For 15 years, we’ve spent our big annual vacation mostly in Italy, and with few exceptions, at a campsite. Classic tent camping, so very basic. Tent camping is not only cheaper, but you’re also constantly in the fresh air, and even in the tent, you somehow feel like you’re outside. Over the years, we’ve also run into some problems for which we had to find solutions or improvements.
Besides choosing the campsite itself, which I’ll cover in another post, the right equipment is a crucial factor for a successful camping trip. Generally, the gear should meet three criteria: low weight, space-saving for transport, and durable. I’m focusing here on gear that’s transported by car. For backpacking, the requirements are significantly higher, as are the prices.
The Furniture
Sure, the ground works too. But it’s uncomfortable.
And here we are at the elephant in the room. Not literally, but furniture is usually both the heaviest and most space-consuming gear. For little money, you can get simple three-legged stools and small tables. I would steer clear of both.
With camping gear, the saying “buy cheap, buy twice” is definitely true. But here, cheap often also means bulky and uncomfortable.
For under €50, you can find simple tables that pack down to the size of a folded tripod. Yet, when set up, they are as high as a normal table and stand firm. Alternatively, there are suitcase tables. They’re flat, but still harder to store. We bought our table for a small price at Lidl (I think). They offer camping gear at least once a year.
The situation with chairs is similar. You want to relax on your vacation. Simple three-legged stools or cheap chairs (the ones under €20) are low, uncomfortable, and break quite quickly. You should also avoid armchairs. They might be great for lounging, but they’re hardly usable at a table. Look for a folding chair that can also be stored in a round bag, making it flexible to pack. Camp chairs that just fold flat are much harder to fit in the car. A few years ago, we discovered the Dutch camping shop Obelink, which has great chairs.
Obelink Chairman
That’s pretty much it for furniture. We also like to bring a collapsible hammock, which was once available at XXXLutz for under €50. But that’s something you have to decide for yourself. You should definitely have a table and chairs, though.
The Tent
A little privacy, even when camping.
Your needs are the deciding factor here. We started with a classic dome tent that you had to set up with poles. Heavy and annoying. Now we have a pop-up tent for three people from Decathlon. It just fits on the floor of our trunk. Not the most space-saving option, but simple and quick to set up. However, it’s really only suitable for sleeping; otherwise, I’d only spend time in there if it was raining.
Good ventilation is important in a tent, otherwise it gets stuffy quickly. You should also pay attention to how waterproof a tent is. The water column in mm indicates its waterproof rating. Not as crucial in the south, but not to be neglected in rainier regions.
But there’s one feature I would never go without again: Fresh&Black. This keeps the tent dark and cool longer in the morning. It’s nice to be able to sleep in past 7:00 AM on vacation. Decathlon offers this on almost all their tents.
Quechua 2 Seconds
The Interior
Restful sleep is important when traveling.
When it comes to the tent’s interior, we’re both spartan and glampers (a portmanteau of glamour and camping). A simple Decathlon BL40 hanging light for 15 euros provides enough light. An old air mattress was our base until this year, when we replaced it last month with a larger one. My tip: Invest the 15 euros in an electric air pump. Nothing is more annoying than having to inflate a mattress by hand after a 10-hour drive or longer, especially in warm countries.
High Peak
Well, and now it gets a bit decadent. We take our duvet with us. As in, our normal pillow and normal blanket. To be honest, they also take up the most space. Although two years ago we discovered vacuum bags, which significantly reduce the space needed. Not just for the duvet, but also for towels, clothes, and anything else made of fabric.
That was everything in our tent. We’re really only in there when it’s raining or to sleep.
Cooking and Eating
How do you heat food and how do you keep it cold?
Are you lazy and have money? Go out to eat! No matter how you do it, cooking while tent camping is rarely fun, and you’re also limited in the dishes you can make.
