The Camping Forum

[autonm]

First camping trip planned for 20th June and was sorting out my gear over the weekend.

Ive a 5 door - Ford Focus.... with 2 childseats in the back for starters and a roof rack with roof box.


Ive a Vango Maritas 500 tent....
2 childseats
managed to pack in the roof box - gas stove/cooker, lights, 2 childrens folding chairs, cook set, gas heater, 1 cooking table with wind shield, 2 regular tables, 1 storage unit (4 shelves), windbreaker, tent footprint.

Ive still got to find room in the car for the coolbox, bedding, self-inflating mattress, childs buggy, clothes and some toys!

Anyone else seem to be brimming to the lid when packing out a car?

Wish I had a SUV or something larger than the Ford Focus.

[Zedsee]

A trailer would fix that!

[pitkin2020]

It is funny how much room it all does seem to take up. A trailer sounds like your next upgrade lol.

[Rob-merlin1973]

There is no way around it ...... a trailer is on the horizon

[Vicks2112]

In a way I'm lucky because there's only three of us which means I can split the back seat and pack that surface. I have a hatchback and I refuse to get a trailer or roofbox, because I've nowhere to keep either of them.

I have one teenager in the front. Depending on how long we're travelling he'll have a coolbox at his feet, and probably a few other things too. Under the seat will be stuffed with dog food, fire logs, first aid kit etc etc. Under my drivers seat there is a plastic drawer...it's got bin liners and hot water bottles in it. In the back I've got another teenager and he's got the dog at his feet. Beside him is packed almost to the roof, enough of a space left so I can use my rear view mirror.

Before I split the back seat I put things onto the floor (dog bowl usually), then bring forward the seat so I can split the seat which is a 60/40 split. I have a flat platform to work with. I put any pop up tents on first, then put in the tent, the chairs and the clothes bags. In the boot I put the Kampa Khazi in upside down and fill the space with airbeds and sleeping bags. I pack everything right up until it is level with the head rest (I've already taken the parcel shelf out). Then I take the cargo net that came with the car and secure it all down. I don't want any of us getting hit in the back of the head with flying objects should I need to brake hard.

The door pockets holds a mallet and a claw hammer, and all sorts of other stuff (including a makeup kit!). I utilize every bit of space, in between the seat and the floor, and all the little gaps, pockets and storage spaces.

[Luiiz]

We have an astra but lucky for us no kids at the moment...

Here's a pic from our last trip- at this stage, clothes, pillows and cool box's still to pack!!

[LittleSkink]

we used to take our Cabanon Frametent and decent kit set up in a Celica (and not a chance of roofbox or trailer on there), the nooks and crannies were our saviour. Plus lots of carrier bags for squashies like clothes

Good places we found were under the seats (and in the footwell with kids feet on stuff). Door cubbies, inside the spare wheel well, between the car seats etc. We have a Berlingo now and the boot is great because you can go 'up', we use Really Useful boxes from Staples (might not help in a Focus though). Leaving out the parcel shelf can make a difference too, but I guess you already do that

As to big SUV helping, my car is hefty 4x4 7 seater and at a little over 20mpg we dont tent to use it for long journeys (unless it is full of people) so my wifes Berlingo does very nicely (and cheaply)

Be a bit concerned about overloading your roof box if the heavy stuff is up there mind . . .

[sarahc]

We have a Ford Galaxy and a trailer.
Last trip at Easter we were jam packed in the car. 3 kids in the back, plus a dog in the boot!!!!
Hubby now wants trailer extension so can get even more in it!!!

[in-a-tent]

We've got a C-Max and a Trailer Tent so most of the stuff goes in the TT and the car is left for clothes and food.

When I was a kid we used to go camping with a big frame tent, there were 6 of us in a Marina Estate with the frame tent as far as I recall. I remember we used to sit on the sleeping bags laid out flat on the back seat with stuff piled in the foot wells under our feet. The boot was filled to the roof. Still remember we used to get fish and chips on the way home as a treat. Happy days :-)

[Rob-merlin1973]

We have a discovery which is packed with the six of us, coolbox and bags of stuff..... a trailer which is BIG and is packed full .. and friday the roofbox will get it's first outing

[LittleSkink]

When I was a kid we used to go camping with a big frame tent, there were 6 of us in a Marina Estate with the frame tent as far as I recall. I remember we used to sit on the sleeping bags laid out flat on the back seat with stuff piled in the foot wells under our feet. The boot was filled to the roof. Still remember we used to get fish and chips on the way home as a treat. Happy days :-)

happy days indeed, we had a Ford Zodiac (the later model big square one) and did something similar when my parents took us surfing in Cornwall (well they surfed we messed about with the dog). The Alsation used to sleep on the rear parcel shelf, or sometimes my sister would too. We did the same on camping trips to France except the footwells were full of tinned food so we werent poisoned by French food

[MrsPitStop]

When I was a kid we used to go camping with a big frame tent, there were 6 of us in a Marina Estate with the frame tent as far as I recall. I remember we used to sit on the sleeping bags laid out flat on the back seat with stuff piled in the foot wells under our feet. The boot was filled to the roof. Still remember we used to get fish and chips on the way home as a treat. Happy days :-)

Ahh Sleeping bags as booster seats they where the days, in fact when I complained to my mum last year that the old bags we use under the air beds took up to much room in the car she said why isn't your daughter sat o9n them we had a little skoda filled to the brim front boot full and trailer full of canvas tent umm Im pretty sure we use to take the telly with us too I have no idea how it all fitted in.

Im dreading Sunday when we load the car up ready for Tuesday (small trip to wembley to make on monday) as Ive been buying more stuff and it didnt all fit in last time


We still had clothes coolbox food, dog child and husband and some other things cant remember what to fit in we ended up piled right up with just enough room to see in rear mirror daughter with her feet higher than her booster seat and hubby with his feet in the air in the front passenger seat.
I decided to take the comfy option of driving

[nutgone]

IMO you don't need a gas heater in June, that'll save a bit of space.

If you pack "EVERYTHING" really really carefully you'll be very surprised what you can fit in. Even if you have to start again a few times, it's worth it to find yourself a system that works for you & your stuff.

I too remember the good old days. We used to go on family holidays, mum, dad, older brother & sister & myself & my twin brother (as babies in the early days, although I don't remember that far back). We all used to fit in an old (1973) Saab 95 estate, with most of the stuff as well (there's only so much you can fit in a Nimrod trailer tent). Things improved when we bought an antique Sprite Major caravan, although god knows how that old Saab managed to pull it all with it's 1500cc engine!!

It just makes me wonder; What on earth are you people taking camping these days??? How much of it is actually necessary???
Then I look at myself; a lone camper with a car "FULL" of stuff!

[Curlyminx]

This is how full my car is when camping, see how high the dogs are? :-)

Boot plus roofbox plus passenger seat all full. Trailer time :-D

[autonm]

i guess my main worry is not packing it all - but how much weight ends up in the roof box.

Im thinking of putting some of the heavy weight items out of the roof box and into the boot. And trying putting more clothing items in the roof box.

I read somewhere that the roof box will take 50kg. Not sure if that was due to my roof box or roof bars.