to let my daughter go camping this weekend?

[Stinklebell]

My 12 year old daughter is going to Scout camp this weekend. It's a huge thing that hundreds of scout groups from all over the country go to, loads of activities are put on for them, horse riding, discos, all sorts. Daughter went last year and had an absolute blast and has been desperately excited about this years.

Had a PTA meeting at school this morning and we were all discussing weekend plans and I mentioned that DD was off camping and from the reaction anyone would think I'd proposed sending her into a warzone.

One mum was really forceful and said I should be ashamed of myself for allowing it

She's properly equipped, thermals coming out of her ears, 4 season sleeping bag, lord knows how many fleece items of clothing, proper boots and socks, waterproofs and massive coat. I'm not proposing sending her out in a t-shirt.

But no, it's disgraceful apparently

Now, I wouldn't go. I hate camping at the best of times, but they're well looked after by experienced leaders, she's been before and knows what to expect, so I was fine with it

I'm not unreasonable am I?

I went camping in the snow when I was young. I loved it and it was one of the highlights of my teenage years.

I would hate it now! YANBU

YANBU of course. DD's done Gilwell Winter camp and does the 24 in summer. That's since she was 12 and she thinks it's fantastic.

WHat is wrong with people??! I can imagine quite a few people reacting like this. YANBU in the slightest, of course!

Come the zombie apocalypse, your DD will be prepped and theirs will be BRAINZ not.

My friend's son went on a scout camp in the snow. They had a fantastic time, the best weekend of his life, apparently.

Teenagers (or almost teenagers) are fairly weatherproof. Even if they're a bit chilly at night it won't kill them. It'll get dark early so really fun for campfires or whatever they've got planned.

Just make sure you have plenty of washing powder for the machine when she comes home

yanbu, it sounds fab and I'd have loved it at that age.

Wouldn't get me within five miles of a tent now!

As long as she wants to go, there is absolutely no problem.

I read your thread title and thought you were going to say she wanted to go off with some mates in the middle of nowhere!

Rubbish, she'll have a whale of a time. As a guide we camped at Easter and got flooded out of our tents. One of my best memories of being 11 is the excitement of it and subsequently the whole camp shifting into a hay barn, and drinking hot chocolate in the middle of the night.

Totally agree, if she has the kit a big camp is great.

If you have proper showers and toilets and marquees to eat and do stuff in if it's really wet. That's fine.

If you only have Icelandic tents, no cooking shelters and leaking, blow over in one puff of wind bog tents it can be totally grim in mid summer.

Memories of a county camp (for 75 years of Guiding) we only didn't abandon because we had marquees to eat in. Had it been a single pack camp we'd have gone home, it was absolutely freezing, continuous rain and several tents blew down.

It was sodding August on a lovely shelter flat campsite by a river. Not DD1's guides mountain which can be dodgy all year round.

YANBU, I've got a kata booked for the end of January and keeping my fingers crossed for snow. To be fair the kata does have a wood burning stove inside it but it still gets chilly in the middle of the night. like you say, thermals, plenty of socks, and sensible boots and she'll have a ball.

Of course it is fine, these Scout and Guide camps are always incredibly well organised and the Leaders have to do very through training before they are allowed to take young people camping (I know, I am a Leader ).

Hope she has a great time!

There is a badge (can't remember the name now) that you can get if you camp at least one night in every month for a year.

YANBU. I went camping in October, am going again tomorrow and again at the end of February. Proper kit, a fun reason to do it (we're dog racing rather than Scout camp!) and a hot shower when you get home, no problem at all.

The last time we went I was woken up by a thunderstorm in the wee hours of the morning. I opened the tent flap and peeped out. The site was in a big grassy valley between two sections of forest and the whole basin was being illuminated by the lightning flashes - as I watched a whole herd of deer went springing by, backlit by the lightning. It was magnificent. Never would have seen it if I'd stayed at home. :)

Just make sure she changes her thermals before getting into bed. It'll be tempting to sleep in the warm ones she's already in, but if they're at all sweaty, she'll get cold fast!

I'm sure she'll have a great time! I'm not brave enough to camp between November and February, but hats off to those who are!

Sounds like great fun YADNBU!

Of course YANBU - I was going to link to the same video as BeBumba

All 3 of my dc go on our own county's Wintercamp every year and have a blast - they've been going since they were 11. None of them have ever suffered, and all of them have had a ball.

ds went to Gilwell a couple of years ago and loved it.

All mine have done Gillwell Winter Camp. Loved it. Enjoy being that shameful mother!

She'll be fine! It's scouts, if they think its dangerous they'll have them home immediately. Its brilliant that she enjoys it so much.

Thanks!

Sorry, had a mad couple of hours with school runs and last minute "muuuuuummmmm, where are my xyz?" panics.

She's just left, beside herself with excitement. I can't think of anything worse but whatever floats your boat.

For those who asked why camp at this time of year, this is what she's doing www.wintercamp.org.uk , the whole point seems to be to freeze your ass off and get filthy. I find it best not to ask

Just expect everything to come back manky except her face-flannel

Is she going to winter camp? She'll have a fab time. Sometimes it snows for wintercamp so this year'll be easy! My son is also camping this weekend, though not at Gilwell. Xxx

In the words my DH who is a Scout Leader

"They are being dicks"

He'd be amazed if they would let anything really bad happen at Gilwell.

IEAT are going - they are a group of scout leaders who are trying to keep the 'edgey stuff' in scouting and prevent it from getting stale and killed by health and safety concerns.

If they doing their axe throwing sessions (properly risk assessed of course!!) DH highly recommends it. That really will give your PTA mates something to about.

The whole point of scouting is to teach kids to respect and cope with whatever weather conditions there are - whether they are wet and raining or ridiculously hot (and equally dangerous. But no one would ever question a scout camp in 40 degree heat would they???!)

I'm a Guide leader and D of E leader - sounds fabulous. With the kit she has got, she'll be fine and will have a brilliant time :)

The clue is on the name '4 season sleeping bag'.

Some people are so nesh and ill informed. Take no notice. Your dd is much luckier than their children.

And a big thumbs up to the Guide Leaders for going for it.

Thanks!

In the face of such opposition I was beginning to doubt myself.

She went last year and had a complete blast and was desperate to go again this year, she would have killed me if I'd have said "no you might get cold".

Our scout group were thinking about that but didn't go in the end.

They do organise at least two 'frost camps' each year though, the idea being that it is cold enough to have a frost. One night only and very local but the scouts love it.

Therefore obviously YANBU!