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Radio and bottle opener,incolder weather flask,hot water bottle and sleeping bag liners.

Mick

Hi lynnlambert, sleeping bag liners go inside the bag to help create another layer of insulation,they help in keeping the bag clean( you wash the liner rather than the bag). In hot weather you can just sleep in the liner rather than the bag.Different materials are available ,cotton, silk or fleece!Costs vary according to material.

Mick

Welcome!
One essential I always pack is a rug per person. Sounds daft I know but they are an essential. If you're lucky enough (We weren't this year in 5 camping trips!!) chuck em on the floor for sunbathing or at the beach, whilst having a glass of wine or 3 in the evening wrap 'em round your legs to keep the draft out (Also means you can stay up longer for that one more glass!!) ,when going to bed, lay them between the airbed and your sleeping bag for added insulation. They then get thrown in the boot during the day for the daliy picnics while we're out!

Brilliant Invention!!!

Hi Pong

We went camping this September for the first time and borrowed an EHU, and fan heater.  It made such a difference in the evenings.  We have now bought an EHU from www.centrecaravans.com for £49.99. 

Our next purchase is going to be an electric ring to save money on meals out.

Shellseeker33

For us, the essentials (apart from what you've listed) has been the EHU and heater.

Went camping end of Aug few years back and it was so cold our toddler couldn't stop shivering. Even when it's hot during the day it can be very cold at night and wouldn't do without it now.

The down side is that we now take too much electrical stuff

lights, fairy lights, battery recharger, fridge, travel kettle, electric pump but it doesn't half make life easier. Well we are on holiday!!

The other vital item is a good mallet!!!

Hiya.

A sleeping bag liner, silk if you can afford it is fantastic. Take a blanket just in case and a wooly hat. Until you have been camping for a while, you don't know how hot/cold you sleep in a tent/sleeping bag (especially if you have a man that keeps the bed hot for you at home, you won't benifit from that in a sleping bag!).

If you're staying on a site, you won't need a portaloo. If you really want to go down the wild road, there is an esential book called "how to sh*t in the woods" by Katherin Meyer. All you ever need and with very funny stories too.

Fridge.....who long are you staying for??? A good cool box full of ice is all you need. In Africa it kept things cold for 3/4 days and was still solid ice.

Warmth, all we use is a candle lantern.

Take a chair, folding, tripod, crazy creek, what ever you have space for.

Insect repelant....!!!

Good friends and family :)

Camping is what you make it. We live out of a canoe, self contained for 3/4-10 days, so all you food etc. Friends have been on expeds for 5 weeks self contained camping from canoes.

we wont go anywhere without rock pegs in future.landed in orchard farm this year,looked a nice grassy pitch until I started bending pegs for fun.there was only a couple of inches of topsoil on top of very hard and stony ground and every pitch was the same so we couldnt move.luckily a family next door had a few spare rock pegs to keep the windward side of the tent anchored for the night and they told us of an absolute aladins cave of a caravan shop in bridlington[its over the road from morrisons] where we bought a load the next day.if you know you are camping near a large town check out the pound shops for stuff like pillows,door mats,nocturnal bucket etc....chuck em away after.

   lynles