Your camping disaster stories

Sorry tales of wet-weather washouts, insect invasions & trashed gear.

Don't feel embarrassed, we've all been there

“The most awful experience I had was last year in North Norfolk… an inconsiderate neighbour and their friend got absolutely sozzled and had extremely loud sex.” Sarah Helen “I camped at Sty Head Tarn in the early ’80s. After a wet night, we woke up to find a stream running through the tent, resulting in soggy sleeping bags. As we were packing up on a breezy morning, one of the mats was whipped out of its owner's hand and scudded away across the tarn. Couldn't move for laughing.” Jennifer Purvis “I took 25 Scouts for a weekend camping using tents that “had been checked”, only to get on site to find most tent poles missing and no pegs. The Scouts learned a big lesson that weekend: look after your kit.” Terry Dukes “I am a seasoned camper but nature doesn't listen to me! I took my son to Skye and we arrived in the evening just as a gale began. We got soaked putting the tent up. I couldn't sleep properly because of the storm, so watched the tent slowly collapse around us. The poles were smashed by the wind. We spent the rest of the night in the car.” Morag Sharp “Having pitched after dark, I was woken by a bull tripping over my guy ropes. As the herd moved off across the field I collapsed the tent and left quietly but quickly. I have also pitched my tent in a sheltered hollow which later became a pond. You learn from your mistakes!” Felicity Colman “In the Dordogne we arrived at a campsite and set up our tents. Night fell and thunderstorm began. I crawled into my sleeping bag and felt a tickling on my arms. I turned my torch on to find my arms covered in ants, hundreds of them on my tent floor! I'd set up on an ants nest.” Taff Bonning “A few years ago we went camping with our two young boys near a river in the New Forest. It rained all night and the next day, and the forecast was for more rain. We figured, what the heck, we may as well have a day out and about in the rain anyway. When we got back to the campsite, the tent was now on an island! The river then broke its banks and flowed through our tent. I chased after the blow-up beds that were floating away, with the boys giggling in hysterics! Took us a couple of years to build up the courage to go camping again...” Jeff Whitehill

WE'VE HAD A FEW DISASTERS… THE WORST ONE WAS HAVING POLICE CALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT BECAUSE A FIGHT BROKE OUT IN THE NEXT TENT. MAYBE THE SECURITY CAMERAS ON THE CAMPSITE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A WARNING SIGN... Nicola Hornby

CAMPED NEAR KESWICK IN THE LAKES A FEW YEARS BACK – THE YEAR OF THE FLOODS. A RIVER OF COW POO RAN UNDER THE TENTS ON THE CAMPSITE. I NEVER MANAGED TO GET RID OF THE SMELL AND VOWED AT THE END OF THAT WEEK TO NEVER SLEEP IN A TENT EVER AGAIN. Joanna Sadler