Purchasing a folding camper is just the beginning of your exciting adventure. You need to fill it up with everything that you need to best enjoy your trips now! When I first got my folding camper, I didn’t realise I’d need so much extra equipment to enjoy it as much as possible. That’s why I created this guide, pulling everything you need together into one article.
Everything you need for your trip. Here are a few examples of essentials you’ll need, although this list is far from exhaustive:
- Torches
- First Aid Kit
- Fan Heater
- Water Containers
- Portable Toilet
Above are just some examples of the bare minimum that you’ll need. In this post, I will give you a list of every essential you’ll need for your trips in your folding camper.
Folding Camper Essentials That You’ll Need
Torches
You never know when you’ll need a torch when holidaying in your folding camper. Whether your electric hookup stops working in the early hours or you need to go to the toilet, a good torch will be useful.
Although most smartphones have built-in torch functions, the light emitted is never the best. You’re better off paying a little extra for a decent torch that you can rely on.
It’s important to ensure you have a good light source when going away on any kind of camping trip, as you can never know what your electoral situation may end be like. Having a back us light source means you can still see if the worst was to happen and you were left with no electricity for lighting.
This Summit LED Multi Light Spotlight torch is a really good example of a good torch to have in your folding camper. These torches are large, hard-wearing, and durable. They have a 12 LED spotlight and lantern panel. The hook handles and carry handles mean you can use them as a spotlight torch or a lantern. I’ve used these torches, and I personally rate them very highly.
First Aid Kit
Accidents happen all the time. When you’re at home, it isn’t always a big deal. You have plasters, bandages, and antiseptic so any small injuries can be quickly dealt with. However, when you’re out in your folding camper, you won’t have emergency supplies if you haven’t purchased them.
It is important to ensure you do have a first aid kit with you in your folding camper. If you get an injury that is quite minor, it still has more of a chance of becoming infected if you’re spending a lot of time outdoors as you do while camping. This is why it is even more important o ensure any wounds are cleaned properly with antiseptic when you are outdoors. Having a first aid kit on hand means you will be prepared for these types of injuries during your time away in your folding camper.
You can buy an inexpensive first aid kit that will suffice. Most first aid kits will be small enough to keep in your folding camper permanently. This Regatta First Aid Kit contains low adhesive dressing patches, antiseptic wipes, 1m fabric strip, 1 pair of vinyl gloves, and other essentials you may need.
Fan Heater
Folding campers are cold all year round, so you’ll need heating to keep yourself warm. While you could use oil-filled radiators, using a fan heater is the quickest way to heat up your folding camper.
Although you can’t leave a fan heater unattended, you can combine fan heaters with oil-filled radiators to keep your folding camper warm. When I travel in my folding camper during the summer months, I always take oil-filled radiators and fan heaters. Since my folding camper is mainly canvas, it can be cold even during the warmer months.
There are plenty of fan heaters available, although I have personally used this Kampa Diddy Heater. It isn’t too expensive, it comes with a tip-over protection switch, and it also has two heat settings. It’s small, so you can easily store it in your camper. Even better, it’s cheap too!
Water Container
When you’re traveling in your folding camper, you’re going to need an awful lot of water. Since you won’t be directly next to a water source for your trip, you need water containers.
There are plenty of water containers available, but ideally, you need water containers that are easy to store. You don’t want massive water containers that you’ll struggle to store. You need water containers that either fold or collapse for easy storage.
You can find folding and collapsible water containers on Camping World for a great price. I bought these Outwell collapsible water containers because they’re a bit cheaper than some of the other collapsible water containers available on the market. I’ve found these really handy during my travels, and they’re easily packed away since they collapse into a much smaller size. I actually leave them in my folding camper at all times, so they’re ready to use whenever I need them.
Portable Toilet
The reasons for purchasing a portable toilet are obvious, so I won’t go into too much detail! A portable toilet is essential, even when you’re stopping at a site with toilets. No one wants to leave their folding camper at 3 am to go to the toilet!
With a portable toilet, you have the flexibility to stop wherever you want to. You don’t need to go to a campsite with toilet facilities, because you have your very own toilet in your folding camper.
Top quality portable toilets range in price from £50 to £100 on Winfields Outdoors, to give you a rough idea of how much you’d pay for one. Most come with ‘tester’ cleaning products, so you’ll also have to spend some money on cleaning products eventually. However, these don’t cost a fortune. You’ll use your portable toilet repeatedly, so it’s worth the money.
The portable toilet I use is the Thetford Porta Potti 145 Portable Toilet. I think this is a really good option for a portable toilet that is on the cheaper side as it is durable, practical and comfortable, which is everything you should be looking for in a good quality portable toilet. It has two sections that make up the toilet. The upper section combines a flush-water tank and toilet bowl with a detachable seat and cover. Click here to find out more about this portable toilet.
Crockery, Mugs, Cooking Equipment, and Cutlery
Although folding campers have kitchens, they don’t come with all the items you’ll need to enjoy it. To make the most of your folding camper, you’ll need crockery, mugs, cooking equipment, and cutlery. Fortunately, you can store most of these in your folding camper cupboards for future travels.
You can get crockery and mugs that compress so they don’t take up too much room in your camper. These then easily pack away into cupboards and leave plenty of room for other items. Non-stick cooking equipment makes your life much easier in your folding camper, so it’s worth the extra that you pay.
The best place to find crockery, mugs, cooking equipment, and cutlery designed for travelling is, again, Winfields Outdoors. There are loads of inexpensive products available that can make your life much easier. Click here to see the different sets of cooking equipment that have in stock.
Recreational Items
Want to sit back and relax in your folding camper? You’re probably going to need some recreational items. Particularly if you take children with you, they will get bored without any recreational items when it’s cold and rainy outside.
TVs with built-in DVD players are great for travelling in your folding camper. They don’t take up much room, and you can power a TV with your pleasure battery; they are great for occasions where the site you’re stopping at doesn’t have an electric hookup.
Why not take some board games with you? Board games are fun for children and adults alike, and they can offer hours of entertainment. Board games tend to take up a fair amount of room, so try and ensure you take a family favourite or two rather than all the games you own.
Emergency Kit
Putting together your own emergency kit is a good idea for peace of mind when you’re travelling in a folding camper. You never know when you’ll need an emergency kit, so it’s worth creating one that you keep in your folding camper. You can create your own kit cheaply, so it isn’t a massive investment.
Here’s the minimum that you should include in your emergency kit:
- Nonperishable food: Include foods that you can eat without cooking, such as individually wrapped snacks and canned foods. Make sure you have plenty of food available should the worst happen.
- Drinking Water: Ensure you have a stash of drinking water available because it’s absolutely essential for survival should you find yourself in trouble.
- First Aid Kit: Your first aid kit should be part of your emergency kit. It should contain essentials such as plasters, bandages and antiseptic.
- Tyre Repair Kit: If the tyres become damaged on your folding camper, you could be stuck in the middle of nowhere. Make sure you have a tyre repair kit to make any repairs quickly until you can replace the tyres.
- Backup Battery: Take a backup battery whenever you travel or leave your folding camper. Your phone, for example, is essential. That’s why you must make sure you have a backup battery at all times. If your phone is dying and you have no other power supply, you lose your most useful resource. With a backup battery, you can keep your phone going for a much longer time.
You can buy emergency kits if you want to, but they might not contain everything that you need. You are better making your own to ensure you have everything in your kit that you know you need.
