Mumsnet Talk

THe only reason kids go to bed early on a a camping trip is because you ahve made them walk for miles in the day - I don;t think a trek down the garden is quite enough!

Our first camping trip was a disaster as we were unprepared but once we got a proper tent, airbeds and decent sleeping bags we have loved it.

Our trip this week was a slight disaster as it took us 24 hours to find a campsite with a vacancy which meant sleeping in the car and dp managed to get our car stuck on the edge of a very windy uphill road with a drop behind our back wheel - we were stranded until morning. BUt as expat says as soon as you get back onto terra firma with a pint in your hand the disaster becomes an adventure.

Sorry to hear about your first experience of camping but hope you don't give up on the joys of canvas.
You are now fully paid up member of camping frternity as true campers have to have at least one tale of disaster and woe.
Last year whilst camping my ds son vommited in centre of Padstow as brass band was in full flow.
Then spent night vomitting in tent joined by dh.
I developed really bad vertigo and we had to try to pack up tent feeling really ill and poor dh had to drive six hours whilst still feeling ill.
Returned to same campsite this summer and exorcised the memories and had fab time!

Our first ever camping trip was when I was 4 and in the Lake District. Picked a very rural site in Borrowdale. Dad couldn't understand why all the other campers were clustered together at one side of the pitch, so we set up in glorious isolation the other side. The first night, the wind howled and the rain chucked so dad got up and slung a rope over the tent to try and assure it stayed anchored to the ground but unfortunately this, and the fact we didn't know not to have anything touching the sides of a canvas tent meant that, come the morning, it was actually raining INSIDE the tent, and there was a babbling mountain brook flowing THROUGH the tent.... We and everything inside it were drenched. HOWEVER, to mum's and dad's credit, they stuck it out (and we had glorious weather from then on) so we've been camping ever since, though a little wiser now!!

OFF topic here, but one thing that does annoy me a bit- my mother now in her 70's, takes the p* out of 'how much stuff' we now take camping compared with what they took BUT I'd say 90% of the 'extras' we take are things that make MY job as 'mum' easier! So I don't spend the whole trip doing house work, heating water to wash up, hand wash clothing (if at all necessary!), fetching fresh milk etc every 5 minutes. She also laughs uproariously at my desire for internet access BUT I find it SO helpful being able to look at an upto date weather forecast and rainfall radar!

This is so funny and so familiar! dd (2) threw up in her ready bed on first night of camping, luckily had spare grobag, but not fun to clean though. Me & Dh tried to zip sleping bags together, unfortunately we've both grown width ways in the last 10 yrs since we last went camping and it was a bit squahed, gave up in night and unzipped, dh couldn't zip his up properly so froze(his toggles were tangled!) and also leaking airbed and feet higher than head, BBQ stand that collapsed and sent sausgaes everywhere, at least the dog had a good time! Did have a box of wine though (over 3 nights not all in one go) boxes easier than bottles camping, that was our excuse, but can say that a hangover on last morning after struggling to finish box so didin't have to waste it/pack it, was a bit rough! Off again Thursday if the weather improves.

Now there's a thought!

lol dog lead around his ankle

I do hope this was after the dog was recaptured, and not to prevent dh following dog (which had good sense imo)

stroo. Ahhh I feel like I am being welcomed into the family of happy campers by our shared hideous experiences.

Our thermarests arrived today, as did our campinggaz stove, and some camping saucepans, and a camping kettle. Oh they are all so lovely and diddy. Am excited again, I want to go and try again.

Will maybe drink half a bottle of wine before pitching the tent, and then continue drinking until DC are asleep and see if that makes for a more entertaining night.

(possible hangover repurcussions the next morning though )

First camping trip with DSs

Opened our double sleeping bag to find it covered in mildew and unusable (we hadn't been for a while.)

DS1 wet his sleeping bag and his airbed

We had to give him our remaining sleeping bag (single).

I shared sleeping bag / airbed with DS1

DH slept under 2 foot square blanket belonging to DS1s teddy bear. And on emergency blow up (a readybed - he's 6 foot tall).

Thunder - dog runs off into campsite night (he hates it)

DH spends night under said blanket with dog lead round his ankle.

DH gets chest infection (he has asthma).

Aaaaaaaaaaah - the memories.

