Camping

[Turkish]

Just the idea of it is preposterous. You leave your nice house and all your home comforts to live in field under a sheet. 90% of the time the weather is shit, either raining, too wet or too hot. Cook anything you’ve got to then to walk 1/2 mile to wash it all up. It takes a few hours to pack the car, then up pack it all, set the tent up in shit weather then spend another day doing it all in reverse

unfortunately I feel into the trap of being told it was a good idea several years ago by other families and am forced to go every year. It’s become an absolute dick swinging show with people getting newer, bigger, better tents, accessories and other such like every year. 

anyone else think this is the most ridiculous forced fun on the planet?

Edited Tuesday at 19:42 by Turkish

[Weston Super Saint]

The idea of camping is abhorrent.

The new trend seems to be attaching a tent to the top of the car to climb into at night, because a regular tent just isn't shit enough.

Not for me thanks.

[trousers]

 

23 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Just the idea of it is preposterous. You leave your nice house and all your home comforts to live in field under a sheet. 90% of the time the weather is shit, either raining, too wet or too hot. Cook anything you’ve got to then to walk 1/2 mile to wash it all up. It takes a few ours to pack the car, then up pack it all, set the tent up in shit weather then spend another day doing it all in reserve 
 

unfortunately I feel into the trap of being told it was a good idea several years ago by other families and am forced to go every year. It’s become an absolute dick swinging show with people getting newer, bigger, better tents, accessories and other such like every year. 

anyone else think this is the most ridiculous forced fun on the planet?

Yep. It's right up there with gyms for me

Edited Tuesday at 17:42 by trousers

[iansums]

Not a fan myself although I liked the bit where Barbara Windsor’s bikini top came flying off 😁

[Turkish]

3 minutes ago, iansums said:

Not a fan myself although I liked the bit where Barbara Windsor’s bikini top came flying off 😁

I thought you’d like it 🤔

https://www.fastcompany.com/90677420/the-unbearable-whiteness-of-camping

[Holmes_and_Watson]

We're thinking of upgrading a little from what we currently have.

[Turkish]

Just now, Holmes_and_Watson said:

We're thinking of upgrading a little from what we currently have.

Looks like a large vagina 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

1 minute ago, Turkish said:

Looks like a large vagina 

Oops, wrong folder to post pics from...

[Turkish]

26 minutes ago, trousers said:

 

Yep. It's right up there with gyms for me

Luckily I don’t train in a gym 😎

[Whitey Grandad]

We went camping all over Europe starting in 1965 with a trip to Italy in an Austin 1100 with her two Aunts. We loved it eventually buying a touring caravan in about 1998. That was a lot better. Off the ground and away from the damp. Two caravans later and then my lovely wife died far too soon. 

I wasn't going to go camping on my own so sadly the caravan had to go. With lovely spring evenings such as these I really miss it. And of course Her.

[Whitey Grandad]

1 minute ago, Turkish said:

Luckily I don’t train in a gym 😎

Luckily I don't train.

[egg]

Camping in a tent, cooking all out meals, no, but we've got a campervan and love it. King size bed, central heating, bathroom, flushing toilet, shower, electric, proper fridge, and the ability to go wherever we want. We only stay on sites with proper facilities and somewhere walkable to eat.  We ate out yesterday, today we barbequed, tomorrow, who knows. Done properly it's decent. 

[trousers]

4 minutes ago, egg said:

Camping in a tent, cooking all out meals, no, but we've got a campervan and love it. King size bed, central heating, bathroom, flushing toilet, shower, electric, proper fridge, and the ability to go wherever we want. We only stay on sites with proper facilities and somewhere walkable to eat.  We ate out yesterday, today we barbequed, tomorrow, who knows. Done properly it's decent. 

Good to put a name to one of the annoying camper van grockles that clog up the Devon roads and car parks every year...

[Sheaf Saint]

Oh, I was hoping this thread was going to be about the brilliant Julia Davis comedy on Sky. Shame.

[whelk]

1 minute ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Oh, I was hoping this thread was going to be about the brilliant Julia Davis comedy on Sky. Shame.

