Zero Waste Camping Hacks: Camp all Summer with Kids. Multiple Trips, Pack Once.

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For the last 4 years we have taken a short camping trip with our kids during the summer holidays. Usually just 2 nights away at a local campsite.

Slowly in that time we have built up our camping kit. Everything we need in a boxes ready to go.

The thing with camping, whether your doing it with kids in tow or not, is that you need the same amount of stuff for one night or for one month. BBQ’s, sleeping bags, chairs, shower essentials, summer clothes for the days, winter warmers for the night. The camping packing list can become long and overwhelming.

This never bothered me so much. As long as we had our camping essentials ready to go in a box, the tent ready to be slid into the van, the rest could be packed on the day. Hey. I’m only doing it once a year right?….

Until this year. This year the way we saw camping completely changed. Number 1 because of COVID 19. Meaning there’s no big summer holiday for us or any of our friends. Number 2 our daughter is at an age where she benefits from being outside all hours of the day and night immensely. We decide this was the year for multi, unplanned, jump in the van kind of trips. A summer to give the kids the best adventures even if they were only 20 minutes from our front door.

The camping I enjoy most is the one or two night camping trips. Where it’s all fun and games while the sun is shining, then you can pack up quickly when the weather turns and retreat to a comfy, warm and dry bed. After all this is England, we want to be able to pick an choose when to go and not rely on the weather. Relying on the weather is not a luxury we have in this country. Plus we still have jobs to go back to come Monday right?

But wouldn’t planning all these trips, packing and unpacking make the summer a hard one? What if I told you you could head out to the country on a sunny Friday, come back to your cosy home on Sunday, multi times throughout the summer, without having to pack and become stressed by the process each time? And no I’m not suggesting you buy a second home.

What if I told you, it could all be done with kids, with a huge heavy tent and zero waste? Would you think I’m mad or would you fight to see my organised check list?.

Pin me for later….

Pin. Bell tent in the English Countryside. “UK staycations. Camping packings hacks”.

Here’s my ultimate camping with kids hack to create a summer of adventures.

View from a bell tent of sussex camping site.

Create the ultimate camping kit on a budget.

Other than a tent you can to put together camping kit pretty cheapy. First place I would look it relatives attics. As kids we used to camp all the time, it was a great holiday when my parents where on a budget, same with Mat. Its unlikely either of our parents will camp again, search the stash they probably still have packed away nicely in the attic or garage. Turns out my parents had a fold away BBQ, a gas stove, really decent sleeping bag and ground mat. Mat parents had mattress and a folding table. Basically all the important essentials came out of their shed.

For Christmas one year Mat’s mum and sister also put together a little camping box. It included lights (fairy and functional), camping glasses, a box for cutlery, a foldable washing up bowl and some fleece blankets for keeping warm. To this I have added, plastic plates we had knocking around, some tin mugs I found in the charity shop, a stove top camping kettle, old cutlery and knives we no longer use after we brought nicer new ones for home. If you don’t have any of these charity shops and the tip shop always have odds hanging around perfect for camping.

Now here’s where these boxes come into their own. Add a bottle of washing up liquid, an old scrubbing brush, tea towels, a saucepan, fry pan, chopping board, anything you’ll think you’ll need to be left in there forever more.

For years I’ve had our camping equipment in this big box but had to add extras, like our own saucepan, frying pan etc meaning every year something got forgotten. No matter how organised my list was I would forget something because it was currently in use. I’d think “oh I’ll pop that in later when it’s washed,” of course then forgetting it.

This is the key to organised camping!!!

I even put a box of tea bags and a jar of coffee in there. Yes last time I forgot tea bags. They don’t have to stay in there all year round, just all Summer.

Double up on everything the zero waste way.

Zero waste essentials I think work really well for camping. The same rule as the kitchen essentials apply. Buy duplicates for camping. In fact I think this is a great idea for ALL travel. Nothing annoys me more than getting home, desperate for a shower, whether that be from camping, a long car journey or a flight, getting all wet and then realising the shampoo is in the other toiletry bag. Or someone stating they haven’t brushed their teeth yet, taking said tooth brush out the bag and then leaving it, (no? Just my kids then).

Zero waste comes into it’s own now. The toothy tabs your not massively keen on, well they travel well. The kids shampoo bar can be used on adults too and used as general soap. One bar for everything. The conditioner bar is light. Create a travel toiletry bag for the summer. Include a tooth brush for everyone, shampoo bar, conditioner bar, toothy tabs, sun cream, moisturiser. It’s not wasteful because at the end of the summer you can simply take it all out to use up or save it for your next trip. Just remember to put everything back in your camping box dry.

Toddler welllies, birkinstocks outside a bell tent in the English countryside.

Empty the kitchen cupboards.

Now everything is ready, all you have to do is throw some clothes in a bag and the food in the cool box. You remember to pop the ice cube packs in the freezer last night of course. My biggest tip of zero waste food is to empty the pantry. The amount of times we have gone to the supermarket, brought a ton of camping food and half of it’s come home with us. The luxury of going for a couple of days is that you can take the food straight from your fridge. Yes I brought the leftover pasta for Reeva to snack on.

Invest in a great tent.

Bell tent in the UK countryside. Sussex camping.

One thing I will recommend is investing in a great tent. If of course you think you’ll do this lots. We have a Bell tent and I could not recommend it more. It’s a 6 meter so large and heavy but it’s so quick and easy to put up. Last year I met a single mother with the same tent as us. She managed to get it up by herself in 20 minutes with 3 kids running around her. I mean Mat and I take longer than that but I think we’re just slow and chat to passers by to much.

If you want something more lightweight I would just recommend researching how easy it is to put up. You won’t want to put it up multiple times a season if its difficult.

P.s buy a bell tent you won’t regret it.

Get your friends on board.

Now you’ve got a beautiful tent get your friends on board to join you for a night. It might have to be a socially distanced affair where you cook on your own BBQ this year, no sharing food but there’s no where easier to keep your distanced than in the great out doors. Plus no one is going on holiday this year, use it as a good excuse to easily make some plans with a small group of friends in the local area.

And you’ve got to show off that bell tent of course.

Research local places to camp. You’d be surprised what’s on your door step.

Toddler in Pj’s. Mornings camping in sussex

If your just going for short weekend stays on even just a night it’s doesn’t matter whether you travelling half way across the country or you stay closer to home. All you need is a good view, a safe area for kids to run free, clean toilets, and a drinking water tap.

Seek out whats within a short drive of your doorstep. So far we’ve found 3 great places to stay, one we keep going back to over and over. If feels a million miles from home but it a mere 20 minute drive into the countryside. What could be better?…

To keep you as organised as possible I’ve written you a checklist with everything you’ll need in your ultimate camping essentials box.