To not want to camp this month

[Benjaminbutton12]

Going away for a couple of nights later this month, basically my partner wants to camp, I don’t. I’ve said I’m willing to pay the difference for a hotel but he sees it as a waste of money. Not even a fancy hotel, just somewhere to put our heads.
I’m just worried it will be freezing and damp,and since we don’t drive it’s a lot of equipment to lug on the train for 6h.
We can’t seem to come to an agreement, what would you do? Has anybody camped late October and found it ok?

YANBU. The cost of a really decent 4 season sleeping bag would probably be more than the cost of the hotel, not to mention the rest of the stuff you'll need.

To be honest I probably wouldn't really want to travel 6 hours on a train for a couple of nights away, either. It all seems like a lot of hassle and hard work for very little reward.

With excellent kit and just adults I would definitely camp late autumn/early spring - I might even be convinced to do so in mid winter! But I mean excellent mountaineering quality kit and the knowledge of how to use it to stay warmish and safe. Unless u have access to that and someone willing to talk u through how it all works, u r in for a cold, sleepless, exhausting time. Don’t put yourself off camping, it can be brilliant! But u need to get the basics right and late Oct the basics will be a great deal more and more complicated than say mid summer.

Won't pay £65 for a hotel but has the money to buy more equipment for camping and train tickets etc. What nonsense.

Why the hell are you just going along with this? Book a hotel yourself, like a big girl, and tell him he can stay in his cold, wet tent alone.

If he loves winter camping so much how come he doesn't already have the equipment?

I’m very outdoorsy, DP even more so. Getting cold camping is grim.
Also you could not pay me to lug camping stuff on a train.

@GurtBusty

I've camped all year round. You need good 3 or 4 season sleeping bags. If not, you'll need extra blankets - so more kit to lug on the train. It will get cold.

• 2 roll mats
• 2 sleeping bags
• 2/3 man tent
• torches/lamps
• small gas cooker and pot (need to heat up water for a cuppa)
• if catering for yourselves, plates/bowls/pan/cutlery/etc

All easily contained within 2 rucksacks. Think about it, every year thousands of kids do their DofE awards. Check the web for example packing lists for DofE - you'll need similar.

Most D of E'ers also do their walks in the summer, not October...

That also means you don't need to take hat, gloves, however many jumpers and a thick coat etc for sitting round in while you're outside all day and all night (which will also have to be lugged on the train) and the cooking standards on D of E are generally waaay below what I'd be prepared to accept on holiday.

The only people I know of who think winter camping is fun is scouts. And on a scout camp you have generally literally brought the kitchen sink so at least you can cater properly.

All seasons camping in kit that can easily be backpacked is a bit of a niche hobby, and proper kit is waaaaay more expensive than three nights in a £65 Travelodge. It is equivalent to him saying'were going mountainbiking' when you don't own a mountainbike, or "we're going whitewater canoeing" when you only have a rowing boat. Maybe you'll be lucky with the weather and be ok ina Glastonbury style tent. But if it's like it was here on Saturday - or last night - absolutely no way.

Most D of E'ers also do their walks in the summer, not October...

And they get an award and something to put on their UCAS form. I am assuming the OP’s CV won’t be enhanced by this trip!

I love camping, but that sounds dreadful. I would definitely get a hotel for myself, and see how much he enjoyed his winter camping 😨

I'm cold camping in July. I definitely wouldn't do it in October. It's not much fun at the best of times IMO, only thing it has going for it is that it's cheap.

Are youth hostels still a thing? If they are and you can book one nearby would that be a compromise?

Absolute hard no from me. Where are you going? One of us might know a cheap hotel if local.

@GurtBusty

I've camped all year round. You need good 3 or 4 season sleeping bags. If not, you'll need extra blankets - so more kit to lug on the train. It will get cold.

• 2 roll mats
• 2 sleeping bags
• 2/3 man tent
• torches/lamps
• small gas cooker and pot (need to heat up water for a cuppa)
• if catering for yourselves, plates/bowls/pan/cutlery/etc

All easily contained within 2 rucksacks. Think about it, every year thousands of kids do their DofE awards. Check the web for example packing lists for DofE - you'll need similar.

