Your expert tips for successful camping holidays

In our September 29 issue, we asked you for your best tips for successful camping holidays. Here are some of our favourite responses.

Remember your why. Whatever your reason for going camping — be it disconnecting, getting into nature, quality family time, relaxing or whatever — prioritise that even if it means dinner is just sausage in bread or the kids go to bed far too late. Don’t stress (too much), enjoy!

— Ingrid Naude.

Ingrid was the winner of our Kathmandu prize pack, receiving more than $2300 of camping equipment

Save those shower towels from being soaking wet by using your squeezed-out flannel to quickly “dry” off after a shower. The flannel soaks up the water mega time. Just finish off with your towel — this really works and saves wet towels from hanging around. Try it.

— Sheila Parker

Never forget the G&T, cards, and mozzie repellent. — Brett Agnew

If you’re camping with kids, get there two hours earlier. It’s so much better to have a leisurely set up than try and do it when they’re hungry or night’s falling. If you still end up arriving late, bring something for them to snack on and a head torch to entertain them. — Steph Watts

Do your zip from bottom to top to keep the kids safely in the tent.

— Miah Phelps

In Maori tradition, we use a special method of cooking our food called a hangı. This requires a fair bit of digging and is done in a pit underground. We burn the wood/ logs to heat up the rocks before they are used to steamheat our food. The tip is to re-use all the leftover burnt wood for your campfire whilst you eat your hangı and place all your organic compost scraps in before covering the pit with dirt. This helps feed everyone. — Christian To’omata

Invest in a separate tent for the kids. Put them in their own tent next to yours so your camping holiday can be full of romance and peaceful nights of sleep. — Meredith Willoughby

Bring an A-frame clothes dryer — it’s great for drying out the tent before packing it up too.

— Cait Ryan

Book early to secure a pitch that is away from the kitchen and bathrooms area; you will get a good night’s sleep with a chance of a lie-in, and the walk to refuel and spruce up will do you good. — Richard Simonds

An air mattress is essential, and if the early morning light tends to wake you, take a sleep mask.

— Jennie Whyte

Take a bucket with you. This can be used for all sorts of things. When campervanning in US national parks we would leave it full of water and go out sightseeing for the day. On returning to our campsite, we had warm water to wash with. You could also use it for washing dishes, laundry, etc. A great multi-purpose item.

— Sharen Sorenson

Make sure toilet paper is the first thing you put on your packing list and the first thing you pack. Not just for the loo, but also for games, firestarters and medical supplies

— Tania Avia

While we want to have fun, we have to bear in mind our responsibility of taking care of our environment. One tip is to plan ahead so you don’t end up buying duplicates or “disposables”. Our planet doesn’t need more single-use plastics. So let’s give camping its true meaning — to be one with nature.

— Mavic Base