What can I do to convince dh of the wonders of camping?!

[anchovies]

So no holiday booked for the summer so far. My plan was to sell the big old dome tent, buy a pretty new canvas tent and some fancy comfy beds and drive down to the dordogne for a couple of weeks. Not doing a lot other than letting the kids run wild and drinking red wine.

Dh on the other hand has just announced he would rather fork out the £3-4K for a week all inclusive in Turkey or Egypt.

Is there any hope if our ideals are so far apart? Do other people camp just because they actually like camping or am I being ungrateful?!

[RaisingSteam]

I think you have to kind of like being outdoors to really enjoy camping. Could you do a week of each?

[TheFantasticMrsFox]

I would compromise (to "take advantage of the fantastic weather" therefore meaning you have to camp now) and camp for a week or so on the understanding that if he really hates it you will go away for a week in half term. Then fill your time away with lots of wine and sex to ensure he gets hooked on camping and you will never have to endure another week in an AI resort.
Or drug him :o

[AngelsWithSilverWings]

I adore camping and I'm in the middle of preparing for our trip to Devon next week but if I'm totally honest I'd be much happier with a holiday that just allowed me to sling some shorts and summer dresses in a suitcase and jet off to a nice hotel.We have done cruise holidays in the past and I'd love nothing more right now.

We could afford that sort of holiday if we really really wanted it but I've got so many home improvement plans and I'd rather use the cash for that. Is there something your DH would love to use the money for if it wasn't spent on an expensive holiday?

My DH enjoys camping but I know that the thing he enjoys the most is sitting outside the tent looking at a lovely view with a beer in his hand thinking smugly about how little the holiday has cost!

[Slubberdegullion]

Camping is a marmite activity, and I'm afraid no amount of bunted canvas will ever turn a hater into a lover.

Anchovies there's a good chance that all the good sites in the door dongle will be fully booked now.

[Slubberdegullion]

That's right dyac, in the door dongle. Fucks sake.

[anchovies]

The door dongle = brilliant!

Les valades has pitches have had my eye on it for years. Thing is we went camping for a week last year and he did enjoy it the main issue has always been we sleep like crap because of the rubbish hi-gear sims I bought. I am thinking fork out on some decent beds and some bunting and tealights and he could love it!

[AngelsWithSilverWings]

It's all about the bedding. If you get that right camping is great.

We realised very quickly that SIMs are rubbish. Even the kids hate them. DH and I have a double air bed each and the kids have a single one each. Our entire roof box space is taken up with bedding for the four of us though. My giant square sleeping bag takes up much of that on it's own ( I can't sleep in those mummy things)

[pictish]

We camp because we like camping.
It is true to say that our holiday budget doesn't stretch to foreign holidays...BUT...if we were that bothered about foreign holidays and/or more luxurious accommodation, then I guess we'd sacrifice elsewhere and find the funds.
We don't though...because camping suits us just fine. We have a brilliant set up and going to jaw droppingly beautiful places with it.

£3-4k a lot to me for a holiday you see...that cash would go on something else here, as we feel every bit as satisfied and rejuvenated by our camping holidays.

A lot of people scoff/balk at camping, but we thoroughly enjoy it.

[Slubberdegullion]

My sims aren't rubbish!

I'd rather sleep on a sim than a horrid bouncy air bed any day.

But yy what you sleep on is vital. Memory foam topper over the top of the sims, would that help?

[AngelsWithSilverWings]

We probably went for the cheapest SIMs available when we first started camping.Worst night's sleep ever! I'd be interested to hear about good ones as our air beds take up so much room!

[306235388]

We are just back from
Camping, first time with kids. Loved it but I don't think I could cope with 2 weeks. Why not do a weeks camping and a weeks holiday?

[JustAShopGirl]

for me it is the 4-5am "pee in a bucket" or schlepp across a field - often in the rain - to a stinky, dark, buginfested loo that stops me camping.

You cannot escape from heat in a tent, rain is depressing, wind is bloomin noisy and cold dew filled mornings look beautiful - but soak your shoes.

Can you tell I don't like camping?

[yellowdinosauragain]

I love our sims too and they're only cheapo 5cm ones from aldi. Much better, and cheaper, than the camp beds we had before and even dh aka camp hater sleeps well on them. But if you don't then finding something comfortable to sleep on will make all the difference. I've heard good things about the exped megamat (I think that's what it's called anyway)

What made the difference for my dh, who used to hate camping, was last year when the boys were finally old enough to go a bit feral. So it was actually relaxing for us. Plus the weather was fantastic.

I couldn't imagine spending 3-4k on a holiday (our week long holiday to Spain for 4 is less than half of that) and agree with the above above to find something your dh would prefer to spend the money on and get talking!

[yellowdinosauragain]

For justashopgirl this will change your life!

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B000FIAPXO?cache=4501256fd6108c14865fd6ead44257a1&pi=SY200_QL40&qid=1406278575&sr=8-1&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21#ref=mp_s_a_1_1

[flipchart]

£3-4 grand in Turkey or Egypt would be my idea of hell!!!
I'm not a huge fan of camping unless it is wildcamping by myself for a night or two.

Backpacking and hostels are the way!!!

[pictish]

I agree that camping is a marmite thing.
None of the things shopgirl describes, bothers me at all. It's all part of the fun in my eyes.
I like being outdoors and going back to basics. I find it really relaxing.

[allmycats]

Can you compromise by booking a last minute holiday in 1 of the large mobile homes on a campsite in France. Proper beds and you own bogs.

[pictish]

The down side of camping to me, is the amount of packing and unpacking you have to do - it is phenomenal.

But on the other hand...airports. Hate them.

[JustAShopGirl]

ewwwwww yellow - that is just a bucket with a lid!

I am more a "camp" in a luxury woodland lodge type person....

[yellowdinosauragain]

I'm with pictish. Don't mind the packing so much but the unpacking is grim. Love the rest though!

[Pootlingalong]

It was the other way round for us, DH needed to convince me to try camping and now I'm blooming evangelical about it! Agree you have to be comfortable and it can be daunting forking out for the decent kit you need to ensure you sleep well. We all have alpkit sims, dozers for us and thinner ones for the DCs but unfortunately they are having supply problems this year . We are away all summer this year and sleeping fine

[JustAShopGirl]

.....and as for trying to find somewhere to DRY a wet tent when you get home when you haven't got a garage ..... eeuurghhhhh....