Went camping for first time! Im40. Never again lol

[TheOpalFox]

I went camping in a tent in the middle of nowhere with a friend
she suggested it and she’s a pro. Im40. Never been camping but never agajn
im not the best sleeper at home . But thought with walking miles a day and being near the sea would help me? How wrong was I
i loved relaxing and being away from home but cooking was a nightmare,
basic food that you have to make sure you cook properly ,
I was freezing !!! Even tho we had camp beds and sleeping bags I woke up froze!!!! And I have been hit by some many midges my legs are covered in bites :( sooo painful. We went for 3 nights
never again but glad I tried it lol

Camping on tv always looks like fun sitting around a campfire toasting marshmallows and looking at the stars. The reality is its cold, a lot of work and the fear of being murdered in the middle of the night just makes it not worth it

Yes! I could decide to drive down to North Cornwall at 5pm, check into a B&B at 7.30pm and have a drink on the terrace overlooking the bay at Bude if I really wanted to! I don't think a convenience argument holds much water. It's about cost for most people.

😄😄 I feel for you

I will never go camping. I dont need to try it, its one of those things that I will be blissfully ignorant about 🥰

Well, that’s the other thing. As a lifelong insomniac, I struggle to drop off in a king sized bed at the Four Seasons, let alone on a cot with only a flimsy, easily broken in to/slashed, piece of material for protection. IMO the only thing a tent does is keep the rain off you, yet you’re still damp and cold. And don’t get me started on washing or peeing in a bucket (yes, I know the sites have facilities these days, but the principle remains!)

I’m glad you tried it and stuck it out for 3 days to actually get a good wedge of experience.

I love camping, the wilder the better. I’m in my 50s, but I really don’t get the fuss about sailing.

I bought a fire pit for the back garden. We can sit out, make hotdogs, roast marshmallows and then go to bed after!

Sailing is another one people try to spin as an amazing experience, but it’s bloody hard work, not comfortable and easily broken in to. I feel I could get behind a crewed private yacht though ;-)

@StellaLaBella
Totally agree.
Many years ago we were asked to go on a sailing trip. I said no thank you and was unpopular because of that. Everyone fell out with each other and it was a bit of a disaster.

I dodged a bullet. Too many people at close quarters and bossy skipper types. Not a holiday for me!

That sounds perfect

I honestly didn’t see how pretending to be homeless was a holiday.so YANBU

I tried it once
never again
cold, trekking for a wee in the cold
nah rather stay at home

🤣🤣🤣

Yeah, this is pretty much my experience too. A fox or something was sniffing outside my tent in the night and I hoped it would eat me I am half dead anyway.
I would have been glad to be put out of my misery.
I was so cold, even lost the feeling in my nose and tips of ears

I love camping. But you have to work out what works for you & plan well 😁
hacks are:
it’s much less hard work without kids
go somewhere with a pub in walking distance & mostly eat there 😆
get an electric hook up & take an electric blanket.
For the whole of my kids being young, camping was all i could afford (single parent) and we used to go in a group with other single mums-much better for adults and kids. We also used to not go too far from home, so if it was truly shit (only happened once in 10 years-with relentless fucking driving rain for 3 days straight) we could just pack up & leave. Now the kids are older, I go just my partner & me & it’s a different thing altogether-more freedom, with no real urgency to sort food or entertainment & just able to meander around the country at the drop of a hat 😊 (annual leave permitting, of course)

Ah hello my people! I tried so hard to love camping and just refused after a while - the back pain and horrific cold were not conducive to a good holiday. However, this year I tried a camper van and may just be a convert ..

Smidge spray. Did you have any midge spray?

I love camping. But I have a decent sleeping bag and mat for floor. Camp beds are notorious for being cold. What layers did you have under you and the bed?

I always sleep really well when I’m camping.

I wish I liked camping I hate it, though I get that if you throw lots of money at it to have the best gear it’s probably better.

I hate waking up at the crack of dawn due to light/birds in a sweaty tent.

I hate having to brush my teeth/shower in a manky shower block, or needing a wee in the night and fighting my way out of a tent.

I hate the hassle of the cooking and washing up and having to store all this stuff in your tent or car.

we have done it a few times with friends so the kids have memories of it, but never again. I just don’t find it fun in any way.

I started camping at the tender age of 35, because of my little one, who loves it!
Erecting the tent is always a fight, but is quite alright once we’re settled.
It might come across as snobby or ridiculous, but my only condition to keep camping with hubby and toddler is for us to have our little ikea hob, a little kettle and my own duvet and pillows rather than sleeping bag. Car looks like Sooty’s van when we’re traveling, but is quite enjoyable now.

I like camping but have recently got back from a camping trip with a 3 and 1 year old... now that was hard work! I am really looking forward to it when they're a bit older though

I don’t camp. Did it as a kid, and never again! I need a nice bed, a decent building, and power sockets or it’s not happening, lol. Everything about camping is the pits.

I grin and bear camping but love the feeling of a hot shower once I'm home and a lovely bed. It makes me really appreciate the simple luxuries in life. I also like the cooking aspect of camping. Everything tastes better because it's harder to produce.

I really enjoy camping, but only in good weather. I will not camp if it’s cold or wet. I also don’t enjoy it for long periods of time, as it is hard work and very tiring.

Smidge!

Wasnt my thing at all as a child. It was tolerable as a teen with friends, and bloody hard work taking my children in my 30s. Now in mid 50s and absolutely love it. I go as often as I can.
I do take absolutely everything with me though, and always have EHU.