With Camping season creeping upon us again I have just realised that I still haven’t sat down and posted an updated camping list of all of our favourite things. I have a camping tips and tricks blog from a few years ago here with all of my little hacks and most of those haven’t changed, but we have however improved our camping set up slightly over the years so I figured it was time to share an updated version with all the new camping products and brands that we are loving.
If you haven’t read the old camping blog one make sure to check it out too as I haven’t re-shared all those must haves in this post. It also has a camping checklist available to download.
I blame 2020 for this super late post – Who would have thought that this year would have ended up the way it has after starting it with such an epic camping trip but I guess the timing is kinda perfect in a way, as we are all starting to plan our summer camping trips and looking at camping supplies so hopefully it will help you make sure you have everything you need.
Every year we discover new items and ways of doing things and learn about what we need to make it a more pleasant and enjoyable experience for everyone involved. We have learnt to invest in good quality pieces that we can continue to enjoy year after year.
We are pretty well equipped now. We have an epic set up and enjoyed a blissful 10 days away in what felt like luxury.
I did share a lot of our journey on Instagram this year and saved it to a highlight which you can watch here and here.
I also have a highlight from the previous year here showing my must haves and tips in use – like the vacuum cleaner, solar lights and blender!
We recently invested in a new inflatable tent. I was given the opportunity to work with Zempire for some photography and I could not pass upon some great deals that came with that job. We went with a canvas inflatable – The Fortress.
Its our new ‘Forever Tent’!
It inflates within minutes so set up and pack down is an absolute breeze. We had some strong winds coming up off the beach this summer which put the inflatable poles to the test and they were as solid as could be. They were stronger than any rod tents we have ever used. It felt secure and stable, warm and cool. It stays nice and dark when the sun comes up early so the kids aren’t waking up with the birds and the height makes it feel even bigger than it really is. We had previously invested in a Zempire shelter to use with our previous tent, however with the Fortress we no longer require it – it has everything we need in one inflatable structure.
We haven’t changed too much in terms of what we bring along. We have just upgraded a few things. Our bed was a biggie. We struggle every year with our bed. Deflating air beds, sleeping on rods. You name it we have tried it and hated it. We were given the Zempire Monstamat and speedy bed twin to try and its a game changer. No more waking up on the ground in the morning on a deflated air bed!! We have also just purchased the Zempire twin bomber as Ry was in Hunting and Fishing the other day and lay on the set up they had on display which was the speedy bed with Monstamat and twin bomber on it and he walked away with the newest addition to take our bed to the absolute next level. For us having a good bed is make or break with a camping trip. If you aren’t having a good comfy sleep you won’t be enjoying your time away and just longing to be back home in your own bed. We bring a sheet and duvet for our bed.
The Moonbase chairs were another. We have been eyeing them up for a while after trying a friends one on our last trip. Ryan being so big struggles to sit comfortably in a normal camping chair so he was sold on this when he first sat in it, and they are so super comfy I was able to leave my beanbag at home (which takes up too much room to pack anyway) as I could comfortably curl up with my book in one of these!
The boys are still in their bunks and we are still super happy with them. They are the Kathmandu bunks. We will have to invest in another set for our next trip as Millen learnt to climb out of the portacot this trip so he is ready for a bed. I have decided on a second set of bunks as I imagine down the track we may have a friend come along for the trip so it will always be handy to have a spare bed. They can also be set up as just a single. The boys simply sleep straight on these with a pillow and sleeping bag.
Our Dyson hot cool fan still comes everywhere with us – keeps the kiddies warm in the early hours and keeps them nice and cool when we put them to bed when the suns still beaming!
The big boys clothes are still stored in hanging pockets and that still works well. I have just learnt to pack less each trip as they honestly live in the same handful of clothes all week long. The collapsable washing basket is also another one that we still use and love! easy to keep the dirty washing together and just throw it in the car when we done and it goes straight home to the laundry.
We had room to use our blow up couch inside this new tent and it was so handy to have a ‘living space’ with somewhere to sit and put shoes on, or sit and get the little ones dressed. It was handy for Millen to hang out on when it was too windy for him outside and he was getting upset and the kids dragged it outside to hang out on with their friends during the day. It was originally from Kmart years ago and I have seen them there again recently.
Our old second hand purchase camping pantry has seen better days…I think this trip may have been its last. The zips no longer work and the shelves were beginning to fall apart too…It is another essential item for us so we are ready to invest in another one.
The outdoor area is where we cook and eat. We purchased some sides for it too which was handy considering the wind we had up off the beach this year. They unfortunately only had last season colour ways available so they don’t match perfectly but they do the job!
We also sold our old smaller camping fridge and purchased a slightly larger one with a bigger freezer space and it was a much better option for our extended trip.
We use a camping table for all of our food prep and we store all of our camping boxes underneath it and then we use a camping cooking table to for the actual cooking with our weber and our burner.
I think I may have covered this in a previous post but I will just quickly touch on it again. We keep all of our camping things in large plastic storage boxes. We have one for kitchen stuff including dish soap and tea towels and all cooking equipment, one for lights, batteries and other essentials and I think the third we use we pop things like the toaster and blender in when we are traveling. By having the items in these boxes it means that they are always ready to go and we don’t have to pack it each trip. They live in the boxes and we just need to pick up the box and go, they are easy to store whilst away and after our trip we make sure we replenish anything we need to and then pack them away ready to go again. A large bucket tub is also super handy for dirty dishes and bathing the babes in!
We still have our large mat which I found from look sharp outside and our little table and benches to sit down and eat at. This space works really well. The portable playpen was a great option for when Millen was little, however I don’t think its something we will need anymore and he didn’t really enjoy being put in their to play so I could have probably left it behind this trip too as it does take up a lot of space when up. I will take the pool again, its handy when the waves are a bit too rough for the little ones and they are wanting to swim.
Thanks for reading, I hope that answers any of your camping questions.
If you have anymore just fire them through and I will answer them for you
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