CAMPING | My Epic Camping Fails; What Are Yours?

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Right, it’s time to ‘fess up. Despite being a camper for many years, and spending more summer weekends in a tent than at home, I still get it wrong from time to time.

From minor inconveniences like forgetting to pack a spare camera battery to the ludicrously stupid, packing of the wrong poles for the tent, here are my epic camping fails.

1. Packing for the wrong weather

In summer it will rain and be unfathomably cold some nights. In Autumn you’ll get unseasonably hot days then hail storms.

The key is, whatever the season, whatever the forecast, pack clothing and kit to cover all eventualities. I know this, but in an effort to keep my packing light (so I can fit more essentials in, like cushions), this bit of logic seems to be forgotten each time I pack for a camping trip.

2. Over packing/under packing

I never seem to get the balance right. For a two night weekend trip, I usually seem to end up with 6 different outfits; most of them unsuitable for the weather. Either that or I’ll totally forget basic essentials. Like knickers. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve had to make an emergency journey to get forgotten knickers from the nearest 24 hours Asda. I’m incredibly classy.

Stopping off at Bala lake en route to our favourite camp site in Wales

3. Not freezing food before packing it in the cool box

When I first got a fancy cool box, I couldn’t work out why I’d only get 2 or 3 days out of it, when it claimed to keep ice for 5. Then I had a brain wave, and tried out freezing food before packing it, and started putting drinks and everything else, in the fridge before packing.

As well as my usual ice blocks, I then added a bag of ice, and whaddya know. Fresh food without an electric hookup and yes, even ice left on day 5. Well duh. Of course if I’d have bothered to read the instructions I’d have known this.

There’s a right way and a wrong way to do this. My way is invariably the quickest way. Which is usually wrong.

4. Forgetting to research the local area before we get there

I’ve become so reliant on WiFi and mobile Internet, that when I find myself in the middle of nowhere with no connection, I curse my lack of preparation. In my defense, I’m usually so busy I don’t even manage to make a note of the address of where we’re going before we’ve left, stopping at a service station en route, frenziedly checking my email for booking confirmations, or Googling campsite addresses. When will I learn?

How is it I always remember bunting, signs and solar lights but not important stuff?

5. Not taking my binoculars, bird watching and nature reference books

Every trip I resolve to indulge my inner nature geek, and rekindle the vast childhood knowledge I had of birds, fungi and trees.

With this desire in mind, I have a stack of nature identification books, including various Collins pocket gem books, which take up no space at all. We’ve got binoculars, a telescope, and a fancy zoom lens, yet they always get shrugged off when it’s time to pack the car, with me reasoning that I don’t have room or won’t have time to use them once on site.

Once I arrive and have set up, and am watching the sun set, Pimms in hand, a weary sigh escapes me as I realise that I’ve not bothered to pack them yet again.

I must take ALL the cushions camping, because they are obviously so very essential

6. Not checking batteries

When it comes to battery operated lanterns and torches, when we need to use them, they are invariably dead. You’d think I’d check them before packing, but I rarely do. Thankfully, now that I’ve got a solar powered source of reliable power and light, this is no longer such a big issue, but we do still get caught out from time to time.

7. Not taking enough spare gas

I am terrible at assuming. Because I camp such a lot and have multiples of almost everything, I seem to think that bottled gas in particular never runs out, and so like a twit, I don’t bother checking.

Once on site and the gas predictably runs out, I end up frantically rummaging in boxes and bags, praying that a spare lurks somewhere within. I’d like to say that this is an infrequent occurrence, but it happens pretty much every trip.

More cushions. I think I may have a problem…

8. Forgetting where I’ve put things

Why is it that when I go camping I end up with 5 different bags, and I then can’t remember what on earth is in which bag. I’m forever rummaging around in random bags trying to figure out where I put the thing I want. One day I will learn to take one big bag and pack everything inside it.

9. Failing to fully charge my phone/iPod/camera

For USB devices, thankfully this is no longer the problem it once was thanks to my solar charger. I still can’t charge my camera battery though, and despite having a spare, you can bet I forget it, and leave the fully charged one at home, sat there in the charging dock.

10. Forgetting poles/groundsheet/awning…

Once again, because we are away so often, I just seem to assume that we have everything. Conveniently forgetting that often, camping gear doesn’t make it back to our designated camping storage area, and will need rounding up before we leave. On a group camping trip to Shell Island I invited some non-camping friends, taking along two of my old tents for them to use.

We arrived on site and I pitched one tent, two tents, tent number three….WHERE THE HELL ARE THE POLES?!! To this day don’t know how I managed that one, but you can bet I’ve not done it since…..yet!

So there you have it, at risk of sounding like a massive idiot, I thought I’d share some of my camping fails from over the years.

One of my goals this year is to be more mindful. I’m trying hard to cut down on the amount of work I do (workaholic would be an understatement), and hopefully, this will mean I have more thinking space, and time to plan ahead when I pack for a change!

Go on, make me feel better, what are your biggest or most frequent camping fails?

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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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