Admittedly this lot was spread out between 2 classic Mini's but we have managed: 2 adults, 3 children, german shepherd/collies cross dog, Sunncamp APS3006+ tent, 3 airbeds, inflatable settee, 5 sleeping bags, 5 pillows, 5 folding chairs, table, 2 burner stove with grill, gas bottle, 2 rucksacks with clothes, folding crate with food, cooking pans/kettle and utensils, plates, cups, bowls and cutlery for 5.
We managed our Fairford DL 4 berth tunnel tent, 3 berth dome tent, 2 chairs, inflatable sofa, folding 3 shelf unit, 2 portaloos, airbeds, copious duvets and blankets (it was Easter) box of food, 2 boxes of parephenalia and bags of clothes and books, as well as 2 adults in a Nissan Micra (the old style small one).
Very excited that now we have a brand new 5 door Honda Jazz with completely folding flat back seats to fit everything in - it will be luxury!
As a backpacker who carries everything I need plus some nice extras such as a hammock, stool, lantern in a 65 ltr pack - am I allowed to have a giggle at yet another 'I can't fit everything in the car' thread? If you multiplied everything I carry by 5, it would still fit!
There are some fantastic compact lightweight camping products out there now. Insulated airbeds would reduce the need for blankets and duvets. There are great water carriers that actually pack very small and weigh much less then those rigid cube jobs.
For whatever reason, shops that sell large tents seem to also sell mainly large and bulky accessories - shops that sell small tents seem to have the same sort of accessory in a lighter weight version. Of course you can take what you like but getting it all to fit does seem to be a recurrent problem...
I suppose it's the case of the more room you have, the more stuff you take? For instance, I remember having 25kg as standard on some short haul flights and still wondered how I could cram two weeks worth of clothes into a case (probably not wearing half the stuff) and now the standard is around 15kg and yet I've still managed.
The thing with camping is that we don't need flashy clothes or 10 pairs of high heels (well they wouldn't make them to fit hubby!) for a night out...it's just flip flops, boardies, tshirts, combats & hoodies. I think the flashiest garment I take is a plush big dressing gown. But we do limit ourselves on clothes and only take what fits into our Ikea bags
We cram tons of gear into our little Modus, it's like a tardis...and I keep on buying more!
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Camping with a small car
