Wife has some concerns re camping
Discussion
NDA said:
Edited by Uncle John on Tuesday 16th February 21:25
Edited by Uncle John on Tuesday 16th February 21:26
Lord Marylebone said:
It sounds like your wife doesn’t really want to go camping and is making excuses. If that is the case, you probably want to seriously consider not going camping.
As Bristolracer correctly points out above, camping isn’t for everyone. We don’t like leaving comforts behind, but if possible want our holidays or breaks to be more luxurious than being at home.
I have been camping 3 times in my life, and hated it so much that I have vowed never to try it again. Fortunately my wife also hates it, so that makes things easy
I think the same so am trying to make it as attractive as possible. I did it on my own about 10 years ago in my classic car and it was okay but that was only one night at a car show. As Bristolracer correctly points out above, camping isn’t for everyone. We don’t like leaving comforts behind, but if possible want our holidays or breaks to be more luxurious than being at home.
I have been camping 3 times in my life, and hated it so much that I have vowed never to try it again. Fortunately my wife also hates it, so that makes things easy
We do like the comforts of a nice hotel or cruise but I also really fancy a few days camping. Would also like to camp on my motor bike but there she said there is no way she is getting on that
The reply’s to this built up pretty quickly. Some really good suggestions. I think for what we would need would be decent money with a very high risk of only using it once.
I have thought of buying a camper van but everyone who is selling one is asking top dollar, can’t blame them.
South of France makes good sense. We have said we fancied a drive down to the South of France in my TR6 then to the Italian Lakes when we retire plan is to go at 59 in 12 months so might see how she feels about renting a Caravan for a few nights as part of the trip.
We already spend a lot of time in France (or did) until COVID and BREXIT.
Thanks all
I have thought of buying a camper van but everyone who is selling one is asking top dollar, can’t blame them.
South of France makes good sense. We have said we fancied a drive down to the South of France in my TR6 then to the Italian Lakes when we retire plan is to go at 59 in 12 months so might see how she feels about renting a Caravan for a few nights as part of the trip.
We already spend a lot of time in France (or did) until COVID and BREXIT.
Thanks all
dave_s13 said:
Our 5 berth swift was £4k plus £250 for a 2nd hand awning and another £100 or so for a new water barrel, hose and plumbing kit.
We can just about fit it on the drive but appreciate not everyone can, storage round here is about £450/year.
Thing with a van is it won't depreciate as much as your camping gear.
I'm not saying you must go buy a caravan, in fact don't as it reduces availability. But if you enjoy camping in a tent, you'll probably enjoy caravanning even more. Just saying!
Interesting could you share the model number and dimensions We can just about fit it on the drive but appreciate not everyone can, storage round here is about £450/year.
Thing with a van is it won't depreciate as much as your camping gear.
I'm not saying you must go buy a caravan, in fact don't as it reduces availability. But if you enjoy camping in a tent, you'll probably enjoy caravanning even more. Just saying!
Know we have a decent tent but always open to different options.
I know we are not permitted - covenants - to have any caravans in the street or drive so would need other storage (I suspect storing at the campsite is a good idea)
Lord Marylebone said:
It sounds like your wife doesn’t really want to go camping and is making excuses. If that is the case, you probably want to seriously consider not going camping.
As Bristolracer correctly points out above, camping isn’t for everyone. We don’t like leaving comforts behind, but if possible want our holidays or breaks to be more luxurious than being at home.
I have been camping 3 times in my life, and hated it so much that I have vowed never to try it again. Fortunately my wife also hates it, so that makes things easy
Basically this. Your wife isn’t making objections to give you things to overcome, she’s making objections because she’d rather go to a nice b&b/hotel. If she’s making these objections before getting there, nothing you’ve implemented will be good enough. As Bristolracer correctly points out above, camping isn’t for everyone. We don’t like leaving comforts behind, but if possible want our holidays or breaks to be more luxurious than being at home.
I have been camping 3 times in my life, and hated it so much that I have vowed never to try it again. Fortunately my wife also hates it, so that makes things easy
I camp when I’m with friends and we are doing wilderness stuff. My wife and I have camped a few times but not anymore. F that. Lol.
bulldong said:
Lord Marylebone said:
It sounds like your wife doesn’t really want to go camping and is making excuses. If that is the case, you probably want to seriously consider not going camping.
As Bristolracer correctly points out above, camping isn’t for everyone. We don’t like leaving comforts behind, but if possible want our holidays or breaks to be more luxurious than being at home.
I have been camping 3 times in my life, and hated it so much that I have vowed never to try it again. Fortunately my wife also hates it, so that makes things easy
Basically this. Your wife isn’t making objections to give you things to overcome, she’s making objections because she’d rather go to a nice b&b/hotel. If she’s making these objections before getting there, nothing you’ve implemented will be good enough. As Bristolracer correctly points out above, camping isn’t for everyone. We don’t like leaving comforts behind, but if possible want our holidays or breaks to be more luxurious than being at home.
