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Easy Tasty Spaghetti Bolognese: Camping First Night Recipe

Easy Tasty Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe - camping first night meal

This popular dish is a winner for the first night meal on a camping trip. Our easy tasty spaghetti bolognese recipe will provide plenty of sustenance for tired campers after a long day.

Spaghetti bolognese is nearly always our first choice when planning our first-night camping dinner.

After a long journey and maybe setting up in challenging conditions we need to be able to rely on a quick and easy solution. People are likely to be hungry so being able to turn out a satisfying, tasty and quick meal is crucial.

This meal takes too long to do properly in the campervan and instead it lends itself to be cooked at home first and brought along in the fridge.

The bolognese sauce will keep for a few days if stored properly so if some other option crops up for dinner on night one, it doesn’t matter.

Here is our recipe for an easy, tasty spaghetti bolognese.

How to make homemade spaghetti bolognese the easy way

This recipe is easy but it’s not particularly quick. This is mostly due to the simmering time involved and not the active participation of the cook.

It’s easy because there is little skill involved in making the dish and it doesn’t matter much if you cook parts for longer or leave out a minor ingredient. It’ll still be delicious at the end – it’s not Masterchef after all.

What you are after is something tasty and nutritious after a busy day enjoying the outdoors. Follow our step by step recipe and that’s what you will have.

Ingredients

Some of these ingredients might surprise you like adding milk and using half-beef and half-pork mince, but the end result really works!

  • 250g beef mince
  • 250g pork mince
  • 4 rashers smoked bacon or pancetta (approx 120g)
  • Large onion (approx 160g)
  • 1 carrot (approx 80g)
  • 1 celery stick (approx 80g)
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • Tomato puree
  • 100ml milk
  • Oil

Again, if you add a little more or less of this or that it doesn’t make a huge difference overall.

Extra additions you can make include white wine. I don’t add this as my kids spotted me adding it once and then refused to eat it. I haven’t noticed much difference in the flavour with or without wine, so I tend to leave it out.

Equipment needed

  • Chopping board
  • Large knife
  • Large cooking pot
  • Measuring jug for milk (or roughly guess 100ml by eye if you know a pint is 568ml)

That’s it, easy! Now we’re ready to cook.

Step by step spaghetti bolognese

Preparation

Get all the ingredients prepped in advance.

First, chop up the vegetables. I tend to cut mine really small to hide them – we have a fussy eater in the house. If you don’t have this problem, dicing is good enough.

Next, chop up the bacon into small pieces. The bacon is there to add a bit of salt and smoky flavour to the spaghetti bolognese.

Last, measure out the milk. Do this now rather than adding by eye later, so that it is on hand when you need it.

Cooking method

Step 1. Heat a little oil in a large cooking pot. Once it’s heated up, add the bacon or pancetta, whatever you are using. Fry the bacon until it starts to crisp up and looks golden.

Step 2. Add the beef and pork mince. Fry this with the bacon until the meat is all cooked through and there is no raw meat left.

Step 3. At this point, add the onions, carrots and celery and cook until they are tender.

Step 4. Add the milk and simmer for 10 minutes. You can walk off and do something else at this point. Keep the pot on low heat, just enough to simmer.

Step 5. After 20 minutes or so, it’s time to add the tomatoes and tomato puree. Stir these in well and bring back to the boil.

Step 6. Once the bolognese is boiling again, turn it straight back down to a simmer and leave it for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure it isn’t sticking at the bottom. If it is sticking, the heat is too high.

Finito!

After 30 minutes or so, more or less, it doesn’t much matter, turn the heat off and put the lid on. Leave it to rest and cure further until it has cooled.

When sufficiently cooled either put it in the fridge, take some to heat back up for dinner, or separate into two-person portions and pop straight in the freezer. Job done!

What I like about spaghetti bolognese is you can multiply the ingredients and make a mega-batch. I always do this because to me it makes sense.

If I am going to the trouble of creating the dish and all the washing up associated with it, why not make many portions at once and freeze them?

Spaghetti Bolognese as a first night camping dinner

So with our bolognese sauce all ready to go, all that remains is the pasta. I supposed this dish should really be called pasta bolognese as we rarely use spaghetti. This is mostly because penne or fusilli is easier for our kids to eat. 

We boil a large pot of water with a chicken stock cube dissolved in it and add 80g of pasta per person. When you’re away in the campervan you are unlikely to have weighing scales at your disposal, I know we don’t, so instead I use handfuls or cupfuls. I know by eye how much we eat as a family of four as I’ve done it so often.

I use a stock cube in the cooking water as it gives the plain pasta just a little more flavour.

In choosing the pasta, we tend to go for wholemeal instead of white pasta. I just substituted the white pasta for wholemeal one day and the kids didn’t notice.

White pasta has been stripped of many of its nutrients and fibre as it is so processed. We find wholemeal pasta has more flavour too.

There was a time when we went through a phase of buying fresh pasta. We have found that dried pasta is hardly any different and has the obvious added benefits of having a long use-by date and is cheaper.

How to serve spaghetti bolognese

We like to serve our spaghetti bolognese in bowls, rather than on a plate as it helps to keep the heat in the meal for longer.

If we have parmesan cheese on hand, we’ll sprinkle some on top of the spaghetti bolognese. Our kids like double cheese – grated cheddar and a sprinkle of parmesan.

It’s unlikely we would have basil if we were camping in the campervan but if we eat this meal at home, I’ll liberally decorate it with basil too.

This recipe makes a not-particularly-salty version of spaghetti bolognese so I would also recommend adding salt and pepper to individual plates that prefer a bit more seasoning (that’s me). Our kids don’t like meals which are too salty and neither is it good for them (or any of us!) so we tend to keep our meals relatively low-salt.

Spaghetti Bolognese Q&A

Q – Why put milk in bolognese sauce?

Good question! I had previously never made a bolognese sauce with milk in until one day I was taught otherwise by a gourmet cook friend of mine.

The answer seems to be two-fold. One – it helps to tenderise the meat and two – it takes the acidic edge off the tomatoes. It also makes the bolognese sauce have a creamier, less dry texture.

Q – Is spaghetti bolognese healthy?

Spaghetti bolognese isn’t the lowest calorie meal option out there but it is a relatively healthy choice.

In terms of calories, the pasta alone in an 80g serving size will be around 265 calories. You can expect a portion of bolognese sauce to have around 306 calories so 565 total calories including the pasta. Add cheese and you can be up nearer 650 calories.

As it is one of your three main meals of the day, that’s not terrible. A pasta dish containing cream, such a carbonara, has a lot more calories.

Q – Wholemeal pasta or white pasta?

In relation to the children, we don’t tend to think in terms of calories anyway, just overall healthy choices and we eat what they eat.

We add healthy alternatives where we can. For example wholewheat pasta over white pasta, low-fat mince, usually 5% only. Half-beef and half-pork mince make for less saturated fat overall. We add plenty of vegetables too so the meal is well balanced, and don’t add too much salt.

None of these substitutes cost the meal anything. It is still extremely tasty and always a popular choice with the kids.

Q – Should you have a lid on when cooking bolognese sauce?

No. I keep the lid off and allow the liquid to evaporate. I will put the lid on once I turn the heat off and allow the sauce to keep its heat a little longer and cure further.

Q – Can you freeze bolognese sauce?

Absolutely you can and I do this all the time. When the sauce has properly cooled I’ll measure out portion sizes – typically 650g for our family of four and freeze in suitable freezer bags. These reusable ones are great for that. If I am doing two-person sizes, I’ll half that amount. It means you can defrost exactly the amount you need, so there’s no waste.

Q – Can you cook spaghetti bolognese from frozen?

I have tried this and I have to say it is always easier to have let the bolognese sauce thaw first. If you have a couple of frozen lumps, no problem to finish them off with the heat. 

If you are in the position where you are cooking with a frozen parcel of bolognese sauce though, heat it up on the stove with a very gentle heat underneath. Allow plenty of time for it to cook this way.

You want to have the fully thawed sauce boiling for 5-8 minutes to make sure it is reheated right through.

Looking for more camping meals and food ideas?

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Camping

Easy Bacon and Pea Risotto Recipe: Camping Dinner Sorted!

This traditional Italian dish is a straightforward and satisfying meal for camping or at home. Our bacon and pea risotto will satisfy most campers and is guaranteed not to have any leftovers.

There is something about the teaming of bacon and pea that is just simply delicious. The salty bacon and the sweetness of the peas – yum!

This recipe is a quick and easy option which you can make in your campervan or tent to serve four people. It is kid-friendly so is always a staple on our menu.

