Eye drops and wet wipes.

We don’t know how we’d get through a week in a tent without these. Eye drops make everything that little bit more clear while there’s literally no camping task that can’t be solved by wet wipes*. (*There may be some tasks that can’t be solved by wet wipes.)

Line your bags.

Rain will happen. Your tent may (will) get wet. Your bag is not immune to moisture. To ensure some clean(ish), dry clothes for the end of your week, line your suitcase or bag with bin liners. You’ll thank us for this one.

BBQ.

Cooking while camping can be a right old pain. Make one evening a lot easier by grabbing a couple of disposable barbecues, a whole heap of meat (or meat substitute) and putting the two together. It saves on prep, washing up and there is nothing that will make it feel more like summer.

Look after your team.

Getting through the week is priority number one so make sure you take time for yourself and your team. Give each leader some time off and perhaps even try and make it to the sessions aimed specifically at youth leaders.

Get a big enough tent.

One unnamed member of Team Youthwork found herself in a tent that wasn’t big enough to stand up in last year. This made getting dressed / sorting stuff out / functioning as an actual human being somewhat difficult.

Tape off your area.

There’s nothing worse than loud, inconsiderate, litter-dropping campers trampling through your campsite in the middle of the night. A simple layer of police tape (or something similar) around your camping area ought to solve the problem. One member of the team suggested land mines, but aside from being illegal that would make your risk assessment a nightmare.