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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be annoyed that DH expects me to fit all the food, our clothes, other items and six blinkin pillows in 10 square inches of car

62 replies

rookiemater · 22/08/2008 11:24

Ok be nice to me I'm having an irritating morning.

We are going camping for the weekend today to meet up with DHs family. Last night DH packed the "big" stuff and as I am off this morning the idea is that I will put everything else in this morning as he is finishing work at lunch time. Fair enough I thought. He also phoned his family last night, after he had put the stuff in, to see if they needed anything. Turns out they had forgotten pillows and there are four of them, No problem says DH we will bring some.

Fast forward to this morning, I get my clothes and DS stuff packed, bag full of random necessary items and bag of non fridge food and a cool pack of fridge stuff to get in, oh and six pillows.

There is no room in the car, at all. I took down the back shelf and managed to get a couple of pillows in but absolutely no way I can get the rest of the stuff fitted in. Plus the minute I get something in So have had to email DH to let him no that amongst the essentials he has packed I will need to remove a) the second tent he wants to bring in case the first one gets wet b) the fourth and fifth chairs for visitors c) highly unlikely we can bring pillows for all his family. His response is that I should go to our neighbours who may or may not be in and ask if I can borrow their trailer, which may or may not have a tow bar.

AIBU to be a tad annoyed. I know its only a small thing, but I'm now set up for failure as whatever I will remove will of course be the exact things that DH feels would have made our weekend perfect. Plus he knew last night that we couldn't fit everything in so why on earth did he say we could bring all those pillows and why didn't he think about taking some of the non essentials. Arrghh.
Can you tell I hate camping and really don't want to go.

OP posts:
Original poster
rookiemater · 22/08/2008 11:25

Oops sorry meant to say that DS aged 2.5 is helping me so the minute I get something in the car he pulls it out again.

OP posts:
MmeLindt · 22/08/2008 11:27

lol at the second tent. I am not a camper but surely that is a nonessential?

You are just going for a weekend? How wet does he think it is goign to be that you will need an alternative sleeping area?

Original poster
rookiemater · 22/08/2008 11:29

Oh tell me about it. It is absolutely ridiculous. If its wet enough to need a second tent, then I am heading home.

I think he is bringing a lot of stuff in case its useful for his sisters family . Dh is lovely and wants to be helpful, but surely it is their responsibility to bring all their own stuff. We have a Mazda 6 and 3 people. they have a caravan and trailer as well as their car.

OP posts:
themoon66 · 22/08/2008 11:30

Can you go to a travelodge or B&B instead? One where they provide pillows

Flibbertyjibbet · 22/08/2008 11:30

2nd tent and extra chairs?
pmsl.
I'd like to see your dp doing the sort of camping I used to do, carrying everything on your back in a rucksack!!

Tents get wet if it rains when you camp. If tent gets wet then 2nd one will get wet in the rain or on the ground when you put it up.
Take out extra chairs cos visitors can sit on the floor, and take pillowcases and roll up your clothes for a pillow.

Original poster
rookiemater · 22/08/2008 11:33

Oh moon I would love to stay in a travelodge. It was my own stupid idea that we camped beside his sisters family, but that was before it spent the entire summer raining. We are meant to stay 3 nights and if we manage 2 I will be happy.

Flibberty, the irony is that is the type of camping DH used to do. I think after an unsuccessful camping expedition earlier this summer he thinks the more stuff we bring, the better fun we will have. But the reason it was pants is because it rained all the time.

OP posts:
mishymoo · 22/08/2008 11:33

Get your DH to pack the car when he gets home - ! It might make him see sense and remove all the unnecessary stuff!

Original poster
rookiemater · 22/08/2008 11:34

The bit that really winds me up is the fact that he agreed to take extra pillows for his family, in the full knowledge that we have no room in the car.

OP posts:
Slubberdegullion · 22/08/2008 11:35

I am extremely perplexed by the whole 2nd tent thing. Tents are designed to get wet, they don't dissovle. rookie you need to explain further your DH's thinking behind this.

Ditch chairs.

Stick pillows under bottoms/car seats.

Original poster
rookiemater · 22/08/2008 11:36

Oh I have most of the stuff squeezed in now, but I know I will just get moans and groans about the way it has been put in and complaints because I took out the double chair and haven't got any toys for DS.

