Camping

"Camping is a way of life", so are 4/5 star hotels and comfy beds.

Camping is a way of life. We bought our first caravan in 1954 in order to get out of London flat at weekends. Then in the sixties we got a tent for holidays abroad and used the van for work. My husband was a rep travelling the south of England. We went to rallies at weekends with Camping Club and Caravan Club and made many friends all with a liking for the outdoor life. When DH had to take early retirement because of his health we let the bungalow and toured Europe, spending winters in Spain, where we met like minded people of all nationalities until he died ten years later. We visited places we could never have done without the car and caravan. Over the years camp sites have improved facilities and caravans become more sophisticated.

, I won't be risking that.

You can get four poster beds with canopies if you camp in the mediaeval tents at Warwick Castle!

Truly.

The closes I want to get to camping now is a four poster bed with a canopy over, preferably in a four star hotel, with cols wine on tap.

Lots of lovely, modern campsites with clean, individual cubicles indeed Elegran

There are camp sites with individual cubicles in the toilet blocks now - not all but if you look for them you will find them.

Communal bathroom arrangements - behind a bush then a splash in the stream!

Camping can be fun, if the weather is good. DH and I were quite keen, in days gone by, but now the communal bathroom arrangements make me shudder!

DSs are still keen, too many years in scouts! DILs not so keen.

We have had caravans for nearly thirty years now and we will continue to have one for as long as I am able to tow it. But I know that it is not the answer for everyone, and camping is really a young person's game, I think. Motorhomes are expensive (to buy and to maintain) - so I would also recommend a trailer-tent. They are relatively inexpensive to buy, easy to tow behind an ordinary family car, and offer all the advantages of camping without the "roughing it" feeling of tent camping.

Why not hire one for a week or two and try it out before you commit yourselves?

When our children were teenagers we used to go backpacking, mostly on the Derbyshire and Yorkshire moors. We did that for a few years, you certainly get close to nature.
We took dehydrated meals, which were ok.
I put my foot down eventually, too primitive, and we graduated to Youth Hostels, then to a holiday house in the Lakes. And eventually to a small cottage of our own in Scotland.
The children benefitted from it a lot, and they all still love the outdoors.

shandi that's exactly it......just accept that you will have to 'roll out of bed' and you're a camper.

Been there and still doing it. We have gone the opposite way to most folk. Started off with a large tent and gradually accumulated so many items it became a mission unpacking afterwards. Nowadays we only take a small tent, high enough to stand up in, just big enough for a double bed in the sleeping area and a small area for our stuff. Everything goes in our small trailer, which stays packed over the summer months, and goes on the back of our motorbike. Love it, yes get creaky knees and have to roll out of bed, but the fresh air and freedom. There's nothing like it, although mostly we go away for long weekends these days, not long holidays. The downside for us is getting up at night, usually more than once these days, otherwise go for it, and enjoy.

Been there, done that, and would love to do it again. If only?. Good luck to you and enjoy the wonderful freedom of it all.

Been there and done that! Never again!

Have fun, so very glad my camping days are over.

Oh dear Coolgran I don't blame you! Trust me if the forecast is rain we will not be going ? We are looking at glamping -thankyou Anya. Looks quite good especially the pods but we shall see. I will let you know how it goes!

Many years,ago we camped with a borrowed trailer tent. It was ok but rained the whole time.a few years later we bought a second hand tent, a big one with separate areas and kitchen window. Also an awning. We spent the second day digging a trench around,it to direct the flow of rainwater away as much as possible. We sold it !!

These days, you can buy quite spacious tents that have lots of headroom yet pack away in a very compact bag. However, to me, a comfortable bed is a major consideration. If DH is happy to tow a smallish trailer, you could take quite substantial mattresses with you, in addition to a few other creature comforts that wouldn't fit in a car alone.

Go on the camping and caravaning website lots of info on trailer tents etc. Good club to join. Club sites also certified locations to stay on.

My friend's husband likes to go fishing. There are lots of fishing lakes here.
They have a big van and have fitted it out with beds, small cupboards, even a toilet of some kind - don't ask!
They take a camping stove for heating water, they don't cook, just take ready to eat food,and go off for 2-3 days at a time. They're 73 and 78 and he's an amputee.
So if they can do it, anyone can.

The very thought of camping makes me shudder, but good luck to you if you're hardy enough!

WOW Anya what great advice thankyou. The possibilities are endless and I definitely like the sound of glamping. We will look very carefully to make sure we make the right decision.

Also buy an event shelter so you have somewhere to sit under if it trains or gets too hot. And buy decent camping chairs too.

Camping is now rightly called 'glamping' with electric hook ups, clean and modern shower blocks, onsite shops, etc..

Yes, there are other more primative sites available but they are for the intrepid young.

Most importantly, get decent beds - my preference are the roll up, self inflating ones, the deeper and more expensive the better. Don't skimp on this. Don't buy those awful blow-up beds as you'll just roll into each other or off onto the ground.

Go to somewhere like GoOutdoors and look at everything that's available. Or ...some campsites now have 'pods' and, while you still need bedding and cooking gear, you don't need a tent and they are lovely and cosy.

Safety tip: do not use one of those disposable BBQs in your tent or pod and never take it inside when it's gone out either.