Camping - I think I hate it….

[Nik2015]

I've just come home from camping and I just don’t get it.

I find it really hard work and uncomfortable no matter what I do.

I’d love to know what I’m doing wrong?..

So thought we could have a (lighthearted) vote so I could get an idea if it’s just me -

YABU = I love camping
YANBU = I dislike camping

I've resorted to it when it was the only/best way to do something, but far from my 1st choice. I quite like 4 solid walls.

Hate it but do it because experiencing discomfort/hardship is character building.

I've been camping with my karate club. One year I was pregnant and had to go to the loo 5 times in the rain, in the night. That was not fun.

It got better over the years as I accumulated more stuff to make life bearable- foam mats for the tent floor, a tent tall enough to stand up in, finally sorting out my personal comfort sleeping option- and making use of the multi-socket extension cables in the communal gazebo for hairdrying, charging phone, and the fridge to store my milk and alcohol.

Then we changed sites and the instructors (me!!!) got to sleep in a cabin thingy. With indoor loo, shower, kitchen, beds that didn't smell damp...

Camping is like a holiday, but with none of the comfort and all of the hard work.

YANBU. As a species we invented houses for a reason.

Went camping once.

Never, ever again.

The noise from other campers! The trips to the loos ( I have IBS and a bucket/portaloo thing is a no no.)
And blow up beds are vile... hot and sweaty.

Cooking??? On an effing tiny stove thing? That was just horrendous.

The showers were grubby and you had to queue.

Never again.

Hate camping. It's a bag of shite and I would rather have no holiday at all.

I like my creature comforts too much. I wouldn't want to holiday anywhere that had fewer facilities and mod cons than I have at home.

Another thing I have never understood is why anyone would want to drive for ages to go on holiday and then even have to build their accommodation when they get there!! I just don't get it at all. Then there is the trekking to the toilet in the middle of the night, the grim showers and cooking breakfast in the rain.

What's to like?

YANBU
Way back in the mists of time, I was in the Girls Venture Corps. Now I realise that camping should be forcibly imposed on all teenagers at least once. After you've dug your own latrine, you are mercifully immune from wishing to ever go camping again

I only started camping 2 years ago and I love it but we only go to sites with really good facilities and we have a great (and expensive) set up to make it more home from home, really comfy bed, toilet, kitchen, sofa, carpet etc. Some die hard campers frown on this.

We also holiday abroad a couple of times a year or cruise, we like to mix it up. Might be more camping holidays in the future with the cost of living crisis though! 🤣

Also if you’re bringing all your mod cons along you’re doing it wrong. It’s supposed to be about getting closer to nature and nature is not comfy.

🙄

We camp quite frequently and it’s not shit in the UK - just need to find a place that attracts you. I’ve inter-failed round many countries in Europe whilst camping.

We don’t go to large sites, it’s either wild camping or small site. Nowadays we have a blow up tent we can stand up in, blow up mattresses, nice chairs, a gas stove or fire pit and a couple of other things that make it more comfortable. We like rivers and beach so there’s always that to do. Games in the evening so everyone is off electronics. Lots of yummy food. Being in nature and then walks or day trips during the day. We camp as a family or sometimes with our friends and their kids too. Kids love it! Lots of freedom to roam around, we get them collecting water etc. Everyone sleeps pretty well from being so active during the day - v healthy.

You need the right kit.

So what I am reading is that camping is not that bad if you actually pack and bring your entire house with you 😂

We camped for a couple of years when we took up re-enacting, but a particularly wet muster did it for us. Switched to a caravan and never regretted it. Our current van has a lovely shower, heating, decent cooker - very luxurious. And not long after arriving at a site you are set up. No air beds to pump up!

Inter-railed even!

I have a pop up tent. I can not be arsed with spending an hour putting the thing up....although l don't like having to crawl in and out

Recently purchased an 8 cm thick SIM from Decathlon.

Electric hook up is non negotiable.

Camping and caravan type site's.... i.e decent toilets and showers.

Still prefer Premier Inn etc... but it's just for a couple of nights when l go to running events.

I adore camping 😂 but, logically, I have no idea why I love it so much 🤷🏼‍♀️ It is literally my favourite thing to do. We live a very comfortable lifestyle at home, and enjoy our home comforts, but for some bizarre reason I love nothing more than a week in the tent, with the bare minimum (and lots of books!) 🤷🏼‍♀️

I always enjoy it but always glad to get home! Prep is the key and always layer up at night before you're actually cold or you'll never warm up. Plan easy meals. Of course if it rains it's absolute shit.

We're about to go camping in France. The only camping I've done before is at festivals. I'm prepared to not to love it, but I'm going to give it a good go! At €25 - €30 a night for me and dc it's massively cheaper than any other option, even staying in a monastery asks for a larger donation than that!

I've got eye masks and ear plugs to combat the early mornings, a 7 page packing list (in a Fiesta, ha!), and a load of blankets and hot water bottles. I'm hoping for the best. And we've got plenty of activities planned.

See I can never understand why people DON'T like camping but then you've just described how we camp.

We have a huge expensive tent with separate sleeping compartments and a separate kitchen area with a double stove. We have storage cupboards for the kitchen.

We have expensive air beds that I swear are as comfortable as our own bed at home. We have a gorgeous double sleeping bag with soft material on the inside and loads of blankets to keep us cosy and warm. Kids have similar in their compartments. We have camping wardrobes too.

We have chairs, lights, tables, as well as a tent carpet and a mini fridge.

We don't have a camping toilet or shower but we are really careful about where we camp and only go where there are lovely clean shower and toilet blocks. I've got a toiletry bag that holds all I need and I love shopping for all the minis - so cute. I've got a travel hairdryer too and have a micro fibre hair turban that I love.

It sounds like a lot but we've camped for years and picked up tips along the way.

Nothing against the Premier Inn but they are literally all the same, questionable hygiene and very bland rooms. Unless it’s a genuine 5*, give me sleeping bag near a river or beach any day.

I hated camping before I got a decent camping bed and ear plugs. I always said I hated camping but ended up being dragged along with friends and now I actually like it! It's nice waking up and having your morning coffee outside your tent.

I do hate the loo trek and wouldn't go if it was raining. Fair weather and for 2 nights, 3 max is the camping for me.

Except once it's all in place it costs about £200 for the fortnight...

I love camping. Specifically with NO electric hook up and as basic a site as possible so we are never close to other campers. A campfire is a must.

I do not understand people who go camping only to pitch right next to other folk, tethered to a hook up with TV's, air fryers, hairdryers etc.

We have decent kit though, and are prepped for all weathers.

In my opinion it takes a couple of days to settle in. Then I never sleep better than in a tent.

It's totally not for everyone, espcially if you care about glamour (I don't), but it works for us.

Camping is like an endurance test. It’s awful. I like a comfy bed and no matter what people say, an air bed does not beat a mattress. Your either too hot or too cold. It’s loud, it’s too bright too early and there’s no toilet or water. it’s shit

We go camping every year, but for me the main thing is location. We camp on a small island on a quiet campsite basically in the sand dunes. There are showers and toilets but no cars, no caravans, strictly no music after 10pm. We’ve invested in a brilliant SIM to sleep on and separate sleeping bags. We also go with three other families. It’s honestly the best two weeks of the year, we sleep well because we’re outside all day and as others have said, feel a world away from everything in a way that I haven’t managed to replicate in a hotel with WiFi etc.

But the key is location. A crappy location will be even more crappy in a tent, for sure!!!