The Ultimate Camping Dictionary

At Alan Rogers, we're experts in all things camping, caravanning and motorhoming. This pastime has a host of words and phrases that can be alien to newbies or first-timers, so we've compiled the ULTIMATE camping dictionary!

A

AFFF (acronym) Stands for Aqueous Film Forming Foam. A type of fire suppressant used in fire extinguishers. Recommended for use in the event of a caravan or motorhome fire. 

A-frame tent A type of tent with a pointed peak that looks like the letter 'A' when viewed head-on.

Aires Also known as motorhome stopovers. Public parking areas or private land where motorhome and caravan users may stop overnight for free or for a small fee.

Airstream Trailer An American brand of caravan easily recognised by the distinctive shape of its rounded shape and polished aluminium exterior.

Almost Wild Camping Camping grounds in rural locations that offer a legal wild camping experience but have basic facilities available such as a covered or indoor toilet and running water.

ALW (acronym) Actual Laden Weight. The net weight of a motor vehicle or trailer, together with the actual weight of goods or passengers or both carried by the vehicle or trailer.

ATC (acronym) Active Trailer Control. A safety feature built into newer models of caravans designed to stabilise a caravan when it is being towed.

B

Beach Clean A community or leisure activity which involves litter-picking on a beach or other public area. Find out more.

Bell Tent A canvas tent with a circular base and pointed peak with an A-frame entrance. 

Billy  Short for billy can. Australian slang. A portable metal container used to cook food or boil water over a campfire or stove.

Breakaway Cable An emergency mechanism cable which ensures that a car and caravan remain attached to each other in the unlikely event that the tow unit becomes unhitched. 

C

Carabiner A metal clip that has a variety of uses.

Caravan Stabiliser A mechanism that prevents a caravan from snaking whilst being towed.

CDP (acronym) Stands for Chemical Disposal Point. A dedicated waste area for disposing of chemical toilet waste.

Certified Locations Independently owned campsites that are managed by the Caravan and Motorhome Club.

Certified Sites Independently owned campsites that are managed by the Camping and Caravan Club.

Champing A portmanteau of church and camping. A relatively new trend in the UK which sees unused or rural churches rented out to campers with all the necessities of glamping and access to on-site facilities.

Chemical Toilet A type of portable toilet that uses chemicals to break down sewage as opposed to a mains-connected toilet which is connected to a sewer system. 

Club Centre A rally organised by an official Caravan and Motorhome Club centre. You have to be a Club member to join a Club Centre Rally.

D

Denier Rating A scale used to determine the thickness of fabric. In camping, this relates to polyester tents. The higher the number, the thicker the material. The average is around 70D, while 150D is thicker and longer lasting.

Dome Tent A type of tent that has a rounded structure instead of a pointed peak.

Double-Wall Construction Tents that have two layers: the fly or waterproof exterior and the canopy, or breathable inner wall.

Dutch Oven A thick-walled cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid, often made of cast iron, that is placed over a campfire to cook food. Also known as a casserole dish.

E

Escorted Holidays which are led by a tour host as a group rather than independently. Find out more about escorted motorhome tours with Worldwide Caravan and Motorhome Tours.

Europlug A flat, two-pole, round-pin domestic AC power plug, rated for voltages up to 250 V and currents up to 2.5 A that is used widely in mainland Europe.

Excursion An arranged activity or tour that forms part of a motorhome holiday or rally.

Extension Mirrors Mirrors that attach to a car's wing-mirrors to allow the driver to see what is behind when towing a caravan. 

F

FKK (acronym) A German abbreviation for Freikörperkultur, it translates to free body culture. A term that originated in 1889 as the precursor to naturism, meaning communal nudity. Find out more here.

Free Beach Another name for a nudist or naturist beach. Find out more here.

Full Hookup A term used in reference to a motorhome or caravan's level of access to campsite utilities. Full hookup pitches provide campers with access to water, wastewater and electricity. Sometimes abbreviated to FHU (Full Hookup).

Fully Serviced Pitch Another name for full hookup.

G

Gear Loft A small compartment, built into the roof of some tents where one can store extra equipment.

Gaz A French term meaning gas.

Geo-dome A dwelling often used for glamping consisting of a spherical thin-shell structure covered with waterproof plastic, canvas or other lightweight, flexible and hardwearing fabric.

Gite (also Gîte) A self-catering holiday cottage. 

Glamping A portmanteau of glamorous and camping. Referring to camping in luxury, often in unconventional accommodation like a teepee, yurt or treehouse.

Ground Stakes Metal anchors which are used to keep a tent fastened securely to the ground.

Guyline Cables that are used to help secure a tent in place by being anchored into the ground.

Gypsy Caravan Also known as a Vardo or Romani wagon. A traditional horse-drawn carriage historically used by British Romani travellers and now a popular glamping dwelling. Mostly made of wood with ornate hand-painted exteriors and interiors, a stable door, windows and a small balcony.

H

Hardstanding A dedicated area on which a motorhome or caravan sits for the duration of a stay on a campsite. It can be grassy, tarmacked, gravelled or concreted.