Probably the most uplifting threads on Saintsweb is when discussing travelling and holidays. Well definitely less snarky

[egg]

Just now, trousers said:

Good to put a name to one of the annoying camper van grockles that clog up the Devon roads and car parks every year...

Ha!! We avoid the crowded touristy places. Little sites in the countryside are where it's at. 

[trousers]

Just now, egg said:

Ha!! We avoid the crowded touristy places. Little sites in the countryside are where it's at. 

Yep, that's my problem... I live in the Devon countryside.... Narrow lanes and campervans tend not to mix very well 

Edited Tuesday at 18:18 by trousers

[Sheaf Saint]

I've always loved camping, but I'm in my 50s now and I think these days I'm more in love with the idea of it rather than the reality.

The saddest thing about it for me now though is that you used to be able to just stick your tent and sleeping bag in the back of the car and bugger off for the weekend knowing that you'd be guaranteed to find a site with space. But since lockdown, staycations etc... it's become so much more popular that you always have to book up in advance these days, which takes away the whole spontaneous aspect to it.

Unless you go to Scotland or the Isle of Man, that is. You're basically allowed to camp anywhere there, as long as you're not on private land.

[egg]

Just now, trousers said:

Yep, that's my problem... I live in the Devon countryside.... Narrow lanes and campervans tend not to mix very well 

Indeed! We did the Yorkshire dales and Moors last year. Picked up a few scars. We'd only do Devon in the autumn or spring when it's less mental. Can't be doing crowded lanes, or actually anywhere crowded. 

[trousers]

19 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

I've always loved camping, but I'm in my 50s now and I think these days I'm more in love with the idea of it rather than the reality.

The saddest thing about it for me now though is that you used to be able to just stick your tent and sleeping bag in the back of the car and bugger off for the weekend knowing that you'd be guaranteed to find a site with space. But since lockdown, staycations etc... it's become so much more popular that you always have to book up in advance these days, which takes away the whole spontaneous aspect to it.

Unless you go to Scotland or the Isle of Man, that is. You're basically allowed to camp anywhere there, as long as you're not on private land.

Don't quote me on this but I think there's still 'free camping rights' on parts of Dartmoor? (local to me, so one picks up on snippets about such things here and there).... 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

7 minutes ago, trousers said:

Don't quote me on this but I think there's still 'free camping rights' on parts of Dartmoor? (local to me, so one picks up on snippets about such things here and there).... 

In unrelated news, a giant hound has just claimed it's fourth victim on Dartmoor. Authorities are investigating information that all 4 campers had been invited to the area.

[iansums]

39 minutes ago, trousers said:

Good to put a name to one of the annoying camper van grockles that clog up the Devon roads and car parks every year...

Don’t start me off on grockles, Christchurch through to Poole was horrendous over the weekend 

[The Kraken]

26 minutes ago, iansums said:

Don’t start me off on grockles, Christchurch through to Poole was horrendous over the weekend 

It was crap down that way today. I had to drop family at Bournemouth airport in the early afternoon and it was bumper to bumper from Cadnam for about 20 minutes or so. No accident or anything, just too many cars, and almost all seemed to be heading onwards to the beaches.

And yes to the OP, camping is horrendous. Last time I got talked into it was about 10 years ago and I vowed never again. Stupidly expensive on some of the campsites too. Keep the tent, I’ll stay in a B&B thanks.

[iansums]

52 minutes ago, The Kraken said:

It was crap down that way today. I had to drop family at Bournemouth airport in the early afternoon and it was bumper to bumper from Cadnam for about 20 minutes or so. No accident or anything, just too many cars, and almost all seemed to be heading onwards to the beaches.

And yes to the OP, camping is horrendous. Last time I got talked into it was about 10 years ago and I vowed never again. Stupidly expensive on some of the campsites too. Keep the tent, I’ll stay in a B&B thanks.

All kicking off at Bournemouth beach now apparently.

[LVSaint]

I do it a few times a year, not out of choice though. It's the only means of sleep on our dark sky astronomy trips. Instant access to electricity (to heat the tent) and running water, hot showers, toilets etc, thank fuck though. Pop up tents are a great invention too.

[Lighthouse]

Sometimes I sneak into campsites after sunset and stick an upside down pineapple outside random tents and caravans.

