Making a list of everything you'll need on a family camping trip will ensure you leave nothing behind. Photo / 123rf
Seasoned camper Katharine Duncan looks back on years of family camping and advises on the list of must-not-forgets.
Much like the iconic Kiwi saying “always blow on the pie”, here’s another important one: “never forget your tent pegs.”
The same goes for the mallet to whack said tent pegs in. I watched open-mouthed one year as a camper, filled with Lion Red gaiety, whipped off his artificial leg and hopped around banging in his tent pegs, much to the mirth of his camping mates.
He might have been within easy hopping distance of at least 100 campers who would have lent him a mallet but it was much more hilarious to use his prosthesis.
So here’s my advice before you set off camping, possibly for the first time. Make a list, make a list, make a list. Keep it backed up on your computer (with a printout tucked into your camping gear) and add to it over time. It will become a treasured part of your camping holidays, making packing each year quick and efficient.
List everything, even the obvious items: pots, pans, cutlery, cooking utensils, beds, bedding, air pumps, gas bottle, table, chairs, a battery-powered lantern, torches, a brush-and-shovel to clear sand from the tent, to name a few.
Think through your daily routine. Will you need a mini mirror in the tent to touch up your lipstick before socialising with friends? Will you need a battery pack to top up your mobile phone?
Head torches are a must for that midnight tiptoe to the toilet where being hands-free is very helpful. Let’s face it, no one wants to put their torch on the floor of a DoC loo.
Head torches are also essential when crouching in your pyjamas in the pitch black, being lashed by the torrential rain and wind of Cyclone Hech (Happens-Every-Camping-Holiday), frantically securing stays that have come loose and re-hammering tent pegs.
Pack mats to wipe damp grassy feet, both outside and inside the tent door, to help keep the interior clean. Spread an old rug on the floor to keep your tent cosy during the inevitable summer storm.
If you’re using air beds, pack some insulation layers (old wool blankets are ideal) to stop the cold transferring through your airbed.
Go square when planning storage; round wastes too much space. A couple of big, square buckets will have several uses, including packing, storage and washing up. They can also double as a water-play bath for toddlers.
Freeze square bottles of milk for the chilly bin and use as they thaw. Square food containers will pack more efficiently in your chilly bin or square storage boxes. Banana boxes make great food boxes lined up along the wall of the tent.
Whenever you boil the kettle, fill a thermos with boiling water ready for a quick cuppa or to top up washing-up water.
Use washing baskets to store clean clothes. Kids can rummage through them without pulling everything out of bags and leaving a mess.
Make sure camping chores are shared. Tell the kids that doing the washing up is a treat when camping; start them young enough and they’ll believe you. They can take turns at washing, drying and putting away the dishes, skills that will be handy when they go flatting.
Towels are bulky and difficult to dry. My suggestion is go Turkish. They are light, fold down to nothing, super absorbent and quick to dry. Hang them on the tent stays or washing rack with the pegs that you haven’t forgotten to pack because they were on the list, and they’ll be dry in 10 minutes.
And towelies! What an invention. Hooded poncho towels, either Turkish or microfibre, are ideal for a trip to the beach and an end-of-day shower. They provide instant warmth after a swim, protection from the sun so the kids can keep playing, and can be used for drying after the evening’s shower.
The wait for indoor showers at busy campgrounds can be lengthy so have a grab bag – shampoo, deodorant, face clothes and towels – ready for when you spot a lull in the queue. A shower gel that doubles as shampoo is useful to speed up the process with tired and hungry children.
As darkness approaches, the buzzies will come out in earnest. There’s nothing worse than slapping and scratching when you’re relaxing with a glass of wine. Rechargeable zappers or mozzie candles will make the evenings much more convivial. Prepare the tent for bedtime by giving it a good spray with fly spray and zipping it shut.
If you do get bitten, use the anti-itch cream that you’ve remembered to pack in the medical kit. Of course it’s on the list!
One last thing as you lock the house and leave for your camping holiday: don’t forget the dog. There is nothing more infuriating than getting halfway to the pet hotel, which is never in the direction of where you’re going camping, to find that he’s not in the car. Believe me, this can happen ... as I well know.
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