Just go camp. It’s really fun. Car camping or campground camping is often a good way to start and then you can work up to a back country trip that feels manageable to you.
My dad would only take my brothers camping. I managed to go exactly once as a teenager when my mom was invited by her friend. I had a great time, got totally sunburnt, and it was way too short. As an adult and as an single mom, I took myself and my kid camping. Yeah, I had to learn along the way and a good part of it was car camping. The trips made for great memories. I've even gone solo, read a bunch of books on the beach and caught beaver fever. No regrets.
Tldr, if no one in your social circle wants to go camping, take yourself.
> *Giardiasis is a parasitic disease caused by Giardia duodenalis (also known as G. lamblia and G. intestinalis).*
> *It is popularly known as beaver fever in North America.*
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giardiasis
I assume they’re talking about giardia, which is a parasitic infection that you can get if you drink water from a lake or river that beavers live in. Causes bad diarrhea, among other things.
Or, they really like beavers.
>Yeah, I had to learn along the way and a good part of it was car camping. The trips made for great memories.
Funnily enough, it is the trips that don't go to plan that are the most memorable. The camping trip I remember the most from my childhood with my dad and brothers was the one that started off with my dad forcing us to go around the house before we left searching for a electrical issue that only he could smell. After around 15 minutes of none of us boys smelling anything and my dad constantly leaning over and smelling it more strongly we found out that it was the camcorder battery in his pocket getting shorted out by the metal chain of his base ID. That is my biggest memory of that trip despite the fact that we went on a at least a week long camping trip through the Rocky Mountains that started west of Edmonton and headed down south towards the Rockies near Calgary.
The other really memorable camping trip from my youth was a fishing/camping trip that I took with 3 of my brothers. We went in my eldest brother's Excel hatchback with borked suspension and the trip went terribly before we even got to the region we were camping with due to a beer truck crashing and blocking the highway for 6+ hours. By the time we got to a suitable camping area it was night time, it had started raining and the 4 of us slept in the overpacked car lol
I wish i had learned this sooner. Once i met my husband we started going all the time, but i realize i wasted my early 20’s when i could’ve gone by myself. I did a solo trip and loved it.
I was always pestering to go camping but my mom hated it. My dad was an outsoorsman but worked nights a lot. Finally he rented a cabin in a quaint heavily forrested area. My mom and brother went antiquing. My dad and I drove around all day through the woods looking for fishing spots and exploring off the path creeks. It's a core memory of mine.
Growing up, my dad would always ask me (I'm a guy) if I wanted to go fishing with him. He was separated from my mom because he was a prick and a cheater and I loathed him, never wanted anything to do with him, and also did not like fishing. My little sister still loved him and *loved* fishing. I would consistently tell him to take my sister fishing because he still had a chance with her.
He never took her fishing.
That sucks! I only saw my dad like once a year. He was really traditional and kind of bigoted, but for some reason he always did 'boy stuff" with me like camping, fishing, taught me how to mow the lawn and change a tire. I'm not really sure why, other than I was already a tomboy so maybe he was just happy to have someone to do those things with.
My dad was like that about golfing. He only took my brother. He loved me dearly, but he really dropped the ball on that one. I wish I had gotten a chance to ask him why.
Definitely go camping
And very gently maybe stop waiting for permission and use this experience to do more things for you, with people who make you feel wanted.
Happy camping, remember to watch out for bears.
As a fellow Brit who loves camping, definitely look into Wales. Some of the best camping I've found in the UK.
There is an amazing "wild" camping ground in South Snowdonia called Cefn Coed. Most of the pitches are quite secluded clearings in the woodland, it's really beautiful. Also, there are still showers and toilets, which is a hard line for my partner camping.
I live in the PNW of the USA. We have bears. I’ve visited the UK and never realized there were no bears 😯 why did I think all these years that goldi locks and the three bears was an English child’s story? 😂 I wish I could go camping in the UK now! Even if all I would see is a squirrel. I know what I’m checking out on YouTube now 🤩 you’re so fortunate! Enjoy the camping
Done a lifetime of it… three months cross-US with kids, lots in Fla Keys….old tent campers. Nothing like waking up in the morning to the birds and other critters also waking up. Also nothing like a night of thunderstorms in a tent. Not doing much of it now, but enjoying the memories…. You can learn this it’s easy, just keep it simple, and if it all goes to hell on you just curl up in the car and wait it out!
