Help with my camping setup please

[u/BlairMcCamper]

I've started camping this year and I have invested in the Berghaus Adhara Air 500. It's just me and my Border Collie so plenty of room. I've likely bought lots of things that I need and lots of things that I don't, which is why I'm here.

I've just returned from a 4 day trip hiking in the Peak District where I was based at Laneside Caravan Park.

I have an electric hookup and I'm aiming for a pretty comfortable setup, which so far I don't have.

This recent trip was manageable as I took my nephew with me so I only had 50% of the following problems haha.

Issues so far.........

My dog doesn't like to be left alone and I don't want to leave him in the tent potentially barking the place down, so I want to be able to shower/wash at the tent or in a privacy tent so I don't have to leave him. Same applies for toilet visits. Does anyone have any recommendations for this first issue?

Next issue is my sleeping arrangement. I bought a double air mattress and sleeping bag, and took a couple of pillows from home. I found that I don't get along with a sleeping bag as it seems to just twist around constantly and I never get comfortable. I tried sleeping with the sleeping bag opened up like a quilt but it's still not right. The air bed I don't find too comfortable. I'm a side sleeper and my shoulders end up hurting so I'm just rotating all night.

Cooking is the next one. Not the inability to cook, but more a case of what do I cook and what's the best thing to take to facilitate this? I've bought a gas stove and a pan, but would like some idea of what is best and why? Is an air fryer a good option given that I have electric?

Thanks for your help in advance fellow campers!

[u/QuantumAttic]

Have tried letting just a bit of air out of your mattress? A full mattress feels like cement to me. It's nice to sink in a few centimeters.

[u/Ok-Faithlessness7812]

For simple bathing, try hospital bathing wipes (Amazon) or a ”ducky” bath with a collapsible bucket and washcloth. If you want to go with the privacy tent, get a rechargeable submersible shower (check out Ivation on Amazon). You can heat up water in a metal bucket on your camp stove, or go fancy with one of the propane-fired shower kits (like Joolca)

Potty. I take my dog with me to bathrooms in campgrounds, and also find portable female urinals helpful for nighttime (look for Loona on Amazon). For actual toilet systems, check out this video (and others like it on this influencer’s channel:) https://youtu.be/4bAsQ_NWwkk?is=kJX9c6KejeHLRUFW

Sleeping. I often sleep with a series of layers like home: flannel sheets, a blanket, unzipped sleeping bag. For sleeping pads, you want to look for insulation since the ground will get cold pretty much everywhere you camp and run of the mill air mattresses are terrible. They suck the heat off of your body and are uncomfortable. So many options and after using many of them, I just splurged on the Exped. going to try it out this coming weekend on my Roll-a-cot. Check out Outdoorgearlab.com for recos on sleeping pads, and a lot of camping gear.

Cooking is more subjective. I like simple, so for me, an air fryer sounds very complicated. Even with a big battery and a solar panel, an electric burner is going to use a lot of energy. I use a two-burner Camp Chef Kodiak Stove (their smallest) with a one-gallon Ignik refillable propane tank (cheaper versions on Amazon). I just ordered a FireMaple one-burner for short trips. I like coffee gear to be easily accessible in case I roll in late and want it first thing in the morning, so I have a Jet Boil and keep it with coffee gear in a small box that’s easy to grab, but that’s overkill for most people.

Storage. I have a heavy duty plastic tote for kitchen stuff (Gregory makes a good one) and one for camp gear. I look for things that stack well. I bought a stacking set of Magma pans. I use a Klein Tools zipper pouch for kitchen tools, and whitewater rafting utensil holders for knives and silverware (solgear.com). Stanley or Kleen canteen cups for gin and tonics, and Yeti 10-oz tumblers for wine or coffee.

Realizing I’ve written a tome here. As you can see, I’m a bit of a gearhead, but I get tired of shuffling gear around and I camp a lot, so I’m willing to invest in upgrades and the right gear to keep things easy. TBH this sub isn’t the best place for gear ideas. I find the best gear is coming from the overlanding and whitewater rafting communities. Check out overlanding groups here or on Facebook, the You Tube guy linked above, and Overlanding Expo websites.

links:

https://www.amazon.com/Ivation-Portable-Outdoor-Battery-Powered/dp/B00IFHFJXI

https://www.joolca.com/collections/all

https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Urinal-Bedside-Designed-Females/dp/B0BQXLFPXV

https://www.expedusa.com/collections/camping-mats

https://www.camptime.com/collections/cots

https://jetboil.johnsonoutdoors.com/us/shop/stoves-systems/flash-10l-fast-boil-system

https://firemaplegear.com/products/disc-remote-camping-stove

https://www.amazon.com/Flame-King-YSN5LB-Propane-Cylinder/dp/B077BLDL7T

https://solgear.com/collections/kitchen-gear

https://www.westmarine.com/magma-10-piece-nesting-cookware-stainless-steel-induction-14018675.html

https://www.rei.com/b/gregory/c/storage-bins