It is very similar in nature to paella but even easier and quicker to make. Nice to vary it up when away on a trip.

How to make the perfect bacon and pea risotto

This is a one-pot meal which can be cooked in a campervan, on a camping stove, or over a campfire. Only six basic ingredients are required.

Ingredients

  • 1 onion
  • 6 rashers smoked streaky bacon
  • 300g risotto rice
  • 1L chicken or vegetable stock
  • 100g peas
  • Olive oil (or any other type of cooking oil you have)
  • Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top (optional)

We tend to buy ready-grated parmesan. Parmesan is a hard cheese to grate and the extra you pay for having it pre-grated is definitely worth it. Also saves on washing up.

Equipment needed

This recipe is so quick and easy, you really don’t need much:

  • Chopping board
  • Large frying pan
  • Sharp knife
  • Jug/container for stock

Preparation

Start by prepping all the components. Dice the onion, chop the rashers of bacon into small pieces, and have the stock ready-made and on hand.

Cooking method

The cooking bit is super easy. Fry the onion in oil for about 5 minutes on a gentle heat until golden and then add the chopped bacon. 

Cook the bacon for another 5 minutes or so. Once it looks cooked and shows some caramelisation it’s time to add the rice. 

Stir the rice in thoroughly until it is well coated. Add all the stock and bring to the boil.  Once it has come to the boil, turn it down to simmer.

Continue to simmer until the rice is almost cooked through. This takes about 15-20 minutes.

At this point stir in the peas and continue to cook the risotto until the peas are cooked through. The risotto should have a creamy consistency and not be too dry.

Once the peas are cooked it’s time to serve. Et voila!

How to serve bacon and pea risotto

Bacon and pea risotto served and ready to eat

Like paella, bacon and pea risotto is a very filling dish so we don’t tend to add a side dish. Serving risotto in a bowl rather than on a plate seems to help keep the meal warmer for longer.

We sprinkle grated parmesan cheese (if we have it in) over the plated risotto, which complements it nicely. A squeeze of lemon can be a substitute for some extra zing.

Bacon and Pea Risotto Q&A

Q – How much does it cost to make bacon and pea risotto?

This risotto comes in cheaper than the paella as it has less meat in it. You can expect to make this dish for four people for around £6.50.

Q – Can I make risotto with different types of rice?

Risotto or arborio rice is very similar in nature to paella rice. It is round and starchy and its composition means it can absorb five times its weight in liquid. 

For this reason, and much like in paella, it is important to use a good quality stock as the risotto will heavily carry this flavour.

Other types of rice can not absorb the volume of liquid required to make a risotto so they are considered unsuitable. Arborio rice is best with redondo or bomba rice as a second choice.

Q – Is bacon and pea risotto good for me?

We estimate this recipe comes in around 400 calories per serving (more if you add lots of parmesan). It’s a good choice though as it is extremely filling and likely to not need to snack or have dessert.

As this is a one-pot meal, it saves on washing up afterwards.

Q – Is bacon and pea risotto gluten-free?

For the most part, the good news is yes! Arborio rice is naturally gluten-free. The places where gluten may hide though is in the stock you use and the bacon.

Look for a gluten-free stock option. We use these knorr stock pots which are gluten-free. Also, choose bacon which doesn’t contain too many additives. Additives can often contain gluten.

More on camping meals and food preparation:

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Camping

19 Quick and Easy Meal Ideas for Camping

Our selection of quick and easy meal ideas for camping will give you plenty of inspiration to plan your next camping trip – or decide what to cook tonight!

There’s always so much to think about when going away on a campervan trip and you want to make sure you’ve got your bases covered, especially if you’re feeding a crowd.

The last thing you want to be doing once you’ve pitched up is rolling up your sleeves and starting cooking a laborious meal.

Or worse yet, have to go out and look for food when you’re already starving.

Worry not. Own The Outdoors have got you covered with these 19 quick and easy camping meal ideas:

We have two gas rings in our campervan and a further two gas rings on our Cadac gas stove. All these meals can be cooked using a gas cooker and in most cases using just two gas rings.

First night camping dinner

I’ll set the scene: you’ve been driving all day, everyone is tired and you’ve just pitched in the tipping rain or howling gale. Everyone is ravenous.

When going away to explore a new area it is our preference to support the local economy by eating one meal out per day if we can. Typically our first night camping dinner needs to be served on site, unless we haven’t travelled far.

Assuming there is no restaurant or food van on site, we need to rustle up something reasonable PDQ.

Our solution is to bring a couple of pre-made meals just for this purpose. They will have been made in advance at home and then frozen into 2 person portions. This gives flexibility when packing the campervan fridge.

We will have defrosted our first-night camping dinner choice and have this ready to go. We’ll keep another couple of meals frozen and have them defrost slowly over the next couple of days and use when required.

Camping dinner ideas

BBQ steak with tayto tots and salad

1. Spaghetti Bolognese

Who doesn’t like spaghetti bolognese? Always a winner for our family of four. We use two of our 2-person portions of homemade bolognese sauce and cook dried pasta from our campervan pantry.

My Spaghetti Bolognese recipe is packed with “hidden” veg, so we don’t worry too much about a side salad. We’ll just sprinkle a bit of parmesan on the top.

Super quick and super easy!

2. Chicken curry with basmati rice

This not-too-spicy but very tasty chicken curry is also a good option for a first-night camping dinner. Alternatively, it can be camping night dinner #2 if left to defrost slowly over 24 hours.

Although we actually prefer brown rice over white rice at home, brown rice takes ages to cook so we use white rice when camping. As we’re cooking on a limited gas supply, we want to make the meal choices as least-gas-hungry as possible.

Boil-in-the-bag rice is another option instead of cooking brown rice from scratch. We prefer the flavour of white rice over any boil-in-the-bag rice you can buy from the supermarket. It’s all personal choice though.

This curry is delicious served with naan, greek yoghurt, and mango chutney.

3. Steak or burger served with tayto tots

This meal requires a little bit of home prep too, but just a bit.

As previously mentioned when cooking a campervan meal, you want to be mindful about the amount of gas you’re using. It’s a pain in the neck to go and source a new gas bottle midway through your trip.

“Tayto tots” are something we’ve made up at home. Boil enough potatoes for four people (or how many people you are) and when they are soft enough but still firm enough not to be mushy, cut into small pieces. Allow them to cool then bring in the fridge to be fried up on demand.

Not the most healthy choice but these are delicious. Take the ready-cooked potatoes and shallow fry in butter until they are golden brown.

Serve with a juicy rib eye steak or a tasty burger.

Another side we often prepare in advance is fried onions. They can be fried at home, brought along in a bag in the fridge and heated up in the frying pan with the steaks or burgers. Delicious.

Saves on gas ring space, washing up, and time spent.

4. Fish or prawns in foil served with lentils

This recipe is one you make fresh on-site. Wrap the fish in little foil parcels with some lemon and butter and cook for 12-15 minutes over moderate heat.

The lentil dish is great because they come ready to cook from a tin or packet so can be left as a meal choice for later in the week.

We create a lentil dish of green lentils, onions, garlic, chopped tomatoes and some spices.

5. Paella

This Spanish classic is one of our absolute faves and there’s always plenty to go round. It’s an easy one-pot dish so minimal washing up.

It’s a hearty feast of chicken, chorizo, onions, garlic, peppers peas and paella rice.

Check out our paella with chicken and chorizo recipe for full directions.

6. BBQ chicken and chargrilled veg skewers served with flatbread

These are absolutely delicious and very filling if served with flatbread or stuffed inside a pitta. Again, quick to cook and minimal washing up.

Either marinate the chicken in advance or brush with a tangy BBQ sauce.

7. Bacon and pea risotto

This dish is not dissimilar to the paella idea. Another delicious one-pot meal with minimal washing up that’s a real pleaser for the kids.

For full directions, see our bacon and pea risotto recipe.

8. Beef or chicken stir fry with noodles

This is another quick and delicious dinner option, with a cooking smell to work up an appetite.

We get some good quality steak or chicken and stir fry with a bag of ready-to-go stir fry veg. Our personal preference for a stir fry seasoning is the M&S teriyaki sauce. It has a tangy flavour and strong ginger base.

We bring packets of dried noodles to serve with the stir fry and cook on demand. These dried noodles cook really quickly – 10 minutes max.

If we are feeling really hungry, we’ll also cook a pan of rice to have on the side.

Camping lunch meals or lighter camping dinners

Chicken quesadillas cut into wedges

When we’re staying on site for lunch or want something light for dinner we go for quick and easy but satisfying. Here are our go-to favourites.