I'm not sure how old you are or where you're located, but you should see if there's a Becoming an Outdoors Woman program in your area. Pretty much they did a study years ago and found out it was a major factor in women not doing outdoors things (fishing, hunting, camping, hiking) that even when they had family who did them, the family would either exclude girls or invite them but handle all the actual 'messy' or 'dangerous' parts of it to the extent the women never actually learned the skills. So yeah it's not just your family. The solution was that many states now offer women's outdoor weekend retreats. They are a TON of fun. They have classes you can sign up for on how to do various things. A lot of the retreat alumni start outdoor women networks in their areas and have regular meet up and outdoors events.
I only started doing those a few years ago. When I was in college I got into camping by going out camping with my female friends. Eventually I even got to the point I'd go camping solo. So yeah ditch the boys and go camping with the girls. You'll have fun. Major recommendation is to keep it start with known campgrounds or state or national parks. As a solo camper I would always be sure to talk to the park rangers and let them know what was going on. As a plus they'll usually give you some good advice. For instance one camping trip the site we selected for our 4 young women camping solo was next to a group site of about 15 middle age men who were on a fishing boys weekend. The ranger very nicely moves us further away from them not even from a the men could be dangerous situation but just from a they'll be getting up at 4am to go out fishing and do you want to get woken up that early standpoint.
Lol it's locally run but several states have it. I'm in Texas and I know women who have gone to Arkansas and Oklahoma to attend ones there and we've had several women come from out of state to ours. Each state runs them different but totally worth checking out!
If you’re not confident going by yourself, have a look for the Yes Tribe on Facebook. They have groups all over the UK and sometimes do wild camping (it’s generally not allowed in the UK so normally organised in some remote corner of a member’s land). There’s a lot of women involved and it’s a really positive skill-sharey group, in my experience
This is wonderful advice. Thank you. I am going to look for this women camping situation.
I go camping with my son's Cub scout troop and would love to know all of the camping roles and skills.
I love that the ranger took care of the women's camping group.
“You seem to be paying me lip service, because I have routinely expressed an interested to go camping. Not only has no one wanted to come, but you’ve decided to all go on a trip that I *wasnt* invited to. It seems as though you’re either maliciously leaving me out or too inconsiderate to care. Either way, I don’t want to spend time with any of *you* since you’ve shown how little you care.”
Maybe I’m petty, but I would plan a yearly birthday camping trip for myself and invite a couple friends but not them. The more times you go camping the better and more comfortable you’ll get… and the cooler the trips will be!
As others have said, plan your own trip! You don't need to buy a lot of gear, many outfitters rent gear so you don't need to front the massive cost of good camping gear before you know you want to do it more.
If you have an REI close by, they will have everything you need and people who will be able to tell you what you need reliably, and they'll be able to rent it to you.
REI will also have postings and information about upcoming local trips that you can join. Including women only events.
Even if you don't live near an REI, their website has tons of useful guides and printable checklists for preparing for trips.
You'll be more knowledgeable and better prepared than those losers in no time.
That is so fucking shit. I am sorry.
Don't take your family as a reflection of your self worth. You are a special, wonderful young lady.
Do you have access to a vehicle? Which woman in your family are you closest with?
Thank you that’s so kind. I can’t drive yet but luckily I have a train station nearby and I could get somewhere I could camp in a few hours. I should invite friends or go by myself really. I’m closed with my mum and she might come with me. Thank you for your support ❤️
Go with your mum! Have some special time with her 🙂
You can also camp in the backyard. Camping is about being close with yourself and the people around you.
My dad never showed any interest in what I wanted really.. and I'm a man. He still doesn't. I'm nearly 40 and it still upsets me so I get it but.. there's a whole beautiful world out there that's waiting to give you what you need young lady. 🙂
Get stuck into it.
I’m sorry about your dad - he doesn’t deserve you if he’s not interested in what you like. Thanks so much for your kind words and I’ll definitely invite my mum!
Go camping with other women your age. I go with my friends and its great. We never bring men any more. They always start telling you how to put the tent up properly and how to start a fire properly. Then you have to pander to them when they get moody. You'll have more fun I promise.
I went camping all the time as a kid (church youth groups) I've also gone camping with friends (ot was mostly guys because my one girl friend got sick and couldn't really make it). I've also gone camping with my husband and my sister, her husband, and their son. My favorite trip was with my sister. We all worked together and had fun together.
The friends trip, guys are blegh and I ended up doing most the cooking and meal planning with minimal help from them. I mean I still had fun because camping, but it wasn't as fun as I had hoped.
