PEC Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 I am looking for the "ideal" set which would include a 2 people- tent, two one-piece matresses and two sleeping bags, all fitting nicely in the boot once folded. It might be unrealistic but I am sure some of us have plenty of experience and lead me to the right products and where to find them. If totally unrealistic, I am all ears to listen to practical tried and tested solutions! Thank you very much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted July 2 Member Share Posted July 2 Does it have to all fit in the boot... it's easy to increase capacity with dry bags strapped on top. Is there any space in the passenger footwell? We cycle with all of that kit and cooking gear: two panniers and a bar bag each, and the tent on top of one rack and the mats on the other. So it might just be possible. Mats: Do you want full length? And do you want them to also work as chairs? We use Therm-a Rest full length. Tent: Robert Saunders Base-Packer 2 twin porch... more than forty years old... Jack, handle, tools and spares can all go in the engine bay. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM25T Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 We have a lightweight solution. Useful buildings called hotels. 1 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miker7 Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 19 minutes ago, SM25T said: We have a lightweight solution. Useful buildings called hotels. I've heard these often have hard standing for the cars to rest on - no worries them getting a bad nights sleep with tickly grass between the treads or hurting their sumps on bumps in a field. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ainsley Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 Have a look at Alpkit website. Very good kit that's been tried and tested. Lots of small tents you can use. I have loads of their stuff and use it for cycling and motorcycle touring, where carrying space is even more limited. I have a 3 man tent that fits and two single blow up mattresses that roll up tiny. The 3 man tent doesn't take up much more space, but allows way more room inside and a porch. Down sleeping bags are best as they can be squashed tiny. It would all fit in the boot. Oh, and a flask of single malt means you never have an uncomfortable night. Just a sore head for breakfast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadership Team SLR No.77 Posted July 2 Leadership Team Share Posted July 2 Basically anything that is suitable for lightweight backpacking works well with the 7. We use Snugpack "Softie 2" sleeping bags which pack really small plus small camping pillows, the inflatable pillows from Go-Outdoors are tiny when deflated. Each sleeping bag will actually fit inside a helmet which we've needed to do travelling to Le Mans. Inflatable sleeping mats from Thermarest are ideal particularly the shorter versions. The choice of tents is massive and basically down to how much you're prepared to pay. The Terra Nova Trisar 2 is about as small as you'd probably go, but there's cheaper decent tents from the likes of Vango. Shorter sleeping mats are better if the tent tapers a lot at the back end. Don't forget a couple of chairs and a table make things much more comfy, Helios do superb ones that pack really small but are expensive, lots of Chinese knock-offs available though. Stu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkeywood Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 Great way to travel! We toured Eire quite a while back and stayed in some wonderful off the beaten track places. We use an OverBoard 60 litre roll top dry duffle bag which goes in the boot neatly for the camping gear. That takes a Vaude Terraquattro 3P, Thermarest NeoAir Xlite mats and Trekker chairs, down bags (RAB Ascent 500) and a small cooking set for porridge and coffee kickstart to the day - MSR Dragonfly, cheap 2 pan and & kettle set, Handpresso Espresso maker (best bit of camping kit I’ve bought!). Then it’s a couple of OverBoard 20 litre dry tubes for clothes etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Support Team Shaun_E Posted July 2 Support Team Share Posted July 2 I second the Therm-a-rest mat idea for sleeping on and, when rolled up, they can usually fit behind the seats as long as you aren't' a tall driver with the seat right back. Any decent sleeping bag will pack small and there is plenty of small, light-weight cooking stuff available. Pack everything in dry bags especially clothes and sleeping bag. A boot bag (e-bag) can massively increase your luggage space. We used to camp for sprints and hill-climbs so we got 2 helmets and race suits in the boot plus tent (3 man Vango tunnel tent), 2 x thermarest, 2 x sleeping bags, 2 x chairs, cooking kit and of course beer and wine. As we are both short we had quite a bit of space behind the seats which helped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W33SVN Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 The Wingman for the Road’s Goose tent has been on my shopping list for a while. Designed for motorcycling, but could easily be adapted to be tied to the roll bar of a 7. Very hard wearing canvas. Comes with a sleeping bag and mattress, but I’d probably use a separate mat and bag. https://wingmanoftheroad.com/collections/camping-systems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanRo Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 I went to Le Mans