Anyone camp without their reluctant DH?

[Ceolas]

We just had a fabulous 4 nights camping and the DCs and myself are dying to go somewhere else. DH is so reluctant and concedes to one trip a year. Apparently he's all camped out for 2011. I feel deflated :(

I have 5 DCs aged 11 down to 2 and I'm not sure I could manage on my own. Need to save the pennies for a pop up for next summer! I wonder if there are any big enough for all of us...

Could you practise putting up the tent in the garden with your 11 year old, and maybe the help of the next one down?

I've been a few times on my own from when my eldest DD was 10 or 11 and we put up the tent between us ( a 5 man tunnel, but fairly straightforward to erect). We actually got on really well - although I only have two girls.

The other thing I did a couple of times was invite a friend to stay over with us. This would depend on room in the tent, of course, but biggest DC could sleep in with you, making extra room. One of my friends would only stay 2 nights, but it broke the week up for us. I missed DH (who was working rather than reluctant) but it was fun.

Could you try for just a weekend, maybe 2 nights, near to home, at first? If you were near and it all went pear shaped your DH could come out and help get you home!

Good luck - the older your DCs get, the easier this will become.

I do but I take my MIL or some friends instead.

Your 11yo should be able to help with putting the tent up. Or maybe get two pop up tents. Older kids in one and you and the smaller ones in the other with a gazebo in-between.

My dh won't camp. Just me a nd dd and I got sick of putting the tent up on my own when dd was too small to help so bought a camper van.

I have no doubt we could get the tent up. I worry about getting it all away properly without the wee ones taking off though!

How would I go to the toilet? Have a shower? Cook?

2 nights max for our first trip I think.

Have a shower in with all little ones. It'll be crowded and not as easy as at home but you kill two birds with one stone doing them all together. Older ones will be fine to be in tent just while you have a shower, I'd have thought. Or don't shower.

When you go to the loo give your 11 year old strict instructions to watch out for the smaller ones, and take the 2 year old with you. Pitch near to the toilet blocks and facilities.

Shove the tent in a big bundle in the boot at the end of the trip and sort it out when you get home, with the help of DH. Taking a tent down is pretty quick if you're not worrying about packing it all away properly.

Cook very simple things that need only warming up, food in tins. Or buy cold stuff as you go, like chicken and salad and crusty bread.

It really is do-able, you just have to think round stuff. I think 2 nights sounds like a sensible start.