Print This PostLong gone are the days of “back-pack camping”, when you go camping with whatever you could carry on your back – away from civilisation, miles from the nearest road, deep in the Siberian forests or the North-West Territories.
Beach camping in Dorset, July 2002
Things were simple those days: a tent, box of matches, two saucepans, spoon, knife, aluminum mug, sleeping bag and a tooth brush. A pile of spruce brunches were working as a decent mattress and a lake or a river as a bath tub. A can of sweetened evaporated milk was a luxury and a typical meal was rice with canned stewed meat. Or a “craft dinner” on the Canadian side of Atlantic. And all of the grand beauty of the nature of two largest countries of the world was at our steps.
- Andrew sticks his head out after a night out camping in Wales, June 2002
Although, Andrew now admits he had never actually been wild backpack camping, and he was simply spinning “pre-engagement” tales.
What sheep? Let's camp here, June 2002.
Nevertheless, we had some really cool “compromised” wild camping in England about seven years ago in our innocent child-free, unmarried life…
...oh, those sheep. Why do they wake up so early?
There is nothing like waking up in the depths of the Breakon Beacon National Park with sheep “Ba-a-a-a-ing” around our tent on the bank of nameless stream under the derelict bridge… Or swimming around wild rocks of Durdle-Door with camping equipment piled onto inflatable mattress to reach an inaccessible beach…
Morning Relief after camping with sheep, June 2002.
Or frying steaks on the campfire made of driftwood and dried seaweeds…. Or waking up a couple of meters from the gentle waves… Or, ah-hem, looking for McDonalds toilets every morning…. (that was the compromise bit).
Coops Camping
Well, this late May bank holiday weekend, we introduced our kids to camping. Not wild and not back- pack camping; and come to think of it probably not camping at all, although there were tents around. Coops had a 40th birthday, so he managed to convince a bunch of friends to celebrate this occasion in one of the river-side campsites in Gloustershire.
Civilized Campfire Cooking
We packed two small tents, and a lot of other paraphernalia, which almost didn’t fit into Andrew’s car, and went to absorb a culture of modern camping. The kids were over the moon, and the parents survived one night.
There seems to be something wet missing...
As usual, we managed to find a compromise which suited all four of us: paddling in the river Tames; Andrew’s birthday present this year was two inflatable dinghies with paddles, so this was a perfect chance to try them out!
Off for a paddle on the Thames
As we discovered quite quickly, the dinghies were rather difficult to manoeuvre, however after about 20 minutes of going in circles we managed to get in control and make a fair distance! Occasionally, motor boats added some fun, and of course Tolii and Tosha were encouraging Mummy and Daddy to race with each other!
Speed Camera Catches the Racing Dinghies
The next day, when Tosha decided he would better stay in the camp with his buddy Tristan, Tolii’s friend Autumn (who we all agree [except her] should have been called Spring!) got a chance to experience the thrill of boating in Tosha’s place. That was a double thrill because Tolii and Autumn had a splashing competition, with all the water somehow landing on us.
Sunset over the Thames in Lechlade, Gloucestershire.
So, all in all, it was a brilliant weekend in spite of all our moaning about the lack of wilderness and romance of “proper” camping.
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