As you all know my partner and I are fairly "noviceish"
campers and I've been reading on here that lots of you have a re-usable camping checklist and I thought this was a brilliant idea so I've made one for us ready for our next trip on Friday. I'd be really grateful if you'd have a look at it and see if you can see anything obvious that I have missed?
Camping Checklist
• Tent
• Extension
• Groundsheet
• Carpet
• Mallet
• 2 x Camping Mat
• Airbed
• Pillows, Sheet, Duvet
• 2 x Chair
• Kitchen Stand
• Table
• Kitchen Box: Pans Plates
Beakers Cutlery Utensils Jug Colander
Mugs T-towels
Table Cloth Utensils
Pegs Washing Up Bowl
Corkscrew Tin Opener
Anti-bac Wipes Cloths
Washing Up Liquid Bowls
2 x Suitcase Stoves
• Misc. Box: Dustpan and Brush
2 x UFO Light 2 x Torch
Maglite Dcell Batteries
AA Batteries Pump
Playing Cards Dominoes
Army Knife Bin Bags
Gas Canisters
• Lidded Box with None Perishable Foods
• Cool Box with Ice Packs and Perishable Foods
• Clothes
• Toiletries (including 1st Aid Kit and Towels)
• Shoes and Waterproof Jackets
• Camera and Sunglasses
I also wanted to ask what you all store your food in, the stuff that doesn't need to be in the coolbox such as bread, biscuits, fruit, tinned foods? We have a box with a lid at the moment but lid doesn't fit snuggly and I'm worried about creepy crawlies getting into the box, not so much because of the tinned foods but because of the bread and fruit etc.
Thank you everyone! x
------------- "Better a rainy day on a hill than a sunny one in the office"
for my none chilled items such as bread etc, we use them freezer bags you find at the end of the tills when shopping, they are quite thick and clip together at the top to keep the crawlys out and its easyier to store than a bulky box!
I use a soft cool bag, rectangular in shape, bright yellow with a zipped top. It's our 'fruit and choccy bowl' when we go camping. You could dip your hand in there and come away with a peach or a mini mars bar lol.
Your camping list seems pretty good to me! One thing I always bring too is some extra pegs, and definately rock pegs and a proper hammer. The rock pegs won't go in on hard ground with a rubber mallet and the back of a claw hammer is brilliant for taking pegs of any type out, without having to bend down so much.
On our last site we wouldn't have been able to pitch without the rock pegs and hammer. I can imagine a few tears would have been shed as there was no way we were going to get the tent pitched without them.
I have 2 mallets as if you lose one you are snookered. Altho many campsites sell them....and yes expect hard ground so the screw type pegs and a hammer helps.
Thank you guys, our ordinary tent pegs are in the bag with the tent so don't need to think about them but we don't actually have rock pegs. Perhaps we should invest in some before Friday, are they expensive? Are there different types, what would you recommend? My partner has a mini tool kit in the compartment under the boot of the car and theres a hammer in that so at least thats one thing we don't have to think about packing.
I'm liking the idea of coolbag for none-perishables, as you said its squishy so will fit in the car better than another box.
It's a good job that I'm off work today really as I think I'm going to have to venture out in a while to get these items, just wish it would stop raining!
Thanks for all the suggestions and tips.
x
------------- "Better a rainy day on a hill than a sunny one in the office"
Quote: ...our ordinary tent pegs are in the bag with the tent so don't need to think about them...
Well, not until one bends or you find one is missing or the ground is very soft or very hard or it is very windy or....
I think a lot about pegs! If it's windy, tents make great kites - guy lines and adequate pegging are often all that stand between you and an aeronautical adventure.
It is always advisable to take spare pegs and to have a variety to suit different conditions. The six-inch or eight-inch wire pins supplied with many tents are good enough for reasonably firm ground when it's not too windy but not much use in adverse conditions.
My checklist includes checking I have pegs and spares. Also, I check that the poles are actually in the tent carry-bag and that they are undamaged. I always take a few spare guy lines (packed in the tent carry-bag but listed as an item to check).
You have AA batteries on your checklist. But if you have a mobile (or, for that matter, anything else that needs recharging) add battery charger to the list.
My own list also includes a roll of gaffer tape (aka 'duct tape'), a ball of strong string, a pair of scissors, some elastic bands, and some supermarket plastic carrier bags (for storage and rubbish).
I also have OS maps on my list because these are easily forgotten.
I would advise taking 2 mallets and 2 extractors, so that 2 people could help putting up and taking down the tent.
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
A couple of cheap tarps on the bottom of the car boot, can be useful for laying on grass to air bedding, or peg down over anything outside to keep it dry.
Sun lotion, you are outside a lot, and aftersun too.
Clothes line and pegs, for drying towels or washing, or you can peg ontp guy ropes or tent poles.
One important piece of our kit is a small plastic medecine measure, so you don't get flies or wasps in your wine or pop bottles!
Thanks very much everyone, all very useful advice- I really appreciate it!
You've mentioned some stuff that is already in the camping boxes but I'd forgotten to put on the list such as matches, gaffa tape and string. And some other bits and bobs that we need to think about so thank you for that!
We always take bottled water when we go camping, so that will go under the "food" heading. Sun lotion and aftersun (wishful thinking in this shocking weather!lol) will be in the toiletry bag. Pegs are on the list. We haven't got a tent peg exctractor, we've just struggled with the first one and then used the end of the pegs but if I am getting some different types of pegs (which it looks like I should) then perhaps I'll get one.
Can anyone recommend some decent pegs suitable for hard ground and cheapest place to buy them from?
Thanks again everyone- very helpful as always! :)
------------- "Better a rainy day on a hill than a sunny one in the office"
My rock pegs come in set of 20, they come in a black plastic box/case, and they're called "Hard Ground Pegs" I think. You can get them at most camping shops. Mine cost £9.95 or something like that from Go Outdoors a couple of years ago.
I think I might get another box of them, as with the Bear Lake plus a kitchen tent I ran out on my last trip.
------------- 2011 plans:
April - Exmoor 11 nights
May - Brynawelon, Wales 3 nights
July - Rendlesham Forest 4 nights
Then I am off back home to Australia, where the weather is always perfect for camping :)
washing up liquid (in a travel bottle)
toilet roll
duct tape (just in case of rips or tears) or case other half starts winding me up lol
Swiss army knife (cos they have everything on them)
Bottle opener
Kitchen roll
dust pan and brush (very handy for sweeping tent before its packed away)
food bags (come in handy for loads of things)
Brillo pad or scourer (i always burn the pan making scrambled egg lol)
paracetamol, anti diarrhea tablets (in case) and couple of plasters
radio
clothes line (or in my case just thick string out of the garage)!
and my NECESSARY must have item is hand sanitiser!!
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: My List
