Camping hell

[crosslandkelly]

My daughter got back from the Reading festival yesterday, she had a great time. Looking at some of the photos though, it looks like a living hell.

View attachment 21739 Nathalie on the right, with two of her friends.

View attachment 21740 And in the background by her Festival Tipi. Look at the horrible site.
I used to enjoy festivals back in the seventies, I just don't remember things looking so crowded or refugee camp like. I know I'm older, and looking through rose tinted specs, it just seemed better. Anyway the kids all enjoyed it, and that's all that matters.

 

[Robbi]

yer just getting old mate

 

[crosslandkelly]

yer just getting old mate

Lol, don't I know it.

 

[Squidders]

Yup, that looks like a huge laugh to me... you're getting old.

 

[Shewie]

I used to do the festival circuit many moons ago, you definitely don't go for the camping

The trick is to get in early and get up against a fence, form a ring of tents if there's enough of you. Saying that we did it one year and came back to camp on the Saturday night and somebody had pitched their tent right in the middle, we literally had to stand on their tent to get to all ours. Even though they pitched up we never saw them for the rest of the weekend, probably too sloshed to remember where they pitched.

 

[demographic]

Oh I don't know.
Looks pretty fine to me.

 

[bilmo-p5]

On a bank holiday weekend there's some sites in the lake district which make that look deserted.

 

[tim_n]

I used to do the festival circuit many moons ago, you definitely don't go for the camping

The trick is to get in early and get up against a fence, form a ring of tents if there's enough of you. Saying that we did it one year and came back to camp on the Saturday night and somebody had pitched their tent right in the middle, we literally had to stand on their tent to get to all ours. Even though they pitched up we never saw them for the rest of the weekend, probably too sloshed to remember where they pitched.

We did the same, someone pitched their tent in the middle of the ring. I came back, said '*** are you doing, that's where our fire is' - party goer gave me a list of expletives and told me to chill, I reiterated not where my fire was going to go, but where my fire currently was.

Meantime his tent started to smoulder on the lovely embers I'd been cooking on 20 minutes previously.

A seconds later, he said 'what's that smell'.

That sir, is a roll mat and sleeping bag melting.

Needless to say, his tent was very much useless and he wandered off with what was left of his gear.

Idiot. That was 2001...

 

[wingstoo]

It would probably a massive H&S nightmare... I have seen sites like this at various events I have gone to, fire risk and death and destruction spring to mind when you see how close they cram them all in, wouldn't take much to have a real disaster on their hands, even refugee camps are better organised... But as long as the youngsters enjoy themselves it's OK

 

[Dougster]

I'm with you on this. All my spare time and 'outdoors' time is spent in quiet relaxation with a few like minded people.

I spend my working week amongst 1500 and odd teenagers, the thought of camping near them fills me with dread.

 

[Mesquite]

The aftermath... just as awful

More pics and the article here

 

[crosslandkelly]

Unbelievable!! :yikes:

 

[shaggystu]

We did the same, someone pitched their tent in the middle of the ring. I came back, said '*** are you doing, that's where our fire is' - party goer gave me a list of expletives and told me to chill, I reiterated not where my fire was going to go, but where my fire currently was.

Meantime his tent started to smoulder on the lovely embers I'd been cooking on 20 minutes previously.

A seconds later, he said 'what's that smell'.

That sir, is a roll mat and sleeping bag melting.

Needless to say, his tent was very much useless and he wandered off with what was left of his gear.

Idiot. That was 2001...

Love it! His face must have been a picture

 

[crosslandkelly]

On a bank holiday weekend there's some sites in the lake district which make that look deserted.

Nightmare.

 

[bigroomboy]

This is the main reason I think there should be a ban on cheap crap camping equipment. Its just a waste, it takes the same resources to make a tent that could last 10 or 20 years. These cheap things not fit for purpose just encourage a throw away society.

 

[mountainm]

This is the main reason I think there should be a ban on cheap crap camping equipment. Its just a waste, it takes the same resources to make a tent that could last 10 or 20 years. These cheap things not fit for purpose just encourage a throw away society.

most of the cheapo ones will last a good few seasons if looked after. I think this is more a symptom of a disposable culture where consumerism means the effort taken to pack up the tent is worth less than the tent itself to the owner. I know in other venues scouts do a decent salvage op and send anything in good nick to charities.

 

[Emdiesse]

I was coming to post this

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2403467/Reading-Festival-2013--fetch-dustpan-brush.html

and then saw this thread.

What I want to know is how do we get our hands on some of that 'tat'; I'm just thinking how much useful material is out there...

Someone, could, theoretically start up a festival recycling center... flogging off all the 'crap' people have left behind or even turning it into something new and useful.

[edit]It appears they send some to charities... but damaged stuff goes to landfill..... 'damaged' as in FUBAR or 'damaged' as in repairable, reusable, a tinkers dream[/edit]

 

[HarrogateTobias]

Those aftermath pics are terrible, but a little bit of my brain want to turn up on the last day and take the good stuff back to sell . I had a mate who came back from Leeds fest one year with a trolly full of beer/cider.

 

[wattsy]

i've volunteered to clean up at festivals before you get to go for cheaper then help out cleaning up i've gone home with 20 odd tents before stuck them on evil bay and made myself a little profit

 

[Mick721]

I was at vfest a couple of weeks ago. The campsites are horrendous. Why people abandon all domesticity and decide to live in there own filth for three days is beyond me. It's not hard to put rubbish in a bag, or at the very least in a pile instead of scattering it in every direction.