To wonder why people enjoy camping

[SirJamesTalbotAndHisSpeculum]

I can't think of anything worse. I know people enjoy it but I can't understand why anyone would want to be nowhere near a bathroom or kitchen. or anywhere comfortable to sit. Not only that, if the weather is awful you get cold. Or wet. Or far too hot. I just don't get it.

Tell me why I'm wrong.

I’ve spent a grand total of one night in a tent in my life.

When I was a kid my dad had arranged a caravan holiday for us somewhere very far away. My mum decided we’d all go down and spend a night in a tent on the campsite before handover and then she’d drive home.

My mum had a dreadful cold / possibly flu. She decided brandy would help. There was an insane storm and our tent was not good at keeping out the driving rain. We were soaked to the bone. Mum needed the loo in the middle of the night and, being drunk on brandy, asked me to help her to the toilet blocks which were over a big verge which she fell down and sprained her ankle.

Never ever again. Ever. My back is now screwed.

Went camping the other day. It was wet and windy but I sat outside and felt completely connected to my surroundings. I felt more alive. DH and I said how protected we are from the outside in our houses. The girls (14) were singing away in their tent and another pair of girls started singing back. So many more experiences in a tent rather than behind walls!

Am a fan of non caravan type sites. Don’t like tarmac set spots. I like to be able to just set up on the grass. I’ve and simple and free range. The loo must be no more than one field away. It’s lovey getting up on the night and trekking under the stars to the loo. The thing about camping is that for me it’s the original Mindful activity. Everything slows to the essential task in the here and now... fetching water, boiling water, drinking tea. It’s not a place for multi tasking and rushing. The Zen of Camping!

the point is that something as basic and essential as a loo trip involves walking to the communal block which you share with everyone else

It's a mindset thing

Everything slows to the essential task in the here and now... fetching water, boiling water, drinking tea

- so true.

I absolutely love camping. I'm not keen on crowded campsites and prefer wild camping. I love it when there's no one around and you can sit by the fire and cook simple food. I also enjoy sleeping in a tent and listening to the birds, badgers, wind, rain, all that. Love it. I also like having a wee in a bush. 😁 It's not for everyone but I'm a bit of a nature nerd so like rambling in the woods and sleeping outside.

Would not camp at a festival or a busy glamping site. That would basically be the same as staying in a hotel with paper walls. 😅

I love the daytimes but hate the sleeping bit.

We are really getting into camping. Op, you do realise most camp sites have toilets, washing facilities and the last one we stayed at even had a washing machine!

Many people do electric hook up so many of the things you mentioned can be sorted - heat, fridge even a TV.

My husband won't entertain EHU as he says it's not proper camping 🙄 We enjoy getting away, cooking outdoors and being somewhat away from technology so we can just enjoy time as a family. Sitting on a night having a drink around a fire chatting is so relaxing. I can't wait for our next trip in 3 weeks.

I'm currently lay in my caravan listening to the birds, this is as close to camping as I'll ever get though, I love the good bits such as freedom, outdoor space, kids off all day exploring and playing with new friends, fresh air but I like my comforts too.

I'd hate to be in a holiday apartment or hotel, I like to walk out onto grass not a car park and not be surrounded by hundreds off people.

I also couldn't camp though, I don't want to spend all week on camping chairs or the floor, I couldn't face having to load all the car up, drive here, set it all up, then at the end pack it all away at the site then pack it away again at home.

I find having a caravan the perfect solution for a quite lazy, fairly antisocial person.

I went camping once, for a week, when I was 14. One night I had to get up in the middle of the night for a wee and having to walk to the loo block put me off completely. That was a rare occurrence in those days, now I get up once a night rather than once a week!

It's primitive and hideous. A holiday is meant to be comfortable (and no I don't stay in AI either).

I don’t understand it either. Not when you can stay at a hotel. Or your own house for that matter.

I get that kids love it as an adventure though so would do it as an experience for them. Not grown adults though, seems a bit weird to me.

The girls (14) were singing away in their tent and another pair of girls started singing back.

