The Camping Thread #2

[Phteven]

This camping thread is for sharing tips and ideas of camping with little ones (and bigger ones!). Camping/caravan ground recommendations too. It's one thing to read a review from a mag or paper, but sometimes it's quite another to hear feedback from someone with a family actually experiencing it.
Please share your stories of great spots, clean facilities and friendly locals, so we can keep doing this, Australia wide.

The "Must Have" list

Camping equipment - Tent, Rubber interlock mats for tent floor, Air Mattresses & Pump, Camp Stretchers, Sleeping Bags, Blankets, Pillows, Esky, Fold-up chairs, Table, Rechargable Lantern, Extension Leads, Double Adaptors, Tarps, Dustpan and Broom, Storage Tub to convert to Bath, Duct Tape, Torch, Umbrella, Hammer/Hatchet, Batteries, UHF Radio/Walkie Talkies, Puncture Repair Kit, Firestarters, Fire Extinguisher.

Car Equipment - GPS, Jumper Leads, Jerry Can, Reserve Water/Coolant, Fan Belts, Roof Racks, Bike Rack, Headlight Globes

Food & Cooking Items - Gas Stove & Bottles, Camp Kitchen (with Sink), Pot, Frypan, Crockery, Cutlery, Cups, Tongs, Freezer Bags, Garbage Bags, Tea Towels, Dishwashing Liquid, Tin Foil, Glad Wrap, Matches, Hot Rocks, Sauce, Napkins, Hot chocolate, Marshmellows, Skewers, Vacuum Sealer, Oil, Ice, BBQ Tray, Scotch towels, Water container, Jex, Sponges, Tupperware food containers, Ant rid, Tea, Coffee, Sugar, Can Opener, Noodles, Canned Soup, Casseroles, Spag Bol

Misc Items - Board Games, Cards, Uno, Towels, Mozzie coils, Thongs/crocs, Phone charger, Books, Puzzle books, Fishing Rod & Tackle, Toilet Paper, Tissues

First Aid - Bandaids, Bandages, Detol cream, Cotton wool balls, Cotton Buds, Sunscreen, Aeroguard, Aftershave (for mozzie stings), Tissues, Toilet paper, Ice pack, Heat pack, Eye wash, Gauze, Cough lollies, Cold & Flu tablets, Vicks, Panadol, Bottle of water, Nail clippers, Tweezers, Sewing kit

Dogs - Leads, Collars, Balls, Dog food, Treats, Water bowls, Towels, Food bowls, Plastic Pooper Scoop Bags, Immunisation Paperwork


Continuing from HERE

[Lenny]

TMS - DH and mates would take two eskys. One would get loaded with ice and frozen items and opened strictly once a day. This stayed below 4c (your ideal fridge temp) for about 4 days. The other esky was the general use one.

We have a waeco fridge. It is awesome, but a huge investment.

[Tinks]

We have a Waeco fridge too, it's so good. We put drinks in it when we do day trips, saves heaps of money. I want to get another smaller one to keep in the car full time.

TMS - I think dry ice is worth looking in to. When we were kids my parents used to have an esky with dry ice in it to keep meat frozen. It worked really well.

[Miss.September]

Woo Campers, new thread!

Here's the "Must Have List" again for reference

The "Must Have" list

Camping equipment - Tent, Rubber interlock mats for tent floor, Air Mattresses & Pump, Camp Stretchers, Sleeping Bags, Blankets, Pillows, Esky, Fold-up chairs, Table, Rechargable Lantern, Extension Leads, Double Adaptors, Tarps, Dustpan and Broom, Storage Tub to convert to Bath, Duct Tape, Torch, Umbrella, Hammer/Hatchet, Batteries, UHF Radio/Walkie Talkies, Puncture Repair Kit, Firestarters, Fire Extinguisher.

Car Equipment - GPS, Jumper Leads, Jerry Can, Reserve Water/Coolant, Fan Belts, Roof Racks, Bike Rack, Headlight Globes

Food & Cooking Items - Gas Stove & Bottles, Camp Kitchen (with Sink), Pot, Frypan, Crockery, Cutlery, Cups, Tongs, Freezer Bags, Garbage Bags, Tea Towels, Dishwashing Liquid, Tin Foil, Glad Wrap, Matches, Hot Rocks, Sauce, Napkins, Hot chocolate, Marshmellows, Skewers, Vacuum Sealer, Oil, Ice, BBQ Tray, Scotch towels, Water container, Jex, Sponges, Tupperware food containers, Ant rid, Tea, Coffee, Sugar, Can Opener, Noodles, Canned Soup, Casseroles, Spag Bol

