With the increase in festivals, gigs and outdoor activities, heading off for a camping or caravan holiday has never been so desirable. Long gone are the days where it was seen as a cheaper alternative to holidaying – now it’s one of the most up and coming ways to travel and holiday!

If you enjoy being in the great outdoors, then a camping trip out in the open is exactly what you would benefit from. If you choose a location which suits your needs (for example, some of you may want to be close to popular hikes or walking routes, others a quaint town with country pubs and local markets) you can make it the holiday trip you’ve always wanted.

And once you are out there, in the great outdoors, you can relax and breathe in the fresh air, enjoying the scenic surroundings. Something that can’t enjoy when you live or work close to the city!

Whilst individual adult campers have the luxury of heading out to camp with very minimal preparation, it’s different if you are heading off on a trip as a family. Everyone has their own needs to consider, and children need the adult campers to pack for them and make sure they have all the necessities. And we’re not just talking food and clothing – they need constant entertaining!

Before you head off on your camping trip with the family, it’s worth drawing up a checklist of everything you will need. Because although you think you may know everything you’ll need, chances are you will forget a fair few essentials.

To make things a little easier for you, we’ve drawn up the ultimate family camping holiday checklist for you to browse. This list includes the majority of important things you’ll need for a holiday in a tent…

1. The tent itself

First of all, you need a tent – a very obvious one! The size of the tent that you should get will depend on the number of people that are to be accommodated within it. Along with a tent, consider having all of the following:-

• A tent carpet/rug – these are great for protecting the tent from any mud/grass from the fields, trainers and wellies!
• Tent pegs – an essential for securing the tent to the ground
• A windbreak – important for reducing the impact of strong winds
• A doormat – one that is easily forgotten, but a lifesaver when removing wellies or trainers before entering the tent.

2.Sleeping essentials

Make sure you come equipped with the right sleeping kit, If you will be spending several nights under the stars!

• Sleeping bags – a must for everyone at camp
• Pillows – everyone needs pillows for a comfortable night’s sleep!
• Extra blankets – you never know if some of the children will be too cold in the night, therefore extra blankets are need for wrapping up or draping over sleeping bags.
• An air bed – it’s usually impossible space-wise to bring proper camping beds on camping trips, which is where air beds come in hand.
• An air pump to inflate the air bed – cannot be forgotten!
• Ear plugs – busier campsites may mean you could be situated next to other tents, in which you’re bound to hear snoring through the night, or animals early in the morning!

3. Food and Power

Tow of the main things to consider for your camping packing is food and power. Without either, you’ll have very moany children no doubt! The items worth considering are listed below…

• Power outlets – whether this be a range of power banks for your phones and devices, or generators for music systems, caravan power and your bigger appliances, you’ll need a combination of both to ensure you’re never without power. There are lots of generators for sale, so do some research into portable ones first.
• Cutlery, vegetable peelers, mugs, plastic cups, flasks, cooking pots and pans
• Cooking utensils, such as knives and spoons, dishcloths, a washing up bowl and washing up liquid.
• A cooking stove and fuel, and those handy little mess tins great for cooking tinned foods. And don’t forget cooking oil!
• A match and a lighter
• Plates, bowls, containers to store food, kitchen foil for wrapping up food, and cool bags for day trips
• Water carriers for every family member

4. Personal items

There is a lot to think about when it comes to packing for an outdoor holiday, including the not-so-fun bits. Like accidents, extreme weather, and even personal hygiene items. We’ve shared the essentials below which are worth adding to your packing list:

• A torch/lantern
• A first aid kit and Insect repellent
• Water filters and purification systems
• Celotape, scissors and safety pins
• A map and binoculars
• Personal medication
• Sunscreen, caps, hats, after sun and umbrellas for whatever the weather may bring!
• A razor, shower gel, dry shampoo, roll on deodorant
• Tissues

In a nutshell, camping is a fun and enjoyable holiday for all the family, but bringing children makes it a little harder when packing. The checklist above covers the essentials, but obviously excludes some of the entertainment for children, like books, games, treats etc – so make sure you tailor these to your children’s individual needs and add those in.

There is nothing worse than bored children when on a camping trip!