Camping OS

[Deleted User]

Will you be driving there, using public transport, or using Shank's Pony?

culpepper

String & a few clothes pegs ,can be used to hang light weight things in the tent or anything wet outside.

Needle and thread ,you might need to do some emergency repairs.
Pair of small scissors for mendings or cutting up food.
Plastic bags to keep insects out of your grub,keep gear dry.
A drink bottle each .
I agree with the she wee/whiz freedom/female urinary device . I have the Whiz and it needs practice to work out how to position it and also get the knack of actually allowing yourself to pee when not actually sitting.

DigForVictory

GQ has covered it, but I'd add insect repellent, antihistamine pills & a small tube of Savlon or the like. Which is about as stripped down a first aid kit as I'd camp with & would prefer basic painkillers, sticky plasters & a couple of bandages as well.
All this fresh air can startle the system, & if you're using a small sharp knife on questionable terrain - sometimes things go wrong.

I'd also take a bottle of cheap washing up liquid & a couple of pan scrubs & brillos that I can afford to leave by the sink for the next folk who've got all the gear but forgot to watch the pan!

Always the corkscrew & can opener. It is possible to open a tin of corned beef with a pair of pliers, but I'd clear all impressionable minds from the area first...

Indoor plumbing - y'know the 'aids for the bedridden' actually are a pile easier to use than a Shewee which takes Practice. That or a jam funnel into a very broadmouthed receptacle. (I can *never* get semi-dressed & quietly through the zip when desperate. Be gentle with yourself, & each other!)

sooty&sweep

Hi

Have a look at https://www.ukcampsite.co.uk

You'll get lots of help there from fellow campers

Cheers

Jrn

jackyann

Pretty well covered there.

If you are in a car (how well I remember the luxury of the first camping trip where we didn't carry everything!) I would add:

Get one of those little plastic toolboxes and keep an emergency kit in it - items as above +dental floss (= emergency string, and can be twisted to make a washing line or tie washing on guy ropes). Add to it over the years - ours is now 44 years old! If backpacking then make up a little bag, or use one rucksack pocket.
Couple of builders buckets - much easier for washing up & washing than little bowls (on big family camping tips we took half a dozen!)
At least one old towel - take this even if you're back packing. There will be a mud emergency, and this will save your decent towel (so you can get clean later!). It can also be useful for emergency first aid and other odd stuff.
No shoes inside the tent is a very good rule - so some old socks (not your good hiking ones) can be useful if it's chilly.

Have a lovely time, I hope you continue to be campers!
For 55 years I have camped - from Girl Guides, through back-packing, family camping and now a trailer tent. I've had the most fantastic holidays that I wouldn't have otherwise afforded, met wonderful people and been in amazing places. My kids have grown up knowing how to cope with minor (and occasionally middling) emergencies and be resilient.

cheel

Definitely duck tape. Has saved the day on more Than one camping trip! It'll temporarily fix tent fabric and poles! Dont forget first aid bits and bobs too . Have fun! Xx

esmy

My recommendations:
A proper pillow (or cushion) each - makes all the difference when sleeping on carry mats
Proper, metal cutlery, even if you use plastic plates
Lidded bucket for peeing in the night (I never do at home but ALWAYS need to go when I camp!)
Disposable barbecues (check with your site that they're permitted first)
Food wise, we take a cooked meal from home for the first night that can be warmed up on the camp stove.
Cereals are good for breakfast but you'll want someone elses bacon when you smell it!

[Deleted User]

GreyQueen wrote: »

You can get very handy little gas stoves in their own plastic carry case for circa £10, and a packet of 4 gas cylinders for £4.99.

If you are backpacking, and need to go ultralight, these weigh a whisker over 4oz (115g), including carrying case, and currently cost just £3-40 each.

SmarterNotHarder

I've just popped on quickly and am very grateful for all the advice. I will go through it properly when I have a bit more time and write a list, and thankfully I do have some of the things listed already so I need to get it all into my backpack.

I'm thinking of a trangia type stove that comes with the pans/kettle. Ntp the real thing but sports direct have a version for £20, unless anyone tells me that they're terrible I suppose!

Thank you all again.

[Deleted User]

SmarterNotHarder wrote: »

I'm thinking of a trangia type stove that comes with the pans/kettle.

They're not terrible, but they're also not precisely controllable, so they take a bit of getting used to.

Of course, the downside is, the weight of the liquid fuel you'll need to carry.

BTW. Instead of using Meths, which is pricey and smelly, and tends to stain the outside of your cookware, I'd suggest using Bio-ethanol.