Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Husband booked a holiday,I don't want to do,aibu?

605 replies

breadbreadwine · 22/05/2021 10:44

My husband has booked a holiday for the half term.
I thought fab,just what we need...till he told me he has bought a 6 man tent and we are going away to Scotland for a week in a tent.
He's booked a parkdene tent holiday.
It was £155 for 4 of us and he has paid £700 for a tent.
He has bought sleeping bags,fridge etc
He said it's to save money.

Aibu here ?
A week in a tent in Scotland with 2 kids who don't sleep anyway.
I'm not high maintenance but I'm worried about the toilet /shower situation

I'm not happy

OP posts:
Frazzled2207 · 24/05/2021 09:02

He is an idiot for not discussing it with you first but am pleased that you are embracing the idea.

It MIGHT be fun. Weather is supposed to perk up. Two cars is sensible so just leave if you’ve had enough. On the very rare occasions we’ve been camping I’ve got my dh to agree that if it rains too much I’m just leaving even if it is in the middle of the night.

Frazzled2207 · 24/05/2021 09:04

Oh and yeah, whether it works out or not, next time YOU book the holiday and don’t consult him. As long as you can afford it of course.

Bertiebiscuit · 24/05/2021 09:05

Is he insane? Refuse to go

TheoMeo · 24/05/2021 09:13

Take earplugs. Hopefully DCs will be worn out with all the fresh air and sleep well. If you walk east past the first beach for a ? half Mile or so there are fossils in the rocks , further on along the beach is Carsethorn which has a pub you can book lunch. The Steamboat Inn. Prob need wellies for this walk

Unknown187 · 24/05/2021 09:16

To save money he's bought a £700 tent?!

I've slept the odd night here and there in a tent in the Lake District and imo it's one step up from sleeping rough in a doorway

It's not comfortable no matter how hard you try, I always wake up with back pain. Also, have you ever been to Scotland? I have, most of the time I've been it's been raining. Tents, rain, not my idea of fun

Can do get a refund on the tent etc?

One or two nights I could do at a push if it was sunny and warm but with children for a week. God no

Fatredwitch · 24/05/2021 09:17

You should have said "No" as soon as he told you what he had done. By going along with it, you have condemned yourself to a lifetime of camping holidays. For ever and ever and ever...

SquashMinusIsShit · 24/05/2021 09:23

You'd better check if you need to book any/all activities/meals, you have to book everything at Haven & Parkdene & they recommend booking at least 2 weeks before

TakeMe2Insanity · 24/05/2021 09:24

The crazy thing is if he used the tent money you could have stayed in self catering accommodation!

TatianaBis · 24/05/2021 09:28

Yes £855 would have bought you a week in a nice Airbnb house.

MumofBreck · 24/05/2021 09:34

Go for the experience, camping is awesome for families, memories, embrace it. But now he owes you a grownup weekend away in a cute B&B just the two of you;-)

nanbread · 24/05/2021 09:39

I like camping, but would be really pissed off if my DH spent £700 on a second hand tent he hasn't even seen in real life with no consultation.

Unless you've got money to burn that's a huge and stupid risk to take, and it's not like he's a seasoned camper either.

Putting up and packing down big tents is hard, boring work and takes ages. 100 x worse in the rain. 1000 x worse with someone who doesn't know what they're doing.

nanbread · 24/05/2021 09:47

Anyway if you're going I agree on making it as fun as possible.

Self inflating mattresses and lots of fleecy blankets are good. You probably have thermals after the last year, take them. Better to have too many layers than not enough.

Hopefully it's got black out bedrooms for that price but if not take eye masks and ear defenders/ plugs.

IKEA bags are useful for keeping wellies in / using to catch water off wet coats. Don't forget waterproof trousers too.

thenovice · 24/05/2021 10:05

My DH started going all misty-eyed about camping holidays he had had as a child and suggesting we should have camping holidays. "It's such a great way to have a cosy holiday!" he said. "My idea of hell," I replied, pointing out that a holiday requires a break from your usual drudgery. When he continued to press for it, I said I would go, but would not be packing, preparing, cooking or "tent-keeping" AT ALL throughout, as that was what I spend my life doing (as well as a full-time job) and I want it to be a break for me too. Thus given notice, he dropped the idea and has not raised it since.

