My Camping Tips

I think most of my readers know that we love to go camping as a family.
Here’s some of my hot tips for camping …

Tip #1: Containerise!

It keeps sand, bugs and animals out.
I keep our cutlery and small utensils in a Tupperware Oyster box.

Tip #2: Vacuum Pack

I seal all our meals using a Sunbeam food vacuum seal system. These are great for making sure no meat juices leak out and they food stay fresh for longer. Meats when vacuum sealed last a lot longer than they would in a glad bag.

Before we had our Engels we had a tropical box to keep our food in so vacuum sealing food would mean it could easily float around in half melted ice and not be ruined.

Tip #3: Make a list or two or lots!!

When camping I always make a list! Our needs are constantly changing due to the girls growing up so list making is a must. Molly is so used to this she started her own what to take camping list.

Tip #4: Save on Space

I’m always looking at space saving ideas. I store our coffee and sugar in little decor containers I used to use for freezing baby food. I also buy the smallest size of spreads and condiments and refill when needed.

Salt and Pepper is stored in a Tupperware container that is a freebie at most demonstrations.

Tip #5: Make the most of free sample packs

Sample sizes of products are fantastic for camping although I find them a lot harder to come by these days. I keep our dish-washing liquid in an old Dawn sample I got in the mail years ago.

I don’t do washing if we are bush or beach camping but I like to keep a sample sachet handy in case of any accidents or sickness.

Tip #6: Pack Child Friendly

At Christmas when we went camping I packed normal plastic plates for the kiss but never again! These IKEA plates are much better as the lip on the side prevents most accidental spills. No-one likes sand on their toast!

I’m still safety aware when we are camping with the kids so I take sharp knives that have covers. The yop one is an old Wiltshire stay sharp knife I’ve had for an extremely long time and the green one is a fairly recent Tupperware purchase.

Tip #7: Look Out for Bargain Camping Supplies

Camping is a really cheap holiday option but can be expensive to set up if you buy everything straight away and brand new. It has taken us about 8 years to accumulate what we have. I look out for specials all the time and garage sales are fabulous. There are people who buy everything thinkning they will love camping only to find they hate it so lots of bargains can be found by people selling their stuff on gumtree too.

These are the sorts of bargains you can find on random camping supplies:

I bought these collapsible Tupperware bowls (go-flex) from a friend that had a kitchen clear oput and found she had too many.

I spotted this two pack of chopping boards on special at Woolworths.

Tip #8: Have a Back-up Meal

Let’s face it you are camping and in some camping places you can’t exactly pop to the local take-away place if you accidentlyu burn or drop dinner!

Our back-up meal consists of two tins of canned spaghetti.

Tip #9: Pack Quiet Stuff for the Kids

Don’t take a stack load of toys for kids but pack a few quiet activities to whip out when they are tired from all that outdoor adventure. Last time we went camping the only ‘toys’ I took for the kids were buckets and spades.

Tip #10: Pack Some Family Games or Cards for the Adults.

Night time can get too peaceful sometimes so play a game of cards together. Sometimes you eally can run out of things to talk about!

Tip #11: Make Everything Easily Accessible

I kept all the kids and my toilets in this old Avon hanging toiletry bag. I hang in the tent and if we are staying in a caravan park it’s easy to carry to the toilet/shower block and hangs on the back of the shower door. Space to put your stuff is so limited in those shower cubicles and hanging it up high means there is less chance it gets wet.

Tip #12: Invest in Cheap Black Bedding

We used to take our bedding from home and it always got stained from dirty feet. I like that black sheets don’t show the dirt but shows the beach sand so I know when the bed needs a good shake out.

Tip #13: Pack Car Air Fresheners Trees

If you camping on a site with long drop toilets take a couple of trees or similiar with you. Just hang them up and they do a great job at masking the not so nice smell.

Tip #14: Baby Wipes

Do I need to explain? Fantastic for clean-ups (not just the kids), great for wiping down the table, stove etc. When you are camping with limited water you don’t want to needing to rinse out a dish cloth all the time.

Tip #15: Do Not Under Any Circumstance Forget the Coffee Cups.

Well okay maybe it’s just me that wouldn’t cope with that! I love my non-spill Tupperware ones.

So I’m at the end but trust me I’m sure I have lots more random camping tips to share in the future.