Learn to control money but do not allow it to control you

Cheery_Daff

Strangely FW, I feel pretty much the same today

And I'd planned a run this morning and didn't manage it....

Hope you feel better soon!

Firewalker

I am back from my run; and it was hard work, let me tell you. I wish I could say that this is all because of the warm weather but regretfully some is down to be becoming relatively unfit and...well... heavy. I am not really big but am heavy for a long distance runner. My motivation to lose weight has not been great and I am going by the advice of Leo Babauta – we can change our lives completely by changing different habits. Importantly, we have to focus on changing one habit at the time. At the moment I am focusing on forming a ‘get up early and start writing’ kind of habit; going well. Next I’ll have to do ‘I am not having this really lovely piece of chocolate/cake/ sweets/ice-cream’ habit.

Some of you may remember that this time last year we went camping. I am not really keen on camping – in fact I needed about thirty years break after the previous episode. Last year was fine, though – it is a very nice campsite, only about an hour drive from our house and the experience is shared with a group of Woodcraft parents, children and generally friends. Looking back, I was fine with everything except the tent, the sleeping bag, the cold, the walking for five minutes to go to the toilet in the middle of the night.

Let’s face it, I was not made to camp – however, it is this time of the year again. I have done everything possible to get out of it! Short of running away and hiding there is nothing more that can be done – I have to go. And it is this week!

Any survival tips, please?

Firewalker

Keeping_Motivated

Firewalker wrote: »

Looking back, I was fine with everything except the tent, the sleeping bag, the cold, the walking for five minutes to go to the toilet in the middle of the night.

Let’s face it, I was not made to camp – however, it is this time of the year again. I have done everything possible to get out of it! Short of running away and hiding there is nothing more that can be done – I have to go. And it is this week!

Any survival tips, please?

Firewalker

Nipping out of lurkdom to post this link http://www.shewee.com/newstore/

and now running for cover while I await your response to that one :rotfl::rotfl:

Good luck I understand your dislike of all those camping necessities :cool: I'm definately not a camper I cant see the point in staying anywhere that is not nicer than my home

Cheery_Daff

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: I can just imagine FW's response to that one, as sensible as it is! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Firewalker

I'll probably surprise you, guys - under the circumstances this seems a really good idea. Solves one problem though it may take some time to perfect action. How about the tent and the sleeping bag? Any imaginative solutions?

FW

tellmeitsfriday

It's a good idea - but I don't think she'll like it!

When I was a teenager, I loved camping. It was a cheap way to get away from parents in my little metro Happy days... music festivals, rain, camping stoves and pot noodles (I won't mention beer)

Now I am an adult, I have developed a penchant for luxury - so B&Bs and Hotels for me. I don't even think I could be persuaded to Glamp!

...but no excuses FW - you love it (ha!) pack extra blankets and a pepsi max bottle

claudiac_2

Make sure your tent is big enough to walk in and out FW - can't be doing with all that crawling in and out!! And get a camp bed to put your sleeping bag on so your not on the ground, or a readybed which is like an inflatable bed/sleeping bag in one - very cosy actually. Take lots of wine to sedate yourself.

ani_26

You do make me laugh, fw. I suspect you have been spoilt, and are accustomed to good quality hotels.

Look in it as back to basics, or alternatively, a positve experience, rather than a negative experience. This reminds me of my mum, who always used to say to me, when we were going camping, - oh, you're slumming it, again. Its always stuck with me, this attitude - slumming it.

In actual fact, theres an amusing programme, i've seen a few times on bbc3 or bbc4. In the ' olden days ' , camplng originated and was fashionable with the upper classes, and it was the ' in ' thing to do. All the gentry went camping, every weekend, until, over the years, the ' working ' classes went camping, too. I wonder if its still seen as a ' class ' thing. You go camping, if you can't afford to do anything else, ( although people with alot of money go camping ). Personaly, we went camping, because we were climbers, and it was part and parcel, went cap in hand, so to speak, and yes, we could'nt afford to do anything else. I think my very worst memories of camping were in Applecross. We borrowed a very large frame tent, ( never borrow a tent off someone else ), which turned out to be full of holes, and since it can be very wet, in that region. The rest is history, to be looked back upon and laughed about. Needless to say, we had to go home. You could ' wring ' the rain out, of our sleeping bags. But its still one of those experiences you look back on, with fondness.

Any tips? Well, i'd say make sure you get a good quality tent, ( from a climbing shop, not from arg*s ), but it does'nt look as if you will be going camping on a regular basis. I had, ( I say had, because i think i lost it in the move ), a vango force 10, ( which speaks for itself ), which i would highly recommend. I'd be wary of something cheap and flimsy, or a frame tent. Being warm at night, is high priority, so a good quality sleeping bag. You don't need to walk to the toilets in the middle of the night. Just pop behind a bush, at the back of your tent, ( this is the whole point of camping ). If you don't like this idea, take some toilet paper, too, and make sure you dispose of it, in an environmental way. In fact, you don't need to go behind a bush, unless someone else is doing, the same!

If your prone to being attacked by the mites, ( like i am ), take plenty of midge spray, mosquito repellent, ant powder, whatever. Alcohol can be useful in aiding the onset of sleep, ( in a relaxing way ), but don't drink beer ( or too much of it ), as this will only mean you have to crawl out of your tent more frequently, in the ' middle ' of the night. Red wine, possibly a good alternative, ( a full bodied, red ), mmmmm. Warming. Just imagine drinking a glass of red wine in the open air, and watching the sun, set. Perfect. Which reminds me, take a folding chair to sit on, so you can partake of the above.

Finaly, don't forget the all important bacon, ( and lots of it ), for the all important bacon butties for breakfast, thats if you've survived all of the above. :rotfl:


Above all, embrace your great outdoor and back to nature experience, and enjoy your weekend? Have a good one x

Cheery_Daff

Are you walking to the campsite FW, or going in the car?? If you're going in the car, I'd say don't bother with the sleeping bag, take a nice duvet/blanket/sheet, and your own pillows off your bed Absolutely NO need to be tied up in a sleeping bag if you're going in the car - their advantage is in being light to carry and small to pack. You're probably not going to be cold at this time of year!

If you *must* take a sleeping bag, I think you can get ones that are two people wide I'd say get one just for yourself - plenty of room to wiggle :rotfl: :rotfl:

ani_26

Or buy two sleeping bags which both, fully unzip, and lie on one, and place the other, on top. This way, you are not constrained.

These days, i have a super lghtweight backpackers sleeping bag, which rolls up into nothing. Its brilliant. You don't need to take pillows. Thats for the wimpish :rotfl: Use your clothing with which to rest you weary head, ( you won't notice after the wine ), A rolled up fleece, is perfect.