I may be an Ex Camper.

[PeaMcLean]

That was hard work. First time we've camped in two years and I was sooooo looking forward to it.

Long weekend in Devon. It was rainy, windy and cold.

We had one sunny day but that's the day I had a really bad back cos of all the leaning over and bending at funny angles in the tent.

My hair looks like something has died in it, and I need a proper night's sleep. And now can't move in house because the tent is drying out everywhere.

Fed up.

we had 2 weeks liek that in cornwall.

I wish I was an ex camper.

It was bloody hard work and no holiday at all for me and DH.

Oh no Pea I think a lot of people who have camped in the UK this summer will be feeling the same way. The pleasure is very weather dependant isn't it?

I reckon the way to go is 2 weeks in France/Austria etc (good reports on here from people who have crossed the channel).

We had 2 amazing weeks of weather in June in Wales when we went on holiday (yes we were in a cottage, but if we had been in the tent it would have been a fabulous holiday), but 2 weeks this august wouldn't have been much fun.

Yeah this summer was crap for camping wasn't it?

I'm surprised at your awful hair though, You mean you didn't pack your straightners?

I did pack my straighteners but there was no where to plug the blessed things in at the showers (which were quite the worst showers I've ever seen, will be putting a review in UK Campsite website about that! )

It is so weather dependent isn't it. Slubber, we had been planning to take the tent to France next year but after this weekend, I'm not sure I could face two weeks in such a small space. I know it's different when the sun is shining but I'm just not sure at this stage.

The bit that finished me off was wandering roudn the tent at 3am in the wind and rain wearing just a nightshirt, my wellies and a raincoat cos a pole had come undone in the wind. I'm laughing about that now but that really isn't a holiday is it?

No it's not a holiday. It's an ordeal.

What attracts me to UK camping is the cost, the reduced carbon fooprint thing and Britain when the sun shines is fantastic. I have found some of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen in N Wales (and I have spent a year living on the coast of Queensland), and they are only 2 hours drive away.

But when it never stops pissing it down and is windy and everything is damp and muddy, well then it's all a bit shit really.

Really feel for you.

We had some good trips early in the year but a crappy one theweek before last.

I think we are going to admit defeat and be fair weather campers next year.

We also had a bad time this year, so we've resolved that we will continue to camp, but only weekends and half terms. Our main holiday has to be abroad, we're thinking about south of france for three weeks next year - camping of course.

I completely understand how you feel. I ended up sitting in the car, crying. The tent blew down because we were so exposed (and a pole snapped) so we moved it to a more sheltered location and then it rained and rained so much that the tent flooded. I was so cold and wet that my hands wouldn't dry and the baby wouldn't stop crying.

Utterly dire. Was probably one of the worst weekends of my life.

I am seriously thinking of only camping in hot countries for at least the next few years (or until I've got over the trauma of that experience).

one word

france

Same here Scanner!

Oh well you wouldn't have liked my weekend then.

150 tents, 2 loos, one shower (browken some of the time) and mix of rain and sun

Best weekend of relxaion though

But how do you really relax when it's so cold? It's just not relaxing sitting in a cold breeze,surely.

We have had good weather on our weekend trips before the school holidays but our one trip in August was dire - rain, mud, more rain, more mud. The work doesn't stop when you get home either with tent/ everything else to dry out, and have to wash everything else to get the mud off. The same happened last year too.

I am tempted to give up the the actual summer hols and do my camping in the UK late May - early July.

pea, We have a fab tent, which we really used for the first time in the UK this year. We sit inside when it rain, lounging on all the blankets and rugs we brought, wrapped in duvets at night drinking hot chocolate and playing monoply or cards.
here we can even move the cooker inside when it is really chucking it down

We almost always go camping in sunshine, we just cancel if the forecast is bad. have cancelled 5 trips this year, had 2 sunny trips and one mixed rainy and sunny one.

camping in the rain is no fun. especially with children. but don't give up on camping, just be flexible about the weather forecast.

Wasn't it always thus though, sleepycat?

I distinctly remember when studying for exams (April/May) that it was gorgeous weather, then the second the exams were all over (end of June) it pissed it down for the rest of the summer.

I think we've been spoiled by a few hot summers in recent years (not the last two obviously). Now we've reverted back to typical british changeable weather it's all come as a bit of a shock.

Our best buy for camping was our folding camper, but even an old trailer tent would be a huge improvement - get the beds OFF the ground and a lot of the cold/damp problems disappear.

I still find camping relaxing, mainly because the kids go off and find friends while we can sit in the camper and read. They don't care if it's wet - wellies and raincoats do the trick. Is about the only time of year I can get such a huge amount of reading done!

I know what you mean. Love the idea of camping, but the prticalities are so wather dependent. As a result, we are looking into a caravan

Same here, knackered after a wet and windy Cornish week. We are going to camp in France next summer.

I've just heard on the weather that it's the wettest august in Wales since 1992.

This is good news.

In that we had very good summers after 1992.

It could improve next year.