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Okay, been reading this thread and got to thinking...what could us experienced types put together as a budget starter pack for a family of four? We did this a few years back and we came up with some really good suggestions.

Guidelines:

 £300 budget. Only new stuff. Online or national chains only. (Forget the p&p.) Supermarket stuff allowed. Camping season running from April-September. Weekends or one week trips. Kids happy to share a pod.

List:

Family tent 5-6 berth.

2x adult sleeping  bags. (Remember the seasons, please.)

2x childrens' sleeping bags.

2x single airbeds or 2x self inflating mats.

Double airbed or self inflatig mat(s).

Airbed pump if required.

Cooker. (Lets asume they inherit a gas bottle if necessary.)

Table.

Chairs x 4.

Lamp.

They are a lucky family...they have fleece blankets, pillows, suitable pots and picnic crockery and picnic rugs already, so don't get side tracked. I'm sure they get a free mallet with the tent as well, okay?

I'll do my list later today.

B&Q are doing what looks like a good starter pack for £100 I think it is, but no chairs or cooking equipment as far as I'm aware. Car boot sales and charity shops are often a good source for certain things.

Anne

Tent:  Gelert Atlantis 5  £139.99

Sleeping Bags:  Decathlon Kids bags £14.99 x 2 = £29.98

Decathlon adult bags £19.99 x 2 = £39.98

Argos Double airbed £17.59

Argos single airbeds £9.99 x 2 = 19.98

Argos bellows pump £6.99

Gelert Economy Double burner cooker £19.50

Tesco picnic table and chair combination £14.92

Outwell lamp £4.99

£293.92 yay, done it!!

Vango Icarus 500 Tent - £134.99 - tents4less.co.uk

Vango Wildnerness 250 Sleeping Bags x 4 (£17.00 ea) - £68.00 - scoutshops.com

Double Air Bed - £9.99 - tesco.com - also in store

Single Air Bed x 2 (£6.66 ea) - £13.32 - tesco.com - also in store

Outwell Bellows Pump - £4.99 - outdoormegastore.co.uk

Bullfinch Double Burner Cooker inc. hose & regulator - £22.50 - scoutshops.com

Folding Chairs x 4 (£5.98 ea) - £23.92 - wilkinsonplus.com - also in store

Quecha Folding Table - £14.99 - decathlon.co.uk - also in store

Vango 48 LED Lamp - £7.25 - scoutshops.com

Grand Total = £299.95

My offering...

Vango Icarus 500 £134.00.

2x EasyCamp Happy Days sleeping bags at £19.00 =£38.00 (because adults like square bags, lol.)

2x Vango Convertible sleeping bags at £15.00 = £30.00

Tesco double airbed. £10.00

2x Tesco Single airbed at £6.66 = £13.32.

Hi-Gear pump £6.00

2x2 Folding armchairs  Tesco at £10.00 per pair = £20.00.

Tesco slatted table £16.00

CampingGaz Lagoon cooker. £20.00

Total £287.32, plus £12.60 for a light, or even two.

Quote: Originally posted by Mrs. Bonce on 30/4/2010

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B&Q are doing what looks like a good starter pack for £100 I think it is, but no chairs or cooking equipment as far as I'm aware.

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I have looked at this...it's not good quality, not at all.

 

I decided to do it with stuff over here in Holland just to be a little different.

Without doing a major search (lazyness prevents that lol), this is what I came up with.

 

Tent €129

2 adult sleeping bags (DS has one of these and he is always too warm!  2 x €22 = €44

2 kids sleeping bags €15,90 x 2 = €31,80

2 single airbeds €5,95 each = €11,90

1 double airbed  €14,95

Airbed pump  €4,95

Cooker with 3 burners €22,50

Table with adjustable legs €15,95

Chairs  €5,95 x 4 = 23, 80

Lamp led with remote control €14,95

Total = €313,80

According to XE, that is 272 poinds and 75 p :)

Angie

 

Edited to add...

If the budget could be broken a little then I would get this tent instead for €179,99 making the final total...

€364,80 (317 pounds and 12p)

 

The thing I like about threads like this is that everyone finds different bargains at their favorite stores. These Vango airbeds look a really good buy, as do the Wilderness bags.

Interesting to see the Dutch kit as well. Ta, Angie.

It's not easy though to get everything you need to start for £300, is it? £350 would take you a lot further. If you needed to buy pots, pans, blankets, gas, coolbox and all the rest you'd be looking at £500 and that's before you even went near the much touted "essentials" of EHU, heater, carpet, footprint etc. And yet blessed Halfords and B&Q have the cheek to call their £99 bags of cheap kit "starter packs".