Alot of wine consumed needless to say.

motherinferior, give in?......NEVER . My response to the less than perfect first night under canvas is to plough more money into the project. I am about to buy an expensive wind up lantern which (had it been available in the tent) may have prevented the water/glasses incidents.

sally, alcohol (a plentiful supply) was available but not consumed as prime drinking time was otherwise taken up with returning manic children to sleeping bags. Perhaps this was our major error? The whole event would have been an enormous adventure had DH and I been paralytic.

dd fine now btw.

OMG slubber Dh and I have just been crying with laughter at your OP. Thats the funniest thing I read on MN in all the yrs I've been here.

Ds2 puked in his sleeping bag, it was our 1st camping trip too. I chucked it in the bin...it was gross.

Slubber, dearest, I have to say you always seem to me to be a Sane City Gurl pitched into this incongruous outdoor and village life. Isn't it time to give in and return to civilisation?

Personally, I think your camping trip could be described as a success, as it exemplifies What Is Wrong With Camping. Surely.

roffle at riven's horse guest

numbs the senses and allows the retrospective view of "we had a lovely time <<sigh>>" even though it pissed down and everything got soaked including your bed

where was the wine in all this??

this is the reason its at the top of every campers list

lol we had a number of similarly disastrous experiences early in our family camping career, but we pigheadedly refused to take the hint. perhaps the most memorable culminated in us fleeing from stonehenge at 2.30am on the morning of the solstice, screaming baby in the back, everyone plastered in vomit, with headlights on ancient camper working intermittently. i had visions of us being blasted to smithereens crossing salisbury plain and begged dp to pull off the road. we parked up in the carpark of a block of flats, fully expecting to find ourselves up on bricks come the morning...

it does get better, i swear

Sorry but




I could tell you about our first holiday with both kids if it would make you feel any better!

And poor dd - is she ok?

No such thing as failures when it comes to outdoor sports - death excepted in some cases (hence the famous, 'Summit or death: either way, I win!' quote, RIP, Scott Fisher), there are only experiences.

Even epics are pretty brilliant, after you're in your dry, warm home sipping a beer .

lol....

sorry!

Could have been worse - the vomit etc could have been not only in the sleeping bag but all over brand new therma-rests!

Lucky you were in your parents backgarden then.

sorry ...but...

...very funny

Yes, it can only get better after that

Well at least one positive is that it really can't get that much worse can it......I suppose the tent could have leaked, or blown over, or caught fire.

And there could have been copious diarrohea in the sleeping bag, that is much worse than vom.

And I suppose DH could have shattered into a thousand pieces which would have been a pita to clean up, and a nightmare to explain to his mother.

So room for improvement, I feel crap though that I gave up and came indoors, my mother had a 'I could have told you so, camping with 2 children that age', look all over her face.

Message withdrawn

At least you know things can only get better!

Hmmmm yes, harleyd, but on the first night?

I thought by removing the issues of campsites, cooking, washing up, etc, that we might have an easy relaxed time.

Oh how oh so very wrong I was.

The only thing that is currently causing me to want to forge ahead and have another go is the amount of money I spent on those bloody airmats that we have yet to lay eyes on.

camping is great, but everybody has a night like this at least once

well, I have always said why camp when there are hotels?

sorry, not very supportive but funny as...

I just spat my tea across the computer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111

I mean how hard can one night of camping be....in your parents back garden?

Honestly?

Lovely therm a rests I ordered on mon didn't turn up in time, so DC had to sleep on 300 blankets, and DH and I slept on the most ridiculously enormous 3 tiered air bed.

Burnt expensive sausages on bbq.

DC so excited and sugar pumped (by my mother who virtually gave them biscuits intravenously) while we put the tent up, that they didn't go to sleep until 9.45pm.
Is this normal?

DH shouted new phrase of rage:
"I'm so angry I'm going to shatter into a thousand pieces".

Rain.

Airbed leaked, causing buttocks to sink to the floor, and legs/ankles to rise up with head. Awoke to the sound of dd1 vomiting and was unable to free myself. Cue 5 mins of struggling/cursing to extricate myself from the blessed thing.

Vomit in new sleeping bag. dd1 coughing so hard also shat herself a bit.

beaker of water spilt.

Trod on glasses in the afray.

So I waved the white flag, and we gave up.

So, just remind me, Oh MN happy campers, this malarkey at some point becomes enjoyable does it?