Camping. Yay or nay?

[Don Barzini]

I don’t consider myself “a camper”. Apart from a single weekend with cubs, I never did it as a kid. Would have been my parents idea of hell.

Now I’m the parent with three young kids. Prior to right now as I write, we’d been on one “glamping” trip (stayed in a ready made shed/shack). And one proper camping weekend (pitched our own tent on a campsite). Each time we went, we went with two other families of experienced campers who had all the gear and knew what they were doing. And, crucially, we had great weather each time.

I’m currently sat on a campsite in Wales. Again we’ve come camping with other families and arrived yesterday evening. Around five minutes before we arrived, the heavens opened and it peed it down. Torrential rain and howling winds did not stop until around 6am this morning. I pitched my tent in driving rain and became soaked to my skin within a matter of minutes. I thought I would never get dry again.

No matter what we tried, what action we took, we could not stop the inevitable. Literally everything got bloody soaking wet. As I lay in my sleeping bag last night unable to sleep due to worrying my tent would take off, I vowed never to camp again!

Today the sun has come out. With the help of the campsite tumble dryer, we’re sort of back to a position of having dry stuff. I’m currently sat with a beer while the kids are off playing with their friends. And it’s ok.

But by God, last night I was ready to get up and drive home! But for the fact that we were with other people, I would have happily left!

So how about you? If you’re a camping lover, can you really enjoy a night like I’ve just described?! If so, how?! How is getting soaked to the bones at the mercy of the elements an enjoyable or relaxing break/holiday?! Why do we do it?!?!

 

[Blue in Munich]

Wouldn't be my first choice, it would be something done purely out of necessity if there was no other option. And I'd be on my own; the only way Mrs BiM would be under canvas is if there was a painting suspended from the ceiling.

 

[Crazyface]

Nothing, but nothing, would ever get me under canvas, as my wife and family know as I have drilled it into them to make sure they never EVER book a camping holiday.

 

[IanM]

Absolutely not a chance of me ever going camping. For the reasons you've discovered this week.

Beware..."glamping" is a marketing scam to make Miranda & Giles from Twickenham pay lots to kip in a small shed. ?

Also, I don't get it when you see an expensive car towing a caravan! Strewth, if you can afford a Range Rover, you can afford a hotel????

 

[SocketRocket]

If anyone catches me camping in a tent they have my permission to shoot me. I've been too wet, too hot, too insect bitten in the past to never want to do it again.

 

[srixon 1]

I’ve just arrived back home in Dorset after a week away in Cornwall. Thankfully we were staying in a lovely cottage. If we’d have been camping we would have been washed away. It’s not for me.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Nay, nay and thrice nay ?. I've stayed in caravans, pods as well as cottages and the like but tents are a complete no no. I stayed in a tent on a hockey tour when a student and your experience of getting wet and then never being able to get dry resonated very strongly. I wouldn't camp after that and nothing tempts me to change my view.

 

[Tashyboy]

On Wednesday, Tashyboy is off to Coast Rica. Mid week three day two nights in Derbyshire and Staffordshire. Last weekend 2 nights having a bonding session with grandson at an activity place near Newark. Earlier this year other hols inc a couple of days in a static. Ave done loads of different types of holidays. Including tents and camping. I have loved them all. Kids love the excitement of sleeping in a tent and camping. Am sure they never worried a bit that the tent might blow down. Missis T spent a night last year sleeping on the back garden in a tent with the grand sproggs. They loved. It was an adventur. Ave had some fantastic times camping including duke of Edinburgh award at school and loved it. would I do it now, probably not but Ave loved camping in the past.
Ps, ask the kids if they have enjoyed it ?

 

[IanM]

On reflection the thread title should be,

Camping? No, or Hell NOOOOOOOO?

 

[KenL]

My wife and I have camped plenty tines, but only ever for 1 night.
We don't cook, dinner and breakfast at nice restaurants. Not done it since before covid though.

 

[bobmac]

I love camping but I'm also retired so I can choose when to go with the help of the weather forecast.
18-24 deg, light winds
Perfick

 

[CliveW]

It's not real camping if you have internet and tumble driers!

 

[BrianM]

No chance, give me a holiday cottage with a hot tub any day

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Ex scout & Explorer Scout leader here
Love camping, yeah it can get interesting at times if the weather gets grim, but you just need the right clothes
??

 

[Dando]

We’ve gone from tent to trailer tent back to tent and now caravan and enjoyed them all but the tin box is by far the best

 

[Dando]

Ex scout & Explorer Scout leader here
Love camping, yeah it can get interesting at times if the weather gets grim, but you just need the right clothes
??

And don’t get let yourself get cold in the evenings

 

[Ethan]

Nay, nay and thrice nay ?. I've stayed in caravans, pods as well as cottages and the like but tents are a complete no no. I stayed in a tent on a hockey tour when a student and your experience of getting wet and then never being able to get dry resonated very strongly. I wouldn't camp after that and nothing tempts me to change my view.

Nice use of Frankie Howard there.

 

[Jimaroid]

I love camping and can deal with poor weather but you don’t know real camping misery until you’ve had to deal with an attack of the Scottish midge.

 

[Billysboots]

We've been a few times with the kids, but I must admit that before I agreed to the first trip I attached one or two conditions.

The first was that I wanted a decent sized tent. If there are four people then a six berth tent is the minimum required if you’re going for a week or more. Our first trip was two weeks, and we splashed out on an 8-berth poly cotton Outwell tent. Big enough to stand up in, and for there to be plenty of living space if the weather was iffy. The second condition was a decent site with good facilities.

The first trip was blessed with fabulous weather and we all loved it. The second trip, back to the same site, we were less fortunate. Ten days when it was wet and windy, despite it being July, but because we had a decent sized tent drying clothes was not an issue.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m a villa with pool kind of guy. But awful camping trips very often result from not being properly prepared for the worst weather the UK can throw at us.

 

[Slime]

I'm an old man ................................ so no!