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Original poster

Camping is hell.

492 replies

Thisisnothappeningagain · 29/07/2021 02:53

I havent enjoyed camping since i was a teen. Dp is well into it 'i just chuck a few things in the car and go!' -_- (i wont even get in to how much effort it was to acquire, sort and pack everything for a family and dogs) i finally bowed to pressure and here i am, a trek across a field away from the locked, extremely poorly ventilated, toilets and no idea where in this dark tent trying to take off the key is even though ive tried to keep it in the same zipped pocket. I must have had 5hrs sleep all week.

I HAVE TRIED to be positive, but im seriously struggling to see why this is fun, or relaxing.

OP posts:
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6
pictish · 30/07/2021 08:58

I have a camping rug for family type camping. Yeah. It’s a nice one too. I prefer the softness under my feet as opposed to cold, crinkly groundsheet.

Love camping. I have enjoyed this thread though. To each their own.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 30/07/2021 09:04

@Sparklingbrook

There was a thread a few years ago about the pros and cons of car ownership and being able/not being able to drive. (That old chestnut)

Someone pointed out it would be pretty difficult to go on a family camping holiday on public transport. But some did say that it was entirely possible to take the train. Reading this thread with all the quantity of gear required I still don't think it would be.

Our tent weighs 38kg. The bag does have wheels though!
Sparklingbrook · 30/07/2021 09:07

You might just get your tent on the train then @Aroundtheworldin80moves, it's everything else that might be slightly problematic.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Camping
Aroundtheworldin80moves · 30/07/2021 09:11

@Sparklingbrook

You might just get your tent on the train then *@Aroundtheworldin80moves*, it's everything else that might be slightly problematic.
As long as the station has a lift Grin (it takes two of us to get it in and out of the car. We have smaller tents for occasions where we have to carry stuff)
Sparklingbrook · 30/07/2021 09:23

The train might be ideal for the person upthread who has a hammock and space food and not much else. Grin

rantymcrantface66 · 30/07/2021 12:10

My car was packed up like a game of Tetris for the last camping trip. No way on the world we'd get it all on to the train. Utterly impossible 😆

BrozTito · 30/07/2021 12:35

Yeah thats me sparkling, i do take the train ha. The london-york-inverrness sleeper takes you right into the best camping in the world. Then you jump back on the train to a luxuy moving hotel room.

snowdropsandcrocuses · 30/07/2021 13:06

I hate sleeping bags and plastic tents. But camping can be great fun. We have a canvas trailer tent though which has raised beds with mattress toppers and duvets. I wear ear plugs, spend money on the campsite I actually want to visit and we have a toilet and kitchen area in our tent hence not trekking to the loo in the night.

Camping really just means we can spend more money on activities and the things we not to do rather than spending the money on accommodation. And the kids love it. They can play in fresh air and meet other kids and get to feel a bit more grown up. It really is amazing. But I cannot stress enough just how important good equipment really is. I need my sleep and you'll never find me spending a fortnight on a thin air bed in a sleeping bag. Grim! Even I acknowledge though that camping can be a bit of a test on one's patience when the weather is grim. There's nothing quite like the smell of damp grass/mud in your cold clammy clothes!!

FourSeasonsTotalLandscaping · 30/07/2021 13:09

@Sparklingbrook

There was a thread a few years ago about the pros and cons of car ownership and being able/not being able to drive. (That old chestnut)

Someone pointed out it would be pretty difficult to go on a family camping holiday on public transport. But some did say that it was entirely possible to take the train. Reading this thread with all the quantity of gear required I still don't think it would be.

This is one of many many reasons we don't camp. No car. We're off to the seaside this week and carting all the stuff for a self catering break on the train is bad enough without having to take the lodging with you as well!
Sparklingbrook · 30/07/2021 13:14

@BrozTito

Yeah thats me sparkling, i do take the train ha. The london-york-inverrness sleeper takes you right into the best camping in the world. Then you jump back on the train to a luxuy moving hotel room.
Yes of course you do I would expect nothing less. Grin Do you hitch hike from the station too?
pleasedonttextmyman · 30/07/2021 13:16

This is one of many many reasons we don't camp. No car. We're off to the seaside this week and carting all the stuff for a self catering break on the train is bad enough without having to take the lodging with you as well!

I know covid has messed things up a bit, but surely for self catering you only need your own clothes and food (bought once you are there)? What else would you need to bring?

rantymcrantface66 · 30/07/2021 13:22

I know covid has messed things up a bit, but surely for self catering you only need your own clothes and food (bought once you are there)? What else would you need to bring?