Coffeepot72 · 24/05/2021 10:08

My idea of a holiday, is to stay in somewhere that's just as nice, or nicer, than my home. Anything else would be categorised as "endurance/survival."

Frazzled2207 · 24/05/2021 10:17

I’m 😱 at £700 for a second hand tent, unless you are seasoned campers knowing exactly what you are doing.
I have paid the same for a week in a two bedroom cottage with all mod cons.

OhRene · 24/05/2021 10:44

I'd be telling hubby to send my best regards to Sid and Lizzie at Parkdean as I'll be staying home for a nice break whilst he takes the kids away on this god awful holiday. I'm assuming all cooking and organising responsibilities on this roughing-it staycation would fall to you?

And a Parkdean holiday in Scotland in a nice static caravan with bedrooms, shower, toilet/s, heating, tv, DVD player a cooker and running water starts at £350 ish!! And that's for a decent one!

OhRene · 24/05/2021 10:48

We go to Southerness twice a year and I have to admit, it's alright. We like it. BUT in a caravan, not camping. Camping on a organised pitch on a holiday park is just a bit shit really. Hard work and uncomfortable without the real camping joy of being alone in the actual, real countryside.

Topseyt · 24/05/2021 10:58

I just don't understand the attraction of a holiday where you even have to build your own accommodation! Never have.

Ilovefluffysheep · 24/05/2021 11:17

Do NOT underestimate how cold it gets at night. Lots of layers required.

Make sure you have something easy to put on your feet for toilet trips in the middle of the night (plus a torch!).

Won't repeat what loads of others have said about equipment you need, and you definitely need something to sleep on.

Do you have electric hook up? If you do that's great, we take a heater, an electric ring cooker, kettle, lamp etc, plus you can charge up your phone (and I can use a hairdryer and straighteners!!)

I love camping, but do prefer it will electric hook up and some creature comforts. However, when we go to festivals you don't usually get that and we manage fine, just have to plan a little bit more.

I hope you manage to have a good time and the weather is kind to you, can't believe your husband went and spent so much money on something without consulting you. He sounds like he hasn't got the first clue about camping!

bigbadbedknobs · 24/05/2021 11:33

I love camping and a #700 airbeam tent if that is what it is. But even I'd not be happy to have all that foisted on me with no consultation. Its true, OP might enjoy camping but it would be best to do a weekend at a campsite near home when the weather was going to be good first.
And yes if he is he'll bent on going, he needs to practice putting it up first, maybe in the garden if it fits

PommieCheeks75 · 24/05/2021 12:06

Camping? In Scotland?

I see a great opportunity for you to stay at home in the warm in peace. Enjoy! 🙂

Lovemusic33 · 24/05/2021 12:19

Aldi have some camping stuff for sale at the moment including air beds that seem a really good price (I just spent a fortune on one for dd).

Also agree about the cold, pack as many blankets as you can squeeze into the car and thick socks, I have been known to sleep in a woolly hat too 😬.

Also bug spray as there are lot of bugs in scottland.

We just use a simple camp stove, mainly because I hate cooking whilst on holiday so we tend to eat out during the day in a local pub or fish and chips.

Camping can be fun but you might need a holiday to get over it 🤣

Lweji · 24/05/2021 12:55

The only thing I would do regarding this holiday would be to book a hotel room with a free cancelation and no prepayment policy:

pinkyredrose · 24/05/2021 13:12

do cave easy because sometimes it's easier than causing a big debate

He knows I'm not happy and I'm hoping in future he uses his brain

Stop hoping and caving and start meaning what you say. You don't want to go. I think he knew you were going to cave.

osbertthesyrianhamster · 24/05/2021 13:17

@pinkyredrose

do cave easy because sometimes it's easier than causing a big debate

He knows I'm not happy and I'm hoping in future he uses his brain

Stop hoping and caving and start meaning what you say. You don't want to go. I think he knew you were going to cave.

Of course he did. And do all the donkey work, too. She says he has form for this. Again, it's a dynamic that suits them both, he the controlling, domineering person who does whatever he pleases and she who enables it. He wouldn't have form for it if the first time he pulled a stunt like that, she told him to get stuffed.