Yes. They do it as a character building ‘challenge’, not as a holiday for adults!

I walk, camp, have back packed when camping etc. Still wouldn’t do this as an inexperienced camper with cheap gear.

It can be done, and even enjoyed, if you are embracing it as a you vs the elements ‘roughing it’ experience.

Is it a good way to save a few £ vs staying in a travelodge? NO NO NO.

YANBU! I quite enjoy camping but with a car full of equipment (& a car!). The last time I camped was a couple of years ago, in May, to help with a DofE practice expedition. It was so cold during the night that I couldn’t sleep despite wearing pjs, socks, hat and a ski hoodie inside my 3 season sleeping bag. Don’t go, you’ll be cold, wet and miserable! I love a Travelodge though 😂

Sorry used to love camping but camping at this time of year sounds grim. We only used to camp from mid/end of May to early/mid Sept.

As well as the cold, lack of day light, mud. rain and sharing the facilities with umpteen in this covid climate sorry but like you I would rather not bother.

Having to lug everything on 3 trains would be enough. Absolutely not. Even in summer. What if it rains and you have to lug all that back wet??

You will of course need extra gear because it will be cold. Jumpers/layers will all be needed. Thicker sleeping bags. Camping can be cold at night at the end of summer never mind later in autumn!

You might find a lot of glamping places aren’t much cheaper than the Travelodge.

I wouldn’t be going it won’t be an enjoyable break for me.

@merrymouse

Most D of E'ers also do their walks in the summer, not October...

And they get an award and something to put on their UCAS form. I am assuming the OP’s CV won’t be enhanced by this trip!

my son has just come back from his weekend 'practice' DofE In that torrential rain and wind with weather warnings we had, including all the walking and putting up / taking down and putting up tents. Left Friday and came back Sunday early evening. They have to carry all the kit, so similar to what you are likely to take/need for a weekend if you are going by train, especially if you are likely to cater for yourselves if £65 a night for a hotel is too much. They did take packed lunches and food for 3 days, which you may do without if there is a shop nearby. They also did need to take down the tent and put it up again, due to moving locations, so thats one less job to do. But we have spent a small fortune making sure that he has a good sleeping bag (which got wet) and clothing and a very pricey but exceedingly lightweight backpack and sleeping pad. And another insulating pad. And it was horrible. He 'endured' it and kind of enjoyed it, but the weather, and the cold at night, and the WEATHER.... and he is a pretty enthusiastic 15 year old

Three changes of train, lugging all that equipment? Sleeping in a stiff frost in a damp tent? Picking your way through the mud and rain in the dark to a communal toilet block?
Gosh, sounds um… fab. Why ever would you not want to accompany your DH on such a luxury break, OP?!
I wouldn’t touch a camping holiday with a barge pole. If it isn’t more luxurious than home, it isn’t a holiday in my book.

I camp in October but loads of layers, really warm thermals and sleeping bags. Big camp fire warm drinks. We camp close to home though So if it was grim we’d leave tent get in our warm beds and come back the next day. I wouldn’t fancy yours much!

In the UK it's too late in the year to camp unless you have a heater and electric hook up cable. You will be very cold unless you are literally just getting in the tent to sleep and have very good quality 4 season sleeping bags.

We took my sister and her family camping one half-term (end of October) but
a) we had a car and
b) we were very lucky with the weather.
No way would I do it if I had to lug all the camping gear by hand. Could you compromise with a mobile home or glamping?

Imagine lugging all the gear home on 3 trains soaking wet, muddy, twice the weight and stinking to high heaven!
I'm starting to wonder if this is actually some kind of bat shit relationship test.

Mad idea. Just tell him you're not doing it.
Do you have a problem telling him no?

You’d need decent sleeping mats, thermals to sleep in if you’re me, a good raincoat, torch, camping stove, gas and pot….