tent nostalgia

We are getting ready for our first camping trip of the year. I am terribly exited, I always am. I do love camping. Do you love camping? It is a love a acquired late in life, when I was traveling Down Under. Sleeping under canvas was so much more pleasurable than sharing a bunk with other backpackers. We didn't go camping when I was a child. There was no need, we had use of a house in Northern Italy with a very big garden. The house was ramshackle, built around a courtyard over three floors with no internal stairs. The bathroom was down a few steps around a corner next to a neighour's hayloft. I hated going to the loo at night because there was no light in the hayloft and you just never know what is lurking in the dark, don't you? It does sound romantic but in reality, it often rained, the house was cold and it must have been a pain for our parents to look after us. Still, I have fond memories of the place. We sometimes put a small tent up in our back garden and slept out there. It was quite scary (with all those ferocious house cats roaming around the neighbourhood). I went camping once with school, on the shores of Lake Murten (Switzerland), not too far from home. It must have been when I was around 14 I think. I remember it cold and miserable and not fun at all. But my memories are hazy at best. 

We have been family camping for years now. We started going to France with one the companies that provided fully equipped tents on site. Then we took the plunge and started our UK camping adventure. At first, we went to the Lake District with our Tesco Value tent. This was long before James and Alistair came to live with us. We always went to a National Trust campsite in the Great Langdale. National Trust campsites are always equipped with drying rooms because they often cater for walkers. Perfect for drying children's clothes and towels. There is a reason why there are so many lakes in the Lake District! 

After a couple of years we invested in a more upmarket tent. It was a pod tent which had a central room, a 'hallway' and two sleeping pods on on the back. It was a fab tent that served us well but one year when camping with friends up North, the tent was destroyed during a freak storm. The weather was great but the winds were unbelievable. I think only two tents of a group of about 10 remained intact. We fixed our fibreglass poles with duct tape (as you do) and went on camping with the tattered thing for a wee while longer.
 

Then James and Alistair came along and we (I) decided to upgrade. We now have a mansion. Our tent even has a wardrobe! Because we always take our evening wear when we go camping, for those Highland Dances you know. Well, it is just a metal pole for hanging up coats really. Being a little obsessive, I studied the market for weeks, unable to decide on a suitable tent. I wanted one that would withstand high winds and heavy rains but I also wanted a large tent so we could huddle up inside and wait out the storm. Did you know that many tent brands give you a wind rating, as well as a waterproofing rating, and so on? Needless to say that I am a member of the Camping & Caravanning Club.... I am not only obsessive but also tend to catastrophise. Our current tent should withstand winds up to Beaufort 10. The tent poles are solid 22 mm stainless steel. We've not had to put it to the test but I have watched the video of the wind tunnel tests. Quite scary, winds like that. The tent has three bedrooms but we usually keep the 'walls' unzipped and create a cosy family bedroom. It sleeps seven but honestly, you could fit at least 12 in. Comfortably. There is also a big living area, big enough to host dinner parties (if you are prepared to sit on the floor with your plate balanced on your knees). We've had about 24 people crammed in once for a curry, when it was too wet for the most hardy to eat outside. Then there is the porch. It is absolutely fabulous. You can cook in it, store wet shoes and keep other assorted mess in one place. You can sit in it with the doors closed watching the rain roll down the plastic panoramic window. On hot days you can open it up completely without having to move the mess. Tent envy anyone? :-)

There are disadvantages with a large tent of course. For one, you really need a trailer to take it anywhere at all. I suppose if you had fewer children, it would fit in the boot. But then, a smaller tent would do. Also, it takes two adults a good hour to put the tent up. It is hard work and arguing is almost inevitable. In fact, putting the tent up is a real test for any relationship and if the relationship survives this particular stressor, it is probably one for the long run. We often go camping with friends and help each other. It is a bit like a factory workline. Arguments between couples are less likely, too. This because of course it is important to keep up the pretense of coping really well and of having a great time.

At the end of the day, our days of wild camping are over and we might as well enjoy the relative luxury of a mansion tent. 

How strange, I had different things in mind when I started writing this post. Ach well. I must now return to the FB conversation with our camping pals. It is rather heated. Some of the blokes (!) have pre-camping anxieties regarding the weather forecast. It might rain (in Scotland, who would have thought). The forecast appears to different when using different apps.... I have ordered tropical temperatures with refreshing lunchtime showers but we shall see, the Highlands are quite unpredictable. Keep your fingers crossed! xx