Since you clearly weren't the only people on the campsite, if there were these other girls, I would like to hear this 'magical moment' described from the point of view of others camping there... It's exactly this sort of this thing that puts me off - I don't want to hear other people's families at a volume muffled only by a single layer of canvas!

See maybe I'm just a hippy but I love being that close to the outdoors. I don't do campsites though, horrible places.

I didn’t camp as a child and so wish I had. We camped a bit with the children when they were young. But now they’ve just flown I’m getting into it more and more. Our van is really basic but does have a great bed which we top with a good quality mattress topper and it is soooo cosy. The van doubles as a brilliant way to transport kids’ kit too and fro uni. We camp
En route.
Did I tell you? I bloody love camping!
Off to explore more of N Devon now, after an open air breakfast and great nights’ sleep....

Undoubtedly the best thing about camping is the freedom and independence it gives children. Campsites are generally very safe environments a d my DC can wander about freely, making friends, in a way it isn't possible for them to do where we live.

I will only camp in a big tent with electric hook-up and I am very picky about choosing sites. I go for ones with good showers, plenty of space between pitches and not too crowded. The only things that ruin camping are rain and other people's noise. I have found most campers to be really considerate about noise at night but it spoils it for me if you get stuck near a rowdy group. We've upgraded to a small caravan now which is better sound insulated and better in the rain!

We are generally fortunate enough to do a week's camping and a week in a cottage so the best of both worlds for me.

Why do so many camping aficionados on here assume non-campers love cruises, AI or huge resort hotels? It doesn't have to be one or the other

I hate the idea of all of them. I stay in small, family run hotels or s/c apartments in less touristy areas or out of high season.

My DH loves camping and a few years ago, I agreed, I'd give it a go, not too far from we live.
His tent is a 1970s brown and orange one, which we had, the three dcs in another more up to date one.
Even they hated it. It was wet and cold.

As we were trying to stick the knobs of the tent into what seemed like concrete, I asked DH when the fun started . He took my head in his hands and said "this IS the fun".
We have done over 20 houseswaps, and I'm pretty laid back, believe me,we've put up with a lot of stuff, but camping? well give me the worst houseswaps and I'd swap in a blink.

Oh, we now have a motorhome, it's terrific.

Took me a while to work out that AI didn't mean Artificial Insemination!

Just because

As we were trying to stick the knobs of the tent into what seemed like concrete, I asked DH when the fun started . He took my head in his hands and said "this IS the fun

For Calvin and Hobbes fans

The campsite near where I live doesn’t allow open fires and you need a permit to use a bbq. The pitches are very close together and with all the additions to tents, the gazebos, wind breaks etc people are inches apart from each other. The site gets packed in summer, there’s very little open space for kids to run around and play in amongst all the guy ropes and stuff.

When I walk through it in the evenings, a lot of people are inside, watching TV, lots of kids on screens, and it’s very noisy.

I know it’s just one site, but it seems nothing like the freedom, back to nature, relaxing, kids running free experience that is being described.

No idea.
I love nature, love peace , walking, hiking but I do not want to sleep in a tent.
Perhaps it appeals more to city types who don't live amongst nature.

I agree that it's not all 'feeedom and back to nature'. It totally depends on the camp site, we are lucky enough to have camped in some wonderful camp sites in N America, that really is 'back to nature', securing your food so it doesn't get eaten by bears . Compare that to a massively crowded site, people listening to loud music, blocked up toilets etc - obviously totally different.

We have some lovely camping holidays with DC, mainly low season, and they have been great, it after 'sneering' at AI holidays for years (without ever going on one we discovered Neilson holidays which are the best (in my opinion).

I know it’s just one site, but it seems nothing like the freedom, back to nature, relaxing, kids running free experience that is being described

I don't get the TVs - you see this more and more with caravanners. Heck, even with campers now with their screens.

A campsite like you describe doesn't sound like fun. Each to their own of course.

Wild 'camping' up a mountain in a motorhome is my definition of a perfect holiday. No having to listen to 14 year olds singing either!!