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.

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!

A camper van.

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.

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.

“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:

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Hi7WCCbMWg[/video]

Then buy it all over again.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

+1000 for pre-packed plastic crates for everything.

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

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

If your anywhere near the Midlands, Walsall Tent Hire 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:-
Camping Gaz Double Burner & Grill. Because they just work, & work well.
Coleman Comfort Double Air bed 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. 🙂

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 !

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….

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.