Forget the two-hour airport security queues, liquid restrictions, frantically scrambling for passports at 4am and carrying sleeping children up a travelator. Why not pack up the car boot, roll down the windows and soak up some crisp, clean country air in the summer sunshine instead, and enjoy the beauty and adventures of a British staycation!
I totally get the temptation to jet off abroad in search of foreign lands and culture, and I’m absolutely guilty of scrolled through pictures of sparkling Mediterranean beaches while sipping a lukewarm cup of green tea in the garden. But there is a distinct, understated magic to the English countryside that overseas resorts simply cannot replicate.
When we camp on home soil, the adventure begins the moment that you pull out of the driveway. It’s a slower, more intentional way of traveling that strips away the stressful logistics of taxis and international flights, replacing them with rolling green fields, ancient woodlands and breathtaking coastlines. For children, it transforms the familiar into the extraordinary, proving that you don’t need a boarding pass to find a truely unforgettable adventure.
The Ultimate Reconnect: Mind, Body & Conversation
Daily life is so hyper-connected, with everybody obsessively glued to screens and devices, which makes my heart break as modern childhood has become a non-stop barrage of notifications, adverts and must-have trends. Stepping out of the digital grid, and noise, into a tranquil tent functions surrounded by nothing but birdsong and the rustling of the tress is an immediate reset button for the entire family, and something that I cannot recommend more highly.
When we strip away the walls and switch off the wifi, something amazing happens to our collective wellbeing. Camping is inherently active without ever feeling like forced exercise. My teenagers spend hours building dens, looking for wildlife, reading books, climbing trees and running across meadows. They fall into their sleeping bags merrily exhausted, sleeping soundly beneath the stars to the melody of hooting owls.
Nature has a magical way of lowering our cortisol levels and dissolving our stress. The soothing green palette of the English countryside and the wide, open horizon naturally calms anxious young minds, fostering creativity and a deep sense of peace that you just can’t duplicate inside of a hotel room.
When you’re camping, everyone has a job to do, which I love. Whether it’s pegging down the tent, gathering wood, or carrying the water container, being hands-on builds an incredible team dynamic that really strengthens our bond as a family. Stripped of televisions and tablets, true, deep conversation naturally fills the empty space and silence. We find ourselves laughing over burnt toast, telling ghost stories by lamplight, and truly listening to each other without a screen glowing in the background or notification pinging.
Camping On A Shoestring Budget: How To Keep Trips Affordable
One of the absolute best things about camping is that it can be incredibly budget-friendly if you bypass the commercial glamping traps. Platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Vinted, and eBay are absolutely overflowing with pristine, barely used tents and camping stoves from people who tried it once, decided it wasn’t for them, and want their loft space back. And borrowing kit from friends and family is even easier!
We like to look for simple, pop-up farm campsites or locations listed on camping directories, as they often charge a fraction of the price of traditional holiday parks. I find that a simple compost toilet, cold water tap and sprawling, empty field provide a much more authentic and adventurous experience than highly commercial tourist traps.
You don’t need to immediately invest in expensive kit and camping pillows, as you can take old ones from home wrapped in a bag for the journey to keep them dry. If you don’t have metal camping bowls then bring your most sturdy kitchenware instead in shopping bag. Nature doesn’t mind if your equipment doesn’t match or make its way onto your social media feed!
A Vegan Family Camping Blueprint
Packing for our family requires a little bit of strategy, as I like to keep meals nutritious, delicious, and strictly plant-based. The trick here is to lean into high-energy, one-pot meals that feel comforting after a long day being active outdoors.
So I’ve popped together a little checklist for food and equipment that you may find useful if you’re planning a camping trip this season.
🛠️ Essential Gear & Hardware
- Tent: When it comes to choosing a tent, always size up! A four person tent certainly fits four people, but you’ll be packing in like sardines. A five or six person tent gives you plenty of room for bags, movement between beds and space for rainy-day card games indoors.
- Insulated sleeping mats and beds: The ground steals your warmth, not the air. Quality mats are critical, we’ve found folding camping beds to be the best, as much like chairs they’re a series of poles and canvas that lift you off of the ground for comfort and support in one compact zip-up bag.
- Camping stove & gas: Essential for boiling water, making coffee and cooking meals, we have two windproof camping stoves and a couple of gas canisters that keep us fuelled throughout our stay.
- Coolbox: You can slip in some freezer blocks or frozen water bottles that you can drink after they defrost, keeping your fresh food and drink cool and convenient wherever your adventures take you.
- Headlamps & lanterns: Headlamps are a game-changer for midnight toilet runs when you need your hands free, as well as hanging lanterns for when you’re sitting in bed, changing or playing card games after dark. Many are rechargeable and last a long weekend, but we always keep a bag of spare batteries for just incase moments too.