I have been camping 3 times in my life, and hated it so much that I have vowed never to try it again. Fortunately my wife also hates it, so that makes things easy
I camp when I’m with friends and we are doing wilderness stuff. My wife and I have camped a few times but not anymore. F that. Lol.
On the bogs and showers, most sites are very good. We stayed in one in Oxfordshire last year where they were as good as a decent hotel. Lots of people focus on the quality of the facilities and you can get lots of honest reviews on https://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/, well worth a read.
We have a small Eriba caravan which doesn't have its own khazi, so we have a Thetford PortaPotty in a Khyam pop-up outdoor toilet tent. Works for us - but we are a family with a young kid. We always book an electric hook-up, so can charge devices, have mains lighting if we need it and, when we last tent camped in April with our then 1yo, we had an electric blanket on top of our SIM mattress and were absolutely toasty. Wine and beer chilled in the portable chiller, we had all the comforts we needed.
If you are beyond the age of taking kids with you then there are various adult-only sites which are a lot quieter and cater for the more mature end of the market.
Weather is key; rain and wind can make it pretty miserable, beautiful summers can make it a wonderful experience.
Campsite facilities are by and large, getting much better on those that are more commercial. It's not uncommon to find underfloor heating, hot free showers, full changing rooms with basins. On site restaurants can be excellent in some places, and where they are extended farms, the local produce is available on site.
I've camped for most of my life in vans, caravans and tents. At the minute we've got a 5 Berth Bailey but spent about 10 years camping in tents and then 3 in a camper van.
They all have their positive and negatives but I find the Caravan is most versatile particularly with a young family. The spring summer becomes a 4 season holiday option as once inside you can be as warm as you like. We do however usually stop around November and start up again in Feb.
If you want to make your wife enjoy it, splash out, buy some of the luxuries and get an electric hook up pitch. Get a decent bed, buy a tent with a bit of room in it and buy some decent lighting, even just take a sidelamp from home if you've got power. It makes a big difference when it's dark outside. Like it's been mentioned, give her a flavour of how good it can be then once she's had a couple of goes, she might accept the rough with the smooth and not mind the odd thing out of place on some other sites. Don't forget a BBQ and beers/wine for the afternoon/evening.
We've gone the other way of course, and find the caravan just brilliant for mixed weather and with young kids. Even if it's raining, I just stick a brew on and enjoy the change of scenery. Most of the time we are out doing something though, we're not ones to stay at the site all day and we don't take a TV. Kids have warm bunk beds to sleep in so no moaning about how cold they are.
A lot of my mates take the piss and tell me to take the family on a nice holiday but their idea is a couple of weeks in an all inc beach resort where the food menu is on recycle and you're in the same place for 2 weeks. Been and done it. We've done 3 weeks at a time over on the continent moving around sites with great swimming pools, enjoying local food in good restaurants or on the BBQ, at the beach or in the Alps. Only downside is long drives with a caravan on the back but the holidays are more than worth it. Of course a lot of people from the UK take tents and all the kit and enjoy the more settled continental climate.
Where are you based OP? It might be that we could give you some site recommendations based upon where you're thinking of going.
I've camped for most of my life in vans, caravans and tents. At the minute we've got a 5 Berth Bailey but spent about 10 years camping in tents and then 3 in a camper van.
They all have their positive and negatives but I find the Caravan is most versatile particularly with a young family. The spring summer becomes a 4 season holiday option as once inside you can be as warm as you like. We do however usually stop around November and start up again in Feb.
If you want to make your wife enjoy it, splash out, buy some of the luxuries and get an electric hook up pitch. Get a decent bed, buy a tent with a bit of room in it and buy some decent lighting, even just take a sidelamp from home if you've got power. It makes a big difference when it's dark outside. Like it's been mentioned, give her a flavour of how good it can be then once she's had a couple of goes, she might accept the rough with the smooth and not mind the odd thing out of place on some other sites. Don't forget a BBQ and beers/wine for the afternoon/evening.
We've gone the other way of course, and find the caravan just brilliant for mixed weather and with young kids. Even if it's raining, I just stick a brew on and enjoy the change of scenery. Most of the time we are out doing something though, we're not ones to stay at the site all day and we don't take a TV. Kids have warm bunk beds to sleep in so no moaning about how cold they are.
A lot of my mates take the piss and tell me to take the family on a nice holiday but their idea is a couple of weeks in an all inc beach resort where the food menu is on recycle and you're in the same place for 2 weeks. Been and done it. We've done 3 weeks at a time over on the continent moving around sites with great swimming pools, enjoying local food in good restaurants or on the BBQ, at the beach or in the Alps. Only downside is long drives with a caravan on the back but the holidays are more than worth it. Of course a lot of people from the UK take tents and all the kit and enjoy the more settled continental climate.
Where are you based OP? It might be that we could give you some site recommendations based upon where you're thinking of going.
We often stay at a local site (Devon) that has some 'posh pitches' That have there own en suite shower/toilet and washing up facilities and an undercover cooking area as well as a picnic bench etc etc.
