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Ok ... we (hubby, 2 boys aged 9 and 6 and me) have our tent, airbeds (we're taking duvets) and we have a campsite in St Ives booked for 2 weeks! ... we could now spend a fortune on accessories, so what are the must have items.  Just about to order a double burner/grill and a pot/pan set and we already have a nice picnic set.

Im guessing an electric coolbox is a must, but what else would you recommend we dont leave home without?

Any feedback much appreciated before I do the credit card some serious damage ;o)

Must haves?? oh dear by the end of it you will have loads of kit 'just in case' and the 'oh I REALLY need this'  But anyway.....yes a nice cooker will need a kitchen stand or table (not plastic) a gas bottle plus gas then table and chairs to eat at. You will need a water carrier of somesort, and a coolbox/portable fridge may need an electric hookup lead...which leads to more electric gadgets for camping  You will need a light source wether it's battery or electric. Hmmm what else is NEEDED ...I think most of my kit is WANTED lol. You may want a chemical toilet, folding wardrobe, tent carpet, electric kettle, toaster, microwave, laptop and broadband dongle...dare I go on?  Theres lots of stuff you will need, and lots you will want it will all come down to what you all prefer....but either way enjoy your holiday im sure if you forget something you either live without it or find a good shop about  

ha ha so much for a cheap holiday eh!  Celeste you're scaring me! lol

Have seen some chairs in Tescos last week 2 for £10, so will be heading there tomorrow to pick those up.  I'm going to borrow a table, so thats sorted.

As someone who has refused point blank to go camping before due to a bad DofE experience, they have twisted my arm and Im now really looking forward to it.  Lets hope it all fits in the car ;o)

Thanks for your help guys

Quote: Originally posted by Reluctant Campe on 22/5/2010

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Ok ... we (hubby, 2 boys aged 9 and 6 and me) have our tent, airbeds (we're taking duvets) and we have a campsite in St Ives booked for 2 weeks! ... we could now spend a fortune on accessories, so what are the must have items.  Just about to order a double burner/grill and a pot/pan set and we already have a nice picnic set.

Im guessing an electric coolbox is a must, but what else would you recommend we dont leave home without?

Any feedback much appreciated before I do the credit card some serious damage ;o)

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First you have booked the site, so is it EHU or not.

Depending on booking we will tell you what will work and what won't.

No point going down the EHU route if you can't use it 

So non EHU ....

 coolbox + icepacks   

 12v only works when car running.  It will flatten a battery in a day.  

3 way fridge ...run off gas

With EHU.... fridge ..... watch out for sites limit, e.g.  6 amp and what will happen if you lose power.  

 

 

 

A double burner and grill can be a bulky item, if you're space saving a single stove that takes gas cannisters will do as well. You only need one frying pan and two pots, one big one small, and you can take them from home. I've found camping pots too flimsy and everything burns...or maybe I'm just a bad cook!

Cook some big pots of bolognese or chilli between now and your holiday and freeze what you don't eat - take that with you for heating through, take them frozen and you've got dinner for night 2 as well.

The stove can be got in a pound shop....poundland, poundstretcher, B&M bargains, etc etc. It's in a plastic case and it's usually less than a tenner with gas cannisters at 99p.

Those discount shops are brilliant for the little bits and pieces you need for camping. I got a torch, L.E.D. lights, picnic rugs, roll mats for under the airbed, battery operated lantern and some citronella candles for outside the tent. I was so impressed with the picnic rugs I bought 6 at £3.99 each and used them for carpet inside the tent, and for sitting on the ground outside.

You'll also get a hard coolbox, some icepacks, hot water bottles and a barbecue there too.  

In order of priorities, keeping warm and dry is the most important thing. Air beds can get cold off the ground, so get some cheap picnic blankets to go under them, and some thin fleece blankets to put on top of them or for inside the sleeping bags. If the weather's not looking great hot water bottles are advised - nothing worse than being cold.

After that the creature comforts; Lighting - you don't need to spend loads, £4 LED UFO lights from Wilkinson are as good as anything; Spare towels, it can be difficult to dry towels in bad weather; Crocs / flipflops to walk across wet grass to the loos in the mornings and negotiating the showers; Write lists of what you plan to take, everything from kitchen rolls to suncream and edit it as the weeks get closer so that you've thought of everything; Dust pan & brush for the sand and an old towel to mop up spills, condensation and anything else that's wet!

Otherwise, I always Google about the town I'm going to, know your supermarkets, chemists etc before you get there. And make sure you've practiced putting the tent up a couple of times before you go away, you don't want to find a broken pole or set of french instructions in the tent bag when you arrive on site!

Definately a fair weather camper. I don't like rain. Rain + Tent = Trouble.
2011:
July: Galpton, Devon
August: Duinrell, Holland

We use a duvet too. We put a fleece blanket, a fleece mattress cover over that, then a fitted sheet over the lot - we're always warm enough.

If you get a hard cased cool box, freeze some bottles of milk at home (remember to take a bottle of fresh milk for first day) and they will help to keep your cool box cold along with the freezer blocks.

Take a bucket with a lid (nappy bucket) and a bottle of Zoflora disinfectant to save those night time trips over to the loo block  Don't forget the loo roll! Pack gas bottle or other bits'n'bobs into the bucket to save space in the car.

Research your supermarkets, & buy a 5 litre bottle of water, then refill it on site. This will save you taking a water carrier with you. Also just take enough food for the first day, then buy it from the local supermarket - saves space in the car.

Don't forget to take your pillows. Also a spares kit consisting of, at least, tenacious tape or duck tape, spare pole section (if your tent has fibreglass poles), a couple of spare pegs, extra batteries for UFO light (flying saucer shaped light with LED bulbs), spare guy rope & cleat.

hi and welcome

all good advice above all i can suggest is a weekend away before your 2 week trip as this will show you what your missing

Quote: Originally posted by wongers on 23/5/2010

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hi and welcome

all good advice above all i can suggest is a weekend away before your 2 week trip as this will show you what your missing

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Garden camping is so much better...then you can go and raid the house for those little extras.  Keep it sparing though and then what you have in the tent by the end of your weekend is roughly what you need to take.  If the campsite has a launderette you won't need to take loads and loads of clothes...although you have to pay out to use the machines and tumble dryers I've found that it more than makes up for itself by making more room in the car.

I've invested in a rotary dryer for this year so hopefully I won't need the launderette at all, i can wash stuff in my trusty tub trug in the morning and assuming the weather is nice it'll be dry by the end of the day.