Camping - where to begin?

yellow hen

So we're a cash strapped family of 4. Kids are only 2 and 5 so we have several more years of family holidays ahead. I love the idea and freedom of camping and being able to pack up at relatively short notice. However I have zero experience and own zero equipment. Where do I begin? What would you recommend I buy first?

Apiarist

yellow hen wrote: »

Where do I begin? What would you recommend I buy first?

I would say
- get a tent where 4 people can sit comfortably. Get 3-4 foam mats.
- get a small gas stove and a kettle.
- get a roll of paper towels.

Start small. Pick a day, pack a picnic, start early in the morning and drive 1 hour to a camping site. Practice putting up the tent and making a cup of tea. Let kids run around the camping site. Eat the picnic while sitting on the foam mats and clean up. Then pack, disassemble the tent and go home for dinner. Note what you were missing while camping and get that with you next time.

Make a list of all items that you are going to take camping.

gaz wac

We tried camping with two kids - 5 and 6.

Tents are quite cheap, so we got a 6/8 man tent. It had 3 "rooms", two bedrooms and a sitting area. Fold up table in the middle ( stopped using this after couple of trips) , a room for storing all the gear/bags and then a room we all slept in. Sometimes the kids wanted their own room. So one double blow up mattress for us, two single beds for the kids.

Learn how to put the tent up before you go, no fun if its raining! I marked the corners as in A goes in here, B goes in here...if you get me. When setting up in the back garden, as you go along, make a list...hammer, torch, duvets, pillows, games for kids, nightlights, air pump, plastic bags for wet gear, freezer bag with ice packs, foldup chairs etc. there is always loads to remember, the list always helps!! but never regretted getting a big tent!!.

You can even get ones without poles and you just pump them up!! im sure there is loads im forgetting..ill updated if I remember. The kids will love it...in summer!! ;-) PM also sent

Tabnabs

Checkout http://www.charlescamping.ie/ for ideas and prices. I believe they even have a shed with the tents set up so you can get an idea of size etc. Vango tents would be my recommendation though. Camping gets very kit orientated, so think about a roofbox also, you'd be shocked how much crap you end up bringing to keep everyone happy

yellow hen

Thanks for those replies. Charles camping look very cheap relative to competitors so I might bite the bullet and buy a vango Avington. It's not cheap but is very cheap relative to other tents so maybe enough of an investment for now.

noby

Some good advice already - I would suggest doing your trial run in your garden, if that's possible. Then, if you forget anything, or if the kids bail out half way through the night you're only feet from home.

We started like that a few years ago, Next step was an overnight in a camp site. It was horrible - rained all evening - but we learned what we needed to make nights like that more comfortable (we had a four man tent for all of us, and a basic shelter more suited for the beach where the grownups had to huddle underneath with our cup of tea while the kids went to sleep).

Each time you go you'll think of something else useful for the next trip (especially when you're at a campsite, and looking at other, more experienced families), and something that is just taking up room in the boot.

With a young family it will be spring time, I presume, before you go anywhere, so make a shopping list and work through it over the winter (tent, sleeping bags, mats, something to cook on, torch etc.)

Boom_Bap

We started off with a 4 man tent and quickly realised it was too small. We upgraded to a Vango something or other with 2 sleeping rooms, living space and porch and it's brilliant. Handy enough to put up as well.


You'll go on a camping trip, then think that 'something' will be handy for next time. Take note of them 'somethings'.
We got camping cots/beds for the kids, I'd recommend them, need to get adult ones so that I don't have to put up with air matresses anymore.

Orion

noby wrote: »

Some good advice already - I would suggest doing your trial run in your garden, if that's possible. Then, if you forget anything, or if the kids bail out half way through the night you're only feet from home.

That kind of takes away from the camping feel if the house is just there. However for the first time with kids definitely try somewhere nearby. iirc you're Maynooth area. So try the campsite in Corkaigh Park - it's only 20 min drive away and has facilities for kids like a playground and a park next door. And showers/campers kitchen available.

yellow hen

Orion wrote: »

That kind of takes away from the camping feel if the house is just there. However for the first time with kids definitely try somewhere nearby. iirc you're Maynooth area. So try the campsite in Corkaigh Park - it's only 20 min drive away and has facilities for kids like a playground and a park next door. And showers/campers kitchen available.

