Thanks for the post and great pics. I love camping. Unfortunately no-one else I actually live with does and I don’t think I could put a tent up by myself. People have to me about those pop up ones but I’m cautious……
Honestly I could’ve put up ours by myself! I was amazed - perhaps they’ve become a lot easier. In my limited experience (15 yrs ago) avoid pop up tents - ours wouldn’t pop down, had to be dragged for a mile over open countryside and crammed - still up - into the boot, ripped husband’s hand and car interior 😳
Hi, luv, thanks for another lovely look at living in the real world. On my last job I sold all kinds of sporting goods, including of course camping equipment. I’ve never been camping in my life. It sounds like great fun, if you’re prepared for the worst that could possibly happen. My arthritis started in my left hip when I was only eight years old, so sleeping on terra, firma or otherwise, is a non-starter for me. Thanks for your kind reply to my other comment. Nitey-nite, luv!
When I took the Granddaughter Layla to End Of The Road festival, we were both crammed into a small two person tent (more like a two midget tent) without much of a 'porch'. She ended up moving in with the other teenagers in our group, who had a giant pod-y tent on the other side of the campsite. Returned late one night to find the dreaded deflated airbed scenario in my miserable little tent. Searched everywhere for the pump, and the morning after a shocking night's sleep on actual terra firma, I reversed out of the tent on all fours with grass in my hair (not the best look) to the realisation that Layla had borrowed it. I'll know to hide the pump from thieving teenage fingers next time, and I've now bought a MASSIVE tent I can stand up in. Big high five to you for camping in that tiny looking tent.
For almost thirty years I worked selling and repairing all kinds of sporting goods, including camping equipment. I’ve never been camping in my life, but I’ll read about just about anything and everything, because everything fascinates me. I have a comprehensive camping guide written about seventy years ago that is worth its weight in gold. I always advised clients to buy a tent twice the size of what they had in mind. You know why I’m sure. By the time you get your gear in there there’s not as much room as you anticipated. And when people are roughing it they don’t generally sleep well. Somebody is always going to be tossing and turning, and of course stepping on their companions on their way to the latrine. And I also warned them against the misery caused by the tiniest leak in an air mattress, and how it’s impossible to patch one in the darkness when you’re cold, miserable and exhausted. I always recommended self-inflating mattresses, which are about 90% reliable, firm foam and 10% air. Even if your puppy chews one up you can still probably get some sleep. All this stuff costs more money, but what price can you put on “roughing it comfortably?” I was a good salesperson. I didn’t try to sell people stuff they didn’t need. I had a lot of people coming in and asking for me by name, even a year after I retired. I’d like to think that by sparing my clients a lot of misery for a little more money I was storing up treasure in Heaven!
That's what we all need - a Rafael to advise us on what we need and none of the crap that we don't! You're right re self inflating mattresses - game changer this time. Thin but quite comfy. I detest air beds - like trying to sleep on a bouncy castle. Also TONGS were a revelation! Not curling tongs but food tongs. Love the sound of this 70 year-old book!
Sleeping on actual terra firm is no joke! That's what dad made us do in Wales - no air beds then. 'Just dig an indent in the ground for your hip bone.' Thanks Dad! Impressed that you now have a big ONE and am fully confident in your abilities to erect it!
We only had one family holiday that I can remember as kids as money was tight. We went to France with a tent. Mum and Dad were not camping types -and it was tense. I forget the year, but on pitching the tent, it began to rain..and rain...and rain...The tent was flooded in no time and we spent the week bailing out and trying to get dry. It was an abomination of a holiday. When my kids wanted to camp, I got the tent with pods and pitched it regularly in the garden. By 9pm they always gave up and came in. Then I couldn't be bothered to pack the tent up any more and it languished in a pile of damp in the garage until I felt I could throw it away.
However, I have glamped happily on river banks in Kenya for many years. I like glamping - flush en suite loo and shower and a quietly snoring buffalo near by.
You're right - wet weather really does make camping unbearable because what can you DO, even if your tent keeps the rain out? Sit there listening to it battering the nylon! Re snoring buffalo - I didn't mention that there was a slight snoring 'issue' at certain points in the night, which did raise my blood pressure somewhat x
Love it. My fave camping memory was on Mull. We'd cycled across the island in torrential rain and got to Fionnaport to get the ferry to Iona next day. We made fatal mistake of having a few drinks in the pub before putting tent up. The rain stopped, but we had to find a bit of flat field by scrambling up a small hillside in the dark. Got tent up (miraculously) and slept. Next morning I unzipped tent and looked out over the field, only to realise we were in someone's garden as I was face to face with a horrified woman maybe 20 yards away, pegging washing onto her line. Never has a tent been unpitched so fast... xx
Hilarious, Fi! Your latest wild camping cook-up looks enticing, though - very Keith Floyd with those ingredients and actual tongs!
My childhood camping trips were mostly sitting in our tiny bubble car having all the gear packed around us kids, then the car breaking down every year because we were majorly overloaded. Described in a Substack piece last August, and thanks for stirring the memories again.
Camped out with the grandkids in the garden last summer as overspill accommodation and we survived!
Love the image of camping gear being packed all around you in the bubble car. Bet your grandkids loved the overspill accommodation arrangement - and that the adult got zero sleep!
I do recommend, but only in glorious weather and if someone else is project manager!
Childhood camping trips put me off for life but you have almost persuaded me!
