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Can a camping trip be labelled a complete and utter failure if you give up at 3.30am and retreat to your Mothers spare bedroom.

29 replies

Slubberdegullion · 12/08/2007 13:32

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?

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Kbear · 12/08/2007 13:34

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

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Kbear · 12/08/2007 13:35

sorry, not very supportive but funny as...

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donnie · 12/08/2007 13:43

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

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harleyd · 12/08/2007 13:46

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

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Slubberdegullion · 12/08/2007 13:56

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.

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Kbear · 12/08/2007 14:00

At least you know things can only get better!

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Doodledootoo · 12/08/2007 14:04

Message withdrawn

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Slubberdegullion · 12/08/2007 14:12

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.

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Troutpout · 12/08/2007 15:20

sorry ...but...

...very funny

Yes, it can only get better after that

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ChippyMinton · 12/08/2007 15:24

Lucky you were in your parents backgarden then.

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tortoiseSHELL · 12/08/2007 15:26

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!

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expatinscotland · 12/08/2007 15:28

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 .

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Mercy · 12/08/2007 15:31

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?

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sarah293 · 12/08/2007 15:33

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Message withdrawn

puppydavies · 12/08/2007 19:22

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

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sallystrawberry · 12/08/2007 19:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sallystrawberry · 12/08/2007 19:37

This reply has been deleted

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WanderingTrolley · 12/08/2007 19:40

roffle at riven's horse guest

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motherinferior · 12/08/2007 19:45

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.

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LadyTophamHatt · 12/08/2007 20:14

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.

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Slubberdegullion · 13/08/2007 08:16

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.

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Stroo · 13/08/2007 16:54

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.

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Slubberdegullion · 13/08/2007 16:59

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 )

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WanderingTrolley · 13/08/2007 17:01

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)

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Stroo · 13/08/2007 21:51

Now there's a thought!

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