Camping...be honest...do you really enjoy it?

[OrkneyGirl]

I'm typing this in a field in Cornwall. I love the idea of camping but, honestly, is it really a holiday? My neighbour is snoring. I've got to wash up at a sink area with no roof. The tent is starting to ming because it's been so wet. I could go on! And the one thing I never seem to get right is sleeping comfortably. I've tried blow up mattress, camp bed, blow up mattress on camp bed - all just a bit uncomfortable and making me want the comfort of a double bed with a cosy duvet!

I’ve never understood the concept of going somewhere on ‘holiday’ where the living standards are worse than what I have at home. That’s not a holiday to me, and I’d rather than no holiday at all than go camping.

I love the lifestyle, but we have a (n ancient) tour caravan so I suppose it's a bit different.

No. This is why I have the house, blissfully silent, to myself while my husband and child go camping. Best deal ever.

I really hate camping! Often we camp Close to home and I'll come home and look after the pets, husband and kids enjoy it (well 50/50 for DD) and I'll pop back for breakfast / dinner unless I can get out of it!

Mixed feelings, there is something lovely on a beautiful morning cooking and eating a bacon sandwich or whatever around the camping table with friends & family.

We enjoy camping, we’re camping at the moment in north east sweden, we’re off home tomorrow and would much rather be here for longer.

I love it. But, I cheat and do it in a campervan so it’s much easier. I love a tent but not with everything gets wet and muddy, so when I crave a night in a tent I just put it up in the garden!!

No

I HATE camping. I live in the land of camping people. Everyone around me loves their tent, camper trailer, caravan or 4wd roof tent & accessories. It's often a joke that I hate it.

I don't want to set up, pack up, sleep in a bag, use communal showers or a portaloo in a tent and stink of campfire smoke. Admittedly some of the best caravan/camping parks are on the beachfront so jealous about that!!

It’s a no from me.
I can’t think of anything worse.

We have a VW camper van and a tent and only go to Caravan and Motorhome club sites as the toilets and showers etc all superbly maintained, path/roadways to the facilities so no wading through wet grass.

We don't go if the forecast is bad, camping in the rain is shit!

I don't mind camping but I couldn't do it with just a car and a tent - I need the van electric hook up for fridge, phones, lights etc.

I'm currently sitting on my campbed, scrolling on my phone.
We've been here since Monday - in a farm field full of cowpats, no EHU, very basic toilets, no luxury of sink with running water for washing up, showers in a container 2 fields away. We're here for a 3 day festival this weekend but the ticket includes camping for a whole week, so we take advantage of that to do some hiking in the beautiful countryside.

This is our 5th year. We've camped here in wind, rain, 30°c heatwaves, and this week it's been mixed, but only a couple of days with rain.
Our tent is around 15 years old (bought when DH used to take DS on an annual camping trip).
We've upgraded from airbeds to camp beds as they're easier to get up from, (now we're over 60) and you can store stuff under them.
We have a gazebo/shelter so we can cook/sit/wash up under there in wet/hot weather. We do bring far to much stuff but being in a basic field and a few miles away from any shops, we need to plan well. We start the week with home cooked meals that just need reheating on the camping stove then move on to pasta & sauce or tins of stew/curry - although we do eat food on the festival ground at the weekend.

You just have to embrace leaving behind all your home comforts and make that part of the fun. There's loads of kids here and it's great to see them having fun without gadgets.

Haha! I also love the idea, but hate the reality of it!

I used to hate it but have come to like a particular site in recent years.

pros- way cheaper than two hotel rooms with adult kids and hotel not worth it when you are out and about all day.
we have a large 8 man tent for four people which has a carpet and you can stand up in it throughout.
Cosy with fairy lights.
Electrical hook up means I can easily have cups of tea without faffing around with gas stove. Also take instant porridge pots for an easy breakfast.
site we go to has nice cafe and does pizzas in the evenings. We do other simple meals that require minimum cooking like sausages in a hot dog roll with salad followed by strawberries for eg. We also eat out at lunchtimes so do minimal cooking
like being close to nature listening to the wind gently blowing the tent, noticing stars, hearing nearby farm animals.
it is more of a home from home than self catering as you don’t have to wash the cutlery draw on arrival or clean at the end.
adult kids enjoy it and find it a relaxing experience
If one ends up next to friendly people it can be interesting chatting to them.

drawbacks
the faff of putting tent up and down - thankfully oh excels at that as has the patience to fold a large tent into a small bag!
Going to the loo in the night (always feel I need it the minute I get into my sleeping bag)
Communal loo and shower blocks
Other people’’s annoying habits like kids kicking a ball right by the tent and car instead of using designated play area.
Smokers - mainly worry about fire risk
Air beds that start going down in the night.
washing up

My camping essentials incluse
duvet
ear plugs
bucket for weeing in overnight.