9. Cheese and ham croissants

These can be done on the gas hob on a low heat so as not to burn the croissant but high enough to melt the cheese. Wrapping them in foil offers extra protection against accidental burning.

The cheese and ham croissants can also be cooked in the RidgeMonkey XL. Make sure you keep turning the RidgeMonkey to avoid the contents from burning.

10. Ham and cheese toasties

As above but using bread rather than a croissant. Less greasy and calorific!

If there is some cheese sauce on the go from another recipe, I spread some on the bread before adding the cheese and ham to make it really gooey.

11. Pizza slices

You can fit two triangles of supermarket pizza into the RidgeMonkey XL to make a tasty light dinner or lunchtime meal option. We will usually serve ours with a side salad ready-made from the supermarket for ease and speed.

As with everything cooked in the RidgeMonkey XL make sure to keep turning the cooking pan over to avoid the contents from burning.

Further reading to help prepare for your next camping trip:

12. Spanish Omelette

This is a hearty lunch option or light dinner choice. Thinly slice the potatoes and the onion, fry these off and bind together with egg.

You can make a 1-2 serve Spanish omelette in the Ridgemonkey, or make a larger one in a frying pan to feed 4-6 people.

We find this more filling than a regular omelette and sometimes have some leftover to have as a snack later.

13. Hot dogs

A camping staple. Quick to make using either frying proper sausages or boiling frankfurter style sausages. 

Delicious served with fried onions, cheese and lots of sauce. We use fried onions pre-cooked at home to speed things up and save gas.

14. Chicken quesadillas

These super-yummy quesadillas are really quick and easy to make.

Cook some chicken in some Mexican-style spice, like an Old El Paso mix and then layer up a sandwich of two flour tortillas. You can add refried beans (camping-handy tinned food), cheese, cooked onions, cooked peppers, and salsa.

Once you have your “sandwich” made, brush the quesadilla with butter and gently shallow fry until lightly golden.

Cut and serve in wedges with soured cream.

15. Macaroni and cheese sauce

This is another dish where I have occasionally made the sauce at home and brought it along in the fridge. 

It will last for a few days in the fridge so can be used over the first few days when required. Perfect for pouring over salmon too.

If the sauce is pre-made then the whole dish just takes as long as the macaroni takes to cook. Nice and speedy.

We’ll sometimes add some ham and peas, if we have them, to add extra flavour and texture.

Camping breakfast food ideas

Traditional full English breakfast fry-up

Our kids are often happy with a quick bowl of cereal in the morning before they go running off to explore the campsite.

When we want them to have something more substantial we turn to these cooked breakfast ideas for making in our campervan or using our camping gas stove.

16. Bacon and egg burger

Another delicious camping staple which always features on our breakfast menu.

Breakfast-in-a-bun also saves on washing up, and our kids love the excitement of eating a burger for breakfast.

17. Pancakes

We often eat pancakes at home for breakfast and trips away are no exception to this. We serve them up with bacon and maple syrup or lemon and sugar.

18. French toast

Similar idea to pancakes but the dipped bread is fried in butter. Also served with bacon and maple syrup.

19. Full English breakfast

Yet another camping staple. We’ll lob in bacon, sausages, baked beans, scrambled eggs, and toast. If we’ve got the gas ring space we might do some hash browns too. No need for lunch after all that!

More camping meal ideas

This is by no means an exhaustive list of what to campervan food to cook but hopefully gives you some ideas and helps you to decide what food items to pack before you leave for a trip.

If you have any favourite camping breakfast, lunch, or dinners, please let us know. We’d love to hear from you.

Happy camping!

Categories
Camping

Easy Paella Recipe – Chicken and Chorizo

Paella is a tasty and filling Spanish favourite that is ideal for a camping meal. Here is our authentic Spanish easy paella recipe with chicken and chorizo. This serves four to six people and takes around 25 minutes from start to finish.

When you’re away from home camping or touring you want to make mealtimes as easy as possible.

Paella is quick and easy to make and absolutely delicious. We find this much more satisfying a meal than say hot dogs and it offers more nutrition too.

What ingredients are in Paella?

  • 400g paella rice
  • 150g marinated red peppers – jar ones are easiest for camping
  • 1l hot chicken stock or vegetable stock – we use 2x Knorr chicken stock pots
  • Pinch of saffron
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 400g tinned tomatoes
  • 3tbsps olive oil
  • 100g peas
  • 3/4 large chicken breasts (depending on how hungry you are)
  • 200g chorizo
  • 25ml sherry vinegar or wine
  • Chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Lemon quarters to garnish

This recipe states that it serves four, however, we usually serve six with this without it being stingy on portion size.

How to make paella from scratch

You might be camping but that doesn’t mean you can’t rustle up something just as delicious as you would if you were cooking at home. Here’s how to make homemade paella from the comfort of your campervan kitchen.

Here’s how to make the perfect paella:

Equipment

  • Paella pan or frying pan
  • Chopping board
  • Sharp knife
  • Tin opener
  • Pan for peas
  • Spare large bowl to hold the chicken and chorizo

Preparation

First, prep the ingredients so you have everything to hand:

  • Cut the chicken into 1cm chunks
  • Cut the chorizo into 1cm chunks
  • Dice the onion
  • Slice the garlic
  • Measure out spices
  • Make 1l chicken stock and have it ready to go
  • Pre-cook the frozen peas and have ready to stir in at the end
  • Open the tin of chopped tomatoes
  • Open jar of roasted peppers
  • Cut lemon into wedges
  • Open bottle of white wine or sherry (if using)

Cooking method

Now you have everything ready and to hand it’s time to start cooking.

Heat up 1tbsp of oil in your paella or frying pan. Once the oil is hot cook both the chicken and chorizo until both are cooked through.

Set them aside in a separate bowl to add back to the paella later.

In the now-empty frying pan or paella pan heat another 1 tbsp of oil and wait until it is hot, then place the onions and garlic to cook. Once they have sweated nicely and have turned golden it’s time to add the tinned chopped tomatoes.

Empty the can of tomatoes into the pan and stir. Allow this to cook for a couple of minutes, then stir in the smoked paprika. After a couple more minutes add the paella rice and stir in thoroughly.

Once the rice is evenly coated with the tomato mix, it’s time to add the stock, wine or sherry (if using) and pinch of saffron. Bring the paella to the boil and then leave on a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. 

This step usually takes around 20 minutes

I find it best to periodically stir the paella as it does start to stick to the pan as the moisture is absorbed. I believe the advice is not to stir, but to shake – like a James Bond martini but we have never found stirring to have a detrimental effect. Our pan maybe isn’t very non-stick?

Once there is little liquid left in the pan and the rice is cooked, it’s time to add back the chicken and chorizo mix.

Cook all together on a low heat for another 5-8 minutes.

The last step is to add the peppers and peas. Stir these in and cook for another 1-2 minutes. 

Turn the heat off and cover with a tea towel for 1-2 minutes then serve.

How to serve paella

We find the paella so filling and satisfying that we don’t add a side dish.

For our chicken and chorizo paella, we simply squeeze over a drizzle of lemon and if we have it, a handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley.

It’s best served into bowls, rather than plates as this seems to keep the heat in the paella better.

Delicious! Our easy paella recipe with chicken and chorizo

Paella – your questions answered

Q – Can I reheat paella?

We do! I had heard that it wasn’t safe to reheat rice, however we have never had a problem in the dozen times we have done this. We make sure the leftover paella has been stored in the fridge and then reheat thoroughly making sure the meat is piping hot all the way through.

The rice ends up more sticky than on day one, but we dont mind. The flavour is still 100% delicious.

Q – Can you eat paella cold?

It’s safe enough to eat Paella cold if it has been stored in the fridge but personally, I would prefer to reheat it. It is supposed to be served as a warm dish so eating it cold seems a bit odd IMO.

Q – Can you cook paella in a frying pan?

Again – we do! As we are in a campervan, you can’t have every bit of kit with you unless it is something you use repeatedly. If you would use a paella pan for a number of dishes such as a risotto or a one pan full English, then it is worth purchasing one. If not, a decent sized frying pan will do.

However if you are thinking about buying a paella pan, this one from Cadac comes highly recommended and is on our wish list. 

Q – Which rice is best for paella?

We typically use “paella” rice to make our paella. This is readily available to buy in the supermarket. Paella rice is made from Redondo (round) or bomba rice. It has a different composition and starch structure to long grain rice, which makes long grain rice unsuitable for making paella.

Redondo or bomba rice can absorb up to three times its weight in liquid which is why we like to use a good quality stock.The rice will take on the flavours in the liquid part of the dish.

