They still want to camp in the rain!

[kirinm]

People we are going camping with this half term still insisting on going even though the forecast is constant rain and temperatures of 13/14 degrees.

They’re DP’s family so he can tell them we aren’t going but it’s not unreasonable to not want to sit inside a bloody tent in the rain for a week isn’t it? DD will end up on a screen the whole time. If it was raining and 20C that’s slightly different but rain, wind and cold is just not fun. Plus we have a canvas tent which needs to be packed away bone dry and due to current living circumstances we’d need to put the thing up in a park to have any chance of drying it out.

Surely I’m not being unreasonable here? The journey is 5 hours as well so it’s a mammoth trip make in the first place.

I'm pretty mixed on this because I'm a fair weather camper, but also I think it's pretty off to let another family down at this short notice.

I think the best compromise is, as a PP said, that you find an AirB&B in the area, whilst they camp, then meet up for days out etc. That way you're not camping, but you're also not bailing on the holiday that I expect they've been looking forward to.

As a fair weather camper, I wouldn't be booking a camping holiday in May!

It was me who said I’ve been looking at air BnBs. And we’ve been saying we are keeping an eye on the weather for a while - with them knowing that - as the change in weather was forecast a couple of weeks ago.

Unfortunately I can’t help it if they won’t acknowledge the forecast!

Loved camping in the rain. Probably because we don’t sit indoors just because it is raining.

We spent a holiday once with 10 days of more or less solid rain and 3 kids. We managed - but that was in a small touring caravan, on a site which had plenty of showers, laundry facilities, and most importantly drying room, which had heated pipes around all the walls and in the middle, which dried stuff very well. We did go out and about, during the day (not that there was much to do locally when it was raining). But we also played lots of card and board games too.

It would have been an absolute nightmare to be in a tent, in the middle of a field and nothing round about, and nowhere to dry clothes etc.

I agree with others. See if you can find other accommodation nearby and you can meet up with the other group.

What do you do in the rain? If it’s raining all day every day and it’s also cold? How old are the children you go with? We need activities other than card games.

On holiday if it rains we go bowling, cinema, go to arcades, visit museums, go to the aquarium, go to an escape room or theme park, go out for food etc. We also do indoors stuff like board games, crafts (stone painting is always a good one by the beach).

It's unlikely to be raining all day, every day though. So working round the showers may work. Plus the odd walk in the rain won't be the end of the world.

Remember to dress for the weather!

This link might be useful

https://www.holidaycottages.co.uk/blog/15-things-to-do-with-kids-on-rainy-days-in-the-west-country

We go to the beach, but we are total hardouts and still have wetsuits. We wouldn't swim in rough waves but we'd look for fossils, build sandcastles, swim in gentle bays. The sea is cold in May though.
Where we go we have caves to visit and museums. We've done boattrips, watching seals, wandering along interesting coastline.
Can you reschedule for the other end of the week?

It’s a 5 hour drive so really not worth going for a couple of nights.

We’d definitely do the beach although I can’t speak to the hardiness of the other children.

I’ve found an indoor theme park which is about an hours drive away. I’m still mentally not up for being cold and having to sit in a tent whenever we are at the campsite though.

If its Cornwall you're welcome to come and use my tumble dryer!

Haha thanks very much. I might actually look for a laundrette.

I should add, we've done this since DC were tiny, but I can't emphasise enough how seriously we take raingear. We have sometimes been the only family in the castle, (castles are great, they usually have bits of roof).

SUP is stand up paddle boarding- people here do it on the estuary when the sea is choppy.

They do surf lessons for children at my beach.

The met office weather app and radar is normally better in SW part I’m in. All week it’s been cold crisp mornings 5-9c but 17/20c by 2pm. Rain showers pass through pretty quick. It’s showing similar next week so you maybe lucky but May HT is always variable. The sea is cold still I dip several times a week and we’ve had more northly winds lately keeping a chill longer it feels like.

I am not a camper, but my husband is and he tells me that there's no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong kit!
Pack your wellies and waterproofs, eat in the local pub, and just have some fun. You'll laugh about it later 😂

Also, OP, you are the parent, so don't allow them to take any screens! Pack of cards and board games will provide entertainment.

Obviously in the minority but wouldn’t occur to me to cancel. The beauty of camping (obvs just for me) is that you get a total brain break as you’re focussing on physical tasks that normally don’t need your attention. Lots of walks to the pubs, games of cards in each other’s tents, hot chocolate and hot water bottles are such a treat on a cold day. Take plenty of spare clothes and see it as a challenge.

No such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing …. Well obviously everyone prefers lovely weather for camping but good waterproof jackets and trousers plus wellies mean you can go fossil hunting, hiking, etc without getting wet.

My life currently feels like one massive challenge.

we are still going but are going to a different part of the country where it’s dry half way through so we can put the tent away dry!

Sounds like a good compromise. I sounded a bit annoying then, I should say that we have 2 camping trips planned for next week and I’ve been checking the forecast obsessively and moaning a lot about the rain so it’s not as nothing as I made it sound.

camping is just not great full stop!

You have my sympathies. I'm going camping this weekend with a friend, there's a campervan for me to stay in rather than a tent but it's basically a metal tent and I'm dreading it! I will bale after a couple days if it's really bad.

I don't like camping in persistent rain, just because everything gets so damp and you never feel properly dry.

Change location?

Norfolk is showing warm and sunny all week on the Met office forecast!