Gav Grayston
I remember our first family camping breaks, racking our brains to make sure we’ve got everything, and a car full of camping gear heading down to the West Country.
There will always be something you forget and plenty of stuff you take that you’ll never use! 😉
That’s one of the difference between weekend camping and longer camping breaks: you need more stuff for a longer camping break. But there’s a balance between too much stuff and and too little.
There are always the basics to take, such as the tent, sleeping bags, etc. However, what you need depends on the number of people and ages in your family, where you are staying, the activities you are doing, and if you prefer to eat out a lot or mostly cook at the campsite.
After you’ve read and watched this article, you will have a better idea of how to plan your family camping break. And to help, we have the Family Camping Planner.
Make your own Camping Check List
Keeping a list of what to take helps us a lot. You can use our Family Camping Planner as a great start for your own list.
Print out the Family Camping Planner and make a note of what items you need to take after watching these videos.
Setting up your tent for a Family Camping Holiday
Your tent, sleeping mats, and sleeping bags are essential, but what about furniture?
If you are just used to camping at the weekend for a night or two, camping furniture, such as storage cupboards, can be a bit of an overkill. However, we’ve found that on a longer camping break, having storage makes a huge difference. Without, your tent can soon get into chaos with little room to move due to all your bags.
In this video, we look at setting up your tent and kitting it out for a family camping break.
Setting up your Camp Kitchen
The first thing you need to ask yourself is how much cooking you intend to do at the campsite. Some families cook all their meals, while others only have snacks at the tent and eat out the rest of the time.
If you plan to eat out most of the time, you won’t need to take as much items for your kitchen. However, if you plan to cook, more work surfaces and at least two hobs will make life a lot easier.
Generally, your camp kitchen should be outside your tent. The only exception might be if you have a flame-less hob, like this one.
Tap here for more details on how to set-up your camp kitchen outside under a camping tarp.
Creating a Camp Kitchen Shelter
Learn how to set-up a sheltered camp kitchen away from your tent.
Fitting it all the car
All this camping gear is great, but if you can’t get it all to the campsite, then it’s useless.
In the video below, I show how all the items could fit in my car boot, but there’s no room for clothes and food.
This is why we use a roof box and a trailer for longer camping tips. You can see our camping trailer by tapping here.
The Kit List
Here are some of the camping items in the videos. If you see anything you like, remember you can add it to your Adventure Planner by viewing the review and tapping the heart icon. This helps you build up a list of things you might like to get for your own family camping breaks.
GOWTK T-Shirts!
T-Shirts and clothes for Mum, Dad, and the Kids.
The Tent
The tent we used in this video was the Easy Camp Match Air 500. We have many tent reviews to help you work out what sort of tent will suit your family.
Easy Camp Match Air 500 Review
The Easy Camp Match Air 500 is a great tent for a family of four, with darkened bedrooms, plenty of living space, and a built-in porch.
More Tents
See some of our other tent reviews.
Sleeping
Wow! 16 cm Outwell Dreamboat – Extremely Comfortable
The 16 cm version of the Outwell Dreamboat self-inflating camping mat is soooooo comfortable! It gets the Thumbs Up award.
Outwell Dreamboat 7.5 cm
A very comfortable self-inflating mat that’s insulated too.
Outwell Contour Sleeping Bag – A bag of two temperatures
The Outwell Contour is a sleeping bag designed for both warm and cooler nights, with its reversible design.
More Beds & Sleeping Mats
View more beds and sleeping mats
More Sleeping Bags
View more sleeping bags
Furniture
Outwell Dawlish folding storage stool review
The Outwell Dawlish is a great idea. It’s both a seat and storage and folds down really small for transport.
Outwell Barmouth – A bedside table for your tent?
The Outwell Barmouth gives you additional storage for your tent but without taking up lots of space in your car boot.
Robens Walker Cupboard: Camping Furniture that won’t take up all the space in your car
We have a look at another piece of camping furniture that’s designed to take up the least amount of space in your car: the Robens Walker.
The Outwell Marilla: At last, a decent folding picnic table.
After years of broken tables and even more years of no tables, we at last have found a good family camping picnic table set: the Outwell Marilla. Read more.
The Catamarca Sofa – A space saving double seat
We try the Outwell Catamarca Sofa, a double-seat camping chair that doesn’t take up twice the space that two singles would.
More Furniture
View more camping furniture options
Camp Kitchen Items
Kitchen Storer
This is a really helpful storage solution for kitchen items.
Outwell Wash Base Review
We’ve been giving the Outwell Wash Base a good test.
Primus Tupike Stove Review
The Primus Tupike Stove not only looks smart, it can save you a whole load of hassle at the campsite.
Outwell Grimsby Induction Hob – Safer Cooking in your Tent
The Outwell Grimsby induction hob is a safer way to cook inside your tent.
Cooking
View more items to help cook at the campsite.
Lighting
Outwell Opal Lantern
The Outwell Opal lantern is a rechargeable, dimmable, Bluetooth-enabled, stylish-looking camping lantern.
Lighting
View more lanterns and lighting solutions for camping.
Heaters
Outwell Katla Fan and Heater
The Outwell Katla fan heater has two power settings and safety features for using it in your tent.
Heaters
View more heaters to keep your family warm.
Get the Family Camping Planner
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Gav Grayston Contributor
Father to 3 kids, who loves getting out and about (hiking, running, camping, cycling, canoeing...) Co-founded Get Out With The Kids to help other parents enjoy the outdoors with their family.