Hydrostatic Head A measure of how waterproof tent material is. The higher the HH figure, the more waterproof the material is.

I

Independent Opposite of escorted. Find out more about independent motorhome tours with Worldwide Caravan and Motorhome Holidays.

INF (acronym) International Naturist Federation. An organisation which represents naturists and other naturist organisations, charities and clubs. Find out more here.

K

King Pole A type of adjustable pole to to prop up the fabric of a tent door to create a canopy.

L

Leisure Battery A portable power source used to run appliances inside a caravan or motorhome.

LNT (acronym) Leave no trace - the act of leaving a pitch or camping ground as you found it upon arrival.

M

Marshal A person who leads a caravan or motorhome rally.

MAW (acronym) Maximum Authorised Weight. The maximum weight of a vehicle or trailer, including the maximum load that can be carried safely while used on the road. 

Mayday Breakdown insurance from the Caravan and Motorhome Club. 

N

Nakation A portmanteau of naked and vacation. The act of holidaying naked (either on a campsite or as part of a club). Find out more here.

Noseweight A mechanism that provides weight, or downward force on your tow bar when it's being towed.

O

Outfit A collective term to describe a car and caravan as a singular item.

Owners Clubs A club which a caravan or motorhome owner can join, often depending on the make of a vehicle (eg. Baileys, Swift, AutoTrail)

P

Pitch A dedicated area on which a tent, caravan or motorhome sits for the duration of a stay on a campsite.

Pop-Up Campsite A temporary campsite, often set up for events or to increase capacity during peak periods. 

R

Rain Fly An extra exterior covering to keep a tent protected from rain.

Rally A group caravan and/or motorhome trip with pre-booked campsites and organised excursions, led by a rally marshal and organised by a rally organiser.

Rally Organiser An individual or company who organises the logistics of a rally, often in collaboration with a rally marshal.

Red Pennant Overseas holiday insurance from the Caravan and Motorhome Club.

Rented Accommodation Fixed accommodation located on a campsite that can be rented out.

Rest Area Similar to aires. Roadside lay-by or car park used by motorists to rest before continuing with their journey.

Roof Top Tent A tent that can be fitted to the roof of a vehicle, allowing the user to sleep off the ground.

Roll-on, Roll-off Also known as ROROs. Ships that are designed to carry road vehicles and allow for easy boarding and disembarking by rolling on and off.

RV (acronym) Recreational vehicle - an American-style leisure vehicle that is often larger than traditional caravans and motorhomes.

S

Safari Tent Traditionally used on African safari expeditions. A large tent with a framework of poles and canvas walls and roof, standing off the ground on stilts with clear vinyl windows and shutters. For glamping usage, fitted with kitchen, living space, bedrooms, bathroom and a wood-fired range.

Seasonal Pitch A similar concept to a holiday home. A pitch on which you can leave your caravan without needing to tow it to and from a site. 

Season Rating A scale used to determine how insulating sleeping bags are, ranging from 1 to 5. 

Shepherd's Hut A portable dwelling often constructed of corrugated iron with wooden or iron wheels, a stable door, a stove and small windows. Traditionally found in the UK and parts of France, they were used by shepherds during sheep raising and lambing from the 15th century until the mid-20th century. Now used for glamping opportunities.

SIM (acronym) Self-inflating mattress. A portable mattress which self-inflates when a valve is opened. 

S'more A traditional American campfire snack made by putting a melted marshmallow and a piece of chocolate between two Graham crackers (similar to a British Digestive biscuit).

Snowbirds Snowbirds are campers, caravanners or motorhomers who plan their camping destinations to avoid cold weather in the winter.

Spork A portmanteau for a utensil that combines the features of spoon and fork. 

Squat-Style Toilets Also known as hole-in-the-ground toilets, these are toilets that are sunken into the ground, lack a seat, and require the user to squat.

Static Referring to static caravans.

Staycation A portmanteau of stay and vacation. The act of holidaying locally rather than going abroad

T

Tepee A cone-shaped tent traditionally made of animal skins and used by North American Indians. Modern tepees are made of canvas and are a popular glamping choice.

Textile The opposite of naturism- to be clothed. Find out more here.

Theftcheck A database of stolen leisure vehicles compiled by the Caravan and Motorhome Club.

Towbar A device that connects a vehicle to a caravan or trailer for flat towing.

Tree House A small house built or placed up in the branches of a tree.

Twin Axle A caravan with two axles and four wheels.

U

Underbelly Refers to the underside of a caravan or motorhome, where pipes and other utilities can be found.

W

what3words A geolocation system which allows for precise location-finding by designating every 3-metre square on earth a unique combination of three words. Available online and via an app. For example, Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square, London is identified by ///beans.again.voting.

Wigwam An American Indian dwelling, usually of rounded or oval shape, formed of poles overlaid with bark, mats, or skins. Similar to a tepee, modern usage for glamping.

Wild Camping The act of camping in the wild rather than on a campsite.

Y

Yurt A tentlike dwelling, traditional to rural Mongolia. Cylindrical in shape with poles around the outer wall and canvas walls and roof, often covered by felt or skins.