CAMPING | Are Campers Crazy? I Think I Must Be!

September 28, 2015 Shell Robshaw-Bryan

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When Enterprise Rent-a-Car Magazine approached me and asked me to share a camping experience with them, my mind immediately went back to what proved to be one of my more ‘challenging’ camping experiences, proving that even we experienced campers don’t always get it right.

Some people think those of us who love camping are crazy…. I must say, I’m inclined to agree with them!

Don’t get me wrong, I love camping, and have done it as often as I can since I was a child, but I hate being cold. My regular readers will know that I’m one of those campers who takes everything but the kitchen sink with them to ensure they’re as comfy and cosy as possible. Cold sucks.

When I agreed to go camping in the UK in the middle of November one year, I really must have taken leave of my senses! Still, I packed my snowboarding thermals, hot water bottle, extra blankets and my usual kettle and stove and off I headed, confident that I’d cheat the cold with my years of camping experience and ludicrous number of layers.

After about 15 minutes, it dawned on me that the kettle still hadn’t whistled…

On the first night, I started my normal bed time routine, popping through into the open fronted tent awning to fill up the kettle, and pop on the stove for a hot water bottle (an absolute must when camping in cold weather!). I pottered around getting ready for bed, taking off several layers only to put back on several thicker layers, and after about 15 minutes, it dawned on me that the kettle hadn’t whistled yet.

On further investigation, the gas was barely flickering, despite the gas bottle being full when I locked it in place. I stuck my head out of the awning and yelled over to a friend, asking if they had any idea why my kettle wouldn’t boil.

“Oh yes!” they shouted back cheerily.

“It’s way too cold for that, your gas will probably be mostly frozen! You know it’s -2 tonight yeah?”.

Suffice to say, I’ve never spent a night quite as cold as that in a tent, and after enduring a teeth chattering night, that was unpleasant to say the least, you might think that all but the hardiest of campers would have learned their lesson.

Well, guess who’s just agreed to go camping at the end of October… Some people never learn!

Why not check out another story on Enterprise Magazine about camping on the beautiful Isle of Mull.

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Shell Robshaw-Bryan

Editor & Owner at Camping with Style

Shell loves all things travel and outdoors and is a nature-loving, comfy-camping kinda girl. Shell started the Camping with Style blog after a serious snowboarding accident which left her with a broken back. Despite this she used the outdoors and healing power of nature to aid her recovery and she continues to spend time outdoors whenever she can.

From open water swimming, snowboarding and kayaking to hill walks and meditation, Shell shares her travels and microadventures here on the blog and in various publications she's written for, Shell has a particular interest in promoting wellbeing and the many benefits of nature therapy.

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