Last weekend actually forecasted sunshine, a rare commodity this summer, so we decided to pack our car and go camping. Whilst we both enjoy luxury and five star treatments, camping with the girls gives a feeling of complete happiness totally different from champagne-sipping and gourmet-meals in posh places. The fresh air, the freedom and being a world away from TV’s, laptops and all other modern gadgets gives such complete relaxation and ability to switch off from the daily stress of life.

There are many types of campers out there. There are the real tough ones who prefer to camp on top of Dartmoor in the middle of nowhere with no facilities at all and let nature work with you. A bit too hardcore for our liking.
Then there are the real pro campers who basically move their house in to their caravan or tent for the week complete with tv, laptop, dvd, fridge, microwave, portable wardrobes, big top-of-the-range bbq and all accessories to go with it… mountain-bikes for the whole family, guest tent for potential visitors, in case of domestic differences or canoodles with the neighbours, surround-sound cd-player and fencing, clothes-rails and furniture enough to seat an army to recreate your home as much as possible making sure that you do not go without any normal comfort for a minute.
Then there are campers like us. Most things just enough to give a little bit of comfort whilst maintaining a real camping and outdoor feel. Some people may say we don’t belong to either category. Whilst we try to keep things as simple as possible, pretending to be hardcore campers, we would not leave home without windbreaks to make a bit of privacy, comfy chairs for after beach beers and our newly bought all-in-one campingtable w chairs. We would however, make do with a £1.99 disposable bbq and would under no circumstances bring any form of computers or TV’s. Although, should the temperature go below 10 at night we will most definitely book electric hook-up for our mini portable heater.
Would I dare to be completely honest, we are also the type of campers who would totally contradict ourselves and quite often longingly sneak jealous looks on our neighbours on our way to the toilet dreaming of a bit more comfort.

We invested in a new tent this year. We were so happy treating ourselves to not only a new tent but new warm sleeping-bags for the whole family and cooking-equipment. We liked the tent because it was SO BIG! LOTS of space and really nice. We felt it would be really luxury to have ALL THAT SPACE!!!
Our first weekend down in Cornwall and our tent looked like a little toy-tent where it stood in the corner of the campsite amongst big caravans and pitches of tents as big as bouncy castles with more bedrooms than in our house and probably bigger too. Our tent didn’t look that big anymore.

What we lacked in size we made up for in style though. At least we thought so. Camping chic… whatever that is, I felt we had it. Whilst most camping-neighbours wore their England football shirts and unflattering shorts and vests, I had brought my French Connection linen dress for daytime wear, my silk kaftan for the beach, a pair of cropped jeans with a bit of Odd Molly for the early evening and of course some chunky knitwear for the late nights. Nothing too fancy, just a bit of added style and feel-good-factor to the experience. No need to let yourself go completely just because you’re on a campsite away from home. As long as you are happy and feel good about yourself which is certainly easier in a nice dress than your old tracksuit bottoms.

So when our neighbour’s little boy came up to us and asked us why our tent was so small? Well, what do you say… whatever your needs are.
Whatever type of camper you are, as long as you enjoy it. Nice dresses or microwaves… there is no right or wrong. Just enjoy a break from home.

Written by Malin Hosie