camping

Welcome crissy. That is the best I can do as I am not the right person for camping advice. We used to go with our parents every summer and it truly was a complete nightmare - they were on the verge of divorce before we even turned the first corner - and by the time they had put the tent up and down a few times they were well and truly at each others' throats! Grim in the extreme - I never want to sleep in another tent as long as I live!!

I am sure that someone will have some constructive advice! - certainly something better than this!!

Sorry Crissy, I think I`ll stick to going with hubby in our touring caravan, I prefer a bit more comfort than a tent suggests.

The closest we ever got to camping was our lovely 23ft cabin cruiser. I've never had a desire to sleep under canvas.

Welcome to gransnet, crissy

Same here in our Sadler. Started in a jaguar 27 then went up to a Sadler 29. Heaven, waking in a French port in the morning and nipping to the nearest boulangerie for croissants, still warm from the oven! French markets with langoustines vivant and gorgeous fruit and veg!
Nice as Cunard is it can't compare with that!
But then I don't have to scrub the decks or clean the oven

I last camped in a tent thirty-odd years ago. The last straw was being flooded out at Blair Athol. A caravan was our solution. Now I go on holiday with my son's family in their caravan but the children sleep outside the awning in 'pup' tents from Decathlon which just pop up and only need anchoring. Camping's so easy without tent poles! So that doesn't need to be a worry for you.

Sounds wonderful, Galen. A different league from our little Freeman but there's nothing like being afloat. We hired a boat two years ago and took the three eldest DGCs for a week cruising the fenland waterways. Brought back some wonderful memories but we no longer have a private mooring and all the physical stuff is a bit too much now

We had a VW camper van when DD1 was small. I think we slept in it twice. later, we got a tent with compartments for the girls to use in the garden: I slept in it once and it took a fortnight for me to feel human again. I just can't do uncomfortable and as for yomping across soggy fields to use the loo - ugh, forget it

Same here. When Peter died we took the boat out of Torquay to scatter his ashes off berry head. I then put her up for sale, it was all very sad!

Nothing like a boat to make you thankful for the memories, Galen.

We used to camp when the children were small. It was great fun, even in the Lake District in the rain. When DD grew out of it and decided she preferred home comforts, I also opted out and DH & DS would go off together for the odd weekend. I now can't imagine any circumstance where I'd voluntarily sleep alone under canvas!

ps, hello and welcome crissy

I too was introduced to camping as a child by grumpy parents Mishap and hated it then, but took it up in youth travelling Europe and it was much more fun.

We progressed from canvas to caravans as our two girls were growing up, then got campervan when retired. Also did a bit of boating, but prefer terra firma.

Going to Camping and Caravan Show tomorrow to look at latest quick erecting pop up and pneumatic tents. Can't stand poles.

Thanks to all for various comments. Not been put off yet. Maybe there's a like minded gran out there to offer a bit of encouragment!

My concern crissy (welcome, by the way ), is that you would be rather vulnerable on your own ,in a field, in a tent.

Hi crissy Give it a go. Don't get too tiny a tent or the crawling in and out gets tedious and perhaps one with a little bit of an awning or porch (not sure what the term is, so you can leave things there like boots etc. I would tend to go for Camping and Caravanning Club sites as they are well staffed - you wouldn't be all alone in a field and the amenities are clean. If you look on their website, I think they have a guide to what you might need if camping in a tent. They might have a stand at the show you go to.

I find the first night sleeping on mat on the ground is excruciating, second a bit better and by the third it's fine. Body adjusts perhaps?

Have fun.

oooh what an adventure. Go for it. Get a good quality pop up tent or one that is proven to be easy to put up.

Oh God I hate camping. As a child in Canada we went camping every summer all over Eastern Canada and New England - for the whole of the summer. Camping sites there are really good and of course we had the good summer weather. BUT I loathed it. No matter how warm the day you always feel damp on waking [no jokes please], if you need the loo it's a trek to the wash house. The wash house - horrible, cold and dank, with rotten showers and strangers' hair , head and pubic, all over the plug holes. If it rained you either sat under an awning hoping for the best or sulking in the car like I did. When we came to the UK my mother thought perhaps a caravan holiday in Wales would be good. Just as bad. In mornings huge seagulls would wake us up doing the fandango on the metal roof. Same trek to the loo and showers and being Wales cold and wet. I used to say why can't we stay in a cottage in France like my friends?
If I was forced to camp it wouldn't be in the UK due to the weather and I'd have to be paid a very large sum of money to do it.

Thanks for welcome ella46 and for concern, also all others. grrranny has taken words out of my own mouth. Would not be in field on my own, but on well run sites, which have heated loo blocks and family rooms etc, often near bus stops, railway and hopefully some near friends and family. maybe even meeting up with others on site. Will look for portable memory foam sleeping pad grrranny.

Yes vampirequeen going to look at popups and pneumatics at camping show today. Thanks

Welcome crissy. We did lots of Canvas Holiday camping when the children were little but nothing on earth would ever tempt me to go camping again.

crissy; you're making me think to when I was young and I found I was pregnant with my first child. Thinking I would never have any freedom again [I was nearly right]I threw a small tent and the dog into the back of my mini and drove to Cornwall [where I used to live] and camped overlooking the sea near to Boscastle. The other people on the campsite became very protective of me [my husband joined me after a few days, but he understood my need to be alone for a while]. Alas, my knees don't cope with small tents these days and my bladder sends me to the loo several times a night; not much fun when you have to negotiate a dark field. I think my main worry about tents these days is a car driving into me; I feel very vulnerable about that for some reason. Good luck; hope to hear of your adventures soon! [when it gets a bit warmer, perhaps ]

crissy welcome to GN here's to you enjoying all the topic's and conversation's,as a family when the DCs where small we camped in Wales and The Continent first in a 2bed Litchfield Tent which was posh for the time as it had a kitchen area but to say I enjoyed it would be lying the only reason we camped was it was the cheapest way for holidaying when the DCs where young and cash was tight.
I would be very careful where you travelled to on your own as the world is not as safe as it was and you never know who you can meet,but enjoy your choice and keep posting.

Well, had a good day at the Camping and Caravan Show. Can't believe how camping stuff has come on in the last 30 - 40 years.

We used to use a pneumatic tent 40 years ago when touring around. It was up in 4 mins and down in 10 secs. Really glad to see they are being done again. Vango Airbeam - roll it out, peg it out and then it pumps up in about 2 mins. I had a go. Bit pricy. Self inflating sleeping mats and you just roll up tightly afterwards to deflate. Little camping heaters, fridges, etc.

Trouble is, even hubby seemed interested and thought maybe a bigger one would be a good idea,

Also all the camping and caravan club sites have electric hook ups even for tents these days, so should be quite cosy.

Tegan you were so brave to go off on your own when pregnant. I like the sound of the site at Boscastle. Its somewhere I have wanted to go for ages. The tents are not so small now, I could stand up in even the smallest inflatables, no crawling around like in the old ridge tents. Sites are well lit, and a portaloo would be a must as I would not want to go wandering about in the middle of the night.

Anyway, lots of food for thought. Thought about some of the comments too about camping on own, maybe a bit scary. I know quite a few folk who campervan on their own, but not in tents.

Maybe I will hear of a few experiences.

But in the meantime and until weather warms up we are hoping to be off in the motorhome soon for a few breaks.