1. Battery-powered fairy lights
These are perfect for any caravan or tent and emit a soft, romantic glow that a standard camping light just doesn’t offer. They’re great in the middle of the night to find your way out for a quick toilet dash, too. Most of the models I have found take three AA batteries and they come in many different shapes, sizes and colours. It’s an easy way to make a very cosy camping experience.
2. Pre-cooked meals
It might seem obvious, but whipping up a bolognaise or chilli before you head off camping means one less meal to prepare from scratch under canvas. It is then easy to re-heat what you’ve already cooked and serve up a delicious meal. Other ideas include a curry, soup or stew, or burgers/patties. Just make sure it’s stored correctly and refrigerated appropriately before thoroughly reheating.
3. Handwashing kit
This might sound a bit strange, and I don’t know about you, but I always need to wash my hands when camping. Whether it be whilst I’m cooking, tidying up or just generally when they feel a bit grubby, they usually need a rinse and I’m not always near a tap or the bathroom. What I do, is bring a large recycled bottle of tap water and keep this next to some hand wash and a hand towel to use when required. I can tell you, the simple pleasure of having clean, beautifully smelling hands is a delight when around a campsite.
4. A small quick-drying towel
There’s nothing worse than a whole load of damp towels, tea towels and swimming costumes that you’re trying to get dry at the end of the day – especially if the rain has set in! To eliminate one of these, try taking a few small quick-drying towels. They’re usually made out of a special microfibre material and will dry in a few hours. Not especially cosy when you jump out of the shower, but useful for handwashing, face-wiping and for young kids, and one less bulky wet towel to try and get dry!
5. An extra cushion or two
This is all about comfort in the evening or at bedtime. I’m happy to sit and lounge in my camp chair, but after a while I often find I need a bit of extra back support. So I generally throw in an extra cushion from home when packing up the bedding and it can be used either in bed or in your camp chair. It’s the simple things that make all the difference.
Written by Charlotte Hall
