Susie-Belle’s going camping
I’ve never, ever been attracted to the idea of camping, unlike Michel who has rose-tinted memories of camping on the shores of the Mediterranean under the warm sun of his homeland. Me, my only memories are of being cold, wet, fed-up, uncomfortable, miserable, home-sick and dirty – yes, I’ve only camped in the UK and that was as a child. Actually, I did attempt it a couple of years ago on a swimming holiday, two nights under canvas after spending all day swimming in rivers in a cold and wet Norfolk in August. Again, I can’t say I honestly enjoyed even a moment of it when I was out of the river, in the water I was happy as Larry. 
So, quite why I think it’ll be fun to take us all away camping this year is a bit of a mystery even to me. But that’s what we have planned and I’m full of optimism and hope that the girls will love being snuggled up in a tent with us for a couple of nights after spending all day hiking through beautiful British countryside.
I’ve committed us to it now, as I’ve spent this morning (from the comfort of my warm study) choosing and ordering a tent and sleeping bags for our first foray into this new world of outdoor living. I’ve spent a fortune on getting good gear, I don’t want to do this half-heartedly, and have worked on the basis that if I’ve spent a reasonable amount, I’ll be motivated to get us out and using it all this year.
Right now, our first official camping outing will be a big schnauzer-fest that’s being loosely organised on our favourite schnauzer forum in the Peak District. I hope to combine a bit of outdoor swimming with walking and hope to get the girls in the River Dove with me. I am thinking though that before we head north to the Peaks, we’ll have a few nights more locally as a trial-run. More locally might be as local as our garden, but I know I’ll be fighting the temptation to sneak indoors to climb into bed. After the Peak District Schnauzer weekend, we’ve also got a swimming-camping weekend lined up in Dorset in June (June weather is nearly always rubbish for me if I plan anything outdoors, so this might challenge my camping resolve).
Quite how we’re going to manage the food side of things whilst camping I haven’t quite pondered. As this is such an important part of our lives, we can’t side-line it otherwise we’ll all be miserable. There’ll be no point in me making sure we’ll be cosy and comfy in our tent, if we have to eat camping scraps of food, no, that won’t do at all. I shall have to set Michel the task of ensuring Susie-Belle (and us) have their usual standards of culinary delights, camping or no camping.
Oh the food is definitely the most important thing – we can put up with most things if we have a good dinner first. Not sure about swimming – as I hate water in all its forms (except drinking)but a day furtling in the hills and then snuggled up with my humans after a good munch sounds OK with me – woofs and licks – Magic xx
My mum thinks you are being very brave with ajust a tent canvas between you and the great outdoors! She is saying you should either get a caravan or hire a cabin!! She is not good at roughing it! Go to my blog and type in the search “hollingday” and check out the mud-brick cottage we hired on our last foray into the “woods”. It was fab and a true “home way from home.”
Anywho – all the best with the weather and we are glad no food standards are being compromised!!
Tail Wuggles, Rubie
ooh,camping is not fun for me. i was forced when i was younger to go camping very often, only thing i enjoyed was probably fishing. least enjoyable was seeing a big huge bear that was looking for food, very scary.
Ok, I’m not going to tell Susie-Belle or Renae about everyone’s thoughts on camping, I’ll be leaving them thinking it’s going to be a blast! And I definitely hope we don’t meet any bears, i’d be seriously worried in England if I met a bear!!!! I read somewhere yesterday that for dogs, camping is like one long walk with us as we’re with them the whole time and outdoors, and even when we sleep. I’m hoping it’ll be heaven for the pooches, if not us!!!