First Time Campers - What are the essentials needed?

kiwichick

Hiya,

Just wanted to say that I was in Poundland yesterday and they have enamel plates, bowls and cups - obviously each is £1!!!

Al x

socks_uk

kiwichick wrote: »

Hiya,

Just wanted to say that I was in Poundland yesterday and they have enamel plates, bowls and cups - obviously each is £1!!!

Al x

Thanks... can't wait to go find a pondland but the closest is probably Lincoln or S!!!!horpe. It would add a tenna in fuel cost to a shopping trip!

SAMHP_2

Ear plugs! - ESSENTIAL!
Wasp trap - useful
SAM

Hotspur

Socks_uk,

I've a similar Quecha pop up tent which I use for overnight stops and it does the job well. The only real downside is lack of space to store cooking kit, chairs etc. This isn't much of an issue for overnight stops if the car is close by or with just one in the tent.

If you enjoy the experience and consider going away for longer periods then you'll soon find you will consider a second tent, with more living room and height, to be more comfortable. E Bay is a good source of quality (e.g. Coleman, Outwell, Vango) secondhand tents at bargain prices. My last one which looks almost as good as new cost £60 when new it was £200.

Enjoy

socks_uk

Thanks Sam & hotspur.

I'm hoping I chose the best tent within my budget. I just know that I won't want to be messing around tying to fix tent poles together in the dark so that's why I went for a pop-up one! I guess if it wasn't too windy our pop-up gazebo would work as a day tent.

Yesterday I got the cheap, cheap, CHEAP! Sainsburys tent out of the garage I bought at the end of last summer for a fiver. We've not even taken it out of the bag so no idea how bad it is. I asked my husband what else he thought we'd need to be able to go camping and he was so keen! So I'm sure I'm doing the right thing getting him a tent for his birthday!

Mr_Smith_3

Tin opener, cooking equipment, toilet paper, something to yank the tent pegs out with, towels should get you by

shiprob195

socks_uk wrote: »

Thanks Sam & hotspur.

I'm hoping I chose the best tent within my budget. I just know that I won't want to be messing around tying to fix tent poles together in the dark so that's why I went for a pop-up one! I guess if it wasn't too windy our pop-up gazebo would work as a day tent.

Yesterday I got the cheap, cheap, CHEAP! Sainsburys tent out of the garage I bought at the end of last summer for a fiver. We've not even taken it out of the bag so no idea how bad it is. I asked my husband what else he thought we'd need to be able to go camping and he was so keen! So I'm sure I'm doing the right thing getting him a tent for his birthday!

Be aware that not all campsites accept gazebos.

socks_uk

shipr!!!95 wrote: »

Be aware that not all campsites accept gazebos.

Thanks for that.

The Quechua tent arrived today and along with it came a Decathlon brochure with the Quechua Base Seconds on the back of it. Can I afford another 50 quid? Very tempted!

socks_uk

I think I'm going to buy the base seconds full today. Gosh, I'm getting so excited about going camping now!

coachandy

Dont worry about going away close to home. Its actually the onlyh way (plus a couple of tent luxuries) that gets my wofe to go camping.

We are going to a site just 7 miles away for 6 days, we have already been there for 4 earlier in the year. Being close to home gives her an ESCAPE option if the weather gets bad, or she finds she has "got nothing to wear".....:rotfl:

It has its avantages because we know ther area, we knwo where to go, we know which activites locally the kids like etc.

I have a checklist somewhere of things we need to take on excel, if it will be of any help send me a PM