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

big5

Aldi have got some camping stuff coming in this week - http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/offers_week22Thursday12.htm

We got a few of the camping rugs last year to use in our tent (washed quite nicely after having red wine spilt on them :whistle: ), and I got a pair of the Croc-style clogs (they are still going strong, am wearing them right now).

ailuro2

I used another forum for camping advice ( won't name it here in case it's a legal problem for MSE) and gained a lot of tips there. I thought it was the same as any other forum I've ever been a member of... that it was impartial but relied on ads to cover the running costs.

lately though I have found myself excluded from posting and had my posts edited or removed without being told why. when I was a mod on a fishkeeping forum we would not edit someone without telling someone why and it would only ever be edited to remove swearwords, known spam or incendiary behaviour.

so my top tip is to be careful of camping forums that appear impartial but are really taking advantages of people's trust in forums. If you find yourself being steered towards one particular company for purchases or find the mods advertising goods for a company and giving them raving reviews you'll know you're on the forum that's impartial.

I am currently excluded from that forum for mentioning tent painting. I kid you not.

there are some fab people on the forum who have no idea it's going on.

ailuro2

btw - if they still have them in stock £land hot water bottles are the perfect size to be filled from a camping kettle - they're about half size compared to nrormal ones.

We did our first camp last Saturday, I took my home made quiltycushion things - they were fleece blankets with zips that I bought for £2.99 from dunelm mill, they can be worn as a long snuggly, then unzipped to use as an extra blanket. I put them in a cushion cover so they act as a cushion during the day too.

The official version is called Quishions but they are much dearer and also hard to get a hold of.

Also, use old juice bottles as ice packs, just don't fill them all the way up before you freeze them. Also freeze semi skimmed milk etc so the stuff in the coolbox will stay cold longer ( but make sure you've got a wee drop of milk to have a cuppa before you pitch if it's a long journey - or take a flask of tea made up.

Norman_Castle

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!

I use an old stainless steel, copper bottomed Prestige milk pan on a small single burner cooker. It seems to work ok. A lid and a windbreak helps. You could look for cheap, non stick aluminium pans or just ask your friends to look under the sink for old saucepans.
I also use a self inflating mattress from Decathlon which was approx £20. I've had at least 100 nights on it. One puncture from a thorn when I used it outside the tent, otherwise it is still in excellent condition and will last years more. I find airbeds very cold and uncomfortable.

I went camping 20 years ago with a friend and her daughter with a borrowed tent and cooker. We just put the plates, cutlery and saucepans that we use at home into the washing up bowl and used those. No problems. Great holiday

ailuro2

I bought the lidded non stick pot from tesco for £2 we have suitcase stoves and its important not to use too large a pan as the heat can end up getting diverted to the gas canister. I have a lidded egg poaching pan, again non stick so it's easy to wipe clean.

ailuro2

thought I'd pop on and let folks with electric hook up s that Robert Dyas have halogen ovens for £20 at the moment - swithering about getting one as we're still new to this, but they get great revies so I'm kind of torn - the boot's already heaving!

eadieb

I've been camping many years with our 4 children (including when they were babiies).

Bring a mallet

priority is everyone should be warm at night. We use 3 season sleeping bags and self inflating mattresses for all. we stopped bothering with normal inflating mattresses as they continually got jumped on and got holes. Myself and my partner have super 10cm luxury self inflating mattresses which cut out all cold from the ground completely. I have found that young children slip off the normal inflatable single mattresses. Everyone has layers of vests, PJ's, warm socks, and jumpers for in bed, which if (very rarely)it is warm then they can remove layers. Make sure the mattresses dont press up against the sides of the tent if raining.

We use 2 triangia meths cookers. Bring all the usual essential equipment for a meal but dont forget a sharp knife, matches, (I keep these dangerous items in a sealed tin), small chopping board, and a strainer and mini plastic measuring jug if you are cooking food that needs a certain amount of water. You need a water carrier. Ive also now added a mini dustpan and brush for sweeping the tent out when packing up. bring toilet roll.

We bring a washing up bowl but also use one of those collapsable plastic crates for carrying all the washing up to the kitchen areas. We bring 2 scouring pads, one for the plates and cups and one for the cooking pots.

all our kids have crocs and shorts on for the mornings in the wet grass and winter clothes and wellies for the evenings. fleece jumpers, waterproof jackets. they all have their own cheap lamp and torch. We bring toys like small plastic dinosaurs or a few barbies.

For those who have babies and toddlers who sleep in the day, then try to time them sleeping in the car, and arriving on site and getting as much of the tent up before they wake up. We bought a 'Bumbo' baby seat for trapping our baby whilst cooking. Check the immediate area you are camping in for various dangers that you might not expect.

My most stressful moment camping was when I was part way through cooking a meal, my partner had to take 2 of our children to the toilets and whilst I was distracted, my toddler wandered round to our car and had been inserting pegs up inside the exhaust pipe. He appeared with black exhaust soot up to each elbow.:eek:

JimmyTheWig

eadieb wrote: »

all our kids have crocs and shorts on for the mornings in the wet grass

I'd second this.
For the adults, too.
Flip-flops are fine alternatives to crocs.

Feet dry easily. Socks and trouser bottoms don't.

lazer

Flip flops and long rain coats - great for night time toilet trips

Many campsites now have campers kitchen, and storage areas etc.

Bring a battery powered radio - but don't use it at night and annoy other campers

Bring a pack of cards

Top Tip - send the OH on a useful errand, and put the tent up yourself, much easier than the arguements

If you are using an airbed, bring an electric pump powered from the car cigeratte lighter, and a picnic blanket to set the airbed on while inflating it!

littleg_2

Nescafe 3 in 1 coffee sachets, with milk and sugar included for a very easy brew at dawn. I also 'collect' the little sachets of salt/pepper/sauces etc from cafes and keep them in a waterproof box.
Didn't notice a corkscrew/bottle opener on the list....vital!