But you don’t always want to eat out. Sometimes a (vegan) sausage and a salad will do. I recommend plastic, stackable dishes. You can use any kind of cutlery, but definitely remember to bring a good knife, two small cutting boards, a pair of scissors, a cooking spoon, and tongs. A can opener is also always handy. Avoid foldable camping cutlery; it’s just hard to clean and barely saves any space. I would also recommend two bowls. If they’re metal, they can also be used as pots. With a tight-fitting lid, they can also serve as Tupperware. More on that later.
While we’re on the topic of cleaning: at least one (collapsible) wash basin. Plus a sponge and dish soap. For me, only Fairy—strong cleaning with low consumption. And remember: washing up promptly prevents food from drying on and attracting ants. Ant powder is also a good idea, by the way—around the car and the tent. Those little critters are resourceful!
SKOTTI Grill
For heating food, we have two options. A stove with two burners and an “oven” from Campingaz on a stand. Connected to a 5kg propane gas cylinder, you can cook comfortably on it. The oven is a bit useless; we had higher hopes for it. Being open on one side, it just doesn’t get hot enough to seriously bake or grill. But since it’s quite bulky, the stove has now been replaced by a SKOTTI. This is a small, modular grill. With the right accessories, the grill doesn’t care what it’s fueled with. Wood, charcoal, camping gas cartridges, or a propane gas cylinder? Anything is possible. We use it with camping gas on short trips and with propane on long trips. The latter also burns hotter. Since it’s made entirely of stainless steel, it’s simply burned clean on the go and thoroughly scrubbed with a steel wool pad at home. With the accompanying SKOTTI boxes, you can also cook directly on the grill. Whatever is left over is sealed in the boxes with the lid and put in the cooler.
There are two types of coolers:
- Thermoelectric: A bi-metal is put under voltage, and heat is transported from one side to the other.
- Compressor: Like in a normal refrigerator, a coolant is compressed, absorbs heat, and releases it upon decompression.
And that brings us to keeping food cold. You always see coolers in supermarkets. In the price range around 50 euros, they seem like a good deal. They’re not. The thermoelectric cooling in those things manages a maximum of 10°C below the ambient temperature. In the south, with over 30°C in the shade, it won’t get cooler than 20°C inside the cooler. And that’s only if the thing isn’t in the sun or a hot car. Plus, it takes ages to cool down by those 10°C. We started with one, and a lot of our food spoiled. The investment in a compressor cooler was one of the best purchases for our camping life. Our Mobicool cooler is always in the car with us, which is why we opted for a dual system. At the campsite, plugged into an outlet, the compressor cools down to 5°C. When we’re on the road, the thermoelectric cooling, in combination with the car’s air conditioning, keeps the temperature in the cooler below 7°C.
Mobicool MB40
Hybrid, portable compressor thermoelectric cooler/freezer
Final Words
More is always possible, less is certainly an option too.
Everyone has a different idea of camping. Active campers are on the move a lot, often on foot or by bike. For them, our equipment is of course too bulky. Camping with a caravan or travel trailer naturally offers more luxury. Although for me, a caravan is too restrictive in terms of mobility.
You also have to consider how often and for how long you go camping. Every few years for a week at most? Better to eat out or take a simple screw-on camping gas stove. If, like us, you camp for two to four weeks every year, you gradually invest more. If I roughly estimate our gear, it costs about 1,000 euros. The roof box was another 500 euros, but it provides significantly more space.
Of course, you can save money, though I see the most potential for savings with the SKOTTI. I wouldn’t give up the other items for anything. But let’s be honest: 1,000 € is a week of all-inclusive on a beautiful island. In contrast, this equipment accompanies you for several years, some of it for over 15 years. So for us, the gear is hardly a cost factor in our vacation expenses. Over a 10-year lifespan, the equipment amounts to less than 100 euros per year. A night in a hotel often costs more.
What’s your take on camping? And on our gear? Not enough luxury, or is it already glamping?