Q – Can you make paella with risotto rice?

Risotto or arborio rice is very similar in structure to paella rice. Both types of rice have a high amylose content. This is the starch that acts as a bonding agent in the pan.

By substituting paella rice for arborio or risotto rice it won’t massively change the dish. If you’re camping and making this in your campervan, you’ll think it’s delicious with either type of rice.

Q – Do you cover paella when cooking?

No, you want all the liquid to either be absorbed by the rice or evaporate away. At the very end of the cooking process I cover it and leave it for a couple of minutes to settle. This keeps the rice warm and keeps in that little bit of moistness.

We don’t have a lid for our campervan frying pan so we make meals that don’t need a lid or if we are keeping something warm, we’ll cover the pan with a melamine plate.

Q – Is paella gluten free?

The uncooked rice product is gluten-free. What makes the dish paella NOT gluten-free is the stock used. Often chicken stock contains gluten. The Knorr stock pots we use are gluten-free though. The other gluten source in paella can be in the chorizo. If you need to make this dish gluten-free, seek out gluten-free chorizo too.

Q – Is paella good for me?

Paella rice is low GI meaning it keeps you fuller for longer. This equates to you not snacking afterwards or turning to dessert and ingesting extra calories.

We estimate our paella to contain around 480 calories per serve.

Q – How much does paella cost to make?

We estimate that our easy paella recipe with chicken and chorizo should cost around £13.00 all in. Not bad! When served between four it makes it £3.25 a portion, or £2.15 when split six ways as we do.

More on camping meals and food preparation:

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Camping

Campervan Food Essentials: What Food to Take and How to Store It

In this article, we open up our campervan pantry cupboard to discuss our campervan trip food essentials. It is said that an army marches on its stomach – our family certainly does, so food is key to a great trip.

Say the words “campervan trip” and I think flexibility and freedom. There is something magical about a trip away in the campervan that can’t be topped. 

Best of all it’s fun and convenient to be able to park up somewhere and put together a snack or a meal. You might well be wondering what food you should keep your campervan stocked with to aid a quick and easy meal on the fly.

Read on to learn what food we bring and how we keep it safely stored.

Campervan food packing list

Our family enjoys eating, that’s a fact. The kids complain when they’re hungry, that’s another fact.

The food we take in our campervan is a big deal for us. Just winging it isn’t an option.

We also like to have plenty to eat on board so we aren’t forced to have to visit shops all the time. It’s nice if you’re camped up somewhere and hungry that you can just set to and whip something up.

So, we’ve developed a food packing list for our campervan adventures. To make life easy when we’re on a trip we always stock the following items in the campervan.

Pantry items

Our pantry items can be assembled and packed in the days ahead of the trip. As you’ll see below this also involved some measuring and repackaging, so early preparation is important.

Basic ingredients

  • Stock cubes, mixture of chicken, beef and vegetable.
  • Cooking oil – small quantity in well-sealed bottle.
  • Flour – small amount (some pre-measured for pancakes).
  • Sugar – granulated, and sometimes sugar sticks for hot drinks.

Tins, packets, and jars

  • Tins of soup.
  • Super noodles.
  • Crackerbread.
  • Batchelors Pasta n Sauce mix.
  • Dry pasta.
  • Jar of pasta sauce.
  • Jar of pesto.
  • Breakfast cereals.
  • Jam and/or marmalade.
  • Vegemite – we are Aussie after all (no Marmite, thanks).

Hot drinks

  • Teabags.
  • Herbal tea bags.
  • Coffee – granulated, decanted into small sealed container.
  • Hot Chocolate – small jar or sachets.
  • Mini marshmallows.

Treats and snacks

  • Crisps – we love crips and always have a massive range.
  • Biscuits – ditto above comment for biscuits.
  • Tuc/Cheddars/Ritz – or in our case all of them. We also love crackers.
  • Chocolate and sweets – yes very naughty.
  • Cereal bars.
  • Fruit string/Bear Yoyos.
  • Red wine (handy as doesn’t take up space in the fridge).

Condiments

  • Ketchup.
  • Soy sauce.
  • Maple syrup.
  • Salt and pepper.

Perishable food 

In addition to the pantry food, some perishable food is necessary too. We always bring the following when starting our journey.

  • Bread.
  • Eggs.
  • pikelets/crumpets/pancakes.
  • Potatoes.
  • Carrots.
  • Tomatoes.
  • Apples.
  • Bananas.

We don’t store a lot of fruit and vegetables in the campervan or our awning as we find it doesn’t keep for more than a couple of days at best. Our fridge runs extremely cold so anything with a high water content like fruit or vegetables are easily spoiled.

We tend to buy fruit and eat on the day, or use it as part of a pudding. We’ll pick up vegetables or a pre-made salad pack and use that on the day.

The interior of the van does stay nice and cool so any food keeps well for a few hours from shop to plate, even if not kept inside the fridge.

Fridge items

Luckily for us, we have a large 42L capacity chest fridge built into our campervan. Because it’s a chest fridge it means it can be fully loaded to the top. A more conventional front-loading fridge is more restrictive to pack and items easily move about in transit and fall out when you open the door.

The following items are our campervan fridge essentials:

  • Single pints of milk – they are smaller so more versatile. We usually take at least four.
  • Cheese – regular mousetrap, plus one or two more interesting varieties.
  • Butter – always the spreadable variety even though we have blocks of butter at home. This is because the fridge is very efficient and regular butter turns to stone.
  • Yoghurts – individual serves rather than bigger tubs.
  • Ham, chorizo, other cold meats.
  • Bacon – nothing like a cooked breakfast when camping.
  • Two cooked meals for 4 people (to see us through the first couple of days to take the pressure off).
  • Chilled wine and beer – depending on the fridge space left.

We also use a fridge deodoriser, to help soak up smells. We’ve tried out a few, but charcoal bags have been the most effective. We currently use these Jorlyen Air Purifying Bags and keep one in the empty fridge all of the time.

Read more:

Campervan food storage

To get the longest life out of your food it is best it is stored correctly. How to store your food in a campervan is a personal choice but this is how we do it.

We use Tupperware and lots of it! Tupperware or other plastic food storage containers is fab. It’s stackable, versatile, reusable and unbreakable.

As we like to carry plenty of food on board our campervan, we need to be clever with how we store it.

Pre-bagged portions

Before we leave for a trip we will usually calculate how much of any one item we are likely to need and measure out the required amount in advance.

For example sugar. Rather than taking a whole bag, we’ll measure X amount of teaspoons of sugar into a container or sealable plastic bag. Ditto with the flour, coffee, hot chocolate, and tea bags.

We all like different types of cereal in the morning. To allow for that variety without the volume we will measure the amount we need to save on taking four different cereal boxes.

Yes, I will admit it seems hardcore but I measure out portions according to the packet guidance and individually store each one. That means if someone wants Shreddies, they grab a pre-measured portion and they’re good to go. 

These fab reusable sandwich bags are just the ticket for the job and save on plastic waste.

Pre-measuring portions is quite labour intensive pre-trip, I’ll admit, but it does save on space and simplifies things at the campsite. When there are four of you to feed, these little space-saving tips do make a difference.

Cupboard organisation

In our VW California Ocean we have the luxury of kitchen cupboards and an under-bench seat.

We keep the pots, pans and crockery on the left-hand side of the kitchen, top and bottom shelves. If the rear bench seat is pushed far forwards (to allow for maximum boot space) this cupboard is often inaccessible in transit.

The right-hand side is where we keep most of our food. The cupboards are nice and deep and the shelf dividing the cupboard unit is high enough that you can stack two tins on top of each other.

As we don’t usually need tins when in transit, they are stacked at the bottom of the cupboard and at the back. Anything I may want to access in transit is at the front of each shelf.

We use anti-slip matting to make everything stay where it should be during transit.

Snacks drawer

The under-bench seat drawer is used to house our goodies. I tend to travel in the back when we’re on a trip and I can open the drawer and whip out the snacks.

There is enough room to fully open the drawer even if the bench seat is pushed all the way forward.

This storage space is actually huge and can be used for more than in-transit snacks and goodies. It is also good for kit you might want to get your hands on asap once you’ve arrived on site.

How to store food in a drive-away awning or tent

We’ve learned these lessons the hard way! 

We tend to empty the campervan of a lot of food if we are bringing the driveaway awning. 

This is because if we are on a longer stay we use our Cadac stove for cooking in the porch area of the awning instead of using the campervan stove.

This is a personal choice but because we have two small children in and out of the campervan it feels safer to keep the cooking outside.

