KarenWe love going to festivals and we have two booked in for 2018 already. We either take the tent or the motorhome, depending on the weather, because as much as I love camping I’m getting a bit too fond of my home comforts as I’m getting older!
Something I’ve bought recently for taking to this year’s festival is a hammock. I have absolutely no idea where I will secure it but I’m hoping we will just happen upon a couple of sturdy trees right next to our pitch… or near-ish! The one we bought is a single hammock but I love this double one I found on LionsHome.co.uk – the colours are so lovely! There are actually loads of different ones to choose from on the LionsHome website but this looked like really good value as well.
Something else I’ve bought is an outdoor solar powered light. I am so tired of tripping over guy ropes that I needed this in my life ready for camping season. Campsites at festivals are quite dark at night, because unlike a regular commercial campsite there are no substantial lights to guide you. Some festivals do have large rope lights, but you still need to be really careful after dark.
Something on my must buy list before we start camping again this year is a new bed. For many years we’ve had a double height air bed but the last two haven’t really lasted very long. I think this time we’re going to go for a double camp bed instead, with a self-inflating mat on top. I’ve asked around on camping forums and in groups and this seems to be a recommended way of getting a better nights’ sleep. I know I always struggle to sleep well while camping so anything that will help me settle better is a bonus!
I generally won’t go camping unless I know what I’m going to eat during our trip. Not a full meal plan, but a rough idea. As varied and interesting as festival food can be, it’s also quite expensive so I know that buying every meal for the five of us isn’t something I want to spend too much money on. I usually take enough food with us to make breakfast and one other meal each day, and then we’ll eat on site at either lunch or dinner every day. There are lots of meals that can be made in just one pan so we take a single burner stove which takes up very little space and does the job nicely!
Lastly, the one thing I wouldn’t be able to camp without is a decent light for inside the tent. The children always sleep with a small light on at home and camping is no different. I have found something perfect for our needs as it lights up the tent nicely and has adjustable brightness, which is great for when the children are sleeping. The Varta camping lantern seems to be just the ticket and it’s really well priced too at under £15.00.
What little luxuries do you need to take camping with you? Or are you all about getting back to nature and taking the bare minimum?
