What's your best camping tip? (LIST OF TIPS NOW ADDED!)

butterfly72

I get cold at night when camping so I always take a hot water bottle and some thick socks in case ineed to get up in the night. I have a great self inflating air matress from here http://www.alpkit.com/sleeping-mats

Enjoy!

holidaysforme

Take a one pot meal with you for the first night. I have just made a batch of chilli to have when we arrive at our campsite on friday night. I find that we just want something quick and easy to heat up especially on the first night when you just want to get settled. Chilli or bolognaise usually does the trick. It"s quick and easy. More time for relaxing with a glass of wine or two then;)
You seem to have got lots of camping bargains.
Have a lovely time.

vax2002

If you are planning on cooking, take a couple of good pans, trust me anything you put in those mess tins sticks and burns and tastes like it as well and they will take hours of scrubbing, a small non stick pan is the no1 accessory !
as I say, spot the new campers a mile off, scrubbing mess tins and with a cheap tent you can not stand up in, they look like death warmed up !

Ps: if you take a good wasp and insect bite treatment cream, you wont ever need it !

MrsWassire

Like I said though, all my pans are expensive, heavy, and thick. Just seems like a wee camping stove would take half an hour to heat them to cooking temp! Should I borrow some cheaper pans from Mum or something?

MrsWassire

As we're only going for a few nights I thought about just doing 'freezer bag meals' where you just have super noodles/pasta n sauce etc prepared in freezer bags by just pouring boiling water in and leaving it to sit. Lunches could be picnic style.

Mojisola

MrsWassire wrote: »

Our cool box is a proper American one rated to keep food cool for 3 days so should be fine for our 2-3 nights away no matter what we bring.

If you're sure your cool box is up to it, I would cook meals in advance that will just need heating up. Have the first evening's meal chilled but freeze the others. By the time you need them they will have defrosted and will have kept the box cool as well.

Norma_Desmond

I haven't camped for years, so my only tip would be to make sure everyone goes to the loo before settling down for the night; I once had to get up in the early hours (too much wine) and trek across the field.........only to be divebombed by an owl.

JimmyTheWig

Can't believe no-one's said what I'd say was the top camping tip ever - don't touch the sides of the tent when it rains. If nothing is touching the sides then you should stay dry. If the sides are being touched (inc. if the inner tent touches the outer tent) then you will get wet.

I also agree about keeping a spare change of dry clothes in the car for an emergency.

I agree it gets cold at the start of the night, but it also gets hot by the morning. Three bodies in a small enclosed space, the body heat will have a great effect. So I'd say go for layers (clothes and blankets) that you can remove.

Mojisola

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

I agree it gets cold at the start of the night, but it also gets hot by the morning. Three bodies in a small enclosed space, the body heat will have a great effect. So I'd say go for layers (clothes and blankets) that you can remove.

That's true - and also, if it's a sunny morning, there'll be no lie-ins. You start cooking quite early in a small tent in the sunshine.

WestonDave

Norma_Desmond wrote: »

I haven't camped for years, so my only tip would be to make sure everyone goes to the loo before settling down for the night; I once had to get up in the early hours (too much wine) and trek across the field.........only to be divebombed by an owl.

Reminds me of one of our early trips - middle of the night starts a terrific screeching just outside the tent. Eventually this went on for long enough that my curiosity got the better of me so I scrambled out (to find the next door tent occupants doing the same). Discovered that the racket was coming from the tree above our tent but couldn't see what it was - dived back in for the big torch and shone it in the tree, where sitting on a branch waiting for mum/dad to come back with food were 3 baby owls, by now somewhat bemused at the bright light shining in their face. Eventually they must have got fed as they went quiet. I think part of the noise was due to the fact that the site backed onto a lack, and the presence of the owls set off all the ducks in alarm!

I was a Scout as a kid, and our scout master had an enforced rule on camps, which was no socks on the campsite unless for some reason we were wearing walking boots. The reason being they just soak up water either from rain or the dew in the mornings, and take longer to dry. I tend to follow this now so spend most of the week in those walking sandals - your feet might be cooler but cold wet feet are horrible.