🍫 Vegan Food Checklist
- Breakfast Fuel: I like to pack gluten free oats and oat milk for use in porridge and coffee. In a carton it’s easily resealable and folds flat once empty. You can add a sprinkling of chia seeds, a scoop of peanut butter and dusting of cinnamon for the ultimate feel-good breakfast no matter the weather. Porridge cooked over a camping stove is one of those meals that makes every morning feel incredible. I also keep a few bottles of Huel in the bag, as they’re nutritionally complete meals for on-the-go, packed with vitamins, minerals, fibre and protein.
- Lunch Crunch: Beans on toast is always a winner for my teenagers, and you can pack wholemeal wraps instead of bread if you’re looking to save on space. Adding a sprinkle of smoked paprika really jazzes it up. We take three tins of beans to feed a family of four, with protein bars and cuppa soups as easy, instant alternatives on the menu.
- One-Pot Dinners: Jacket potatoes wrapped in foil and thrown into the embers of the camp fire are always a winner, I like to top them with a sachet of frozen lentil dahl or vegan chilli made from home, as it acts as an ice pack for the first few days and melts just in time for an effortless dinner! Alternatively, plating up a meze of vegetable rice, lentils, salad, fresh veggies, hummus and avocado into a camping tin is just as delicious and gives you a taste of everything at once.
- Essential Snacks: I always pop a few bags of trail mix into our rucksacks as the children enjoy raisins, pumpkin seeds and vegan chocolate chips if it’s not too hot to avoid melting. Popcorn kernels as also a great space-saving hack, as we pop them in a covered pot on the stove and have a delicious fresh bowl of hot popcorn in a few minutes for games night under the stars.
10 South Coast Gems Perfect For Family Camping
Living on the outskirts of London, the south coast of England is an absolute wonderland for us. Boasting dramatic chalk cliffs, ancient forests meeting the sea and hidden sandy bays, in a mornings drive we can reach the most breathtaking spots for long weekends and overnight stays.
Here are our top ten perfect places for pitching your tent:
- The Purbeck Peninsula in Dorset: Think steam trains puffing past historic castle ruins! Corfe Castle is a must-visit, with sandy beaches at Studland, and direct access to the breathtaking Jurassic Coast. The children love hunting for fossils along the shoreline.
- The New Forest Coast in Hampshire: Where ancient woodlands meet coastal saltmarshes. You can camp under the canopy of ancient oaks, watch wild ponies wander right past your tent pitch, and take a day trip to the stony shores of Lepe Beach for incredible views of the Solent.
- High Weald & Hastings Coast in East Sussex: An area of outstanding natural beauty with dramatic sandstone outcrops hidden in deep woods, rolling right down to the historic, pebble beaches and funicular railways of Hastings. The children loved exploring the history of pirates and smugglers!
- Firestone Copse & Wootton on the Isle of Wight: If you hop on a short ferry, you can find red squirrels, tranquil tidal creeks and dense forests that run straight to the water’s edge.
- Seven Sisters & Cuckmere Haven in East Sussex: Iconic, gleaming white chalk cliffs and the meandering river valley at Cuckmere Haven is perfect for crabbing, paddleboarding, and long, breezy cliff-top walks that will guarantee a good night’s sleep for everyone.
- The Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall: The UK’s southernmost point offers a rugged, wonderfully wild landscape. The turquoise waters at Kynance Cove look like the Caribbean on a sunny day, and the area is absolutely packed with endless rock pools for children to explore.
- Chichester Harbour & Bosham in West Sussex: A peaceful labyrinth of saltmarshes, tidal creeks, and quiet lanes. It’s an absolute haven for wildlife, and you can spend your days birdwatching, crabbing from the quayside and watching small sailboats pass by.
- Whitsand Bay on the Cornwall/Devon Border: Boasting miles of dramatic, sweeping sandy beaches tucked beneath high, dramatic cliffs. It feels wonderfully wild and untamed, making it perfect for older children and teenagers wanting to try their hand at surfing or bodyboarding.
- The Roseland Peninsula in Cornwall: A more gentle, incredibly picturesque side of Cornwall. With hidden deep-water creeks, sheltered woody beaches, and tranquil waters, this area is exceptionally safe, peaceful, and magical for younger children.
- The South Downs near Lewes in East Sussex: The sweeping valleys of the chalk downs have a designated International Dark Sky Reserve, meaning once the campfire goes out, you can look up together and show your children the unfiltered majesty of the Milky Way.
So, forget the tedious flight delays, currency exchanges, and the suitcase weight-limit stress. Grab a secondhand tent, batch-cook some vegan delights, and head down to the South Coast this summer. I promise you’ll never forget the time you slept under the stars, roasted snacks over an open fire, and fell in love with the great British countryside. Happy camping!
