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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think camping is absolutely bollocks

290 replies

FuckYrBellTent · 15/07/2017 09:53

It's crap isn't it?

Everyone else has fancy tents you can stand up in, we have a squished up, leaky four man. There's a puddle in the middle of it. It's rained non stop. My head is aching. I had an argument with DH over putting up the tent. Everyone has a sore back. Nobody can dry out. The kids (7 and 10) tag teamed us by needing the loo all night and wanting one of us to come with them. We are meant to be here for one more night. Aibu to go home early?

We used to enjoy camping, but I think our tent days have reached a natural conclusion. It's shit unless it's blistering sun. If we wanted to be stuck indoors with whining kids we could do it in the comfort of our own home, with ready access to toilets and kettles. It always ends up raining and it's really properly lashing so not even the type you can go out in anyway

We are poor and this is the only type of holiday we can afford, but I really don't think it's worth it

OP posts:
Topseyt · 15/07/2017 18:00

Camping doesn't float my boat. Tried it, hated it and have no desire to ever touch it again.

I have never understood why anyone would want to go on holiday and actually have to build their accommodation when they get there.

We have had plenty of years when we just couldn't afford a holiday. That was when I reluctantly agreed to give camping a go. Never again, and we came back after just one night. I would rather stay at home.

queribus · 15/07/2017 18:06

I'm incredulous at the PP who said everything could be set up in 2hours! Who wants to go on holiday, then spend two hours putting your own accommodation up and still not have your own bathroom!!! How is that a holiday???

peonyinparadise · 15/07/2017 18:11

Ugh, god I hate it.

user1471596238 · 15/07/2017 18:12

FuckYrBellTent - or renting a caravan is an option.

MrsJBaptiste · 15/07/2017 18:58

Our friends are renting a caravan for two weeks in Cornwall this summer - costing 1,400! That is not a cheap holiday when you still have to factor in spending money for days out if it's raining.

OwlOfBrown · 15/07/2017 19:00

queribus

I feel similarly about staying in accommodation, and particularly in a bed, that some random stranger was sleeping in a few hours earlier. How that can possibly be worth paying for is beyond me.

Each to their own, I guess.

BishopBrennansArse · 15/07/2017 19:07

Blimey. I have 10 days in Bavaria next month for £300 including ferries. Ok I need to get fuel on top but this is why we camp.

BarbarianMum · 15/07/2017 20:38

2 hours! 30 min would be more like it.

Brighteyes27 · 15/07/2017 20:42

We are only fair weather campers these days since DC arrived and having a mahoosive tent to dry off if packing up in bad weather.
Go home no fun if tent leaking and DC bored.

PiratePanda · 15/07/2017 20:45

As long as you are warm and dry, camping is fabulous. But that means you have to invest in a proper, Everest-worthy tent (we have a four-seasons one of these ), an expensive groundsheet, and thermarest sleeping mats or camp beds.

If you do that, you will be fine. It's not cheap but it's absolutely worth the investment over the long run.

We love the feeling of walking onto the campsite just with stuff on our backs, setting it all up, and walking off the site again at the end leaving nothing behind.

Monkeytree · 15/07/2017 20:53

We're coming to the same conclusion but have been camping for years and are getting older (dh late fifties) and my holidays as a child was always camping.
Ten years ago, I spent three months under canvas with a toddler camping abroad in all sorts of conditions (moved around countries) and will never ever forget this fabulous experience, so glad I did it but it taught us a few things:
Large tent absolutely essential - something you can stand up in for a start. Ours has a front porch big enough to accommodate a camping table and a couple of camping chairs plus fridge and groceries. Central part is so spacious; my eldest dc has sleepovers in it and the sleeping compartment is at the back and spacious too. Never ever got wet due to leaks in this tent.
We always have electric - to power dvds (which the kids love watching) and mini fridge to keep the essentials in.
We take paper plates for lunch - no washing up, the kids have porridge in the morning but apart from that 6 nights out of 7 we will eat out - so very little cooking involved. Our tent even has a carpet!
The thing I hate about camping most especially in this country (although can happen abroad) is the cold nights when everything can develop a damp feel about it. We have a large car so never skimp on taking anything really including wetsuits and body boards. Came back from last trip (this country) feeling shattered and I think it was mainly down to fairly chilly weather so much easier in better weather. DH and I have agreed that when our tent wears out that is it - no more camping but it could be a few more years yet! We are camping again in a few weeks time and because we have accumulated all the gear over several years, it works out so much cheaper so we go away more often but are starting to throw in a few hotel holidays into the mix too, it is beginning to feel like we have done our camping stint! As dc 2 gets older we are thinking more about taking our smaller tent to 1 or 2 night festivals to get our camping fix.

Monkeytree · 15/07/2017 20:56

Oh yes, Owl, I get the thing about sharing accommodation that is one of the definite pro's of camping for me - at least you are sleeping in your own stuff - hence extremely fussy about staying in hotels and have stayed in some unpleasant ones too.

Monkeytree · 15/07/2017 20:58

Light and electric (+ entertainment sorted) but not heat alas!

Hunted68 · 15/07/2017 21:02

YANBU...it is shite

stubbornstains · 15/07/2017 21:02

Good tents don't need to be expensive, due to the wonder of eBay (etcetera).