So we talked to some seasoned campers and got much the same advice as here but I'm not put off so we bought the vango Ashington from Charles camping. I'll spend the next few months accruing so the other bits and pieces we need. It has an inbuilt groundsheet so what do you generally sleep on after that? The ground? An air mattress? And sleeping bags? Is there a specific type that's best? Was looking at his today... https://www.mountainwarehouse.com/eu/microlite-950-sleeping-bag-p13097.aspx/denim/ extra 10% off today. Also these for the kids...https://www.mountainwarehouse.com/eu/basecamp-200-mini-sleeping-bag-p13088.aspx/blue/ any opinions?

Boom_Bap

We've done air mattresses, but they are a pain and they always lose air.

We've gone for these now with a decent sleeping bad so you are warm and off the ground

Hurrache

We actually don't mind the air mattresses. We've 3 Vango ones and they hold the air well. However myself and wife will be replacing them with a couple of decent self inflating ones next year, we find them comfier.

If you are going in a car and have the space, it's always good to bring extra blankets or duvets if you can, they'll always come in handy.

noby

Orion wrote: »

That kind of takes away from the camping feel if the house is just there.

I take your point - if there is a campsite nearby then that's a better option.


As for sleeping - we use air mattresses. Not sure what brand, but they mostly hold the air overnight. Bring a blanket or quilt to put between you and the mattress for insulation.

Personally I use, and prefer a self-inflating mat.
I have tried a sleeping bed (again, not sure what type) but it wasn't for me.


With the sleeping bag - a 3 season one should be plenty for family camping. Some people don't like the mummy shaped ones, so a regular rectangular one might be better. If you could borrow one from a friend to try out first that would be ideal.

Boom_Bap

For sleeping bags, I went into the 53 degrees north shop and got a member of staff to go through them with me. A lot of them are for camping in the side of a mountain for your serious camping, which I'd say most people wouldn't need.
The best thing to do is look at the temperature rating on them as far as I remember, you should be looking at -5 degrees or something like that.

noby

Boom_Bap wrote: »

The best thing to do is look at the temperature rating on them as far as I remember, you should be looking at -5 degrees or something like that.

Just be aware that if you're camping with a car then it's easier to throw an extra blanket in the car rather than paying over the odds for light weight 4 season sleeping bags.

Tabnabs

Gawd bless the EU for finally being useful for something. EN 13537 European standard designed to standardize the temperature ratings on sleeping bags manufactured and/or sold in Europe.

Upper Limit — the temperature at which a standard male can sleep without excessive perspiration. It is established with the hood and zippers open and with the arms outside of the bag.

Comfort — the temperature at which a standard female can expect to sleep comfortably in a relaxed position.

Lower Limit — the temperature at which a standard male can sleep for eight hours in a curled position without waking.

Extreme — the minimum temperature at which a standard female can remain for six hours without risk of death from hypothermia (though frostbite is still possible).

These ratings are taken assuming that the subject is using a sleeping pad, tent and is wearing one base layer of thermal underwear.

For the purpose of these measurements, a “standard man” is assumed to be 25 years old, with a height of 1.73 m and a weight of 73 kg; a “standard woman” is assumed to be 25 years old, with a height of 1.60 m and a weight of 60 kg.

jack of all

I've brought two of my children camping, they're older than yours but my advice would be the same:

Bring your own pillows from home and some extra (light) blankets- helps to keep the spirits up even if the weather is awful.

Bring a portable radio and an LED lantern that can be hung from the roof of the tent.

Flip flops or pool sliders are very handy if you need to get up in the middle of the night or early morning to use the toilet; similarly a pair of tracksuit bottoms is a lot easier to get in and out of in the dark!

the_syco

Get a "shake flashlight". Keep it in your camping bag. Although you may never need it, the one day you forget to buy new batteries for the normal torches, it'll be a lifesaver!

