Camping - 1st time

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Fred99

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#2324156 24-Sep-2019 18:34

nzkc:

You mentioned you're going with "the boys"... so its probably a no on that front. If you were taking they family though...

Wait - it's a "the boys" thing to share a tent with a stinky unwashed male?

Not even if you're doing a remake of Breakback Mountain methinks.

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andrewNZ

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#2324165 24-Sep-2019 19:02

For cold food, we used to plan meals, take the meat frozen, and eat it in the order suited to the meat and the rate it was thawing.
The frozen meat, packet reasonably tightly takes longer to thaw, and keeps other things cool as well.
A gas fridge is bulky, but a wonderful upgrade.

Typical Menu was something like this.

Dinners (in their rough order):
Moroccan chicken salad (she cooked it while I setup)
Butter Chicken / Tarragon chicken
Chops, spuds, and salad
Steak, spuds, and salad
Sausages, spuds, and salad
Risotto (can have leftovers in it)
Macaroni and cheese.

Hot Breakfasts:
Bacon, eggs, fried potato's,
Pancakes
Toast

Tips:
UHT Milk and cream doesn't need refrigeration till it's open:
Try not to put new warm things in the chilly bin. Keep it closed a much as possible.
Ice is OK, but it's messy. Freezer packs / slicker pads / big bottles of frozen water are better.
You can freeze a bottle of milk and use it once it thaws.
If there's space in the chilly bin, put more frozen stuff in to keep it cold longer.

Oh, and if you take a thermos, you can boil water early in the day, and have it hot for drinks or washing up later.

andrewNZ

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#2324173 24-Sep-2019 19:21

Got more too.

For showers, solar showers are OK if that's all you have. But there is a cheap easy upgrade.
Use the solar shower to heat the water. Empty it into a big bucket and temper it cause it's often too hot. Get one of these 12v camp showers and use it in the bucket. Mine takes 4.5 mins to empty a 20l bucket (one solar shower tempered) on full blast. That's a lot of showering.

A solar garden light ($2) can give you a target in the dark, and/or can act as a guy rope marker to stop you, or other drunkards tripping on your tent.

surfisup1000

5288 posts

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#2324176 24-Sep-2019 19:41

frankv:

You can use dry ice to keep things colder for longer than ice. We used this on a canoe trip, and it kept meat frozen for 3-4 days. Wrap the dry ice in some insulation (e.g. sacking) to make it last longer. Bonus is that, as it melts, it fills the chilly bin with CO2, so there's no/less oxygen for bacteria.

I wouldn't padlock the zip on the tent... that just implies that there's something valuable inside, and invites a thief to cut a hole in the tent to see what it is. The damage to the tent is more expensive than anything that might get stolen. Lock valuables in the car, out of sight, and leave the tent unlocked.

Take insect repellant and sunscreen. You may need to take drinking water.

At the risk of being seen as prejudicial and judgemental of you and your mates... Campsites are generally family-oriented, so don't expect drunkenness or loud music or "driving skill demonstrations" to be tolerated. Also no WiFi.

In my experience dry ice will barely last a day in a chilly bin. Even wrapped in insulation. And , dry ice will freeze liquids such as beer and water.

Maybe use sea ice (salted) as an alternative, which lasts longer than fresh water ice.

surfisup1000

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#2324179 24-Sep-2019 19:45

A shade shelter (gazebo) and table/chairs is nice too, something to get shade / shelter during the day and have a few drinks under at night. . . with the UE boom for music.

Usually campsites will let you be semi noisy until 10.30pm.

Goosey

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#2324799 25-Sep-2019 19:59

A tarpaulin - comes in handy for any situation (rain, damp ground, emergency fix to hole in tent etc etc).

Some Rope - to use for drying clothes or dish cloths etc

A hammer

Some cheap glow sticks...lots - can be useful to crack a few at night to show you were to take a leak etc.

SATTV

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#2324811 25-Sep-2019 20:08

Some cheap solar lights to put next to the tent pegs, when you get up in the middle of the night you have less chance of stubbing your toe or trip over a guy rope.

An air bed / stretcher

An extra couple of blankets, there is no insulation in a tent.

I take a dozen cloths pegs to dry stuff out, I also take a small plastic jar of washing powder.

I have not been to the kauaeranga valley in the peak times only off peak and school camps, I believe there can be a number of Richard Craniums there peak time so expect some anti social behaviour.

John

I know enough to be dangerous

xpd

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#2325002 26-Sep-2019 08:41

So a solar shower is generally the way for freshening up, but whats the rules about jumping in the river with a eco-friendly soap bar ? Frowned upon ? (Just curious :) )

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andrewNZ

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#2325126 26-Sep-2019 10:46

I think soap in the river is probably out for a camp ground. If you were going somewhere truly remote, I'd guess its ok.

In times gone by, it would have been fine. But now we're trying to stop tourists using out countryside as an ablution block.

xpd

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#2327085 30-Sep-2019 12:43

Hehe.... so, decided on Stony Bay. Updated FB event to let everyone know whos shown interest....... straight away one came back "the womanfolk wont like to be so far away from civilization" - LOL...... c a m p i n g. Not glamping :)

Spark appears to be only provider with phone coverage, so anyone addicted to their phone wont survive either ;)

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andrewNZ

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#2327748 1-Oct-2019 14:25

It is quite a long way to Coleville from Stony Bay

Nice little spot though.

Personally I prefer the other side, Fletcher Bay. Better beach, and you can walk to Stony Bay if you feel like it.

trig42

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#2327749 1-Oct-2019 14:32

I'd say Fletchers is better as well, or Port Jackson. Good beaches. Long way from civilization though if you have people that can't handle not going to get a coffee and pop to a shop. We have a bach just before Fantail Bay, love the northern Coromandel.

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#2327765 1-Oct-2019 14:36

Fletchers is closed unfortunately until April/May 2020 :(

And shucks to those who cant handle the outdoors and away from the mod cons :) Its the reason I'm going, want to get away from everything for a few days. :)

I havent been up that far since I was about 5.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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Stu1

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#2331194 5-Oct-2019 23:02

Any recommendations for sleeping gear? , currently have an uncomfortable air bed Colman’s , has anyone tried Klymit sleeping mats? https://dwights.co.nz/collections/sleeping-gear/products/klymit-insulated-double-v

They look great and pack down small, Space is limited in the car so self inflating mats look pretty big to pack .what’s people’s recommendations for 2 adults for around 5 nights. Cheers

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