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I used to camp many years ago with my family in both ready erected tents in France and Spain and continental tents here, we also moved to dome tents when they first came out, I had a 2 man ridge tent as a child and as a guide used the big green ridge tents that weigh a ton.

Now I'm married with 3 children (youngest 1 month) and I have just convinced my husband we should buy a tent as due to his job caravan holidays are no good most are Saturday to Saturday and he works odd shifts. We went camping early in our relationship and it nearly caused a split he could not grasp don't touch the sides of the tent. But last year we borrowed my parents camper van and managed to sleep in the awning without getting divorced. The camper is out this year as it only has one over the shoulder belt and we can't fit all the car seats we need on lap belts and I don't fancy following in the car with the kids.

I have been and looked at tents and am off to collect a Higear Mojave 5 we did look at the Zenobia 6 but it was very dark.

I have air beds and sleeping bags, but need a stove, kitchen unit and a table to eat off, any recommendations would be helpful.

We plan to stay at places with electric hookup. Also any tips and ideas we need to be able to fit all the equipment into the boot of a Picasso.

Thanks

Manda

Kitchen units are probably a waste of money, I've never had one!  I have three fairly heavy duty folding tables, all with height adjustable legs, one of which I use for cooking.

Up to now I've had a double burner Tilly stove and I have dug a small fire pit.  As the Tilly is very old now I intend to augment it with a Cadac Carry Chef.  I have also a MSR Pocket Rocket backpacking stove with two MSR stainless steel pots which is great for picnics and early morning coffee. 

I made up some wind shields for the Tilly and it lives on the ground under the cooking table although on wind free days I put it on the table; I don't cook in the tent.  I dig the fire pit and a wet sump next to a wall close to the cooking table.  I might not bother with the fire pit this year because I'll have the Cardac but the kids (actually they're in their "twenties and "thirties" now) might miss it because it's "traditional!"

I always have pushed the other two tables together in the tent and covered them with a cloth to make a bigish dinner table in the tent but I just have ordered an eight seater Outwell folding table with adjustable legs from Outdoor Megastore.

Everyone has their own take on packing, mine is to put long thin things like the tent upright behind the front passenger seat of the car as it saves so much space.  Also I like to have most things in squashable bags because it keeps things tidy and easy to load and unload without too much of a space penalty.  Obviously big hollow things like the cold box (I don't have EHU) get stuffed with things.  Even small hollow boxes like the sandwich boxes have stuff put in them.  I find shoes a particular nuisance and they go under the front passenger seats.

Blankets and towels don't go in a bag but flat on top of the load, squashy things like sleeping bags go flat at the bottom of the load so that they get compressed.  Glasses, plates, cutlery and kitchen stuff go in plastic tubs with the space around them stuffed with tea towels and socks to stop the stuff rattling around and the glasses breaking.

Remember to pack so that the tent, pegs and groundsheets are easy to unpack because you'll want them first.  It's well worth also having a stove, coffee and milk available easily so you can make coffee while you're setting up.

Don't forget to have a bag for the things you'll need for the journey (water, apples, map) in the front of the car.  I have a compass in the bag even tho' I have satnav!

Despite the length of this reply tho' it's all something which nobody can teach, you just have to learn what works for you!

Hope this helps

R

We dont bother with a kitchen unit just a table and a plastic storage box to keep the bits and pieces in,the more you take the more you have to clean and pack away,sometimes its nice to leave all your every day clutter at home.

Cheers Ian

We have a suitcase style burner and a trangia, I use two old camp kitchen shelves, one for cooking on the other with a roll up chopping mat for food prep,behind a very boring windbreak. We have a  small table that has short and long legs, so you can use the chairs with it or take the legs off and it converts to a low table.

I BBQ whenever possible and use a notebook type and self lighting charcoal, I always take a heavy duty large bin bag to take the BBQ home for cleaning (fairy power spray rocks!) much easier to hose it all off in the back garden. Sometimes I use two disposables, I generally light one 20mins after the other.

I used to have all the kitchen, dining table and chairs but I prefer to keep it simple these days. We can pack everything for a weekend for 4 into the boot of the tatty old laguna and go. Just depends what type of camping you prefer. I found the all in one folding table and chairs very useful when the kids were little, and a double burner  with gas bottle on a three shelf camp kitchen.