Always had a roof above me, always paid the rent
Dear internet, I have a confession to make.
I have never ever been camping.
I tried to, once, aged about fifteen, when a bunch of us decided to pitch a tent in the field behind my friend Sheena’s house. Sadly, neither Sheena nor the rest of us was in the least bit punk rock, and by 2am we had scared the collective bejesus out of ourselves with the awesome power of our own ghost stories. We abandoned the tent for the comfort of the sitting room floor and that was that.
Since then, I’ve managed to evade having to camp anywhere, even at music festivals I’ve been to. It’s not that I’m a diva or a wimp or anything, honest, it’s just that there’ve always been other options. But now, at the age where most people are probably considering upgrading from a foam mattress and a sleeping bag to a king-size bed and an eiderdown, I am set to pop my camping cherry. Himself bought us a very snazzy tent last Friday, and come next Friday, we will be pitching it in Stradbally.
I’m almost as excited about the camping bit as I am about the festival bit. It’d better not rain on my parade.
“it’s just that there’ve always been other options…”
At festivals? What other options?! I feel I should know.
The bus home. Ahem. Perhaps a bit of a wimp.
Should we end up in Stradbally next weekend I will endeavour to ensure that you have as rich and nuanced a festival camping experience as possible by pissing on your tent, but then also being really nice and offering you extra tent pegs and some cider. And then nasty again by setting it on fire on the last night.
I am also fascinated to note the hames Annie has made of leaving her URL here due to excessive exposure to Twitter.
…and then nice again by towing my car out of the muddy cesspit it’ll no doubt have been mired in by that stage?
Can’t wait.
Oh. Bugger!
yeah… handy hint re the mud-mired car – don’t leave your passenger window open as you spin your wheels in the festering muck. it was a lesson hard learned.
I would recommend trying it once – try it in October (cold but usually dry), maybe in the grounds of a hostel in Wicklow or something. You can sit around the fire and get toasty, but you’ll be able to have a shower in the hostel too. And you could meet funny people.
and – how was the experience?? A damn sight warmer than camping out at the top of the Andes I’m sure hehe