Love camping and do it often. I only camp in bush, not in glampy caravan parks and whatnot.
Best advice to a newbie I can think of, is take someone experienced with you, unless you are going ‘glamping’.
Otherwise - it could get tough.
And I thought I was soft lol . . . Fwiw I just got back from 8 days 'camping' in New Zealand Between 2 of us we had a Ford Courier ute thing, 1 blow up bed, 2 sleeping bags 2 cups, 2 bowls, 2 spoons, 2 forks and a portable gas cooker We'd stop at a servo/supermarket in the morning along with a ■■■■■■■, go hiking during the day, find somewhere off the road to pull up and sleep then repeat the next dayIf you’re going to an actual camping site with power, shower block and bbq (seems pretty standard for most) the bare minimum I would recommend is
- 1 tent per 3 people (bigger ones are harder to put up and more prone to failing)
- Either 1 double inflatable bed per 2 people or 1 single per person
- 1 pillow per person
- 1 sleeping bag per person
- 1 electric air pump for beds
- Fridge
- Plastic/tin cups, bowls, knives, spoons and forks
- 1 fold out table
- 1 chair per person
- Power board and extension leads
- At least 1 torch per tent if not person
Also consider that if you don’t have a huge fan or 4x4 with roof racks you’ll likely need a trailer
You recommend an air bed?
Yeah, sorry, Cabins aren’t camping, just cheap accommodation, … which are good at times.
But this question requires more info, how old are the kids for a start? Are they nervy? etc.
For a first time out, I would suggest somewhere not too remote, with shower/loo blocks within easy reach. I don’t know if you’re in Vic, but somewhere like the Inverloch Broadbeach foreshore is perfect.
If the kids are young or nervy, best you get a big tent … 5 man at least, where they can bunk in with you, or they’ll never sleep, and nor will you. With divider or w/out … depends on your nocturnal needs I s’pose 
A blow up bed/s or the roll up super dense foam kind are ok if you get proper ones.
A fold up table & chairs, a good portable stove &/or barby, or two and some … I doubt you’d need gas lights now days … likely excellent LED types for half the cost that use 2 batteries a year now.
A good picnic set, and as many banana lounges as people or there will be fights …, the ones that double up as chairs are excellent.
Then the entertainment … bikes?? Fishing rods? totem tennis, frisbee? Books? Footy!!.. or just let them take the game boys and tablets??
Always have a first aid kit, torches, a good battery radio and some ropes. … and pegs,… clothes pegs, and extra tent pegs.
It’s all a bit of a mission, … but worth it IMO.
And I thought I was soft lol . . . Fwiw I just got back from 8 days 'camping' in New Zealand Between 2 of us we had a Ford Courier ute thing, 1 blow up bed, 2 sleeping bags 2 cups, 2 bowls, 2 spoons, 2 forks and a portable gas cooker We'd stop at a servo/supermarket in the morning along with a ■■■■■■■, go hiking during the day, find somewhere off the road to pull up and sleep then repeat the next dayIf you’re going to an actual camping site with power, shower block and bbq (seems pretty standard for most) the bare minimum I would recommend is
- 1 tent per 3 people (bigger ones are harder to put up and more prone to failing)
- Either 1 double inflatable bed per 2 people or 1 single per person
- 1 pillow per person
- 1 sleeping bag per person
- 1 electric air pump for beds
- Fridge
- Plastic/tin cups, bowls, knives, spoons and forks
- 1 fold out table
- 1 chair per person
- Power board and extension leads
- At least 1 torch per tent if not person
Also consider that if you don’t have a huge fan or 4x4 with roof racks you’ll likely need a trailer
You recommend an air bed?
Definitely for me.
'camp' in a cabin.
I reckon it should be considered “camping” when staying in accomodation in crappy areas. E.g. Dimboola.
If you get me started on camping thus thread gonna be longer than the saga.
Wife makes us go every year with my inlaws.
Same week, same campground, same plot of dirt. Every. Year. For. Thirty. Seven. Years. I’m all for tradition, and most of the relis are lovely, but It’s ground hog day.
It amazes me people get out of the city for some peace and quiet, then camp in a busy town, in wafer thin tent, metres from strangers, It gets cold, real cold, if you don’t put your tent covering the whole site, inconsiderate **** wander through in their dressing gowns on the way to the showers, they will stroll through as if they have some kind of cloak of invisibility, if you are trying to sleep they’ll usually trip over the ropes and bring half your tent down, some idiot will bring a motor bike they are always revving **** out of,you spend all morning getting breakfast ready, then cleaning up, then making lunch and cleaning up, then get ready for dinner and cleaning up, no time to actually enjoy the outdoors, unless you decide to eat out, which apparently isn’t really camping, then theres 24/7 smoke in your lungs, eyes, clothes, and oh, the joy of communal toilets and shower blocks, plus now you have kids you can’t just go fishing and get drunk, you have to entertain them and stop them falling into the dozens of fires that are left unattended and burning 24/7.
see you out there, I’ll be grumpy bloke.
^ how long does it take you to make a bowl of porridge/cereal for breakfast and some sandwiches for lunch lol?
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I’ve had a few nightmarish experiences on air mattresses.
I won’t go through my list of camping essentials, as being ex-Army they may be a bit spartan for you.
However, I would recommend a head lamp to use at night as it keeps your hands free to put tents back up, etc.
The other tip I will share is the one I used with my troops (and kids), get everything together that you are going to take and lay it out so you can see it all. Then go through and cull, cull and cull some more. Then when you pack your car (or back pack) put the stuff you won’t need straight away at the bottom or back of the car. Put the stuff you will want to pull out first within easy reach.
Enjoy it.
Hire a soft floor camper trailer. It’s basically a giant tent that folds out of a trailer. Soemthing like this:
Bushmans. buckets of it.
I could live in that on a permanent basis.
I won't go through my list of camping essentials, as being ex-Army they may be a bit spartan for you.Head lamp. Good tip.However, I would recommend a head lamp to use at night as it keeps your hands free to put tents back up, etc.
The other tip I will share is the one I used with my troops (and kids), get everything together that you are going to take and lay it out so you can see it all. Then go through and cull, cull and cull some more. Then when you pack your car (or back pack) put the stuff you won’t need straight away at the bottom or back of the car. Put the stuff you will want to pull out first within easy reach.
Enjoy it.
Would like to know your list.
Hire a soft floor camper trailer. It's basically a giant tent that folds out of a trailer. Soemthing like this:
These are very good. I used one with the missus and kids when we stayed at the Woodford Folk Festival a few years ago. Easy to set up and quite comfortable.
Hmm, just thought of another tip - practice setting up and taking down the tent/trailer/whatever. Do it in the backyard so you know what goes where and how to pull it down before you are out at the camp site and have everyone watching on.
Bushmans. buckets of it.What is this Bushmans?
Ha! That’s exactly where I plan to use one!
Bushmans. buckets of it.What is this Bushmans?
People don’t use Aerogard anymore?
dat DEET feel, baby!
Luckily for me, my Mum hated the thought of camping, so we went on holidays all over Australia and stayed in Motels. So when we all came back to school after the Christmas holidays, my friends had been at the family camping site at Anglesea or Echuca; while I had been to everywhere from Adaminaby to Zillmere.