top of things with nothing more than a bivvy bag etc. etc.

93. Sleep naked on mountain tops in blizzards with no more than a Tesco carrier bag and a packet of frozen peas for a pillow etc. etc.

I was replying to the person who seemed to think it was only fun in your early 20's.

Anyway, this has gone beyond amusing, as I said before opinions are like arseholes.

OP: Here's an example of what you can pick up for under £200. Toilet is probably a bit much if you're on a site but otherwise a sensible start and more than capable of keeping you warm and entertained if you take appropriate bedding and entertainment.

https://www.gumtree.com/p/camping-gear/tent-camping-gear/1302973416

You should get an acoustic guitar.

Or a Ukelele.

Campers love that shit.

I know it has been said, but I have to second (or third or whatever) getting the kit second-hand. I bought a full set of everything we needed (RCD electric hookup, airbeds, table, big double stove, gas bottle, kitchen unit etc etc etc etc etc and two 6-8 men tents). The whole lot cost us £180 from Ebay and I am sure I will get most (if not all) of that back when the kids are too old to be bothered about doing it anymore.

If you get a gas bottle second hand, when it needs refilling do you just take it to somewhere (Go Outdoors etc) and pay the £35 to get it refilled? You don't need to show any original paperwork etc and I assume it doesn't matter if the bottle is a bit bashed about? Some of the second hand ones look dire but I see little point in buying a shiny new one as you are just going to swap it for whatever the place you take it to has in their compound and is full.

^ Yes - just take yours, give it to them, get another full one (which could be tatty/near perfect condition cosmetically) in return – they don't fill it for you onsite.

That's good then. You can get empty ones for about £5 on gumtree etc but they look pretty dire. As long as it doesn't leak there isn't an issue!

That’s good then. You can get empty ones for about £5 on gumtree etc but they look pretty dire. As long as it doesn’t leak there isn’t an issue!

If it's in date for being swapped then just head to a garage and swap for a newish looking one 😉

Started camping last year in a borrowed ⛺ then bought our own in the Blacks sale for £195,  Eurohike Buckingham 8 elite. Its 7m x 3m and stand up height, it's a lovely tent. What we did invest in was a towbar and second hand trailer. The trailer is a Brenderup, absolutely worth its weight in gold. Everything fits inside so the car just has clothes bags in. We also take a mini fridge, a microwave, Weber BBQ and a 🔥 pit. Love it!

Also for car camping we just use a duvet.

Same here. Exped mats and sleeping bags for lightweight and/or cold weather but for casual summer car camping a duvet, big fluffy pillows and (shock horror) an inflatable camp bed.

Several stoves here but the car camping one is a Coleman dual burner plus grill with separate regulator for big (ish) gas cylinder. A folding table and chairs are nice if you want to be comfortable.

As for avoiding chavvy campsites, easier said than done I'm afraid. Often you have no idea until you get there. Though I do have an ever-expanding blacklist.

Take some earplugs for when you are camped next to Percy the panther's Ukelele orchestra. 🙂

A wee bottle. Not a "small" one - one to avoid the schlep to the lavs at 2 am. Warning! Do not leave the wee bottle in plain sight of teeth cleaning visitors to your pitch!!

Non stealth ad alert.

If you look at my profile I have a full if necessary family set up for sale, I’m away for a couple of days but email if it’s of interest 😆

If the airbed is comfier than a thermarest I reckon your over inflating the thermarest or didn't clear out stones before pitching.

I'm with squirrel ... not much point camping if you just reproduce  home (for me anyway)... couple of chairs would nice though when its chucking it down..

I’m with squirrel … not much point camping if you just reproduce home

Why not? It's just a different way of doing things. I like to be able to stand up straight, cook nice meals, sit around a table with a cold beer, stay warm, have decent light after sunset and have a comfortable night's sleep. We choose 'nice' camp sites with good facilities, play area etc and it's a holiday for the whole family. Sleeping in a field with nothing but a toilet and cold running water (which I have done – I did it for three months around Europe) isn't so much fun for a week way with the family.

Don't forget a bottle to pee in in the middle of the night so that you don't have to trek across the campsite to the loos............

You should get an acoustic guitar.

Or a Ukelele.

Campers love that shit.

