Camp Bestival what to pack?! This is what’s been on my mind ever since I woke up this morning and I’ve been making lists, lists, lists ever since. There’s just one week to go until the 2018 Camp B extravaganza and I realised, as I packed the glitter and the face paints all ready (I like to be practical…), that I probably do have some top tips to share with you all when it comes to knowing what to take! This will be our fifth visit in a row so if I haven’t picked up a few cheats then I haven’t been paying attention… Here’s some things we will be packing and wouldn’t be without! you’re welcome and happy festival planning y’all, see you in a week babies!

FRUGAL

Ok, so three kids and four nights away could be pricey but we try to be as frugal as possible when it comes to entertainment and food.

• Take your own face paints and glitter – it’s expensive to pay daily for this at one of the stalls and if it’s done first thing at camp they won’t even ask so you won’t have to say no!
• Bring lots of snacks and drinks but also when packing food think about freezing as much as you can. I am going to freeze milk but also a curry, sausages and bacon – they also act as freezer blocks meaning you wont need them taking up space. We will have breakfast wraps in the morning and sausages on the BBQ first night while I’ll heat up a lentil daal on the second. For the third night we will do something easy like tomato pasta or beans and then treat ourselves to eating out on the last night.
• For lunch note that the W.I tent make inexpensive sandwiches but we shall also take tins of tuna and jam so that we can make our own too.
• We will give the kids a tenner each for pocket money but they will top it up by earning on site… Every plastic cup found and taken to the bar gets 10p so mine are always quids in -it does sometimes mean they dive head first into the bins which is a bit gross!
• Take a portable phone charger and a garden trolley. Both can be purchased on site but they cost £££!

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Camp Bestival always makes me feel very safe and when I felt poorly while pregnant last year the medical tent looked after me well but I think if you’re armed with some safety tools to begin with then you’re onto a winner!

• Pack Kattoos which are temporary tattoos in the shape of the London transport sign. They come with a pen for you to write your contact details on then if any of the kids go missing they can show your number so that you can be contacted! They also helped my older two learn my phone number which is a bonus!
• I always pack Calpol sachets as they’re easier to administer and are measured out in 5mls. They also pack light and easy too!
• Tie something to your tent so that you can easily identify it on your return from the field!

COMFORT

I’m not going to lie to you, a festival is not necessarily the most comfortable of places to be (especially if you’re 7 months pregnant like I was last year) but there are ways of making it more so!

• Take a decent blow up bed or camp bed and remember to replace batteries in the pump. Otherwise it might be a long walk back to the car to pump up a bed you then have to carry back to the tent – I’m speaking from experience you may have gathered!
• We always camp in a big group and the only family who got real lovely sleep last year was the family who packed their pillows and duvets – I’m looking at you Mummy Endeavours! It might be bulky in the car and difficult to get from car to pitch but they looked pretty fresh faced every morning!
• Take a sling if you have a small child. The trolleys are great but often I’ve found that I need mine contained in something they can’t get out of and my Ergo is a fab sling for the back!

FUN

The aim of the game for us is fun. I love the kids getting to run wild and have a bit of freedom with their mates and so we take a few things to make base camp just as much fun as in the field!

• We always buy some bows and arrows, bubbles, twirlers and the like from Poundland before we go. They take up little space and we bin the lot before home but the kids love it while we are there ad it does make for a happy peaceful camp. Part of the experience for us and our friends is being together and we often spend a lot of time out of the field just together doing that!
• Alcohol – I mean it’s lovely to have cocktails and cold champagne but it’s pricey (goes into frugal as well this one does) and if you’re back at camp it’s really good to have a stash of your own. We take Gina and tonics (clearly label in a plastic bottle – no glass allowed) and also beers and some Prosecco for the first night which is usually still cold from the frozen milk in the cool box!

CLOTHING

Honestly don’t pack much. Just wear the same things again and again because no one cares if you’re a bit smelly!

• A hoodie or a jumper is a must as is a raincoat – for everything else take stuff you can layer!
• For fancy dress day we just do a nod to it and never go full on out I appreciate some people love to but it gets on my nerves having lots of accoutrements and the kids discard bits as the day goes on anyway!
• Wellies and Jellies! That’s all you need! Wellies if the forecast is rain (oh not a repeat of last year PLEASE) and jellies for the rest of the time!

HANDY NOTES

There are some things which really are worth packing even thought you might not think so…

• Toilet paper and lots of wipes – enough said!
• Hand sanitiser – enough said!
• Buy the aerosol sun cream – it’s more expensive but you can do a whole conveyor belt of children really quickly with little fuss!

So aside from my packing tips my best advice for a brilliant Camp Bestival would be to fly by the seat of your pants and don’t plan too much. We always find just walking around and seeing what we bump into works best (the Dingly Dell is lovely for chilled out play in the shade and the circus skills area is ALWAYS a winner for us!) and also choosing the right friends to go with… I don’t think you’ll be able to find the BEST gang because they clearly belong to me but we’re a friendly bunch so if you see Modern Mummy, Mummy Endeavours, Cookie Crumbles or me then do pop by and say hi! Any other questions before we go and just drop me a line, I’m happy to help if I can!