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Original poster

My holiday chaos - Or why you should never camp in the UK!

54 replies

Beetroot · 05/08/2008 15:01

Having spent 10 days under canvass 9 of which it rained (and when I say rain I mean RAIN - non stop night and day) I think I am qualified to say that camping in the UK is horrid!

Everything is wet
There is nowhere to go that is not teeming with people escaping the beaches
towels never dry
the gazebo just doesn't hack it
playing games under an umbrella is not uplifting
walking to the toilet in the rain is not fun/exhilerating or good for the soul
If you take a little walk in the mud it covers everything
It is cold
putting the tent away in the rain is ridiculous
my feet and hands are shrivelled

WEIRD - kids don't seem to care!
Campsite in Cornwall was great

FRANCE HERE I COME

OP posts:
Original poster
Beetroot · 05/08/2008 19:38

'two caravans' is fun and a bit worrying!

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OrmIrian · 05/08/2008 19:41

Ah. I read that as a Vanguard Dildo.... that is quite sad isn't it.

Camping stinks. Full stop. I can stand it for 2/3 nights at most. Otherwise I want walls and a functioning bathroom near my bedroom.

Original poster
Beetroot · 05/08/2008 20:36

imagine a dildo on a campsite!!

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Gobbledigook · 05/08/2008 20:42

Oh no, camping in the rain must be horrible.

I LOVE it otherwise - only for a weekend though.

Kids ADORE it - as you say Beety, they run wild in the outdoors adn get ridiculously mucky - just as it should be.

Gobbledigook · 05/08/2008 20:42

Champagne helps

plus, we have swanky tent with tons of room

morningpaper · 05/08/2008 20:45

I have friends who are currently camping in France

IT IS RAINING

Imagine 16 hours in the car and it STILL raining

HIDEOUS

Original poster
Beetroot · 05/08/2008 21:09

but in france it will not rain non stop!

I am going where the sun shines brightly, going where the sea is blue!!

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Mercy · 05/08/2008 21:13

Friends of ours go camping in France most years - this year the ferry crossing itself is almost £500

Shoshe · 05/08/2008 21:20

Oh beetroot we used to go there when DS was small, did you not go to DartMeet and jump across the river?

We used to do it everytime, Ds never fell in ............. I did ......... twice.

So it never mattered that it was raining

Original poster
Beetroot · 05/08/2008 21:27

no we didn't find dartmeet - where is that?

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Shoshe · 05/08/2008 21:50

You wouldnt have found it, DFather has just told me, we went there when we stayed on Dartmoor

Well it rained that holiday as well, they did all blur into one

its here anyway.

Original poster
Beetroot · 05/08/2008 21:52

we were at river dart county park as well- guess we must have been near

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SorenLorensen · 05/08/2008 21:55

We're off camping on Saturday - forecast is heavy rain

Shoshe · 05/08/2008 21:58

First time we went there DS was about six, and the previous day, had stood on a metal spade and embedded it in his foot, had to take him to get it cleaned and stitched (so glad DF was with us, he screamed and I had to leave it to DF to hold him down).

The next day we went to Dartmeet, and I kept saying, please be careful I don't want you to fall in and make it worse, so I was following him, trying to be right behind him in case he fell, of course he made it right across and I fell in!

He never let me live it down, then i did it again the following year!!!!

MehgaLegs · 05/08/2008 21:59

Same here - we are heading for Polzeath on Sat - the forecast is wet and chilly.

We are doing South of France next year.

Shoshe · 05/08/2008 21:59

I'm so glad we are off to Spain on Sunday

Staying in DB, lovely Finca up in the hills

Original poster
Beetroot · 05/08/2008 22:39

take wellies
take extra shoes
take extra towels

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Original poster
Beetroot · 05/08/2008 22:41

we met someone who left the capsite and went to France as it was so awful

another person left their tent up and drove back to Brighton as it was 30 depgrees there - they planned on coming back after 4 days

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MehgaLegs · 06/08/2008 12:07

Just had a text from LTH - she is not enjoying their so far very wet camping trip to Cornwall. I have promised her I will take some sunshine down with us. (Although I think I'll just take extra wine )

piratecat · 06/08/2008 12:10

hockeypuk, the Vango Diablo 600 is £198 here.

www.tauntonleisure.com/products/diablo-600xp---special-offer-/4377/?source=adwords&gclid=CKa_utCJ-ZQ CFQpYQgodLBuFqg

Original poster
Beetroot · 06/08/2008 12:51

where you going Megha? and where is she?

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MehgaLegs · 06/08/2008 13:04

Beety - we are going to Tristram at polzeath.

Not sure where LTH is, North Cornwall soewhere, but we are planning beach meet up (her 4 boys and mine are practically same ages).

hockeypuck · 06/08/2008 14:04

piratecat - you are a woman of wonder!!

I have googled and googled and not found it for cheaper than £230 with delivery and you've only gone and knocked £30 off that.

Well done you Lady!!! and Thank you

Original poster
Beetroot · 06/08/2008 14:07

ohh I hope you enjoy yourself and the weather gets better

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rookiemater · 06/08/2008 14:12

Can I just say we have the Diablo 600 and it takes forever to put up. Plus we had just put up the inner layer when it started bucketing rain so I ended up having to scoop out water and use a nappy to dry the tent.

It is a great tent once its up but does take some time.

DH is now talking about buying a different tent, but I have to say after our weekend experience I don't think we will have much need for it.