Ime usually a child or 2 which makes carting stuff for 3, plus food until you can get to a shop - because you'll need to drop bags before you can go, and you need things like towels and tea towels that you don't need in a hotel so bigger or multiple bags all whilst keeping an eye on dc. I've been there, it's not easy.

tenttwat · 30/07/2021 13:23

ExH has headed off with 4 dc to a field with a portaloo and no showers and no electricity. He has a fully electric car. He's not blessed. It's going to be 12 degrees overnight and a maximum of 17 in the day with 100% chance of rain today and not much better for the following days. I've tried to sell it to my dc as an adventure but the thought of no WiFi gave them nightmares 🤣

BrozTito · 30/07/2021 14:15

Generally i take a pack mule or the bus to the station. Ican actually drive but its not as fun

Sparklingbrook · 30/07/2021 14:17

@BrozTito

Generally i take a pack mule or the bus to the station. Ican actually drive but its not as fun
A mule. brilliant. Grin Grin
Lostmyway86 · 30/07/2021 14:46

I'm with you. My husband is going camping with my two SDs (7&10) for a few days with some other friends. He asked if I wanted to go with our 9 month and 25 month old DCs. I politely declined....a 3 hour drive, all in a tent, rain, zero sleep, tantrums, tears, milk feeds, naps, loads of older children. Not sure what part of that would be fun for me or the babies?! One of his friends told me 'I should be able to do it as her pregnant friend is going with her toddler'. I replied that yes, I'm sure I can do it, but I absolutely do not want to. Plus we have 4x the number of children she does. Some people...

safariboot · 30/07/2021 14:53

Last time I went camping we were the only people on an uninhabited island. Now that was pretty good. From other posters here, sounds like as often as not the real hell is other people.

LouLou198 · 30/07/2021 15:05

Haven't camped since I was in Guides, hated it then! I have a rule about holidays, I won't go anywhere unless it's as nice and comfortable or nicer than our house, don't see the point otherwise!

reluctantbrit · 30/07/2021 16:16

I know covid has messed things up a bit, but surely for self catering you only need your own clothes and food (bought once you are there)? What else would you need to bring?

I do take food with me, why buying everything if I have open bottles and packets already at home (certain spices, oil, open jars of jam/honey, cereals).

Books, board games, towels especially if it is a beach holiday, lots of shoes, hiking, trainers, slippers, wellies for beach, picnic stuff and cooler.

For beach holiday we take windbreaker, maybe folding chairs or at least mats to sit on.

The car, and we have an estate, is packed with stuff for two adults and a teen,

@rantymcrantface66 we always shop before stopping at the cottage, we look for the nearest big supermarket and get enough for dinner and breakfast plus drinks. I don’t like going out again after arrival and hauling stuff into said cottage.

rantymcrantface66 · 30/07/2021 16:19

@reluctantbrit that's fair enough, I do too but the poster in question is talking about travelling to her accommodation on the train. There's no way you could carry all that stuff plus food

sociallydistained · 30/07/2021 16:21

100% with you, OP my idea of hell. Even glamping sounds awful just slightly less so. How is anyone having fun unless they’re getting absolutely smashed and it’s all for a laugh? Hotel everytime!

FourSeasonsTotalLandscaping · 30/07/2021 17:10

@pleasedonttextmyman

This is one of many many reasons we don't camp. No car. We're off to the seaside this week and carting all the stuff for a self catering break on the train is bad enough without having to take the lodging with you as well!

I know covid has messed things up a bit, but surely for self catering you only need your own clothes and food (bought once you are there)? What else would you need to bring?

It's not an unmanageable amount of stuff - a large suitcase and a medium suitcase, plus an adult back pack, a kids backpack and two shoulder bags for the adults.

It mainly is clothes, but clothes for 3 people for a week, to cover a variety of weathers, plus a few board games, books for DD, bits and pieces for the beach...it all adds up. As I say it isn't at all unmanageable on the train, but I'm not sure we could easily carry much more. Not to mention the lack of space to store luggage on Northern Rail's ancient trains.

purplebunny2012 · 30/07/2021 17:31

YABU. I don't love it, but I dont have a problem with it, and we went for 2 weeks last year as we will again this month.
I'm looking forward to going away somewhere, so I'm not bothered what my accommodation is as long as I have a bed and cover over my head.
I don't understand why people give it a bad rep unless their neighbours are being unreasonably noisy

ilovechocolate07 · 30/07/2021 17:32

I only camp for the kids and FOMO. I rarely sleep, freeze all night or get too hot and always need a wee.

DanceItOut · 30/07/2021 17:34

Camping is one of those things that if you don’t have the right equipment, if the weather is nothing but rubbish and if you are too cold or uncomfortable it’s just a miserable experience. It CAN be fun although let’s face it for a mum any holiday is more work than the rest of the family. We just got back from a week camping. The most comfy bed situation we’ve ever had was two cheap double air beds one on top of the other! My and DP didn’t want to invest in an £80 high rise air bed if buying an extra £9 air bed and popping it on top of our existing one would be just as comfy and it was brilliant! It is important to have warm pjs because it can get so much colder in a tent. Warm pjs, spare blankets, good sleeping bags. If you are warm then sleeping in a tent is cozy but if you are cold it ruins the whole trip. Windbreaks to allow you to lift the front of the tent and use a windbreak to create a spot for cooking without getting rained on is helpful. Torches. Spare clothes and shoes for all weathers. A washing line is handy to pop up between the tent and car in warm weather or inside the tent in wet weather to dry wet clothes and towels without having to pay £2+ to use laundrettes or if you’re camping somewhere without a laundrette.