Airbeds; pump it up the first night, and the second night. Should be okay for a few nights after that. Slept on one when waiting on a mattress for two weeks.

Get a battery powered air pump if you can. They'll inflate the airbeds in a few minutes, quietly.

Consider woolly hats if you can't fit your head into the sleeping bag. I've a shaved head, and am 6' 6", so don't fit into the sleeping bag I have; thus I wear a balaclava when in my sleeping bag when camping; I'm nice and snug!

Boom_Bap wrote: »

We've gone for these now with a decent sleeping bad so you are warm and off the ground

Where did you get it, and for how much? And are they heavy?

Boom_Bap

the_syco wrote: »

Where did you get it, and for how much? And are they heavy?

Argos and 53 Degrees have them, not heavy at all, they pack up neatly as well and are a doddle to assemble/disassemble.
I think the kids ones were about 20 euro each on sale, the adults about 35 or something like that.
Don't have to worry about pumps or air mattresses any more.

Orion

If you can afford them the thermarest sleeping mats are excellent but expensive. A cheaper alternative are vango ones. That said my kids use the ones that lidl do every now and again and they're fine. All are self-inflating and quite warm.

Pro-tip: If you get a self inflating mat open the valve during the day. On a summer's day the interior of the tent can get very warm. Air expands in heat. Expanding air can break the seal on the valve. Just remember to close it again before going to bed.

For additional comfort you could also get the footprint for the tent. It's basically an extra groundsheet underneath the tent. Supposedly helps keep the ground chill away even more. Never actually used one myself though.

Re sleeping bags - definitely mummy not envelope. It can cover the head too to help keep you warm on a cold night. When you're going camping will be a factor. 2-3 season for summer. 3-4 season for winter. Also to help you keep warm - as counter-intuitive as it seems - strip off when going to bed - don't wear clothes in the sleeping bag. If you must wear a tshirt change out of the one you were wearing during the day and put on a fresh one. You'll be shivering if you're wearing too much or wearing the clothes that are already warm from your body heat.

For equipment keep an eye out on lidl and aldi specials. They regularly do camping equipment like headtorches, cookers, mallets, etc. All pretty basic equipment but certainly enough to get you started.

Hurrache

Orion wrote: »

For additional comfort you could also get the footprint for the tent. It's basically an extra groundsheet underneath the tent. Supposedly helps keep the ground chill away even more. Never actually used one myself though.

Camping carpets are a brilliant addition. Not the cheapest but again Aldi occasionally have them as part of the their camping specials. They really make the tent so much cosier.

A handheld vacuum or small dustpan and brush are essentials when you have a tent with kids in it.

Boom_Bap

I agree on the carpet....the Vango tents normally come with them, so worth checking if it's already included.


A big tupperware container or a basin for carting your cooking stuff/dishes to the campsite kitchen is handy.
Another for your clean clothes is handy as well. They take up alot of space but you don't have to pack suitcases or bags.
I also got battery powered LED fairy lights for inside the tent, they give a nice atmosphere instead of torches/lamps.

jack of all

Hurrache wrote: »

Camping carpets are a brilliant addition. Not the cheapest but again Aldi occasionally have them as part of the their camping specials. They really make the tent so much cosier.

Definitely. I use a Halfords (plastic lined) picnic blanket in our tent, gives an extra bit of thermal insulation/ isolation layer. I also use a piece of builders plastic DPM as a second groundsheet under the tent itself- an extra guarantee against moisture coming into the tent and keeps the tent's built-in ground sheet clean.

Hurrache

jack of all wrote: »

I also use a piece of builders plastic DPM as a second groundsheet under the tent itself- an extra guarantee against moisture coming into the tent and keeps the tent's built-in ground sheet clean.

The big Lidl/Aldi tarpaulins are also good for this. A clean dry ground sheet makes packing up so much better when either the tent or ground is wet.

Carawaystick

also bring lots of filling food, hungry campers are unhappy and cold campers, full campers are happy campers