last year with my son and managed to fit everything in, with dry bags bungeed on top of the boot. A small packing tent does help and also stuffing anything soft like sleeping bags behind the seats. I found that separating items and poking them into gaps is more space efficient than trying to pack everything when it is inside its own bag. These chairs were great as they pack away very small. https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/chaise-basse-pliante-de-camping-mh500-camo/_/R-p-173601?mc=8492643&c=grey_teal blue_caribbean blue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted July 2 Member Share Posted July 2 Always interesting to hear about how others approach this. For us it's mostly about cycling and walking rather than the Seven, but a couple of thoughts on reading the posts so far: There can be a lot of sitting around when camping and many of us value having a chair with back support. The chair kit for our mattresses is just some straps and thin rods and produces something like the photo below. If you use a stove powered by alcohol rather by gas the fuel bottle of last resort can be used by both the stove and the campers. Jonathan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drakman Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 Would you consider a swag, this is what we use in Australia. Mattress, bedding is included and it all just rolls up in a canvas bag. 5 mins to put up and weather proof. https://www.tentworld.com.au/buy-sale/oztrail-double-swag-bag-canvas https://www.tentworld.com.au/buy-sale/4x4-equip-dual-cab-double-swag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthonym Posted July 3 Share Posted July 3 (edited) I've used a "rebag" from Softbits for many years, in my S3 all my camping gear goes in it, colman tent, gas, burner, camp pan, thermarest etc etc Any hiking gear or biker gear usually works. no need to book anything, just drive til I drop and land at the nearest camp site, or (rarely) wild camp. Nearby rivers can be freeeezing cold meltwater to wash in.. 😉. that was Norway... Heavy use of compression sacks. note: rebag is not waterproof so everything in it is in ziplock bags. p.s. PEC is this SV or S3? !! Edited July 3 by anthonym Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moorsd123 Posted July 3 Share Posted July 3 For a neat solution the Softbits Re-Bag or Oxted equivalent (which I have) gives you a lot more space. When combined with lightweight back packing camping gear, everything fits OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkD Posted July 3 Share Posted July 3 Can the Re-bags be used with the full hood up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moorsd123 Posted July 3 Share Posted July 3 Yes, they are slightly profiled so the full hood fits...this is mine fitted with the full hood. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthonym Posted July 6 Share Posted July 6 Is the Oxred version waterproof? (SBS isn't) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM25T Posted July 6 Share Posted July 6 I wouldn't trust any such bags without putting contents in drybags first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mirylees Posted July 6 Share Posted July 6 (edited) This was us on our way to Silverstone a few years ago. Big tent - "Freedom Trail Sendero 4 Family Tent" (wifey says must be able to stand up in the thing) Double airbed, sleeping bags plus air pillows. All in a standard cockpit boot. Everything else on the outside including waterproof Samsonite case plus drybags for washing gear etc., etc. Washing up bowl behind the spare wheel. Home to home! 🙂 Edited July 8 by David Mirylees 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted July 6 Member Share Posted July 6 1 hour ago, David Mirylees said: Washing up bowel behind the spare wheel. We hang ours on a line tied to a tree. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K7 VCT Posted July 6 Share Posted July 6 We camped with my old K-series with a spare wheel luggage rack, that held a cool box with stove, plates, etc etc and a dry bag. Tye tiny 2 man mountain tent and roll mats were trapped to the roll bar. Luckily we had 10 days fine weather in Cornwall hit a puncture in the campsite however and had a 3 day wait for a replacement tyre... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miker7 Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 How much rear vision do people have. I find it's not great normally, and with these setups I'm suspecting it's almost non existent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mirylees Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 Rear view still good - unless I need to read a number plate of an SUV travelling too closely behind 😞 I suppose it depends where your rear view mirror is placed - the side mirrors cater for blind spots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM25T Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 On 07/07/2024 at 09:27, Miker7 said: How much rear vision do people have. I find it's not great normally, and with these setups I'm suspecting it's almost non existent. Decent convex side mirrors on long sturdy arms fitted to stanchions give good rear view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john g Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 Spoiler This is what happens when SWMBO comes along when camping… 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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