If you’re off on a camping getaway this year, chances are you’ve thought about loads of fun activities you can do to make the most of your time away – we don’t blame you! In the excitement of planning your days out, however, the interior of your tent can often go neglected.
As your main base, and where you’ll be eating and sleeping, it’s worth investing a bit of extra time into making your tent work for you. Thankfully, here at Halfords, we’ve got all the best tips, tricks, and products to keep everyone happy and make your camping holiday a success!
Choosing your tent
First up, you need to pick a tent. It’s often not as simple as just choosing the tent that will fit all your family members – you’ll want to take a closer look at the specs and check that the features will work for you to help to make your holiday run as smoothly as possible.
Size
Beware when selecting the size of your tent that you aren’t distracted by “berth”. This just means how many people can lie down next to each other in the tent, not how many people can comfortably inhabit it as a living space. Be sure to check if the tent has a separate living area or bedrooms to give everyone enough space to relax and eat, as well as sleep. Otherwise, you might want to consider a larger tent.
Plus, it’s worth thinking about the kit and equipment you want to take with you – you’re not going to want to keep all of it in the car, so make sure you’ve got enough storage room to have everything you need easily to hand.
Storage
Speaking of storage, a family’s worth of phones, games, and other accessories is going to clutter up a tent quite quickly, so it’s worth looking for a tent with built-in storage pockets to help keep things tidy. That way, you’ll have designated spaces for all your stuff, rather than trying to find your phone under someone else’s sleeping bag!
The struggle of trying to stuff a tent back into its bag is a well-documented one – to save you some hassle when you’re packing up to head home, either look out for a tent that comes in an expandable bag or invest in a bigger storage bag to make heading home a breeze.
Suiting your staycation style
If your camping holidays usually involve a fair bit of outdoor exploring, then odds are you’re used to muddy, smelly boots. You don’t want to keep them outside in case the weather turns, but you also don’t want them to cause a mess or odour inside your tent. The solution? A tent with a porch! We love the Halfords 2 Person XL Dome Tent With Porch for keeping mucky items like boots and brollies out of your living space but still protected. It also creates a handy area for cooking and eating meals away from the area you’re sleeping in.
Speaking of muddy boots, another handy solution already lies right inside your car. For an easy and convenient doormat – that won’t cost you a penny extra – just use your car mats! Simply remove the mats and place them just outside your tent for the perfect welcome mat that’s already designed to withstand dirty shoes.
Depending on whether you’re a family of early birds or night owls, you may not want to be woken up by the sun. If so, a darkened inner tent or bedroom is a worthy investment to make sure you aren’t disturbed by sunlight.
Handy extras
As well as the physical tent, there’re also a few tools and accessories you can bring that won’t take up too much room but will save you a lot of hassle.
Carriers
It’s worth bringing a trolley or another type of carrier to transport all your things from the car to your pitch since parking close to your tent isn’t always guaranteed. A water carrier is also invaluable, saving you from endless journeys to and from the tap to collect water.
Pitching
If you arrive at your site and the tough ground is making it difficult to pitch your tent, Groundhog Tent Pegs are a lifesaver. These 10” pegs are specifically designed for hard ground, giving you a strong and secure hold.
Lighting
When night falls, it can be difficult to find a balance between having enough light to see, and not having so much that everything you do is silhouetted against your tent for the whole campsite to see. To avoid this, an adjustable light is a perfect option. The Halfords 24 LED Tent Light has a variable brightness, letting you switch between 8, 16, or 24 LEDs depending on your needs. Plus, it includes a carabiner for easy hanging inside your tent to provide easily adjustable overhead lighting.
Cooking
After a long day of exploring, you’re likely going to want a hot meal. Camping cooking can be daunting, especially when trying to cater for your whole family. To keep everyone fed and happy, a Portable Gas Stove is the perfect answer.
Choosing one with an automatic flame ignition means there’s no need for matches, so you don’t have to worry about running out, misplacing the box, or struggling to light one. Just don’t forget the gas! You can find some ideas about what to cook in our blog on the best budget family camping meals.
With these tips, tricks, and essentials for your tent, you should have everything you need to keep your family happy and your camping staycation on track. You want family camping gear, you want Halfords.