Misc Items - Board Games, Cards, Uno, Towels, Mozzie coils, Thongs/crocs, Phone charger, Books, Puzzle books, Fishing Rod & Tackle, Toilet Paper, Tissues

First Aid - Bandaids, Bandages, Detol cream, Cotton wool balls, Cotton Buds, Sunscreen, Aeroguard, Aftershave (for mozzie stings), Tissues, Toilet paper, Ice pack, Heat pack, Eye wash, Gauze, Cough lollies, Cold & Flu tablets, Vicks, Panadol, Bottle of water, Nail clippers, Tweezers, Sewing kit

Dogs - Leads, Collars, Balls, Dog food, Treats, Water bowls, Towels, Food bowls, Plastic Pooper Scoop Bags, Immunisation Paperwork

[Nai]

Great list, thanks!

[Beach Mama]

We have a 4x4 esky, was about $130? But it keeps ice frozen for 3-6 days depending on temp so is worth the investment if you are going regularly.

[black_rose]

Tinks I am trying to convince hubby to let me have a smaller one for the car for grocery shopping so many times I want to buy meat but not going straight home.

[Tinks]

Same here BR, plus I travel 50 odd KM from the supermarket to home, it would be so convenient. I might buy one at tax time lol.

[black_rose]

Good idea Tinks!

[MummyNaomi]

We have been looking at the Techniice Ice Box's that come with the Ice Packs that last aaaaaaaages. Should be good for frozen items for a few days at least. We plan to get one before our next adventure!!

Lot's of camping brochures in the Junk Mail today - BCF, Rays Outdoors, Aussie Disposals - Have been browsing them with a texta in hand LOL

[black_rose]

Hubby had the catalogues out at dinner too! Which is handy as I need to buy his birthday present so good timing.

[toomanyshoes]

Looks like we're taking afternoon tea for 17 people for a week, much easier than trying to keep meat frozen! But I'll be baking my butt off this week lol

Got the kids kayaks, paddles, life jackets, our sleeping bags, camp chairs, air beds, plates, cups, cutlery, esky, our drinks and I think that's it, can't wait until Monday!!!

Thanks for all the help ladies!

[Lenny]

Oo, that'll be fun.

[toomanyshoes]

Our lounge room has been taken over by camping gear!

I've been baking up a storm as well, 2 lots of triple fudge brownies, 12 apple and cinnamon muffins, 12 blue berry muffins, 50 pikelets and on Sunday I have to make 2 lemon cheese cake slices, 2 caramel slices and a batch or two of rice bubble bars for the kids! Hopefully it all fits in the esky and luckily we have a big freezer to store it all in before we go lol

Also with tents are the thicker canvas type better or that plasticky material better?

[Nai]

My mum bought us a camping cupboard for DP's birthday - yay!!!

TMS - It depends on the weather and how you will be using the tent. The canvas are heavier so for bigger tents you may need a trailer and a couple of blokes to put them up. This makes it difficult to get away for a 1 or 2 night short trip. The others are lighter but do tear more easily and are less waterproof but they are lighter and easier to get up. They also dry quicker if they do get wet.

[black_rose]

Your food sounds awesome TMS! I am getting ready for Easter, got all the eggs for a hunt in the bush! Have also ordered a heater to keep us warm.

[Miss.September]

TMS - I want to come on your camping trip! We have the plasticky type tent - the worst rain we experienced in it was 50mm in one night. It had rained solidly for the few days we were away and then we got the massive downpour one night. The tent held up well, no leaks or anything. We had mud pushed up on one side, the water was so strong and we were down a slight incline, so it pushed the dirt down onto our tent. But we didn't have any problems. We have a canvas annex and canvas tarps to cover our beds in our pop-up camper van and we've noticed that it does take longer to dry out and the inside roof of the pop-out bed area (think Jayco eagle/dove/hawk/etc) gets wet to touch if we don't have the canvas tarps over them. Saying that though, the camper is 40 years old and we have no certain idea if the canvas is original or not (our feeling is that it probably is original) and we don't know when it was last treated with a waterproofing agent.

[Kazbah]

We're off tomorrow for 3 nights ... in the eagle (or is it a swan?) jayco. I love that it's all packed ready to go - all I need to do each time is back the dog stuff / clothing / food and we're ready to go - when we get home I do the washing immediately and repack it ...

This time we're heading back to Tarra Valley - best friends' holiday retreat, it's a dog-friendly place, like, made for dogs (the cabins are called scooby / snoopy etc) and some of the caravan and tent sites are individually fenced with a 1.2m fence - also great for toddlers. Have packed Pip's bike and I am so looking forward to him riding around the caravan park all day!