An end to camping?

[Throttled]

My last couple of trips where I camped were pretty miserable. It was the weather that was the problem, followed by that long walk to use the loo at 0300. So, this morning has been spent in the loft sorting through all my camping gear. Most of it is ancient and well-used, so it is not going to be sold or given away, as I would not trust it. It splits up into hard plastics and metal that can be recycled at the local dump and the rest if for landfill. I have kept sleeping bags, mats and chairs and a huge tipi tent, for possible use in the back garden, or maybe a trip in the car. There is nothing left for camp cooking, so it would need to be a site with full facilities, which a group of us used to do, but not for a while, as the kids are now adults.

 

Motorbiking is now going to be hotels, B&B or maybe do some Airbnb. I tried a pod last year, but that long 0300 walk to the loo is a pain, so never again. I have been camping regularly since I was a kid as a rough estimate, I have spent at least 6 months, maybe heading to a year, of my life under canvas. I know I am going to miss it, but it is time to stop.

 

 

 

 

Or is this an excuse to get new, up to date equipment......?

[husoi]

I'm with you on this.

Airbnb or cheaper accommodation for me please.

Travel lighter, less kerfuffle, less affected by weather.

Most of all, too old for crawling in and out of a small tent.

Life is too short to have to setup a house every time you want to move from one place to another

[Fiddlesticks]

Mrs. Fiddlesticks agrees.

I'm easy either way.

Hotels it is, then.

[Capt Sisko]

Have you also noticed how the entrances to tents have both got lower and smaller in the last twenty or so years!

[husoi]

Then you have this argument 

 

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1ASXtMZBdp/

 

[bonio]

I've only camped once with the bike. The weather was great, but even so, all that hassle - putting up the tent, taking the thing down, making breakfast and coffee in the morning, finding a way to get food into you in the evening, walking over the showers in the morning - all that stuff was a real distraction from the riding. I won't say I won't do it again, but I'd choose not to if it was an option.

Edited March 19 by bonio

[Pie man]

I prefer Hotels as I'm not overly keen on camping however, I thought I would give camping another go. So this year is a mix of both. I last camped in France 2022 and the last two trips 23/24 I stayed in Hotels, this year will be a mix of both, any saving made might make it possible for another trip in September. So If the weather is nice I will camp, if not, Booking Dot Com and move on. I think I'm trying to re live some of my youth. Although I must admit I wouldn't camp in the UK 

[Bender]

I love camping me  

[V650]

6 hours ago, Throttled said:

 

Or is this an excuse to get new, up to date equipment......?

Camper Van maybe ?

[Fish]

My lsat two tours have been using AirBnB other than one single hotel which was a spur of the moment booking. 

 

We hit some real gems in Spain and Portugal.

 

I was asked about a possible 3 week trip up to Nordkapp, but when they said it was camping, I declined as 3 weeks in Norway was just too big a weather risk for my old bones.

[bud]

The last  time I called was about 20 years ago. Got to the camp site and it was already raining.

Put the tent up, then went to the pub. When we came back everything was damp. By the morning it was waterlogged and freezing.

I haven't done it since.

[onesea]

I don't mind camping, last time was September. 

 

However I do camp basic...

 

Tent, mattress, enough cooking equipment to boil a kettle, a can of curry and some rice (emergency use) breakfast bars, kenco 3 n 1 coffee and cuppa soups.

 

Food is eaten from pubs, restaurants& cafes.

 

If food /drink is to be eaten on site is bought locally.

[Throttled]

I just enjoyed being outside. I also prefer outdoor rather than office, indoor jobs. I think that is why I like biking, as it is also more outdoors than being stuck inside a car.

[Mickly]

Early in our courtship we borrowed my parents motorhome and went to a site in Pembroke, got there Saturday morning & the sun was blazing, by late afternoon it was pissing down, we were cozied up, warm & dry by the evening, when a young couple on a bike rode up and proceeded to try and pitch a tent, I was having a warming glass and being thoroughly entertained watching them do it …. When Missus Micklys mothering instinct kicked in and kicked me out to help the guy and send the ‘poor girl’ in for a cuppa and a warm.

