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

I quite like camping. Not something I did a lot of before children unless at a festival, but a great family holiday now - especially if you go in a big group. Children roam off together, grown ups have a drink around the campfire.

But then I also like sailing, and hotels, and high end resorts, and holiday cottages - maybe I just love holidays!

I was put off by an experience with a bucket in my childhood but am now a happy camper.
DD and I are currently camping. We’ve got thick camp mattresses on camp beds, cold wine in the fridge, cafetière coffee in the morning. It's all about the kit. The car is rammed on the way, playing Tetris helps with the car packing skills.

😳😲🤨

Totally agree! Why go somewhere that is worse than my own house?! Surely it’s supposed to be the opposite!!!!

have done a couple of campsites abroad in static caravan type things and they’re much better (although still a bit small for my liking!) pools etc are great for the kids. But I defo wouldn’t in a tent - no thanks.

Totally appreciate some people just don’t like it but it really is all about the kit and making sure you take what’ll make you happy. Am now a v happy camper!

For reference for mozzies - preemptive antihistamines, citronella candles, and ensure you leave the tent zipped / mesh net up.

I hate it too tbh

I do go because DH and our DC enjoy it and it is a nice way to get a cheap relaxing weekend away!

I can handle 2-3 nights but we decided to try a whole week this year, we were lucky with the weather and the campsite was lovely but I was so happy to come home! I’ve accepted that I’m just never going to be a camper but will suffer a weekend here and there, not a whole week again though.

I recommend thermal base layers for sleeping if you ever go again!

It’s funny, if you replaced the word “camping” with the wording “skiing” I would wholeheartedly agree. Except for the scoutmaster stuff, no need for that.

I love my home comforts, but love a bit of camping too, exciting! Except of course the minute I wiggle down and finally get comfy in my sleeping bag is exactly when I will need a wee. What a palaver.

ps love your username Hodor!

I don’t mind wild camping in the middle of nowhere with just me and whoever I came with, but I hate site camping where there is no sound proofing and it is literal proof that hell is other people ( and their kids and dogs).

We always used to take a nice thick duvet as well as the sleeping bag. Was the toastiest thing ever!

I live in the cou!ntry of obsessed campers (Australia). The weather is mostly perfect. But how I hate camping!

The amount of setting up, planning, packing up, cleaning, campfire stink & making do for cooking etc, uncomfortable beds, plus portable loos/showers, or public ones (often cold or open to the elements) is horrible. The kit you can get might be incredible, but I don't want the work of set up & put away. I want less work on holiday than I have at home!

It's a real negative here as everyone loves camping & there's some incredibly remote places that you can only either camp, or pay extortionate prices for basic accommodation. I wish I loved it as holiday accommodation here is utterly ridiculous in general & you do meet a lot of people.

Your friend didn't do a very good job of briefing you about what to expect, OP.!

The first thing she should have told you is that it's cold at night and you need to put more clothes on before going to sleep. I would have told you to bring,as a minimum, a warm hat, thick socks, a fleece jumper and some warm, soft jog pants for sleeping in - and, of course, a warm sleeping bag. Maybe also some thin gloves. Oh, and a hot water bottle!

To avoid being bitten, you need to douse your face, neck and hands in deet, tuck your trousers into your socks and wear long sleeved tops! But even then, unfortunately insect bites are part of the experience!

I used to enjoy camping with DH and the kids. But I was in my 30s then. I don't think I'd like it so much now, somehow! 😂

I absolutely love camping!

My tent is my happy place.

I have a lovely cotton canvas tent, very comfy sleeping arrangements (am never cold), great kit, always have nice food and wine.

I go to sites that have huge spaces between tents and that don’t have Electric Hook Up or allow any music. Peace and quiet.

The outdoors, fresh air, birdsong, and a liberal coating of insect repellent for sitting out in the evening.

Last went in Sept 2020. Camped at Thornwick Bay Haven in Yorkshire.

Very windy, rained heavily the 1st night. Our tent stayed put and never leaked. Our tent was a Coleman Mosedale 5. All sewn in. Other more expensive tents collapsed and flapped around!

Just me and hubby. Was never cold at night. Never got bitten once. Had a porta potty in the tent, so no trekking to the loo in the night for no. 1's.

The downside, a slightly sloping ground must have affected my ears because I got up in the morning for 3 days and the tent was spinning around. Maybe vertigo. The 4th morning I puked outside from the dizziness and we packed up and went home.

Haven't camped since. It's definitely hard work packing everything in the car. It was lightly raining when we arrived initially in Yorkshire so had to pitch and unpack in the rain.

The unpredictable uk weather definitely puts me off camping first and foremost.

Waking up in a tent needing a wee is the worst situation in the world. camping.

And the longer you lie there wishing you didn't have to go out half asleep/half dressed into the cold, dewy grass in the night/early morning, the worse it gets.

Bleuurghh.

We go car camping now - DD has her own tent, we have an awning tent to attach to our boot and we sleep in the back of the car. DD doesn’t feel the cold much at all so she’s fine.
we love it - ideal for a couple of nights away

I hear you!! We camped in a ridiculously expensive site in the south of France for two weeks in August for five years. I would literally lose a stone and was so exhausted afterwards I struggled to make conversation for most of September.

I’ll always remember the utter joy I felt the first year after when we just rented a nice apartment in the area - getting out of bed and making a coffee and sitting on the terrace with it…

yanbu

its too much like hard work, I think you need to be extremely organised (I’m not) and I go on holiday to relax not to make work for myself

I have friends who love it and try to convince me that I will too if done properly (not really sure what that means but have been camping a few times) I have always wished I was in a hotel when in a tent

I got introduced to camping in my mid sixties!!
Loved it, it was only a small two man tent, no luxury glamping..
My one stipulation about camping, is the site must have a decent (warm) shower block, that is well lit and clean.
For those who do enjoy camping, a thread naming sites that do have excellent shower blocks would be useful.

It's not actually that cheap any longer! Decent campsites are £££, when you look at what you have to do and provide for yourself you're not spending so much more staying in a basic but fair hotel. I guess it is if you like the experience.

I camp at a festival most years-for there, and for the true festival experience, yes, I understand it. But I won't be doing it for a 'holiday' at any point soon.

We only go to very small, basic campsites. So not very expensive.

I love being out in nature. I actually enjoy going out for a wee in the night! It’s so still and often see the early sunrise which I never would at home.

I’ve only ever spent one night under canvas in my life, it was an impromptu thing, relative was having a birthday celebration at a campsite and we ended up staying the night in a spare tent. Didn’t sleep a wink what with being so uncomfortable and DB snoring his head off in the next tent, and the toilet/shower block was fucking GRIM.

MN does have a Camping board!

I used to enjoy it when I was in my 30s but now I'm in my 50s I prefer the comfort of a caravan.

Jungle formula spray