Summer finally arrives, you’ve had your heart set on the most joyous of camping trips for months. It’s going to be amazing.

You can re-connect with your family, be at one with nature. This all sounds incredible and you’ve probably imagined the scene over and over.

It’s perfectly serene, a baby rabbit takes food straight from the palm of your hand, a deer grazes nearby and a Kingfisher shares your make-shift bird feeder with a Chaffinch, a Woodpecker and a squirrel. Your dog plays nicely with all of the woodland creatures. Basically you want your camping trip to come straight out of a Disney movie…

In reality you’re going to be covered in insect bites, you’ll be sick of sausages by the second day, your back will feel like it’s been trampled by a waddle of penguins, your fellow campers are sick of bringing your mental dog back to you and the kids have taken to sleeping in the trees because that’s the only place they can get phone signal…!

Fair play to those people who can pull it off. Those that genuinely love it and can think of no better way to spend two weeks holiday.

Don’t get me wrong, I love being outdoors, I adore nature and animals. I would happily spend all day long in fields, up mountains, in rain, sleet, snow and shine but when the day is done get me a nice hot shower and a comfy, warm, bug free bed ∞

Here’s my camping survival list…

• Insect repellent
• Ear plugs
• Eye mask
• Pain killers
• Food – yummy sausages 😉
• Matches
• Playing cards
• Tent
• Sleeping bags
• Air beds
• Cyanide
• Fire
• Gin

*This list is by no means exhaustive and if you are planning a camping trip please don’t use my survival list.

This list is much better from Go Outdoors.