[Lord Duckhunter]

Used to go to the south of France every year staying on campsites, having 4 kids it was a lot cheaper than package holidays. There were a few companies then keeping the costs down, we found one Euro Sites, which used to buy pitches off Key camp outside of school holidays, and re sell them cheaper. You didn’t get fined by the schools either then.
 

 Now it only seems to be Euro camp and prices are astronomical (we looked at taking grand kids). For families it was great, kids were doing football, tennis, swimming etc clubs, messing around with friends, just came back for quick BBQ before disappearing again. Loads of different nationalities and we always went end of June beginning of July, so World Cup/Euros would be on some years. Tents already up, so no divorce  activity beforehand, but we then started to upgrade to mobile homes. 
 

The oldest kids are nearly 40 now, and they still go on about the great times. Meet people we’re still friends with. Really cheap holidays, decent facilities and great Mediterranean weather 90% of the time. 

[benjii]

17 hours ago, Turkish said:

Just the idea of it is preposterous. You leave your nice house and all your home comforts to live in field under a sheet. 90% of the time the weather is shit, either raining, too wet or too hot. Cook anything you’ve got to then to walk 1/2 mile to wash it all up. It takes a few hours to pack the car, then up pack it all, set the tent up in shit weather then spend another day doing it all in reverse

unfortunately I feel into the trap of being told it was a good idea several years ago by other families and am forced to go every year. It’s become an absolute dick swinging show with people getting newer, bigger, better tents, accessories and other such like every year. 

anyone else think this is the most ridiculous forced fun on the planet?

Yeah, it's shite.

[Tamesaint]

On 26/05/2026 at 18:18, Turkish said:

Just the idea of it is preposterous. You leave your nice house and all your home comforts to live in field under a sheet. 90% of the time the weather is shit, either raining, too wet or too hot. Cook anything you’ve got to then to walk 1/2 mile to wash it all up. It takes a few hours to pack the car, then up pack it all, set the tent up in shit weather then spend another day doing it all in reverse

unfortunately I feel into the trap of being told it was a good idea several years ago by other families and am forced to go every year. It’s become an absolute dick swinging show with people getting newer, bigger, better tents, accessories and other such like every year. 

anyone else think this is the most ridiculous forced fun on the planet?

You missed out the joys of shitting in a bucket. 

[Weston Super Saint]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yezl1z11jo

Looks idyllic 😮

[skintsaint]

I used to do it a lot when I lived in Aus, just load up the 4x4 and go somewhere random and camp in the middle of nowhere or any old remote beach. Not even thought about the idea of doing it here as everywhere just seems busy.

 

[Turkish]

5 minutes ago, skintsaint said:

I used to do it a lot when I lived in Aus, just load up the 4x4 and go somewhere random and camp in the middle of nowhere or any old remote beach. Not even thought about the idea of doing it here as everywhere just seems busy.

 

You see this sort of stuff i get or even in Europe. Weather is decent, it’s peaceful, you’re out in nature etc. But Uk camp sites are rammed, it’s a dick waving contests about tents with who has the biggest or best. Then there is the weather we started going in 2014 and I can think of only 3-4 times when the weather has been decent enough for it to be tolerable. Putting a tent up when it’s scorching hot is no fun at all And why anyone would even contemplate doing it in the rain is beyond me, but we have. We’ve put them up or down storms, torrential rain, gales or even 30 odd degrees when you’re dripping with sweat. it’s absurd

[whelk]

1 hour ago, skintsaint said:

I used to do it a lot when I lived in Aus, just load up the 4x4 and go somewhere random and camp in the middle of nowhere or any old remote beach. Not even thought about the idea of doing it here as everywhere just seems busy.

 

And you avoided snakes slithering up your arsehole and spiders biting your cock off?

[skintsaint]

3 minutes ago, whelk said:

And you avoided snakes slithering up your arsehole and spiders biting your cock off?

Yeah never issues with them...but Ants were the real c*nts everytime.

[Winnersaint]

5 hours ago, Tamesaint said:

You missed out the joys of shitting in a bucket. 

The rule on caravan holidays of childhood was ‘no floaters’.