5 Things you must do when you get back from camping

I love camping but I do not love packing up the tent and all the gear and then unpacking it again when we get home. It’s bad enough unpacking a suitcase, but a whole car is something else. Add into the mix the unpredictable British weather and it’s likely that everything will also be dripping wet and muddy. I know that when you get home all you want to do is go to the loo in private and wash your hair, but trust me; a bit of time and effort now will pay dividends in the future.

• Take a picture of your car packed up so you know how it all goes back in. Ok, not technically something you do when you get home, but it’s a great tip that has helped us out in the past so thought I’d include it. This will save invaluable time and many arguments, especially useful if (when) you are packing up in the rain.

• Make sure your tent is bone dry before packing it away. This really is important. Many, many tents have been thrown away or, even worse, consigned to ebay to be sold as ‘spares or repairs’ after being put away damp. There are no shortcuts here. We usually pray for a sunny spell and put ours up in the garden for as long as it takes to properly dry out. This is also a good time to thoroughly clean and do any necessary repairs/maintenance.

•  Make sure your bedding is dry. I take our sleeping bags to the local laundrette to give them a bit of tlc. Once they smell musty there’s no getting rid of that odour! I then pack all the bedding together in a large holdall so I can just grab it next time. I should add this applies to any other items, for example SIMs, chairs and tent carpets. Make sure they are all dry and well aired before putting away.
•  Clean and check all equipment. We have a small house with just one large storage cupboard so we need to be organised. I keep most things in plastic boxes, for example we have a kitchen box, a box with our camping/walking clothes in and a box for bathroom and baby items. When we get back I clean it all (or put through dishwasher/washing machine) including the actual boxes. I also replace anything that we’ve used up (like matches) or that’s broken. That way when we come to go camping again I can just grab the boxes from our cupboard (of doom) and know that we have everything we need.

• Put your feet up. If you’re anything like me, you’ll have spent most of your camping trip enviously checking out everyone else’s set ups. So, after all the exertion of unpacking, have a sit down, put the kettle on and find your next tent. You deserve it!

If you’ve got a great tip please tell me. Being organised doesn’t come naturally to me so I need all the help I can get!