We're hoping to start camping much more frequently, and using the huge bed in our VW T5 to see how camper-vanning is easier, or more contained in the case of escapee 2.5 year olds, than tent camping - particularly for short weekends or occasional nights en route.
I am also going to be touring the UK to see family and friends in July, Hubby joining us for the first and last weeks and flying in for the weekends in between - so single parent camping during the weekdays, for a month.
I've bought a Quechua Base Seconds as our awning/gazebo/cooking and dining tent. This can be used with or without a sleeping tent so I'm keeping my options open.
How have others on here found camper-vanning with small children? Particularly with the restricted space of a VW multivan type rather than a motorhome with table and chairs space etc.
What sorts of things do you pack and how do you keep the clutter to a minimum? Any essentials that you have decided ARE worth the room? (I will be taking a potty, and have quite a large stable one that the 6 year old is comfortable using as well - I think I could even use that myself, if I really needed to during the time I am single-parenting the youngsters)
I have a bucket BBQ as a birthday present to come from the boys, LOL! and either the TRangia - meths is probably easier to transport over by ferry (We live in Southern Sweden)- or a flat single burner gas stove that takes a small gas canister inside the base, like a briefcase style ... I'm thinking that might be banned from the ferry ...
I'm thinking of around 5 plastic crates for the sleep kit, cooking kit, crockery and washing up, and food supplies in the boot underneath the bench and a barrel bag type holdall each for clothing, small rucksack each for 'hobby stuff', then the potty and nappies, and then a swimming/beach bag ... and now I want to beat my head against a brick wall!
I can't decide whether we will need proper sleeping bags with us in July or whether the fleece sleeping bag liners and an armful of blankets would do ...
Re the suitcase gas cooker - you can get that on ferry without any probs.
Re sleeping bags/blankets. Since you are really strapped for space I would buy the sleeping bags that fold really, really small. I have a couple of them and they are great and fold up about 8 inches long.
To give you even more space I would get a tarp - the one from decathlon is great. Great for shade or to to give you a bit more space to sit outside (especially during those sudden rainshowers).
Roll up tables are easily storable in a small campervan. As are the small fold-up stools.
Thanks, I forgot to mention tables and chairs and will need to add those to the stack. We have such things from ordinary camping, but as you say we are strapped for space! (Crazy to go from an estate car to a Multivan and still complain about space! We are going to take the two individual chairs out of the back for this trip though)
Does the Decathlon tarp have clips to attach to the Decathlon tents in some way? Or just standard guy lines?
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Topic: CamperVanning with children ...
