6 items
Tents
From two-person backpacking shelters to family tunnel tents that survive a Welsh August.
Camping shop
Kit that earns its space
A short, opinionated list rather than an endless catalogue. 38 things we would actually take, chosen for British weather and British ground.
5 items
Sleeping
Bags, mats and pillows. Where the difference between a good night and a miserable one actually lives.
6 items
Cooking & water
Stoves, cookware, cool boxes and everything involved in getting a hot meal out of a field.
4 items
Camp furniture
Chairs, tables and windbreaks — the cheapest upgrade to how a pitch actually feels.
5 items
Waterproofs & boots
The kit that decides whether a wet day is an inconvenience or the end of the trip.
4 items
Navigation & safety
Maps, compasses and first aid — the things you carry hoping not to need.
A few to start with
One or two from each category
Vango Beta 350
Three-person dome that has been the sensible first tent in Britain for years. 3,000 mm hydrostatic head, fits a small car boot.
Tents · at Amazon · Usually under £150
Coleman Darwin 3+
Compact three-person with a proper porch for wet boots — the thing budget tents usually omit.
Tents · at Amazon
Vango Nitestar Alpha 250
Three-season bag with a comfort rating around 0 °C — right for most British nights outside midwinter.
Sleeping · at Amazon
Therm-a-Rest ProLite
Self-inflating mat that packs genuinely small. R-value 2.4, so pair it with a warmer bag in spring.
Sleeping · at Amazon
Campingaz Camp Bistro
Single-burner cartridge stove. Boils fast, packs into a hard case, costs very little.
Cooking & water · at Amazon
Coleman Fyrestorm Twin Burner
Twin burner with a grill for cooking properly for a family rather than boiling water for two.
Cooking & water · at Amazon
Helinox Chair One
Packs to the size of a water bottle and takes an adult comfortably. Expensive, and worth it if you walk in.
Camp furniture · at Amazon · Premium
Quest Elite Folding Chair
The straightforward car-camping chair. Cup holder, padded arms, no ambitions beyond that.
Camp furniture · at Amazon
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