so.....why do you all go camping?....

[anniebear]

there must be something good about it for you all to do it!!!

we bought our first tent the other day

made up to see a camping section on here lol

but so far Im panicking after reading.....

1. Its freezing.....hats and socks required

1. you need wine (I dont drink!!)

1. maybe best to pre book a hotel nearby!

1. can never sleep properly, punctures in blow up beds

1. constantly rains!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1. gales, struggling to put tent up, worrying it will take off

1. struggling to keep food cold

1. too much to get in the car

1. awful people singing till 5.30am

10. need ear plugs

I'm thinking we need to take our tent back and get a refund!!

there must be good points? !!!

Cant afford to have any other sort of a holiday.
Freedom it gives the kids they never get at any other time.
No tv
No makeup
Love sleeping hearing the wind and the rain around me but snug in my pod

Martianbishop, cafe food is indeed fab, very useful when the weather is pissing it down inclement, last year when we visited the fat face sale had started that day, camping and shopping perfection imo.

I had their afternoon tea and it was better than sex.

and lasted so much longer, I'm still carrying a reminder

i camped before kids with kids and since kids

because it is cheap easy last minute flexible fun

i dont bother with blow up beds tho or these days any of the frippery stuff

Going to look that site up Cod, as I have already mentioned umpteen times on here lately, looking to go to france next year.

and you got a tan...I'm impressed.

We go for the reasons others state. When the weather is good it's fantastic. The children love it, and we do too. We like being outdoors and in the middle of beautiful places, without too many tvs and dvds and computers etc.

and I like the way you don't have to book ahead, you can just pack and go if the sun is shining.

we all sleep really well in a tent. it's cosy.

we just don't go in bad weather though, or we come home, or go to a hotel instead.

we are going to france in 2 weeks! you get access to swimming pools, beach, much cheaper than a gite in the middle of village with suspicious locals glaring at you.

also camp in scotland which is beautiful. you can have own personal beach. if the weather is shite you pack up and come home instead of gritting teeth in shabby b&b you have paid for.

Can someone explain camping in france to me? DO you drive there/ferry? How much does getting there cost? How much in our money do the sites cost? I spend a fortune on petrol going camping in this country and wondering if it's cheaper or the same to go to france next year.

pre dd we used to fly drive but now due to our marquee sized tent we drive. i don't think it is any cheaper than camping in the uk when you factor in boat etc. but the campsites are fabulous and weather is better and you are in france!

thank you!

glad there are lots of good points too!!!!!

We decided to try camping for many of the reasons mentioned above. We have 2 young boys who enjoy getting back to nature. We spend alot of time outdoors as a family anyway either gardening or talking walks/bikerides on the Chase. We are expecting our 3rd baby & 3rd son and reslise that the cost of a holiday for a family of 5 jumps quite dramatically. And one of the most important factors for me: My boys are homeschooled, so they get important social interaction with as wide a range of people as possible, especially other kids.

We have a SN child (heart condition, multiple food allergies, some developmental delays to do with speech & toiletting), so although the routine doesn't change, it is nice to do it somewhere different, it somehow makes the daily grind more fun

Money is the main reason I must admit. Also taking a severely autistic 8yo anywhere near an airport or a plane is my idea of hell, as is trying to get him to settle in a strange hotel room (been there-never again!). Our tent is always the same to him wherever it is .
BUT, saying that, we always camped when I was a child (never saw the inside of a hotel until I was in my twenties) and I remember the wonderful feeling of freedom, being allowed to stay up until it was dark, seeing some of the most beautiful parts of England, making new friends etc. Even the wash-out holidays are memorable in a 'do you remember that week in Yarmouth?' sort of way. I want my children to have that too. And, as others have said, it's nice to get computer-addicted children (and dh) away from civilisation occasionally!

thats nice pixel

thats why we got a caravan because of the childhood memories I have

1. Money

1. The opportunity to either travel around a bit or stay put and really get to know an area or other campers (DH tells me this is a big advantage for teenage boys).

1. Freedom to decide on the day what you want to do as there is usually no need to pre-book

1. Getting closer to nature in a good way

1. being able to self-cater so going to markets etc, particularly in France - bit tricky if you're staying at a hotel

lol, think I will give sex under canvas a miss.....with a 6 year old either side of us !!!!!!

I would say don't knock it till you have tried it! Really good fun but most of all so relaxing for us and the kids, no discussions about who gets the PC next or having to tell the kids to get off play station! The great outdoors, just fab. Took my sister with us to Italy (Lake Como) this past summer and she is now hooked, she is still talking about the great time we had... and she is planning to join is in Lake Garda in 2009. Even in the rain sitting cosy togther in the tent our spirits never dropped. And yes wine is also a must But remeber to pack a real glass, never lower your standards just because you are camping.