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

We are soft campers. We have a trailer tent. Proper beds, carpet, heating etc.

Just sold our campervan...Good fucking riddance!!

When a Premier lnn is cheaper than a campsite l know we did the right thing.

It might be cheaper, but it comes with risks.

We stayed at a premier inn a few years ago to take out daughter to a concert-we came home with bed bugs!

one exterminator visit later and it ended up being a VERY costly stay

Omg!!

My in-laws are mad about camping. Ask us to go all the time with DC.
I'm sorry but I don't work my arse off all year to sit in surroundings worse than my own home for a holiday.
How is this 'fun'?!
Not happening

Yep! And they’re every bit as horrifying as Google would lead you to believe.

Premier inn opposite Sheffield arena-don’t ever stay there-lol!

I'm another one who hates. Took me years to admit it, as everyone around seems to love it. But I do. Its cold, uncomfortable, everything smells like campfire smoke, bugs, always seems to rain - I could go on for days. I will never willingly go camping again.

Oh, and one memorable autumn day, I remember waking up...to snow. I think my toes are still thawing out. Miserable doesn't even begin to describe it.

My theory is that people go camping to remind themselves how good their own house actually is 🤣

We have a campervan and love it. I can't sleep in a tent anymore or on air beds. I love the whole cooking on a fire, being outdoors thing.

I loved going camping when DC were young. Getting the tent out every spring for a check over used to get me all excited.

We would usually go with friends and their DC to quieter sites, preferably with electric hook up.

We were SAHMs so it meant that we could afford to go away on holiday. Plus the DC loved it as they could have adventures that they couldn't have elsewhere.

As PPs have said, the most important thing is to have decent kit.

We had a nice big Outwell tent, with an extension that you could cook under if it rained. We also had thick SIMs and 4 season sleeping bags. We took a little bucket loo for nighttime wees and a fan heater for if it got cold.

We went all over the UK and had a great time. We more than got our money's worth out of the equipment.

IMO, after a day's adventures, you can't beat wine with friends, surrounded by nature, while the DC run off to play together.

However, when DC were mid teens we had a fancy trip to California in lovely hotels, and they never wanted to camp again!!

I still get wistful in Go Outdoors but I'd be going on my own...

I grew up going camping every year, and I enjoyed it, fond memories of going on adventures with my brothers, it was the only way we could afford a holiday.

I went camping a couple of times when DD was young with good friends of ours and their DCs. Its enjoyable for about three nights, however the novelty of waking up in nature wears thin and you want your home comforts. My DD still talks fondly about her camping trips, I do think its a good experience for children to have.

I'm a former camping-refuser, turned camping-lover. Don't get me wrong, I prefer a 5 star hotel. But there is something about camping in a field, ideally with some friends, that is just great. The kids love it. Even the year we went to the Lake District and it pissed down for 4 days (August) was fun.

We do have a large air beam tent, decent self-inflating mattresses, and a good cooking set-up. I couldn't do it in a tent I couldn't stand up in.

I like camping but only because we've got decent mattresses and a big tent. We take proper duvets and pillows etc. Where you camp is important too.

We always have battery chargers so we can take the iPad to try and encourage our DD not to wake up too early.

I'm not sure I'd love camping if we just went on our own. Half of the sun is being say around the campsite with mates.

I have said I dislike it because I am currently camping and have been up since 4.30 with a child who is now bored because it's too early to do much
Normally I like it though.

This picture sums it all up for me 😂

DCs love camping, so we go once a year.

To the same place - a smallish site, with nicer toilets/showers than most of the hotels I’ve ever stayed in, laundry facilities, family friendly with strict rules about noise at certain times, the park, duck pond, chickens and farm, farm cafe and shop next door are brilliant too.

We have a bell tent (I’m not a fan of air beams, far too heavy for me to drag around alone), deep air beds (duvets under the fitted sheets make such a difference to warmth at night - along with duvets on top rather than sleeping bags - the decent ones are way out of my price range), inflatable chairs for inside, cheap woven rugs I found in sales for the floor, electric hook ups for phone charging (but there is almost no signal, so I download movies before we go, in case of bad weather, but haven’t had to use them yet!), breakfast is always at the farm cafe.

4 nights is my maximum limit.

Loving all the replies, the positive and negative ones!

I do like the sitting outside drinking your morning coffee feeling while everyone wakes up around you.
I also really like the idea of sneaking off to a b&b to sleep 😂

Maybe I need to improve my camp ground choice? We went to one last year that had a playground, but it was like the Wild West as the kids that were on it played roughly. So my DC couldn’t play on it as there were a load of older kids thinking they were commandos!

Where is this place?
Sounds lovely x

Thornton’s Holt, Nottinghamshire. Recommended by multiple friends when we first started out, quickly became our favourite.

Yanbu I don't like it! I compromise and go camping if the location requires it eg at a festival or rally but I refuse to take cooking equipment and whinge a lot

They have a holiday cottage I can hire 😂🥰

As a not so keen camper, my camping hacks are:

• Bring a pillow
• Eat out
• use boots sleepeze tablets
• get some form of toilet you can use in the tent. I did use Travel John's but by bladder capacity seems to have increased
• 2 nights max

TiddyTidTwo Lucky you. That sounds much more fun and appealing.

Decent kit

A Scout child who can put up and dismantle a tent in 5 mins

Loo 🚻 visits last thing at night before bed.