As we are likely to be sleeping in the campervan it keeps the cooking smells at bay too.

It makes sense for us to keep the food we’ll be cooking, near the stove so we keep it in the porch area with the cooking equipment.

Crates are great

If you have food in your tent or awning it is best kept in a sealed crate like this one. These are the perfect size and stackable if you have more than one.

Rather than bring a crate specifically for food, we tend to use the crates for something else in transit and empty it and use the contents when we are camped.

It leaves the crate available for other uses such as food storage. Having a lid means the food is kept fresh and no critters are able to get in and have a munch. It’s also handy for keeping the awning nice and tidy.

If you are keeping food in the porch area of your tent or awning, you’ll find the air in the area becomes very damp overnight with dew. Keeping your food items in a sealed crate will mean your food stays dry and crisp.

Categories
Camping

Campervan Kitchen Essentials: The Best Cooking Gadgets for Your Van

In this article, we look at what we consider to be our campervan’s kitchen essentials. The campervan kitchen gadgets and cooking equipment that we always pack or live permanently in our van.

One of the absolute best things to do as campervan or motorhome owner is to have the freedom and flexibility to make a cup of tea or even a full-blown meal out in the wild should you want to.

For camping trips or day trips, having access to a couple of gas rings and a fridge is a game-changer.

But what are the kitchen essentials you need in your campervan to really own the outdoors?

We’ve listed below from our own experience and research, exactly what are must-haves in your campervan kitchen cupboards.

Campervan cooking equipment – what to carry?

Space is at a premium in a campervan or motorhome.

On the other hand, you’ve chosen this style or camping because – let’s face it – camping on wheels is way more comfortable and easy than camping in tents.

So there is always that trade-off between having options to make your travel comfortable and easy, against having to store and carry yet more gear.

What exactly should you be packing? Let’s take a look at the six main types of campervan kitchen equipment that we recommend every van owner considers as essential gear.

Kitchen essential #1 – pots and pans

Ideally the pots and pans you choose for your campervan or motorhome should be stackable and not too big or heavy. 

We recommend a set of three, four, of five pans, depending how much cooking you’re likely to do.

We have these Tefal Ingenio pans, a set of three saucepans and one frying pan with one removable handle for everything. They tick all the boxes for us: 

  • Affordable price.
  • Made from stainless steel.
  • Contain a durable non-stick coating.
  • Stackable for easy campervan storage.
  • Oven safe.
  • Can be used on all hob types excluding induction.
  • Dishwasher safe (if you want to put them in the dishwasher for a thorough washing when you get home).

Note that this pan set doesn’t come with any lids, however, Tefal does sell one specific to this set. We haven’t found this to be a big problem as we use a melamine plate as a lid and this works very well.

RidgeMonkey XL

Not exactly a pot or pan, but can act as a quasi frying pan, omelette maker, or sandwich toaster. It’s our favourite campervan kitchen gadget.

The RidgeMonkey XL comprises two hinged square pans of diecast aluminium with two magnetic handles. They come apart and can be used separately. Very clever and versatile.

Can be used on all hob types except for induction.

Kitchen essential #2 – Kettle

According to the UK Tea and Infusions Association, we Brits drink approximately 100 million cups of tea each day between us. Wow, we sure do like a hot beverage!

No surprise then that having a kettle in some form or another is an essential item in our campervan kitchen.

The choice of kettles to supply your campervan with comes down to the following:

  • A whistling kettle – used on the hob or camping stove.
  • A travel electric kettle – either with a 12V plug or UK power plug and used via an inverter or when connected to EHU.

Deciding which of these you choose hangs on whether speed is an issue. For a speedy cup of tea, you’ll be hard pressed to outperform a standard travel electric kettle. A 12V electric kettle will keep you waiting the longest with a reported 20 minutes time length to reach boiling point.

Whistling kettle

We have opted for a whistling kettle to stock our campervan,  as we didn’t want to risk draining the leisure batteries too much if not on EHU and the wait time for a cup of tea is a shorter 6-8 minutes.

We can also use the kettle on our separate camping stove or a campfire.

Camping electric kettle

A standard travel electric kettle whilst smaller than a regular kettle is still quite chunky and we felt it seemed a bit cheaty for camping. We like to keep the experience a bit more camping-like in feel.

That said, I can see why people use a travel kettle and we might well make the change one day. The key benefits we can see for a travel kettle over a whistling kettle are:

  • Having hot water available for a hand wash, washing up or to be used as an ingredient in something you’re cooking is very handy. 
  • Using up a whole gas ring to get that hot water isn’t always convenient and then you need a clear surface to move the hot kettle onto.
  • Electricity is easier to source and replenish than gas.

Best whistling kettles for campervans

We have this Kampa Billy Whistling Kettle. We love it because it is:

  • Small.
  • Lightweight.
  • 1l capacity.
  • Takes 6-8 minutes to boil from cold on our campervan gas stove.

We are big fans of Kampa Dometic as a brand and highly rate the Kampa products we use. Brilliant design and innovation at an affordable price.

If the Kampa whistling kettle is a bit chunky for your campervan or motorhome kitchen cupboard, then this Outwell collapsible kettle is a fantastic alternative.

The Outwell collapsible kettle features:

  • Silicone and stainless steel body.
  • 14.5 x 16.5cm in size.
  • Tiny pack size when collapsed – 4.5 x 16.5cm.
  • 1.5L volume capacity.
  • Collapsible (obviously).
  • Can be used on any hob (except induction).
  • BPA free.
  • Dishwasher safe.

Outwell is another camping brand we love, again brilliant design and manufacture. It is a little more expensive than the Kampa Billy Whistling Kettle but does have the benefits of larger volume capacity and small pack size.

Best travel electric kettle

If speed is your game, we recommend the Kampa Squash Collapsible Electric Kettle. It’s a travel kettle and runs on a lean 1000W.

Features:

  • Silicon body (food grade, high temperature resistant).
  • 17 x 13 x 17.5cm when in use.
  • 17 x 13 x 13 when folded.
  • 800ml capacity.
  • 1000W.
  • 3-4 minute boil time.

Tips:

  • Boil this kettle four or five times before you plan to make a cup of tea with it,  to remove the silicon taste.
  • Rinse with cold water once finished with it before collapsing. Should be cool enough to pack away after five minutes.

Kitchen essential #3 – cooking utensils 

I don’t know about you, but there is a fine line between saving space and not having the tools you need to make the job easy and efficiently.

I’d rather come well armed than be left floundering.

Our inventory could no doubt be slimmed down but we do use everything in this list:

Kitchen essential #4 – crockery

Best crockery to use in a campervan

There are a few types of material to consider in selecting crockery for campervan use.

These are:

  • Ceramic/Earthenware/Bone China.
  • Melamine – Plastic composite.
  • Corelle – Glass composite.
  • Enamel.
  • Bamboo.

We have chosen melamine to furnish our campervan with crockery. Our set has dinner and side plates, and small and large bowls so we have plenty to go round and not constantly washing up!

We selected melamine because it is: 

  • Lightweight.
  • Durable and virtually unbreakable.
  • Easy to clean and dishwasher safe.

I should specify and say we don’t use melamine for our mugs. We stick with ceramic as tea always tastes better out of a proper ceramic or china mug.

This melamine dinner set mimics our kitchen dinner set and adds a touch of class to the campervan kitchen.

Corelle dinner wear

Corelle is made of vitrelle tempered glass. This is created by bonding three glass layers.

Corelle, like Melamine, is very suitable for campervans due to its durability.

The main benefits of Corelle are:

  • Won’t fade, stain, or chip.
  • Lightweight.
  • Slimline.
  • Microwave, oven and dishwasher safe.
  • BPA free.
  • Feels like bone china.

Corelle ticks all the boxes. You get the durability of plastic, without the BPA and without the breakage. Brilliant.

It’s a little more expensive than melamine but worth investing the extra cost given all the benefits.

We’re adding this funky set to our wish list.

Enamel crockery

I have to admit, enamel plates are not my first choice, they do feel very basic. That said, they are extremely durable, practical and affordable so should not be overlooked as an option.

These ones from Falcon are a good buy.

Ceramic/bone china crockery

Not the most practical choice as a crockery solution for a campervan but still an option. 

Ceramic or bone china is heavy and very likely to chip or break completely. Unless you have your crockery firmly wedged, there is a chance it could fall out when opening the door if there has been movement during transit. For the feel of bone china, consider using Corelle instead.

Bamboo crockery

Bamboo is another lightweight durable option which has the added benefit of being sustainable and eco friendly too. Also BPA free, dishwasher safe and affordable, bamboo crockery is a definite consideration for a kitchen cupboard.