Agree, we almost always go to Caravan and Motorhome sites, they are 5* camping!

We went on a lot of camping holidays when I was a child. I hated it. Mostly cold, wet and buggy and the campsites had shocking toilets and showers, it was grim and I would rather have been at home.

Tried again as an adult and no, it’s still shit.

DP is a camping enthusiast but I have told him very plainly that I will never, ever join him on a trip. And in fact, he bailed out on his last one and got a B&B because the weather was so bad. 🙄

I compromised with a campervan, and honestly I still hate that!. It will be sold by next year, just need to gently convince DH!

Yes, but not in the rain. And on very beautiful, minimalist wild sites, so that you are surrounded by nature constantly. The kind of place your tent gets invaded by a hedgehog, only you're bricking it because in the middle of the night it sounds like a wild boar 😆. And in a large, non flappy canvas tent you can stand up in. And that is private enough that you can do a discreet wee behind your tent in the middle of the night.

We camp as alternative to hotels- using it as a base rather than staying in and around the site all day.
Just booked 4 days at a beach side campsite for this week at same cost as I spent on one night in a basic chain hotel last month.

I find packing car, pitching and pack up quite stressful, but we've a new tent this summer and I'm trying to be more minimalist rather than packing for every eventuality.

We sleep extremely well - just basic air beds, fluffy blanket on top and then sleeping bags opened to knee level so my feet have a pocket but otherwise it feels like a duvet.

Ideally for me we would eat out for lunch and dinner - I hate cooking - but due to allergies it's safer to prep most food. Have borrowed a small air fryer and planning to take it as it takes up less space than portable hob & pans etc.

We had a motorhome and sold it when I had third kid and not enough seats. I found driving (well, parking!) it more stressful than pitching the tent. I suppose a small camper would be better not better enough to make me spend the cash on it.

Love even in the rain. Have huge tent though.

Discounting the big festival camping in cheap sweaty tents as a teen (that's not proper camping and hell on earth) I went camping for the first time as an adult and absolutely loved it. I've camped pregnant and with small babies etc, but gradually over the years I have enjoyed the idea less and less. Once I stopped having a toddler in my bed I've been cold to my bones all night long, even in August when it is hot I've been too cold to sleep at night. Tried everything and spend a fortune on every solution, also suffer with back and shoulder pain in a normal bed so when I'm cold and in pain, I'm super sensitive to all the noise that wakes me up. Last year I had some breakthrough with ear plugs and disposable hand warmers. But additionally as we've grown as a family, the amount of things we need has got bigger so packing and setting up takes longer. The first two days are usually bad as I am sleep deprived, and then by the middle of the week I have a breakthrough and am at one with camping, nothing can beat singing around a campfire and seeing the milky way, paddling in rivers, cooking slowly outside, community spirit, the kids needing very little in the way of entertaining and seeing how happy they are outside all day and evening, making friends. I never want to leave. I'd never do weekend camping trips anymore for that reason, or lots of different campsites. It's too much work and settling in.

@Netcam Thanks for the ideas!

Having got half way through our 4th day. I know I'm at my limit! If it's got to be the UK, I def agree with making it a shorter break where you've got a better idea of weather. Unfortunately, DH's snoring has got to me. Never thought it would be the straw that broke the camel's back but if someone said 'Quick divorce. No hassle guaranteed' I'd be sorely tempted! Love all the comments. Thank you x

Nope. My family used to go hiking and camping (proper camping, in the woods and near the sea - not camp sites - we lived in Eastern Europe). Always hated it and never went camping once I had a choice!

• smelly tent, cold in the evening, hot and gross in the morning
• hard, uncomfortable bed
• dirt everywhere, no chance of having a wash
• sleeping all dressed up, gross
• no privacy
• weeing and pooing - uncomfortable
• insects
• scary at night

I did like the freedom, the food, the adventure, but it never compensated for the nasty stuff.