Now feeling guilty because I have dumped DS in front of Cbeebies to have a sit down and should be using the time to sort out the fridge food.

Thank goodness we are going on a proper holiday next weekend.

OP posts:
Original poster
rookiemater · 22/08/2008 11:38

Slubber I think the real reasoning behind the second tent is either :

a) he doesn't like putting up the big tent as it takes a lot of time, so may try to get us all to sleep in the small one. It is a two man tent and there is no way that three of us will last for more than a night in there.

b) Perhaps he thinks that his sisters family may need it as the two adults will be in the caravan and 2 children in their tent.

OP posts:
QuintessentialShadows · 22/08/2008 11:40

Why do you need pillows?

Can you put some of your clothes, like a fleece jacket under your head?

picnic blanket with plastic backing?

Why camp in a tent if you want pillows and chairs to sit in?

Original poster
rookiemater · 22/08/2008 11:42

I'm the big girlie needing a pillow for myself. I can't sleep without them.

Not quite getting your comment about the why camp in a tent if you want comforts. Basically we are camping because it's cheap and DHs sisters family doesn't have much money so it's a good way to catch up with them.

OP posts:
Slubberdegullion · 22/08/2008 11:43

rookie, I think the small tent might need to meet with an unfortunate accident. If you are not a camping fan and the weather is forecast to be wet then 3 of you in a 2-man will result in Campers Crack-up.

stealthsquiggle · 22/08/2008 11:45

Take out second tent. Then deny all knowledge - you and DS get a decent sized tent to sleep in, and you can put some toys for DS into the space.

Do not let DH pack the car unsupervised - my DM made that mistake once - my father packed everything except the one bag which had all my mother's clothes in, which he managed to leave in the hall....

Slubberdegullion · 22/08/2008 11:45

rookie, QS is a minimalist camper. She takes a tarp made of buffalo hide, a large knife and a fire stick with her on holiday. She makes her own pillows out of moss and duck feathers she has plucked off her prey

QuintessentialShadows · 22/08/2008 11:47

ner ner

SG, I love it when you are jesting!

mazzystar · 22/08/2008 11:47

ditch tent and chairs
tell dh he can tie them on roof should he wish to take them

Peachy · 22/08/2008 11:53

second tent? Blimey! I am a v keen camper- I do not ever take a second tent.

I don't take pillows, no space. Just fill the sleeping bag stuff sack with clothes, or use a folded towel.

Keep chairs unless you ahve a few spare quid- you could grab from Asda for a fiver then take to a charity shop? We didn't take a buggy this year as simply no sapce, but fund a cheapo one with a travel bag so that got strapped to roof and is noe Essential Kit

Original poster
rookiemater · 22/08/2008 11:54

Ah small tent has already been removed. Annoyingly it didn't take up that much room, but it was the principal of the thing more than anything else,

Stealth, I think this could be our last family camping trip. There is something about camping which turns my normally placid and lovely DH into camp commandant. Last time he barked instructions at me to help him put up the tent, then got annoyed when I also had to look after DS as well and stop him from jumping on top of all the equipment.

OP posts:
Slubberdegullion · 22/08/2008 11:55

I forgot to mention of course the new camping essential, a reindeer. Perfect for hanging clothes, buckets and underwear on , the smell keeps the mossies at bay and if you get cold you can squish it down inside your sleeping bag.

rookie, seriously remove small tent 2 and see if you can attach a reindeer to the roof with some bungee cords.

Peachy · 22/08/2008 11:56

Slubber, have you been drinking????

When we were kids we didn't get camp chairs, we used to put cushions in waterproof bags to keep them dry.

Dh and I have a fold up double chair, like a sofa LOL. Actually takes less sapce than 2 chairs.

Slubberdegullion · 22/08/2008 11:57

sorry x-post

I think by the sounds of your DH the reindeer is an absolute necessity. An antler up the backside is the perfect antidote to camp commandant behaviour.

Original poster
rookiemater · 22/08/2008 11:57

Oh don't mention that to DH, he will seriously be bidding for a reindeer on Ebay.

Oh I forgot another essential that he will be annoyed that I was unable to find space for. DSs bike which got stuck in mud the whole time last time and had to push him everywhere.

Think we do need one of those things on top of the car to store stuff.

OP posts:
Slubberdegullion · 22/08/2008 11:57

QS went camping with a reindeer, seriously she did.

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