It would be a nice soft introduction to camping for the mrs.....They look great but the cost is 50+ in the school holidays.
Alternatively - we have stayed at Rozel camping in Jersey a few times and a couple of years ago we had some non camping friend's join us for week and they stayed in a pre pitched and equipped tent on site.
They had a great time and appreciated how being properly equipped can make it easier...... Jersey is lovely too, which helps....... You get a nice class of camper on Jersey.
Research research research and it will be fine and perhaps she will be converted!
It would be a nice soft introduction to camping for the mrs.....They look great but the cost is 50+ in the school holidays.
Alternatively - we have stayed at Rozel camping in Jersey a few times and a couple of years ago we had some non camping friend's join us for week and they stayed in a pre pitched and equipped tent on site.
They had a great time and appreciated how being properly equipped can make it easier...... Jersey is lovely too, which helps....... You get a nice class of camper on Jersey.
Research research research and it will be fine and perhaps she will be converted!
Fishlegs said:
Tent heaters are fantastic if you're camping with young kids at the far ends of the season. No shame in it, if it's the difference between getting one more weekend away or staying home.
It's easy to mock and be macho if you only go camping in the summer months. I suspect those mocking have never needed a tent heater because they're fair weather campers who have never seen snow on the roof of their tent or frost on the inside, not because they're especially tough.
Besides, if a few creature comforts encourage others to go camping who might be otherwise reluctant, then what's the harm?
We've been known to leave the tent at home and book a wooden hut/wigwam instead. Doing that in summer is considered "glamping". Doing it in late October in a howling gale is just common sense.
That's what sleeping bags are for, I've woken up to frost on the inside of the tent before but been lovely and warm in my sleeping bag.It's easy to mock and be macho if you only go camping in the summer months. I suspect those mocking have never needed a tent heater because they're fair weather campers who have never seen snow on the roof of their tent or frost on the inside, not because they're especially tough.
Besides, if a few creature comforts encourage others to go camping who might be otherwise reluctant, then what's the harm?
We've been known to leave the tent at home and book a wooden hut/wigwam instead. Doing that in summer is considered "glamping". Doing it in late October in a howling gale is just common sense.
Edited by Fishlegs on Tuesday 16th February 08:13
Agree with the glamping suggestion though if the OP's wife isn't keen. We stayed in a wine barrel at the end of September. Proper mattress, heating, power, etc could be a good way to gently break her in to camping.
https://www.campingdecauberg.nl/en/-hikers-cabin/-...
Welshbeef said:
dave_s13 said:
Our 5 berth swift was £4k plus £250 for a 2nd hand awning and another £100 or so for a new water barrel, hose and plumbing kit.
We can just about fit it on the drive but appreciate not everyone can, storage round here is about £450/year.
Thing with a van is it won't depreciate as much as your camping gear.
I'm not saying you must go buy a caravan, in fact don't as it reduces availability. But if you enjoy camping in a tent, you'll probably enjoy caravanning even more. Just saying!
Interesting could you share the model number and dimensions We can just about fit it on the drive but appreciate not everyone can, storage round here is about £450/year.
Thing with a van is it won't depreciate as much as your camping gear.
I'm not saying you must go buy a caravan, in fact don't as it reduces availability. But if you enjoy camping in a tent, you'll probably enjoy caravanning even more. Just saying!
Know we have a decent tent but always open to different options.
I know we are not permitted - covenants - to have any caravans in the street or drive so would need other storage (I suspect storing at the campsite is a good idea)
Looking to upgrade to something twin axle and longer though, once we have a storage spot sorted as I can't really fit anything longer on the drive, and it does look very council to be fair.
Camping does seem to be a binary thing, if one half of a couple is anti whilst the other half is pro, I don't think there's much of a solution, as even with nice kit and a nice site, camping is still camping, it's not really something where agreeable compromises can be made imo, the gulf between canvas and a hotel or holiday rental is pretty bloody big. If someone doesn't fancy being stabbed, you're not going to convince them that lots of little stabs from a golden knife makes it much better.
MattyD803 said:
And I think camping is a conscious choice. You don't camp because you can't 'afford' a caravan. The idea of towing a big chunk of fibreglass 100 miles in Friday evening traffic to then sit inside a plastic box on velour sofas watching TV, popping out to occasionally empty the toilet tank has never remotely appealed....
I agree with you 100% - sitting inside a plastic box on velour sofas watching TV sounds like my idea of hell.Any yet, I have a caravan. Because with a caravan, you can still sit outside (which is why you're going camping, right?) and enjoy your surroundings. We've got an Eriba 'van, so they only reason to be inside is when it's too cold or windy to be outside, at which point you don't want to be in a tent anyway.
I've got to drive to a campsite anyway, so does knocking 10mph off my top speed on the motorway matter? No.
Does not spending hours putting stuff up and taking it away, and the inevitable barney with the Mrs, appeal? Massively.
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