Really poor advice imho. Far better to invest in an electric guitar and and amp. If your family get into it, you can then invest in a drum kit, bass, etc. That way you'll be able to share right across the site. HTH.

don't bother getting everything you will ever need from day one. start off with a cheap little tent, sleeping bag and a roll mat and see if you like it. you're either a camper or you're not! also theres a wide range of campsite around. do research and avoid the chavvy/big ones as they can be like a big mobile council estate.

Tell me about mats.  I sleep fine on an airbed tbh but I'm just about to replace one and if people reckon self inflating mats are more comfortable then I'll hold fire on the airbed. I've slept on thermarests before and find it hard to believe they can be more comfy (or, more precisely, non-uncomforatble) than airbeds.  They seem pricey too.

Has to be a double...

Has to be a double…

Not sure many do doubles, the main advantages are warmth. an airbed is just an airgap and it lets all the heat out, the foam in the matt gives you some insulation. The thickest ones from any of the generic camping shops are what you want for car camping.

Airbeds and 2 people always deem like the worst possible thing, unless they are hard as a rock everytime the other person moves you feel it.

By the time some folk here get everything setup it must be time to start packing up again.

I always struggle to be comfortable on a thermarest. Sleep on my side and hip and shoulder go straight through. Lying on my back it's ok but then I snore.

Tell me about mats.  I sleep fine on an airbed tbh but I’m just about to replace one and if people reckon self inflating mats are more comfortable then I’ll hold fire on the airbed. I’ve slept on thermarests before and find it hard to believe they can be more comfy (or, more precisely, non-uncomforatble) than airbeds.  They seem pricey too.

Edit: this one.  http://m.gooutdoors.co.uk/airgo-cirro-double-dlx-sim-p429554 . £110 at the moment so quite a bit more than an air bed but a good price comparef to some

I always struggle to be comfortable on a thermarest. Sleep on my side and hip and shoulder go straight through.

My wife was the same until she bought a thicker one. About 8cm I think.

I'm not averse to a bit of genuine wild camping when it enables you to get to a location where other accommodation is not possible.  I'm generally not that keen on camp sites, because they have other people on them.

If you follow the logical extension that since this is a "lower cost option than a holiday cottage" and not about the camping experience per se, then you inevitably get into the luxury camping end of the spectrum - seats, tables, electricity, kettles, comfy beds, TV, fridge, beds, toilet* etc...

Once I get my head into that, then I'm left wondering why you wouldn't just go the full hog and have a caravan (or a campervan if the budget / other compromises work for you).  I have a deep inner hatred of the idea of a caravan, but think it distills down to the fact they are usually owned by caravaners, and I don't want to be on holiday in a field full of caravaners.

* having recently spent the night in a glamping pod again, my thoughts are that traipsing 50m across a damp field getting attacked my midges because you need a pee in the middle of the night is not the bit of "experiencing the connection with nature" I was most worried about missing out on, from the luxury experience.

Hey OP ... what ever you buy .... buy something and do it !! .... You'll not regret it*.

Just back from our first little trip this year... only 90min up the road, but a world away....And a brilliant added bonus was I found myself quite unexpectantly wondering through the villiage where The Detectors was filmed.....   https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/the-detectorists/

* Bear in mind we've probably thrown a fair bit at it .... Big air beam tent/self inflating mattress on top of inflating bed "frames"... sleeping on proper sheets and under a duvet.... I honestly didn't wanna get out of bed this morn but the little river, just out front of the tent, called me and I had a cheeky swim.

Get out there, which ever way you choose.

Good luck.

Yes, airbeds in a tent. We’ve tried those thermarest things and I think I’d get more comfort sleeping on some swept up leaves.

Agreed, don't get the airbed hate, far more comfortable.

A huge part of camping successfully is just about being organised with your kit, rather than buying the latest and greatest.  Having good quality kit does make a big difference for sure, but forgetting to take a bit of string/para-cord, spare batteries, the fuel funnel for the stove, duct tape to patch a tear in the tent etc can have a disproportionate impact on your enjoyment.

Cheap plastic toolboxes are fantastic for keeping all your camping gear together - and it means you can just store them ready-to-go, so there is a reduced opportunity to forget something each time you go.  It also makes the pre-camping faff a lot more tolerable if you don't have to hunt-down a little bottle of washing-up liquid, mossie repellent etc every time.  Keeping a pen/paper in each box and noting down what needs to be added next time (or has run out) is also a good idea and means that your kit continuously evolves in terms of it's usefulness.