Once we got the tent up, everything they had was soaking wet so they ended up sleeping on the floor of the  motorhome ( as well as drinking my rum!! )

Following day was lovely & they managed to dry everything out then went home the following morning …..

Put Missus Mickly off ever attempting camping

[Throttled]

Many years of Scout camps, taught me how to pitch a tent in the rain and stay dry. You just pitch the outer tent first, before you do anything else. I will miss the sound of rain on canvas. The cold was harder to deal with.

[S-Westerly]

My wife and I like wild camping in the more remote hilly parts of the country from Scotland down to Dartmoor.For that we use light weight gear and depending on the season medium to heavy weight down sleeping bags. Good and warm and always dry even in stormy weather. If I'm on the bike it's hotels every time. 

[Capt Sisko]

Weirdly enough the only times I’ve enjoyed camping are at the two extremes. Either glamping where, well let’s be honest here, the only bit remotely related to proper camping is that your accommodation might be constructed from some type of textile material. Or backpacking in the hills when I’ve been carrying just the bare minimum and it’s the end of a long or hard day. Then, even the packeted camping meals taste good.

[Steve_M]

I used to camp when attending BSB /WSB/Bulldog Bash but the mere thought of camping when touring would put me off going. Too much hassle, the middle of the night loo walk and, as mentioned previously, the tent entrance shrinking and getting lower vs a hotel with restaurant and en-suite. Or am I just getting old and lazy? (Don’t answer that! )

Edited March 23 by Steve_M

[Bungleaio]

Love going camping on the bike. I've got my setup sorted now with a really comfortable bed, decent chair, table and cooking stuff so I'm a long way from roughing it.

 

[Bender]

On 21/03/2025 at 16:07, S-Westerly said:

My wife and I like wild camping in the more remote hilly parts of the country from Scotland down to Dartmoor.For that we use light weight gear and depending on the season medium to heavy weight down sleeping bags. Good and warm and always dry even in stormy weather. If I'm on the bike it's hotels every time. 

I'm currently investigating a lighter tent for the backpack, sub 1kg that can cope with Scottish mountain diversity.

 

The older I get the more weight becomes an issue.

 

[curlylegend]

42 minutes ago, Bender said:

My wife and I like wild camping in the more remote hilly parts of the country from Scotland down to Dartmoor.For that we use light weight gear and depending on the season medium to heavy weight down sleeping bags

I always used to engage a bearer when I camped in the wilds of Scotland. A lightweight tent and stuff I could manage but lugging a 6 bore shotgun as well, for the bloody midges was just to much for me.

[S-Westerly]

8 hours ago, curlylegend said:

I always used to engage a bearer when I camped in the wilds of Scotland. A lightweight tent and stuff I could manage but lugging a 6 bore shotgun as well, for the bloody midges was just to much for me.

Scotland we do outside of midge season. Once bitten twice shy.

[Bender]

14 hours ago, curlylegend said:

I always used to engage a bearer when I camped in the wilds of Scotland. A lightweight tent and stuff I could manage but lugging a 6 bore shotgun as well, for the bloody midges was just to much for me.

Yup wait for first frost and by the time you get to -10 it's glorious  

 

There are parts that are fairly midge free though 

[Throttled]

16 hours ago, Bungleaio said:

Love going camping on the bike. I've got my setup sorted now with a really comfortable bed, decent chair, table and cooking stuff so I'm a long way from roughing it.

 

 

I used to get lots of looks, as I rocked up on a motorbike and pitched a huge Vango Stelvio that the bike could fit inside, or an 8 man teepee tent, along with a table, full sized camp chair, a sleep mat like a mattress and all my cooking kit and awning.

[Bungleaio]

3 hours ago, Throttled said:

 

I used to get lots of looks, as I rocked up on a motorbike and pitched a huge Vango Stelvio that the bike could fit inside, or an 8 man teepee tent, along with a table, full sized camp chair, a sleep mat like a mattress and all my cooking kit and awning.

I bet you did, that's a lot to carry on the bike. Any photos?