Went camping for first time! Im40. Never again lol

I hate it too..my OH would like to but I was reminded of me at 17 in a wet weekend in the lakes in a crap site with an extra long queue for the toilets in the morning (2 toilets both occupied and sitting there for an extra long clear out!) I was cold,wet and miserable and begged to go home during the night to my ex who had took me so we did..never again it was awful!

YANBU, and I say that as someone who loves camping! If you are cold and uncomfortable, it’s miserable.

I’ve got a great set up and very good camping gear, so I can enjoy things (and stay warm/dry even in winter months). But I know that I would be feeling bloody awful if I didn’t have the right gear!

I feel your pain! My DDs were always on at me to go camping 🤦🏼‍♀️ I had only ever camped at Glastonbury and I hated it. I eventually acquiesced and spent months getting all the equipment together. A decent tent, beds, sleeping bags, cooking things … so much stuff! I then packed my car until there wasn’t an inch to spare, drove for hours to a family friendly campsite and then had to essentially build us a home. I slept really badly, I was cold and cooking was beyond basic. We had to walk across a wet field to use the toilet and/or brush our teeth. I was so depressed 😂 I stopped in the middle of the field after three nights and said if they promised they would never ask me to ‘go camping’ ever again, I would find us a really nice hotel for the duration of the holiday. They were so happy and relieved too 😂 Three days later, I had to deconstruct my entire canvas home and pack it all up again. Pick the holiday out of that! It was never repeated.

That is such an accurate description but you forgot to add the moaning children.

Evil Laugh

Yeah. Camping sucks lol.

@murasaki that’s my rule too! I will make exception for a large comfortable caravan.

OP .... you have made a very wise decision.

Civilisation has progressed over thousands of years with the purpose of preventing us having to live in squalor. There is no need to turn the clock back!

I hate it. I’ve been three times in my life and hated each one. Not the holiday but the actual having to live in a tent. The last one I was so cold I had to go to bed fully clothed every night, and at all three I had to use shower/toilet blocks, and as someone who always needs the loo at about 3 in the morning it’s not great. And we were frying breakfast ouside in the rain. Never again.

DH went wild camping frequently as a teen with BB, weekly in the summer. Minimal stuff, washing in rivers, he loved it. Went once as an adult and complained non stop. I did warn him.

BIL (who had never been) decided camping would be the answer to all his holiday issues. Went and spent thousands, got the biggest tent he could find.
Went once, it rained, didn’t dry the tent when he got back. Binned it all.

I hate camping. I hate ramming the car full with stuff. I hate setting everything up. I hate the airbeds slowly deflating. I hate smelling of smoke. I hate cooking shit food on a camping stove. I hate sitting in camping chairs. I hate being freezing cold at night. I hate having nowhere to hang soggy towels to dry properly. I hate washing up. I hate packing everything up and trying to get the blasted tent back in the bag. And i hate having to unpack the car when getting back. And then cleaning everything before putting it away.

Last time for me camping.
I arrive with a tent and sleeping bag and my back pack.
The amount of stuff others had was un real.
Same night i said i was going to bed early i went to a local hotel and booked in.
Went back to the camp early the next morning.
Said id got up earlier and went for a walk.
I said i didnt feel well and went home that afternoon.
It was bloody boring and to much faffing for me.
Got home and booked a flight to Spain.

Can manage one night only, much prefer pods or safari tents with real beds

Nooooo!

It's perfect! 🤣

Pretty much everything.

I’d actuality pay NOT to go camping! 😆 I’ve lived over 50yrs and have never camped, don’t see the attraction of pretending you’re homeless and spending money doing it, no thanks. Didn’t go to festivals as a teen, friends even offered to pay for my tickets if I’d camp with them…yeah, no thanks! It’s cold, uncomfortable, packing and unpacking and setting it all up…give me a hotel any day! And before anyone says..how do you know you don’t like it if you’ve never tried it?? Well, I’ve never tried potholing but I know I’d hate it! All my kids have achieved gold Dukes of Edinburgh so having parents that hate camping hasn’t stopped them..

Get a 3 season sleeping bag. And a silk bag liner ( for warmth and cleanliness).
Wear thermals in bed.
DEET spray for pests.
Or camp at the Hilton...!

Same! I always think I could live like this!

I had this experience at 13. I've refused to even set foot inside a tent ever since. Humans invented roofs, walls, plumbing and electricity to avoid that sort of thing.

Oh plus campfires and a wild wee under the stars. What's not to love about that!

Oh, OP, I love it!

I've done camping all my life. I love the slower pace, cooking outdoors, the peace. I always sleep better (have a great sleeping bag!) And always set up the pitch thinking, "I could live here forever!"

We always camp in secluded places, few other people, no electrics and we eat well.

I love it. It's my happy place!

Jungle formula spray

I used to enjoy it when I was in my 30s but now I'm in my 50s I prefer the comfort of a caravan.

MN does have a Camping board!

I’ve only ever spent one night under canvas in my life, it was an impromptu thing, relative was having a birthday celebration at a campsite and we ended up staying the night in a spare tent. Didn’t sleep a wink what with being so uncomfortable and DB snoring his head off in the next tent, and the toilet/shower block was fucking GRIM.

We only go to very small, basic campsites. So not very expensive.

I love being out in nature. I actually enjoy going out for a wee in the night! It’s so still and often see the early sunrise which I never would at home.