Club 80-90 Forums

As above - This might come across as a real stupid post and I appreciate there is a thread on what folk cant live without BUT my GF and I are a little worried on the main basics and the best place to buy them. We have never camped and have a T25 with cooker, fridge, heater, watertank, sink,hook up,etc.

Basically we dont want to go away for a weekend and forget to buy/take a vital part that you never thought about until you start camping?

For example - cooking equipment? Wheres the best place to purchase this, do folk just buy camping cookware or with the added luxuries of having a camper can you go for better products?

Any handy equipment/accessories that you didnt buy but as soon as you pitched up you realised - " s**t how could we forget to pack this? "

Thanks in advance!

Chocolate, beer, chairs for sitting outside, bags for rubbish, spare socks and shoes, baby wipes, torch, first aid kit, chocolate and beer!

Gogso1 wrote:Chocolate, beer, chairs for sitting outside, bags for rubbish, spare socks and shoes, baby wipes, torch, first aid kit, chocolate and beer!

All of the above

If it's your first time away, why dont you head for a site with a few facility,s
or a site not too far away from civilisation.
Where ever you end up..... enjoy yourselves

2 responses and no-one has mentioned AA/RAC card? optimistic today are we?

as above go local...even if you plan for every eventuality you will still forget something...remembering to always have beer in the van always helps in these scenarios

There's no need to go out and spend a fortune on camping equipment if you've got the van, and in fact although I've been camping under canvas for a couple of decades and have more stuff than you could shake a stick at, I rarely use any of it now I'm in the van. Using general household equipment is cheaper but generally better quality too.

A few things for the list (or things I usually forget!)
- Check you've got gas, there's nothing worse than getting to site after a long drive and not being able to have a cuppa. If all else fails, beer will just have to do.
- Matches or a lighter to light the gas, something I always forget
- Kettle, frying pan, small pan with utensils and cutlery. Bottle opener of course
- Warm covers. Whether you're using a sleeping bag or duvet, it's worth taking a spare extra blanket in case of the odd chilly night. I also have a very fetching fur hat I wear when it's really cold in the night (sexy...not!), there's nothing worse than shivering at dawn.
- a battery powered lamp or torch in case your leisure battery's charge gives up the ghost.
- camping chairs, you won't want to sit in the van if it's 'scorccio' outside (yeah right)
- jump leads (just in case)
- a mat or groundsheet outside the van. Especially useful if it's muddy outside
- I've got van OCD and it drives me up the wall when the kids march through the van covered in mud and grass. We usually take some short wellies that can be easily slipped on and off when we're hanging around the van.
- 12V phone charger. Just because.

There was a good thread on here last year with a lot of essential items, if you do a search you may be able to resurrect it (it had a lot of tips about what to stock your cupboards with etc).

Enjoy your maiden voyage, I keep falling in and out of love with my van depending on how badly it's behaving, but all it takes is a night out in the middle of a field somewhere and it all comes flooding back - I'm sure you'll have a fab time.

Silky

p.s. IF you really want to buy something for your first trip, pop down to GoOutdoors. A camper's credit card's dream - I've never managed to come out of that store empty handed, you always find yet more stuff you never knew you needed.

Silky wrote:p.s. IF you really want to buy something for your first trip, pop down to GoOutdoors. A camper's credit card's dream - I've never managed to come out of that store empty handed, you always find yet more stuff you never knew you needed.

and really don't need! we have one 5 mins away from us and its a nightmare - we even went away camping last week and one day, whilst it rained and we were bored, drove almost an hour back to it to buy more stuff we didn't need Its an evil evil evil place

I don't take all this but found it online for ideas!

The Cockpit
• Road atlas
• Maps/GPS
• Phone charger
• Torch
• Compass
• Sun glasses


Kitchen
• Water tank
• Washing up liquid
• Tea towels
• Kettle
• Pans
• Cling film
• Aluminium foil
• Rubbish bags
• Kitchen roll
• Purifying tablets
• Gas bottles
• Gas lighter
• Pan scrubber

Larder & Fridge
• Milk
• Tea bags, sugar, coffee, hot chocolate
• Bread
• Butter
• Jam
• Marmite
• Eggs
• Salt & pepper
• Brown sauce, ketchup, mustard, salad dressing, mayonnaise, vinegar, oxo
• Pasta, rice, crisp bread, spam, soup, cuppa soup, sausages, tomatoes, beans, UHT milk, condensed milk, tins; curry, stew, tuna etc.
• Porridge
• Cooking oil
• Bottled water
• Squash
• Gingar beer
Bedroom
•
• Bottom sheet
• Mattress cushions (x3)
• Pillows
• Duvet & cover
• ear plugs

Bathroom
• Soap
• Toothbrushes & paste
• Towels
• Razor
• Deodorant
• Women’s things
• Shampoo
• Hair brush
• Hair drier
• Toilet & fluids
• Toilet roll
• Wet wipes

The Loft
• Chairs
• Tables
• 240v lights
• Disposable BBQ’s
• Fan heater
• Picnic bag & rug

The Library
• Top Trumps
• Scrabble
• Trivial pursuits
• Journal
• caravan Club books
• Books & magazines
• Pens
• Spell checker/thesaurus

The Bar
• Wine
• Cider

Wardrobe
• Knickers & underpants
• Socks
• Bras
• Vests & T shirts
• Polo shirts
• Fleece tops
• Water proof jackets
• Hats
• Gloves
• Slippers
• Trainers
• Sandals

Out & About
• Camera & film
• Spare batteries
• Back pack
• Map case
• Binoculars

Under the stairs
• Water hose
• Hook up lead
• Groundsheet
• Tool box
• Van manual
• Tent pegs & guy lines
• Mallet

Ha ha.....LMS.....I can't believe how much that would be my list.......except I have no need for the "library" bit now with my new Galaxy note

Except the ginger beer - bleurgh

I don't have it all - but top trumps when it's raining - cant beat it!!!

some great posts, thanks for the pointers guys!

Back to cooking equipment - what does evertone use? Just good camping stuff from outdoor places with a mix of kitchen bits n bobs?

Coleman 3 pan set is quite good, lasted us a year so far with no probs and they fit inside each other so save space. Oh and a big frying pan with a glass lid so you can get all the breakfast in in one go .

Frying pan and 3 piece set from camping. Plus a whistle kettle.... You have to have a whistle kettle

Levellers... Not the band the mini ramps.

I love little miss sunshine's list That is so useful when you are faced with an empty van and don't know where to start!
I will picked away at that list this week and be ready for the weekend