Sorry - not a particularly sexy recommendation!  Maybe get a titanium aeropress or something to offset?

As for actual kit,  This is the one piece of kit that I would recommend to anyone:

I would try to pick up an older one of ebay or whatever - it sounds like there are some QC problems with the newer ones - but the older ones are virtually (maybe actually?) bombproof and will comfortably outperform a gas stove.

I’m in my 40s and still enjoy wild camping. Where do I collect my badge of honour?

Not regularly enough to claim *that* special badge unfortutely!

Still putting off camping with the family. I have no desire to move house. I like basic camping - bivis, bushcraft style woods, wild camping, lightweight shelters etc

I've booked an NT bothy in October with my son (6). To me that's glamping, it's a solid building with running water and a composting toilet. Tried to sell it to my wife and daughter (5) and they both weren't keen, my wife said 'why'?' !

No faffing needing with enough kit to fill a trailer. Our holidays are all self catering places, it's definitely more expensive than camping but it's a hell of a lot easier, and then I get to camp the way I like to. Last friday was a stealth camp with a bivi, sleeping bag and mat - no one else around, it was bliss

Seems quite polarized on the airbed vs inflated mat.

Don't be confusing thin, lightweight 'Thermarests' to thicker mats used for car-camping.  Have used both 7.5cm and 10cm self-inflators.  Both were supremely comfortable with no rolling or partner disturbance.  Never had much luck with double airbeds - cold, rolly things.  They could've gotten better, but IME 7cm+ mat gives me the comfort, warmth and the firmness that are required for long sleep and ...

fast leisure 😉

There are two issues with traditional airbeds.

The first is that it's dead air, as soon as the temperature falls it'll be like sleeping on a block of ice.

The second is that if there's two of you on a double airbed, you get this effect:

Sturdy/stable and hard wearing?  I'd recommend a Cabanon canvas frame tent - mine is still as new after lots of years of lots of use, and even though it's  a frame tent. it's actually easier to put up on my own than some of those nylon jobbies.  Of course they were very expensive - and I'm not even sure what they make these days, I'm just doing the "this is what I've got" thing!

I use an airbed if car camping, but you need to put one of those thin foam roll up mat things on top otherwise you will get cold and condensation will form. Oh, and if for two, have two single airbeds, doubles are crap.

Essential item = hot water bottle!  Although when cycle touring I'd use those hot hand warmer pouch things.

Basic list - tent, chair, table, cooker, kettle, frying pan, plate, dish, cup, cutlery, torch, bed, sleeping bag, hot water bottle, water container.  When you decide you like it, you can add the luxuries.

Oh, forgot the MOST important item - a Portapotti!!

When I've been car camping I use an inflatable air bed (maybe not the best choice, but adequate) but rather than sleeping bags I take fitted sheets and a duvet. Collapsible chairs and a stove, plus cooking stuff and plenty of thermoses for the day out. Next time I'd sort out some sort of table and a bigger cooker. Citronella candles are handy. The tent is a field and trek own brand from a sale. Car space isn't a problem for me as I don't have kids. ymmv.

torch

Headtorch.

Yup, double airbed, and duvet here if I'm car camping.

Dog beds down the side for the Terriers.

All in a 4 man tent you can stand up in, with a decent porch ( carpeted, natch) you can stand up in, and a decent fold flat gas Cooker, and a portable Braai.

No point in being uncomfortable..

I’d recommend a Cabanon canvas frame tent

+1.  Bagged a like-new Vis a Vis Luxe a few years ago on fleabay for a few hundred quid. The flysheet is some sort of vinyl so mold not a problem there  Used for a 2 seasons (summer to late autumn) but I killed the (cotton) inner by not cutting the grass/nettles around, hence it succumbed to mucho mold.  For regular trips (as long as you dry it properly each time) they are hard to beat.  The Cabanon Pyramide (+ sun-awning) is something I'd like to have for a sturdy setup.  Have seen them in action and they are somewhat of a gold-standard for  family camping, along with the DeWaard Albatross.  Big investment though, you'd have to be sold on camping and looking to use every year to justify the cost. Unless a good used bargain presents itself.

Another Q about self inflating mattresses, bit nervous of splashing out a couple hundred for two/a double without thinking it through.  How forgiving are they of lumpy surfaces? When kipping in the van I throw an airbed on top of the back seats, the back 5 seats fold flattish but not perfectly flat.  The airbed irons out the bumps somewhat.