The Camping Forum

[Admin]

Thought id start a new discussion. simply add your own quick tips!

Cheap solar showers, Fill with water and place on your parcel shelf (if you have room with all that other equipment) or any place in direct sunlight when on a long journey. that way when you stop for lunch with the kids you have clean warm water that you can use to wash hands/face afterwards.

When packing the car to go away. try and always ensure your tent is packed last so is at the top. That way if its raining when you arrive you dont have to unpack every thing to get to the tent so you keep everything else dry. (we also keep to cheap poncho's in the side pockets off the car in case off rain (the type you may buy when going on the log flume at alton towers)

[Rob-merlin1973]

Great tips.
ALWAYS make sure your interior lights on your car are set to the OFF position so that when the kids are in and out of the car all week the battery is not flat when you go to leave.
Learnt this to my cost. (packed cars are hard to push start on grass in the rain).

[Wayne]

I have a few tips to add:

Having been on my first family camp of the year this bank holiday just gone, I have come away a little wiser.

Tip 1.
If the field you pitched at, is really wet. See below



Its a good idea to carry some cheap additional ground sheet with you that can be laid out on the area that receives heavy traffic around your pitch, see below.



Don't be in a rush to go buy an expensive ground sheet from a camp shop, try DIY stores and builders merchants, they sell the same things for covering bricks up on site, often at a cheaper price for a larger sheet. I picked a fresh one up today for free from a building site I was on .

Here's an example of what I mean.

Tip 2

If like me you use a large gas bottle with a double burner and grill, its an idea to carry a smaller back up stove, if your main bottle happens to run out like mine did this weekend , I knew it was going but thought it might just make it through the weekend.



Carrying one of these as a spare, and maybe a spare bottle, takes up no room.

[Wayne]

Oh and talking of ground sheets, I saved a ground sheet from an old tent I chucked away and use it as an inner footprint on my Carolina, it acts like a car floor-mat. It protects the sewn in groundsheet from damage and also keeps it clean and when I pack away it goes in its own bag that can be taken out at home and washed down easily if needed, without getting the main tent out its bag. I also guess it adds a little insulation to the tent from the floor.

[Rob-merlin1973]

When sleeping on a mat or airbed most of your heat loss is due to the ground you are pitched on.

We line the floor of our bedroom pods with laminate underlay (the silver backed foam) and this provides great insulation.

[Dave & Angela]

Discover Delta ground anchors , we don't leave home without ours


If you wrap the ice blocks for your cool box in foil they seem to last a bit longer , or if you've room in your cool box freeze a couple of 2 litre bottles of water and wrap in foil , this normally keeps stuff cool for a weekend trip for us, if we camp without ehu .

Leaky air bed ? ... Try slapping a bit of duck tape over the valve once you've pumped it up .

Midges / flying insects seem to hate cheapo incense sticks

[kit5187]

Great tips, stuff like this is truly invaluable to me and my OH who aren't complete camping novices, but are finding our feet with camping and learning slowly

[kit5187]

PS. I seem to have read a LOT of great things about these Delta pegs and we're keen to invest in some - will we need to peg down the entire tent with them or just the guys? And if just the guys, then will we need to use them on ALL of the guys?

Also, where is the best place to buy them?

Sorry for the million questions!

[Rob-merlin1973]

The Delta Anchors are exellent mate.

I just use them to peg out my main guys but may get some more to peg out all my guys.

The best place to get them is direct from Delta Ground Anchors.

[Wayne]

Remember before you set off camping, check the oil and water on your car, but also are your tyres inflated for "Fully Laden loads" if you have the car packed to the roof. Think about the safety and the additional fuel used when tyres are not at the correct pressure.

When packing tents away, leave a door open for the air to escape, and allow time for the air to escape. Whilst its normal to force the air out, do it gently and allow it time to escape

A few golden rules for home:

(I know we have done some of this, but nothing wrong with a reminder)

Always take your sleeping bags out of there stuff sacs and allow them to lie loose or in a loose bag, this way the loft will not get compressed and damaged.

If you are in any doubt that your tent might even have a slight bit of damp when packed away. Open it up within a few days arriving back at home and air it out really well. Also if the tent was packed away quickly, no harm in fetching out and repacking it.

[coachandy]

A few golden rules for home:

(I know we have done some of this, but nothing wrong with a reminder)

Always take your sleeping bags out of there stuff sacs and allow them to lie loose or in a loose bag, this way the loft will not get compressed and damaged.

Oops...Ours have sat in the sacks under the bed since last August! Oh well, another lesson learnt....Thank You

[Wayne]

A few golden rules for home:

(I know we have done some of this, but nothing wrong with a reminder)

Always take your sleeping bags out of there stuff sacs and allow them to lie loose or in a loose bag, this way the loft will not get compressed and damaged.

Oops...Ours have sat in the sacks under the bed since last August! Oh well, another lesson learnt....Thank You

If its any consolation, you make 5 of us on here now who don't practice what we preach . But I'm actively trying to make room for this to be possible

[Rob-merlin1973]

But I'm actively trying to make room for this to be possible

Me to, me to

[Gillsy]

My tip is , when you stay at a Premier Inn type place or go in a cafe, don't leave without sachets of sugar, coffee, salt, pepper,it saves space on jars & money ( you might have to be a bit sneaky about this )

[Wayne]

Gills, agree.

My two daughters even have specific hits. Youngest is Tomato Sauce monitor and eldest is on the Mayo sachets. OH gets the Salt & Pepper . I just sit with a slightly disgusted look on my face, then if they get caught I can distance myself