The Complete Family Camping Kit Guide

2021 is the year for UK exploration. As the borders close and overseas travel is becoming an unlikely option, many people are turning to the UK for their summer holidays, instead of beaches across Europe. For how sad that may seem, you can still have fantastic weather, country charm and ‘all you can eat’ buffets in the UK! We like to go camping in the summer and have visited a few different areas in England and Wales. We find that camping has more freedom to it than staying in someones else’s accommodation. And the equipment you can get now for camping, makes you feel like you’ve never left home! Whether you are wild camping or luxury camping, there’s no need to let yourself go short. The complete family camping kit guide should give you all the help you need for a fantastic camping holiday.

Sleeping Equipment

***A tent! Air tents are huge at the moment, and are a much quicker way to erect and deflate your temporary home. Especially for families. We have the Wichenford Breeze from Olpro, which is sturdy, colourful and roomy enough for the 5 of us. We also have the extension for a ‘cooking room’. Air tents usually come supplied with pumps, so you don’t have to pay out extra.

***Air Beds – Don’t forget the pump.

***Or, camping beds. We have single ones for the kids. They’re easy to put together and fold up small for storage. They also keep the kids off the cold ground in the tent.

***Bedding. If we are going camping for more than a few days, we take sheets and duvets. Especially in the summer. I find we get sweaty in sleeping bags and much prefer my home comforts. Sheets, pillows and a few extra blankets for colder evenings. We pile them on the kids in the car for the journey to save space in the boot!

***Electric Hook Up. For as much as we like going off grid, there are some home comforts that, if I can access them, then I’d like to take with me! Most sites now come with electric pitch options, so we take plugs for our chargers, kettle and hotplate.

Somewhere to sit.

***Camping chairs are foldable for ease of travel and aren’t too bad in terms of comfort, I think. For people who really want to be comfortable, why not have an inflatable sofa. Not like those bubble ones from the 90’s. Oh no, there are fancy ones now!

***A foldable picnic table to eat on, and possibly a smaller one to prepare food on.

Cooking Facilities.

***A stove for cooking in pot and pans, and with a small grill if possible. That way you can do your toast and bacon at the same time! We have one exactly like this that works perfect for us.

***Gas bottle to attach to stove.

***A regulator and a pipe to attach said gas bottle to said stove.

Pots and Pans including:

• Kettle. It would be a sacrilege to forget this item.
• Pans to cook in
• Cutlery – knives, forks and spoons
• Cutting knives
• Can opener
• Scissors
• Turning tools. To flip the burgers.
• Spatula
• Plates, bowls and cups. Plus spares.
• Chopping board
• Extra serving utensils

We keep our items in a 3 drawer system. One of those plastic kids toys ones, cheap enough to pick up from B&M or Argos. It just slides in to the back of the car and also stores well in the tent. It is also easy to dismantle if it doesn’t quite fit in the boot.

Other handy bits and pieces are:

• Tea Towels
• Washing up sponge and bowl. Don’t forget the Fairy too!
• Lighters or matches. (In case the igniter is damp on your stove)
• A makeshift bin
• Black bags for rubbish
• Tent dustpan and brush. I actually find this really handy for when the kids bring half the grass pitch in the tent with them
• A light
• Torches for toilet trips
• Water butt
• Mallet for pegs
• Extra pegs
• Toaster if taking electric
• Cooler box
• First aid kit
• Hotplate
• Wind breakers
• Large picnic blanket
• Hot Water Bottles

If you are looking for a little more luxury, there are plenty of items out there to make you more comfortable.

We use a kitchen stand to cook on. No bad backs bending over the stove on the floor. It has shelving underneath to store food and a windbreak if you are cooking outside.

Storage options such as wardrobes and shelving units are available on sites like Go Outdoors and even on Amazon.

If i’m honest, you can take pretty much anything and everything camping, if you have electric hook up. I’ve even seen people with TV’s and fridges in their tents. I wouldn’t personally go to this extreme, but, each to their own!

Enjoy Camping!

I hope the complete family camping kit guide gives you the confidence to start family camping, and enjoy your experience without thinking like you’ve forgotten something. Which we have done, many many times!

Enjoy your camping holiday and tag us in you adventures over on Instagram or Facebook if you wish. We love checking out new campsites and prefer to have recommendations. We thoroughly enjoyed camping at Bird Rock Campsite ( for a more off-grid experience) and also Far Peak Campsite in the Cotswolds.

Let us know your favorite sites to visit across the UK!

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