Tips to keep your camping pitch tidy

Despite the tag of ‘getting away from it all’, there are ways and means of organising your camping which will make it more comfortable and enjoyable for everybody. And JT’s quick guide reveals a dozen top tips to help you on your way…

• A table and chairs transform tent life especially, but not only at meal times. Hanging out, chatting and playing games are easier when you can all sit up and share.
• A wheeled insulated box makes an effective and easily manoeuvrable larder whilst a soft insulated bag is ideal for picnics.
• Clearly labelling your freezer blocks to avoid confusion with others is advisable and keeping them together in a bag while in the site freezer saves rummaging around later. It’s also less likely that any will go astray.
• Old camping books always mention the faithful bucket of water used as a simple cooler. If you do not have a gas fridge or electric hook-up, it is a useful option. Soak a towel and drape it over the top for even more effective performance.
• As well as small pockets sewn into the inner tent for torches, wallets and watches, consider adding simple net storage above you to help keep track of light clothes.
• Without some form of storage inside, your tent can soon become a chaotic mess. Soft collapsible boxes help to keep order and reduce the frustration of mislaid or broken items. They are also much easier to pack into the car for travelling.
• A soft, fold-flat laundry basket is ideal for storing all sorts of gear in your tent from toys to shoes and even dirty clothes for washing. They cost very little and weigh next to nothing.
• Modern camping kitchens often have zipped storage for pans and crocks, which certainly helps in keeping track of them all, staying clean and avoiding the ‘whirling Tasmanian Devil on the loose’ look on your pitch.
• Old car mats are handy as reminders to kick off footwear rather than traipse mud and grass into your tent. When the rain is hammering down, they offer at least a slim chance to wipe your feet before messing up your tent.
• Leave the Dyson at home but pack a little dustpan and brush for the inevitable housework caused by spills and life outdoors brought indoors. Some parents have found them to be useful for fatigues, otherwise known as punishing children for just having fun.
• A simple drying rack by the tent is a real boon for tea towels, socks and underwear. Hanging them from those so-handy guylines can cause damage out of all proportion to the benefit.
• A tough flexible garden bucket has dozens of potential uses on site from shopping bag to handy place to wash boots. Our most unusual use was trapping and re-homing a hedgehog that slipped in through a doorway left unzipped one evening.