I have an amazing canvas Cabanon that looks like a green shed, is incredibly spacious, you can stand up in it, doesn't leak except for that time on Dartmoor, dear God and, most importantly, doesn't rustle and flap in every tiny breeze. It also takes about 20 minutes to put up with 2 people.

The price? £30 on eBay Grin. The vendor didn't specify the model, no nobody else was interested.

FuckYrBellTent · 15/07/2017 21:02

Actually pictish I think you've hit the nail on the head. It's the combination of family holiday /lack of comfort. I think if I was on my own/ with people I wasn't related to,I could still enjoy the bivvy and bottle of wine type of wild camping. Travelling lightly on foot and all. But I just can't do this soggy, cheek by jowl family camp thing.

My kettle is bloody lovely by the way, as is my shower. Wonderful inventions

OP posts:
tabbymog · 15/07/2017 21:37

Camping? Shove it. I was all of eight years old when my parents realised young Tabby had learned to swear. That was after I'd been across the shitty, soggy campground, in a thunderstorm, to the toilet block, at around three in the morning, and been chased all the way back to our tent by a fucking flock of fucking geese. They caught me when I fell over a guy rope. Spawn of the devil. The only good goose is a roasted goose.

Thereafter any mention of the 'C' word, and I don't mean 'cunt', had me in screaming hysterics, only to be soothed by my Mum's magical home made fudge.

I never inflicted camping on my family, I still remember those fucking geese. Yes I realise that tents, campsites, the whole experience, have probably improved somewhat over the decades since, with the exception of the risk of geese. A holiday camp chalet, ok, but a tent? Sod off. No thank you. YMMV.

toledanosunshie · 15/07/2017 21:38

It's horrific, I'll never do it again. We are currently "glamping". We're in a field, in a pod, with toilet, shower, duvets, central heating, a hot tub and a barbecue. This is as close to camping as I'll ever go.

PickledLilly · 15/07/2017 21:55

Oh god. Bloody camping. There are two types of people. People who like camping and people who don't. The people who do (I live with one of these) don't understand the position of the camping haters. My camping wanker thinks that if he just spends a bloody fortune on camping stuff, I will magically see the light and adore it. I don't. I still fucking hate it but now we had to trade our perfectly reasonable sized car for a fucking minibus and my entire understates cupboard is full of bastarding tents Angry

Toysaurus · 15/07/2017 22:00

My DS (10) asked to try camping this summer. Not really my thing.
Done it when younger. But I'm taking two of them with everything we need on a train. Including tent. It's going to be a laugh. We are packing incredibly lightly. But I don't understand the going camping and packing cars full of stuff. At that point, you may as well stay in a B&B.

SallyGinnamon · 15/07/2017 22:02

With the right equipment, good weather and good friends camping can be great.

For us that was self-inflating mats, 4 season sleeping bags and a portable toilet. That meant we could sleep and not have to go out in the rain in the middle of the night when DC wanted a wee. Add in a tent you can stand up in and things are good.

Giddyaunt18 · 15/07/2017 22:31

I like camping for a few nights and only at shortish notice if the weather is fine. Would never book a trip in advance(in Britain) due to the weather changing everything. Go home and put it down to experience. If the weather improves and you have a garden then spend a night under canvas with the kids at home, knowing you have home comforts within reach.

TestTubeTeen · 15/07/2017 23:01

Sounds grim OP.

Camping in ongoing rain is wearing.

Halfords tents are shit.

No excuse, these days, to be selling leaky tents.

LakieLady · 15/07/2017 23:26

YABU, but you need better kit. I have been camping regularly for 45 years. Two years ago, we got a motorhome, because my arthritis was making it very hard for me to put the tent up. Although I love the motorhome, I still miss being in a tent.

Your tent needs to be 2-3 berths bigger than the number of people occupying it, so at least a 6-berth for 4 people. It needs a sewn-in groundsheet and plenty of overlap on the doors, to avoid leaks. Some sort of awning will increase the amount of space and reduce frayed tempers.

You need electric hook-up, which will make cooking and hot drinks easier and quicker, and a decent stove.

You need decent beds and bedding. I've always managed fine with inflatables, but they make you very cold unless you insulate under them (some people buy tent carpet, but old newspaper or corrugated cardboard is just as effective, Aldi or Lidl sometimes sell foam-backed picnic blankets which are cheap as chips and work a treat). A good sleeping bag or duvet from home and cheapo fleece blankets will make all the difference, also fleecy pyjamas or onesies.

Camping toilet of some sort is essential if your kids are too young to go to the bog alone in the night. I recommend a "no crapping" in it rule though.

I've always kept camping furniture to a minimum: a cooking stand with shelves beneath, a folding table and folding chairs. All this wardrobe, folding cupboard etc is just more stuff to pack, set up and take apart. A decent sized holdall each for clean stuff and they can get what they need out of that, and a big cheapo bag for all the dirty washing should suffice. I keep all my cooking stuff, plates, cutlery etc in a plastic storage crate which fits under the cooker stand.

Board games, playing cards and story books are your friends, although ime kids are usually so knackered from all the fresh air that they crash out soon after wine o'clock.

winewolfhowls · 15/07/2017 23:51

Christ, did someone say they camped in Australia?

With fuck off snakes and spiders?
Give me a week of rain over that!