This set from Vango adds a nice splash of colour to the kitchen cupboards.

Kitchen essential #5 – cutlery set

There’s no magic in selecting a cutlery set. We like to have one that is suitably dissimilar to the set we keep in the house so it is easily identifiable.

We don’t go cheap on cutlery as we want our alfresco dining experience to be as enjoyable as possible. We’re not fans of easily bendable forks and sharp edged spoons.

We would recommend a 24 piece set at least (6x 4-piece) otherwise you’re constantly washing up.

We’ve also added a few extra teaspoons as they are constantly used for cups of tea!

Kitchen essential #6 – glassware

Much like drinking tea out of plastic, we’re really also not keen on drinking wine or any other drink out of plastic.

We keep a few short glass tumblers for cold drinks. We don’t bother keeping actual wine glasses in the van, they take up too much room and are liable to break.

Stubby Holders

This is the Aussie influence in us. We love a good stubby holder – keeps the beer cold and your hand warm. We keep a ready supply of stubby holders in our campervan.

Our glass tumblers also fit inside the stubby holder meaning we can have a hot toddy without our hands getting scalded.

Other handy bits to keep in your campervan kitchen

  • Cork or silicone mats. Have a stash. They are lightweight and easily transportable. If you’ve got hot pans needing to put down, have a couple within reach
  • Tea towels. Pack ideally four. It can be hard to get wet linens dry again and you are washing up probably three times a day.
  • Pot holders. A must-have to handle boiling pots and pans from the camping stove.
  • Non-slip matting – I can’t stress how much of this stuff we use around the campervan. It’s brilliant. Stops the contents of the cupboards moving and great for when the campervan is in motion too, means you can leave things out on the kitchen top and they won’t slide. We also layer it between plates/glassware to stop rattling and movement.

Even more kitchen essentials?

We’ve enjoyed digging through our campervan kitchen to find the equipment that we’ve found to be indispensable. We hope this list is useful for you too.

If you have any other gear that you consider to be essential in your campervan kitchen then do let us know – we’d love to hear from you.

Categories
Camping

What to Pack for a Campervan Trip: Complete Packing List

Are you about to embark on your first great adventure in your new campervan and wondering what you need to pack for your trip? Read on and see what we recommend in our campervan essentials packing list.

First up, we are a family of four, two adults and two kids, so our list is based on those needs. Even if your passenger numbers look different to ours, you might still find a couple of good tips on essentials to pack.

Our campervan is a VW California, so the space and facilities we have available in our vehicle may well differ from yours. Most of the gear is equally applicable to any campervan or motorhome.

These are the essential items we always include on our campervan trip packing list.

Sleeping

Campervan essentials for sleeping

Let’s start with the basics. Nothing is more miserable than a bad night’s sleep. If we are going away, then we want to be sure we get a decent amount of rest.

Bedding

Sleeping comfort is paramount to us.

After much research, we decided to purchase some Duvalay sleeping bags. We purchased four separate bags so we could have flexibility on who would sleep where.

In addition to this, we also bring a decent pillow each; full-sized comfy pillows from home.

The sleeping bags mean we do away with the need for any other bedding such as sheets or duvets.

Mattress/topper

Our VW California Ocean came with the comfort mattress installed which was excellent. Although for yours truly, it was still a bit hard.

Our Duvalay sleeping bags have a built-in mattress so give us the extra mattress comfort that we need.

If we used regular sleeping bags or sheets and a duvet, we would certainly consider purchasing a mattress topper to get that extra bit of softness.

Cooking and eating

With two hungry children on board, we need to be able to whip up a meal at short notice. We keep it fairly simple but always tasty and filling.

Food

This is a very important consideration in our family, we all love to eat. I will usually have planned a few meals in advance of the trip, each of which is easy and quick to make.

I will always bring dry ingredients such as flour, sugar, pasta, dry noodles, tins of soup, beans, stock cubes, etc.

We have a drawer below the rear seats. This is always filled with snacks, crisps, biscuits, sweets, cakes, and bread products. All the goodies can be found there!

The “snacks drawer” (as our kids refer to it) is handily located for access when on the road. Accessing one side of the kitchen cupboards proves tricky if the bench seat is rolled forwards to allow maximum space in the boot.

The VW California has a decent sized 42-litre fridge which is more than enough space to fit all the essentials we need for our first couple of days.

Campervan cooking utensils

The VW California Ocean kitchen cupboards are really spacious and well thought out.

The design even comprises a built-in cutlery drawer. We have found there is space above the cutlery drawer to store a chopping board and tea towels.

In the cupboard below the cutlery drawer, we keep a plastic tub with all our kitchen utensils in. It’s handy to grab the lot as a whole if we are cooking outside in the annexe.

Our Campervan cooking utensils include:

  • Tongs
  • Collapsible cheese grater – we have a Joseph Joseph one that collapses flat. Sadly these aren’t made any more.
  • 3 knives with blade guards – The knives we bought didn’t have guards, so we purchased a set of Nosh knife guards separately. It is very important to keep knives sheathed if kept loose in a drawer or box to avoid nasty accidents.
  • 3 x wooden spoons
  • Fish slice/turner
  • Potato peeler
  • Teabag squeezer
  • Chopping board – we have a foldable Joseph Joseph Chop2Pot chopping board which fits nicely in the drawer.

Campervan pots and pans

We have a set of Russell Hobbs 5 piece clip and cook stackable pans to use in our campervan. As they are stackable they take up minimum space. We also have a whistling kettle, a Ridge Monkey Connect XL cooking set, and a small non-electric folding toaster.

We always keep cork mats handy to leave on the campervan kitchen top to provide protection against hot pans.

Camping plates and bowls

We’ve found the best camping plates and bowls are melamine plasticware. We have a set of 4 x dinner plates, 4 x side plates and 4 x bowls which suit us perfectly. Having two sizes of plates gives us a bit more time before we’re forced to wash up!

We also keep little coloured plastic bowls from IKEA, which are handy to pass around the campervan when on the road. These are perfect for biscuits or crackers and help to keep the campervan tidy. They are also a good size for a small portion of cereal in the morning.

I really detest drinking from plastic, so we keep four porcelain mugs in the campervan for tea and coffee, together with four small IKEA drinking glasses. 

We have a set of three collapsible bowls for when we are sharing food. Outwell do a brilliant range of collapsible products. We have the set of three bowls, washing up bowl, and collapsible bucket. They are great space-savers and are very robust.

Cleaning

As well as the collapsible washing up bowl and bucket mentioned above, we take a dustpan and brush to quickly sweep the out the van. Also a small range of cleaning products including washing up liquid, sponges/cloths, washing up gloves, and liquid soap.

Portable stove and camping kitchen

If we are away for more than a couple of nights then we will bring the extra kitchen equipment – a Cadac two ring burner and Kampa Colonel foldable kitchen stand.

You might ask why we bring an additional two ring stove and kitchen stand if we already have cooking facilities in the campervan?

With the children in and out of the van, I feel much safer cooking outside than inside. If it’s just a cup of tea then that’s OK but a full meal is a lengthier prospect. I also prefer all the bedding and clothes don’t smell of cooking.

We always add the outside kitchen to our campervan packing list for longer trips, subject to space requirements.

For this reason, we had considered buying a VW California Beach instead but after much deliberation, we decided the VW California Ocean was the best choice for our family overall.

Extra table and chairs

When we travel, we are always a minimum of four people. The VW California Ocean comes with two external chairs and table as standard. All very clever. Not enough for four of you to sit around together though.

We purchased an Outwell Pemberton Table and Bench Set to bring with us on day trips and longer trips away. The extra table space always comes in useful and the benches can be used as coffee tables or a step if extra reach is needed as well as seating for four more people.

Yes, they take up valuable space but they are never surplus.

Clothing & bathroom

What clothing

When packing personal gear the likely weather conditions have a big say. We try to cover every eventuality but not overdo it; it’s a balancing act.

Clothes, shoes, and coats

This stuff always takes up more room than we’d like but that is because we are four people, everything is x4. It’s not like we can take only one pair of shoes each; usually, we need at least two, with one pair being something to wear in the shower or on the beach.

I can’t remember how many times we’ve had to set up in the rain, so having shoes that can get wet and will dry quickly, and full waterproofs are always a must.

To minimise the space used we will use soft bags, like the blue IKEA bags to hold coats and shoes and they are squishy to fit in any spaces but nice and open to grab what you need in a hurry.

