Camping is looming large, only two days to go. I am quite excited but also apprehensive. The apprehension is due to my one and only experience of camping which took place at Glastonbury. For those of you who don’t know it, Glastonbury is the biggest and best British summer festival. Loads of people go and camp in muddy fields, that are usually home to cows, listen to music and drink a lot. It is supposed to be fun, it was more like an army survival course for which T and I were woefully unprepared.
When we got there we pitched our single skin tent at the bottom of a hill and then tootled off to watch the England match (this was in the days when England managed to make it into championship things). While we were watching it started to rain. It poured and my very cute retro Addias anorak did not keep the rain out – that’s what happens when you choose fashion over practicality.
When we got back to the tent (I’m sure you seasoned campers can guess what had happened), everything was soaked, everything we had completely drenched. So wet and shivering we trudged through the mud to the help tent.
Who were absolutely no help what so ever, they gave us two bin bags. Back we trudged in the dark to our tent. Being occasionally propositioned by wired people wanting to sell us illegal substances, honestly if they’d have been selling chocolate I’d have given them ALL my money.
We huddled down, on our bin bags, till morning. By which time T was completely pissed off with me because I was convinced that it was so cold that if we went to sleep we wouldn’t wake up. Every time he tried to dose I was checking his breathing. I am given to dramatics in these situations.
So you can see why camping does not fill me with joy. This time though we have all the right stuff, a proper tent, ground mats and if it rains I’m coming home!
11 Comments
July 17, 2008 at 12:51 am
I hope this trip goes better than your last one. Sounds like it won’t be hard to do!
Do you have air mattresses? Sometimes they’re nice to roll your sleeping bag out on so you don’t have to sleep on lumpy things.
July 17, 2008 at 1:37 am
I’m of no help here. I think roughing it means no chocolate on the pillow and no coffee in the hotel room.
Yes. I am a princess, thanks for asking.
July 17, 2008 at 6:23 am
Ahh Glastonbury~have never been myself but my girls did when they were younger. It’s not that far from us. I worried like mad but they came home safe but oh so dirty. I don’t think it would be the same if it didn’t rain at Glastonbury. I’m sure you will have a much better camping experience this time around~ enjoy!
July 17, 2008 at 7:24 am
Bunnygirl – No shouldn’t be and yes we do have an air mattress. I think I bought out REI!
Melissa – yes me too that’s why camping fills me with both dread and the excitement of something different!
ChrisB – Let’s hope so. Of course I won’t get to see Robbie Williams and the Manic Street Preachers!
July 17, 2008 at 8:44 am
LOL! Here my husband thinks I’m so high maintenance, but I have been camping since I was 4, so I guess that’s my excuse.
If you have a proper tent it won’t matter if it rains (make sure to have plenty of bug spray and don’t pitch the tent near any streams.)
July 17, 2008 at 5:58 pm
i am NOT a camper – but i love to be out in nature for short periods of time …
enjoy your trip!
July 17, 2008 at 8:24 pm
My husband thinks I should save his bear story for if you survive, I mean, er…get back. So I will, but I’ll tell you this about it. One time, my husband and I were driving cross country. He had told me a million stories, but we were trying to stay awake, so I said, “tell me a story” and he said, “hmmm…which one?” and just as a joke I said, “tell me the one about the bear.” and his eyes got wide and he said, “I”VE NEVER TOLD YOU THE STORY ABOUT THE BEAR?” and he launched into a very long story about bears and yes, camping…not too far from where you’re going. After half an hour, I couldn’t help it and I just cracked up. He was all, “What?” and I said, “I was just kidding! I didn’t even know you had a story about a bear!” He has a story for everything…and I’m stealing it bit by bit, piece by piece, and turning it in to very funny books. Hehe!
July 17, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Oh I hope you have fun camping! I was so hoping to go this weekend but no such luck.
It does always seem to rain on me while camping too. 
I hate being soaked.
One time it didn’t rain on my tent, nope , not at all, I woke up to 6 inches of snow!
Have fun!
July 18, 2008 at 11:48 am
That is FUNNY! I love it! Well, I’m sure I wouldn’t have loved it if I would have been with yall but the whole idea sounds fun!
Cold….
You willllllllllllllllllllllll so NOT have to worry about COLD! lol
Yall will have fun! =) Hang in there and take some cool pics!
July 18, 2008 at 5:17 pm
You are so brave. Nothing would ever get me to do it again. You must adore T. And, if you hate it? He OWES you a beachy destination.
July 18, 2008 at 10:33 pm
I know that is a horrible story- but you are the cutest thing I’ve ever known!!!