Thanks for the post and great pics. I love camping. Unfortunately no-one else I actually live with does and I don’t think I could put a tent up by myself. People have to me about those pop up ones but I’m cautious……
Honestly I could’ve put up ours by myself! I was amazed - perhaps they’ve become a lot easier. In my limited experience (15 yrs ago) avoid pop up tents - ours wouldn’t pop down, had to be dragged for a mile over open countryside and crammed - still up - into the boot, ripped husband’s hand and car interior 😳
Hi, luv, thanks for another lovely look at living in the real world. On my last job I sold all kinds of sporting goods, including of course camping equipment. I’ve never been camping in my life. It sounds like great fun, if you’re prepared for the worst that could possibly happen. My arthritis started in my left hip when I was only eight years old, so sleeping on terra, firma or otherwise, is a non-starter for me. Thanks for your kind reply to my other comment. Nitey-nite, luv!
Brilliant, almost making me want to try camping again!
'Almost'! Honestly it was great. Apart from an (ahem) slight snoring issue with 'the other person' (in a tent there is nowhere else to go!).
When I took the Granddaughter Layla to End Of The Road festival, we were both crammed into a small two person tent (more like a two midget tent) without much of a 'porch'. She ended up moving in with the other teenagers in our group, who had a giant pod-y tent on the other side of the campsite. Returned late one night to find the dreaded deflated airbed scenario in my miserable little tent. Searched everywhere for the pump, and the morning after a shocking night's sleep on actual terra firma, I reversed out of the tent on all fours with grass in my hair (not the best look) to the realisation that Layla had borrowed it. I'll know to hide the pump from thieving teenage fingers next time, and I've now bought a MASSIVE tent I can stand up in. Big high five to you for camping in that tiny looking tent.
For almost thirty years I worked selling and repairing all kinds of sporting goods, including camping equipment. I’ve never been camping in my life, but I’ll read about just about anything and everything, because everything fascinates me. I have a comprehensive camping guide written about seventy years ago that is worth its weight in gold. I always advised clients to buy a tent twice the size of what they had in mind. You know why I’m sure. By the time you get your gear in there there’s not as much room as you anticipated. And when people are roughing it they don’t generally sleep well. Somebody is always going to be tossing and turning, and of course stepping on their companions on their way to the latrine. And I also warned them against the misery caused by the tiniest leak in an air mattress, and how it’s impossible to patch one in the darkness when you’re cold, miserable and exhausted. I always recommended self-inflating mattresses, which are about 90% reliable, firm foam and 10% air. Even if your puppy chews one up you can still probably get some sleep. All this stuff costs more money, but what price can you put on “roughing it comfortably?” I was a good salesperson. I didn’t try to sell people stuff they didn’t need. I had a lot of people coming in and asking for me by name, even a year after I retired. I’d like to think that by sparing my clients a lot of misery for a little more money I was storing up treasure in Heaven!
Thank you so much! I’m going to investigate the self inflating foam mattresses! And I’ll throw out / charity shop the old air beds!
That's what we all need - a Rafael to advise us on what we need and none of the crap that we don't! You're right re self inflating mattresses - game changer this time. Thin but quite comfy. I detest air beds - like trying to sleep on a bouncy castle. Also TONGS were a revelation! Not curling tongs but food tongs. Love the sound of this 70 year-old book!
Sleeping on actual terra firm is no joke! That's what dad made us do in Wales - no air beds then. 'Just dig an indent in the ground for your hip bone.' Thanks Dad! Impressed that you now have a big ONE and am fully confident in your abilities to erect it!
We only had one family holiday that I can remember as kids as money was tight. We went to France with a tent. Mum and Dad were not camping types -and it was tense. I forget the year, but on pitching the tent, it began to rain..and rain...and rain...The tent was flooded in no time and we spent the week bailing out and trying to get dry. It was an abomination of a holiday. When my kids wanted to camp, I got the tent with pods and pitched it regularly in the garden. By 9pm they always gave up and came in. Then I couldn't be bothered to pack the tent up any more and it languished in a pile of damp in the garage until I felt I could throw it away.
However, I have glamped happily on river banks in Kenya for many years. I like glamping - flush en suite loo and shower and a quietly snoring buffalo near by.
You're right - wet weather really does make camping unbearable because what can you DO, even if your tent keeps the rain out? Sit there listening to it battering the nylon! Re snoring buffalo - I didn't mention that there was a slight snoring 'issue' at certain points in the night, which did raise my blood pressure somewhat x
Love it. My fave camping memory was on Mull. We'd cycled across the island in torrential rain and got to Fionnaport to get the ferry to Iona next day. We made fatal mistake of having a few drinks in the pub before putting tent up. The rain stopped, but we had to find a bit of flat field by scrambling up a small hillside in the dark. Got tent up (miraculously) and slept. Next morning I unzipped tent and looked out over the field, only to realise we were in someone's garden as I was face to face with a horrified woman maybe 20 yards away, pegging washing onto her line. Never has a tent been unpitched so fast... xx
Oh Cathy that is brilliant - I can't believe I've never heard that story before. Just as well you didn't blunder in and try and use their bathroom!
That's absolutely hilarious Cathy!
Hilarious, Fi! Your latest wild camping cook-up looks enticing, though - very Keith Floyd with those ingredients and actual tongs!
My childhood camping trips were mostly sitting in our tiny bubble car having all the gear packed around us kids, then the car breaking down every year because we were majorly overloaded. Described in a Substack piece last August, and thanks for stirring the memories again.
Camped out with the grandkids in the garden last summer as overspill accommodation and we survived!
Love the image of camping gear being packed all around you in the bubble car. Bet your grandkids loved the overspill accommodation arrangement - and that the adult got zero sleep!