For clothing, we use Amazon packing cubes. These are fabric and mesh square pouches which come in various sizes. One person’s clothing items are all contained in the pouch and again they are squishy to fit into tight spaces. 

We will usually store the clothing cubes and bag of coats in the wardrobe cupboard of our VW California Ocean.

Quite often, campsites we stay at have washing machines on-site, so if we are staying for a week, we will most likely take enough for four days and do a wash. I take a couple of pre-measured laundry detergent doses in small resealable plastic bags.

Towels and toiletries

We take one bath towel each and a couple of swimming towels too.

A little bulky, but they can be shoved in anywhere there is space or used to stop gear from rattling en route.

All of our toiletries are in soft wash bags, stored in the overhead locker cupboard above the rear seats in our California.

Clothes line for drying clothes

This is always a bone of contention for us. I like to bring our camping rotary line with us for a longer stay, but we often don’t have enough space for it.

As a family of four, we do need a facility to dry towels, coats, and maybe wetsuits after a day at the beach.

We compromise with a roll of washing line cord which we’ll attach to a tree and the awning rail or we’ll bring a small clothes horse. Pegs are a must of course.

We purchased some radiator airers to hang on the sliding door of the van. These weren’t very successful though and mostly got in the way. We use those in the house now instead.

Toilet

We have two types of toilets. One for short trips and day trips and a second one for longer trips away.

Our short trip and day trip toilet is a popup Bivvy Loo. This lives permanently in the van as it comes in handy in an emergency when out and about or if we are away for just a couple of nights.

We will nearly always stay on a proper campsite as we have children with us and so will use the campsite facilities most of the time.

For longer trips away we have a Porta Potti 335 Portable Toilet which comes in useful in the middle of the night when we don’t want to stumble up to the amenities block in the dark.

Campsite setup

The camping gear we pack for trips away varies depending on how long we’ll be away and if we plan to stay at more than one site.

Pop-Top Cover and Windscreen Cover

We opted for a Comfortz “Cali-Topper” pop-top cover and matching windscreen cover for our VW California Ocean.

Although the VW California Ocean has internal windscreen blinds, they do allow plenty of light in around the edges. The pop top lets plenty of light in too, so the cover helps to keep things dark during those summer mornings when the sun rises early.

In addition to keeping the pop-top dark, the roof cover also adds a layer of insulation for warmth. 

An early-spring stay in a hired campervan a few years ago demonstrated to us the need to have insulation in the pop-top. We woke each morning to find all the bedding in the pop-top damp from condensation and freezing cold. Not very nice to wake up to and hard to get bedding dry during the day.

We have also been lashed with rain and high winds whilst sleeping in the roof bed and the cover has done its job to keep the rain and wind out.

As well as keeping warm and dry, the pop-top cover helps to keep the beating sun out on hot days. It’s a must-have if we are away overnight in the van.

Drive away awning or Comfortz awning kit

If we are away for a long stay or might need to have the facility to sleep more than 4 people then we always bring our drive-away awning. If we are away for just a couple of nights and not touring in the van we might be able to make do with the Comfortz Awning kit.

We find as a family of four we need some extra covered space outside the van to house items which are in the way at night-time, like car seats or bags of shoes or coats.

Always essential and sometimes forgotten is a mallet for driving in tent pegs. We also carry a set of rock pegs in case of very hard ground, and a tent peg extractor to make it easy to pull them out again.

Campervan electric hook up kit

We’ll bring the full electric hook up kit if we are staying for more than two days on a campsite.

For up to three days, we find we can manage well enough with the leisure battery supplying our electricity. We use power for lighting, charging devices, the fridge and if very cold, running a camping heater in the drive-away awning.

Our electric hook up kit comprises:

  • Caravan site extension lead 25m (230V).
  • 3-way mains hook up lead Y splitter (a 2-way is actually enough).
  • Mobile mains roller power unit – used for powering the awning only.
  • Worldwide Travel Adapter with 2 USB ports (for use inside the campervan as the VW California has a 2 pin socket behind the passenger door).

Occasional electric hook up kit:

  • UK Mains hook up adapter – we only bring this if we are near a domestic outlet we might want to use – i.e. a friend’s house.
  • European mains hook up adapter – obviously only bring for European travel.

Heating and lighting

Yes, you read that heading correctly. We’re comfy campers!

We take a small heater for our annexe (both the large or small versions) to take the edge off chilly mornings and cold evenings. It’s a Kampa Cuboid low wattage fan heater designed for camping, and runs off the campsite mains power supply.

For lighting, we have a Kampa SabreLink Flex lighting system. This LED light strip is also low wattage and can be plugged into the mains or the van’s 12V supply. It sticks to the annexe ceiling with velcro but can be mounted elsewhere with some string and a little imagination.

Ramps/chocks

We do have ramps and chocks as part of our kit but rarely need to use them. It does make a real difference to sleeping in the pop-top in particular if you have the campervan nice and level. We have slept on a slope before without them and one of us ends up rolling on top of the person next to them.

Entertainment

Campervan trip essential

Games to play in the campervan

We always have a healthy supply of table games in our campervan. We keep a range to suit all ages and abilities.

Ball games and sports equipment, wetsuits

Permanently resident in the boot are a couple of tennis balls and frisbees for a bit of throw and catch fun.

Depending on the destination, we might take a plastic cricket set, football, beach toys, and wetsuits for swimming in cooler water.

Portable speaker

Noisy campsites with music blaring into the night are a pet hate.

We do enjoy listening to our own music sometimes, just not sharing it with our neighbours. So we always pack our JBL Flip 5 Bluetooth speaker (and keep the volume sensible).

Tablet/laptop

We like to get away from the tech and encourage our kids to enjoy the outdoor environment with us. They do, but the British weather can mean we spend a few hours back at our little camp while the rain passes (or doesn’t).

Carrying a tablet or laptop means we can enjoy watching a film together. It also gives us more comfortable access than phone screens to more mundane things we may have to deal with.

Just-in-case items

This category is really for things we would prefer not to use, but better to be prepared than not.

Campervan First Aid Kit

We are never too far away from a pharmacy or a doctors surgery should we need help but we keep a small box of essential first aid kit supplies with us at all times in the van.

Our campervan first aid kit comprises:

  • Nurofen tablets and Nurofen for Children
  • Savlon
  • Plasters
  • Antiseptic wipes
  • Micropore tape
  • Gauze
  • Roll of bandage
  • Hand sanitiser gel
  • Insect repellent
  • Insect bite/sting cream
  • Rennie
  • Earplugs (for noisy campsites)
  • Piriton tablets for allergies, bites, and stings

Campervan tools and extras kit

You never know when you might have to get creative on the road, so we keep a box of kit which might just come in handy if things don’t go to plan or you need to fashion a solution on the fly.

  • Bungee cords
  • Old towels
  • Clothes pegs
  • WD40
  • Tools – pliers, screwdrivers, bike multi-tool
  • Work gloves
  • Spare fuses and lightbulbs
  • Tie-down straps
  • LED torches including a head torch
  • Mobile phone charging cables
  • Strong utility cord
  • Ball bungees – very handy for attaching together almost anything.
  • Large S hooks for hanging gear in the annexe.
  • Matches
  • Milton tablets for cleaning the water tank
  • Boot buddy – great for cleaning up muddy boots and wellies before putting them in the van.
  • Gorilla glue
  • Gorilla tape
  • Carabiners

Documents

Finally, we make sure to take the documents (or copies) that we may need.

  • Passports, when travelling to Europe.
  • Vehicle registration papers.
  • Proof of insurance.
  • Campsite booking print-outs.
  • Ferry and train tickets.
  • Membership cards – roadside assistance, camping clubs, etc.

We also take photos of all of these documents with our phones and make sure to record contact numbers for our insurance company and roadside assistance.

So that’s our campervan packing list

That covers most things we consider packing for trips away in our campervan, as well as the items which have a permanent home there.

I hope you find this list useful for when you are deciding what essentials to pack for your next campervan trip. Happy travels!

Categories
Camping

9 Best Campervan Games to Play with Family and Friends

There is nothing we enjoy more than slipping off for the day and parking up somewhere green and leafy. We’ll take lunch, our bikes, and always our campervan games collection. 

It’s lovely to not have the kids asking for screen time and to switch off and have some good old fashioned family time.

Space is at a premium in a campervan so we are mindful of which ones to bring and predictably many of them are card games. Games are always one of the first items on our campervan packing list.

We are a family of four, with two kids under 12 and regularly have friends and their kids, and sometimes grandparents hang out with us so the games need to suit a range of ages and abilities.

