Hi all. We have just brought our first tent and are raring to go but have no equipment apart from airbeds and sleeping bags. The shopping list we have so far is - lamp, double stove thingy possibly with grill, saucepans, plates etc., table and chairs.
Are we missing anything?
Also, this may be a dumb question but, at home we use an electic pump to pump up our airbeds when needed. Can we buy a foot pump to use with these? And/or can we get an electric hook up to our tent?
Very very excited about it all but I don't want to go too mad buying lots of unnecessary things!
Thanks for any help...
Aldi have some good offers at the moment on cooking eqipment. Also netto and Lidl have offers too on camping equipment. I have some of it and it seems fine.
Argos also do a bellows foot-pump for airbeds. Either will pump to higher pressure than the little battery pumps you get. (Although, unlike a boat, an air-bed should be a bit squishy, not too hard.) Don't try any pump designed for car tyres - they are meant for small volumes at high pressure, and you want large volumes at low pressure.
We use a small electric pump driven from the cigarette lighter of the car and inflates the beds in no time I think it was £7.99 from Argos It also deflates them for easier packing as their bulk is reduced. I have used the bellows pumps in the past (often) and after 20 mins of pumping (Ooh er!) and the bed not yet fully inlated I would mutter never again! Mind you I had calf muscles like Lance Armstrong after each inflation!
Don't forget a torch for those midnight treks accross fields to toilet facilities! Maybe a coolbox & ice pack thingies if you want to take some beers/wine/bacon with you. We found caravanning last year that site shops can be a bit pricey.
Oh, also a mallett with a hook on the end for pulling up the tent pegs.
I agree the cigarette lighter/12v option......decent hookup is at least £50 or near enough so fine if you'll use it all the time.....I love it for the use of a heater but I'm a wimp!