Is camping with electric hook up a cop out?
Our annual camping trips are a things of beauty. Well, kind of…if the weather is nice. There’s a big crowd of us who go, predominantly mums and kids (so much nicer than when more than 2 of the useful dads join us), and it’s a really nice time to catch up, put the world to rights, let the kids have some freedom with other farming or school friends of all ages, and enjoy the outdoors. But we don’t slum it wild camping or even standard pitching. We have to go camping with electric hook up and all mod cons at the campsite.
My brother is the opposite. He’ll only camp in wild campsites where he and his friend are the only ones in a field. He wouldn’t dream of camping with electric hook up. But is going camping with electric really a cop out?
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We’re in a tent. That’s camping. Camping includes different levels, from wild camping to camping with electric to glamping where you don’t put up your own tent or anything in it. Even a campervan could be classed as camping.
Having electric isn’t lazy, it’s practical. We’re on holiday, not being tested for a scouting camping badge or volunteering to do a Bear Grylls survival weekend. It’s making life easier and more pleasant. Oh and it saves the faff and cost of sorting out new freezer packs every day for your cool box.
Some of us don’t feel the need to totally switch off. It doesn’t make us bad parents, it means we can check the weather, check opening times of places we’re visiting and call home. When you’ve got a convoy of cars travelling to the beach or out for day in different directions and then meeting up, a mobile is pretty essential. So we need to charge things. If the kids wake early before they can go running round the campsite or it’s wet, there’s usually someone with a charged dvd player. It’s lovely to see lots of the children snuggled up in one of the tents all enjoying a film together.
Electric hook up makes cooking on camping stoves* much faster. When you’re cooking for a load of children and adults, and are trying to boil water, it’s so much faster boiling an electric kettle than on the stove. It’s then handy for making quick puddings like custard or making hot chocolates. And of course some people need a quick tea or coffee in the mornings.
It’s a short cut and gives you a bit of security if you’re not a confident camper. Why make life harder than it needs to be? Yes it means we need to take more camping gear (those electric hook up plugs are massive to transport around), but if it gives us more time to sit down and relax, or be on the beach or out exploring, I’m always going to be booking a campsite with electric hook up if it’s for more than 1 night’s camping.
Oh and then, don’t forget your other requirements when booking a campsite….nice toilet and shower blocks, ideally a campsite shop for food essentials, and somewhere to park the car near the tent.
Do you opt for standard pitches when camping or do you prefer a bit of luxury?
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