These are the travel games residing permanently in our campervan:

1. UNO

The first time I played UNO was in Spain in 1994. My Spanish was pretty basic but luckily it didn’t need to be good to play UNO with my new Spanish friends. It was the perfect way to break the ice with people I didn’t know and to start bonding. UNO has a universal language of its own. 

The game is so easy to understand and enjoyable to play, it is a favourite for all age groups.  The UNO pack we play with today was purchased in Spain many years ago. It will always be my number one choice of travel card game to play

There is a junior version of this game for very young children with animal pictures instead of numbers.

Each player is dealt a hand of 7 cards. They consist of number cards of four different colours, and various action cards. The other players use their action cards to trip you up as you play so they can be the first to discard all their cards.

The objective of the game is pretty simple – be the first to lose all 7 of your cards and win.

The stated age range is 7+ but I’d argue kids younger than 7 can get the hang of UNO. Our kids have been playing since they could recognise numbers.

Game:UNO
Players:2-10
Age:7+
Cost:£6.99

2. Skip-Bo

From the maker of UNO, comes Skip-Bo. I was introduced to this game in Australia in 2005. In those days Australian TV seemed to consist mostly of old episodes of the Bill, or US crime series with various acronyms (NCIS, CSI, etc), or reality cooking shows. None of these interested me much, so many an evening was given up to board and card games.

As much as I love UNO I have to say Skip Bo comes in a close second. Once you start playing it is utterly addictive and before you know it, it’s way past midnight and you’re still going. You know you’re on to a winner when you just can’t walk away and go to bed. 

The rules and objective of Skip-Bo are more complex than UNO so might be a bit out of reach for younger kids, but I’d say the 7+ rating given on the box is accurate.

Each player has a stockpile of cards, how many depends on how lengthy a game you want to play. You spend the cards in your stockpile by building up piles in the centre of the table from numbers one to twelve in chronological order.

The objective of the game is to lose your stockpile of cards first. The winner is the first player who manages to discard their pile.

Lots of strategy in this game, lots of opportunity to thwart your opponents. As I said, utterly addictive.

Game:Skip-Bo
Players:2-6
Age:7+
Cost:£10.00

3. Dobble

We purchased Dobble for our first camper van trip with the kids. As a family, we absolutely love this game. The kids wipe the floor with us every time, they are so quick. 

We’ve played this game one-on-one, as a group of four and all the mini games they all also suggest on the instructions. It really is a level playing field this one and a game where the kids have the upper hand it seems so it’s a favourite with them.

This last New Years Eve, our friends came to stay and  we jumped on the bandwagon and purchased ‘Cards Against Humanity’. Everyone we knew had played it and sung it praises so we went out and bought it. We did two rounds and I would happily never see it again. I’m no prude and I have a decent sense of humour. I just found the premise of it really juvenile.

We put it away and out came Dobble. A game for juveniles. We played it until the small hours, absolutely hilarious. Never gets boring, you just get more competitive, especially if you start scoring.

We’ve also got the Harry Potter version of Dobble, but it doesn’t really improve on the original. Even though we are very familiar with Harry Potter, we’ve read all the books, watched all the films, I haven’t got the recall for the people or objects in the series to win. Give me the original any day.

The cards are dealt out equally amongst the players. Each player plays a card face up simultaneously on the table and the first one to call out a picture which appears on both cards, wins the cards.

The objective is simple – to win the most cards.

Game:Dobble
Players:2-8
Age:6+
Cost:£10.99

4. Boggle

We used to have a Boggle lunchtime club at my old place of work. I wouldn’t miss it, brilliant fun. There was one guy who wiped the floor with the rest of us. His cognitive function was on another level. 

There were 5 letter and 6 letter words he would pull out of the grid that none of the rest of us spotted. Every. Single. Lunchtime. I learned a lot from him though to up my game, so I didn’t mind the daily thrashing.

Many a wet afternoon has been whiled away in the van playing Boggle. It’s a more challenging game for younger players so we have special rules for younger players so that everyone can take part.

The game starts with the 16 cubic dice being shaken in a covered tray. They settle into a space and 16 letters are left faced up. The countdown is on to spot words in the grid.

The objective of this game is to spot the most words with the letters joined in the grid of letters with the longer the word, the more you score. The highest scorer wins.

Game:Boggle
Players:1+
Age:8+
Cost:£9.00

5. Monopoly Deal Card Game

I’m pretty sure at one time we had 10 different Monopoly sets in this house, ranging from a Simpsons version, to various cities and countries.

Imagine our glee when a card version of Monopoly came out – Monopoly Deal.

Like all the best games, it’s addictive and hard to walk away. A quick trial round to pick up the basics and you’re good to go.

It’s much quicker than a normal game of Monopoly, which sadly I don’t have enough time to play these days.

The game starts with players collecting a maximum number of cards in their hand. You can charge rent, swap properties, steal properties and demand money from the other players.

The objective is to be the first player to create three sets of properties. The first to do so is the winner.

Not a travel game for younger kids due to the strategy involved.

Game:Monopoly Deal
Players:2-6
Age:8+
Cost:£4.49

6. Sushi Go!

It might seem odd, but this card game is based on a sushi meal. In our house, sushi is our no 1 favourite treat. No surprise then that this game made its way into our campervan game collection.

The kids love the cute kawaii-style illustrations on the cards as much as they love eating sushi itself.

The game is won on a points-based system, amassed over three rounds so the 8+ age limit suggested on the box is possibly a bit unrealistic. Younger kids would struggle to follow the objective of the game and be able to engage with it.

The objective of the game is to collect groups of sushi and score the most points.

Game:Sushi Go!
Players:2-5
Age:8+
Cost:£12.99

7. Matilda Card Game

This lovely card game is inspired by the Roald Dahl book, Matilda. It is a version of the traditional chase the ace card game. 

The Matilda card game is a favourite with our kids as it is so easy to play and especially so if they are familiar with characters in the story. This has been a keeper in our travel games collection as it is great for young children to understand the rules of how to play and win.

The cards are dealt out evenly between the players. Each player keeps their cards close to their chests. The cards are fanned out and offered to the person on the left to choose one. If they select a card they also possess, they have a matching pair and those cards are discarded from the game.

The objective of the game is to NOT be left with the Trunchball card in your hand at the end of the game. 

These cards are beautifully illustrated by Quentin Blake, just as in the Roald Dahl story books.

Game:Matilda Card Game
Players:2-6
Age:3+
Cost:£5.00

8. Perudo

Perudo is another one of those games introduced to me in Australia. It was a firm favourite on the board game/card game circuit before I had young children.

It has all the hallmarks of a good game, strategy, addictiveness and brilliant fun to play with a group of friends.

Perudo comes out now for mostly the grown-ups to play as the rules are a bit hard to understand for younger players.

It’s a dice and cup game, so takes up a bit more space than the card games so we only bring it if we know we are going to have the right group to play with.

Perudo is a version of Liar Dice, and takes bluff, guesswork, skill and a bit of luck. Great fun.

Each player has 5 coloured dice and a corresponding coloured cup. Simultaneously, each player shakes their dice in the cup and turns the cup onto the table. Holding it there over the dice, the player takes a peek to see what numbers have been shaken. 

The objective of the game is to bluff and trick the other players in to guessing how many of each number of dice  they have under their cup. The next player in line calls “dudo” (“I doubt it” in Spanish) if they think the player is lying.

Players lose dice through being caught out.

The objective is to be the only player left with dice in the game.

The recommended age is 8+, but I’d say age 8 is too young to play this game properly. More suitable for young teens upwards.

Game:Perudo
Players:2-6
Age:8+
Cost:£20.00

9. Exploding Kittens

This card game is a hilarious favourite with the kids. The cute card illustrations and the slightly shouty language used in the game tap into exactly into what the kids are into. 

It’s a bit quirky, as some of the (strange) cartoons our kids like to watch. Think Adventure Time, Gravity Falls, or Star and the Forces of Evil. I put this game in the same category.

Not one of my absolute favourite games, but playable enough. There’s good strategy involved and interesting twists and quirks in the game to keep interest. A round lasts from 10-20 minutes depending on how many players are in the game.

Players draw a card from the draw pile. The idea is to avoid drawing an exploding kitten card as this removes the player from the game. If they do draw an exploding kitten card, it can be counteracted with a number of actions. 

The objective is to be the last player standing with the other players having been eliminated from the game.

Game:Exploding Kittens
Players:2-5
Age:7+
Cost:£19.99

Favourite campervan games, for now

We’ve shared with you our current and proven favourite campervan travel games.

We often try out new games and will feature any that become regulars. One thing is clear – campervan games are always part of our campervan holiday packing list.

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