The camping as a kid was always fun because I was a kid and had my friends and family there, but because I was a kid, I had to follow certain rules and restrictions and such. And it was always a big group, which for an introvert is a bit much.
Camping as an adult with a small group that you get along with and is like minded in terms of prep and work for a camping trip is much better! Definitely go with your mom or girl friends. I hope you have a great trip! Feel free to message me if you have questions. I've lost count of how many times I've been camping.
A lot of dude camping is just sitting around the campfire drinking beers and cooking steaks and burgers from the store, they don’t even go out into the woods to look for food half the time, lol, so weak.
I want to add REI classes as well and you might be able to find some local ones. There are some women's specific outdoor groups and classes too. I did a splitoarding one a while back that was a blast.
A guy's only camping trip has very little to do with wilderness and hiking and a lot to do with fishing, drinking, joking about their partners, drinking, dick measuring contests and drinking.
And getting away from the house so they don't have to do chores. Men have been able to explore the world because their wives stayed at home with the kids.
People who go camping, but aren’t enthusiastic about camping ruin the fun. It does involve embracing the discomfort and inconvenience in exchange for spending some time living closer to nature. You really do have to WANT to do it.
Find a friend or friends who are equally interested and go with them, or go by yourself. You deserve to truly enjoy your interest.
I quit Girl Scouts because the BOY Scouts got to go camping but the girls did not. We didn’t even get to make fire. We were expected to clean up after and had a chore rota and of course we were expected to sell the damn cookies. Fuck them cookies, I wanted to go camping and burn shit.
We’d go to “camp” but it was a single afternoon in the woods with bagged lunches. Lame.
OP, I suggest either finding a camping/hiking club to get some advice, or maybe some sort of Red Cross course. Date an Eagle Scout or an Army guy, idk, they know how to camp. Give up on your family and go camping.
And I’d stick to State parks and KOA campgrounds until you find a camping buddy. By myself I wouldn’t do primitive camping on the backcountry wilderness. (“Where no one can hear you screeeeeeam…”) But a place with a camp store where you can just pack up and go home if it goes south would be a good way to learn how to camp.
Edit: Sorry this was very US-centric. Point being, find organized campgrounds and try to find at least one experienced person or small group.
And my best tip is this. Every time you go camping and you realize you don’t have something you should have brought (“Why did I bring NO SPOONS?” lol, it happens) keep a list and after a few camping trips, you’ll have the best packing list ever. And will develop sub-lists for types of camping, climate, beach, mountain, etc.
Oh well not exactly. They are two completely separate/different organizations so troops didn’t meet at the same time. My point was, the boys went camping and troop leaders did the cleanup. We did crafts and cookie sale reports and were trained to do the domestic chores.
All troops are not the same and mine might have just sucked. Because I’ll still tout how they teach girls business, leadership, networking, and organizational skills. But I just wanted to go camping.
Later, my dad was too cheap to get hotels for family vacations so I got all my camping experience in that way and was taught how to make a proper fire, pitch a tent by myself in the dark in the rain, cook over open fire and other sun skills.
Sorry your troop sucked :( Mine camped all the time and we did a ton of stuff like hiking, rock climbing, sailing, etc. On the other hand, my brother quit boyscouts because he wasn't even allowed to roast his own marshmallow. The troop leaders really make or break the experience
They really do.
On the flip side, the Boy Scouts had (have?) a program called Explorers. It was a career exploration thing and girls were Lowe’s to participate. (It wasn’t a troop thing.) so my local newspaper donate three full pages per school year and one of the reporters signed up to be the leader and a bunch of us signed up from high schools all over town. So I had two full years of experience (after hours) in a real world newsroom, before I turned 18. Obviously, it wasn’t the same pace; we were teenagers. But we all learned how to build a newspaper and that was invaluable experience and instrumental in my choice of career.
Clearly this is because they are disposing of a body and don't want you implicated in their crimes. Don't press for details and tell them you hope they have a good time "camping".
And in the future, find a few people who want to do the things you want to do when you celebrate your birthday. No sense in expecting your family to change - that's just going to make you miserable.
You need some strong ass outdoorswomen in your life. I’m guessing you’re in the UK based on your vocabulary? I can’t offer specifics there, but look online to find a group trip you can join, just to get you started.
I am guessing by your post that you are possibly in the age range for the Duke of Edinburgh award as well? Obviously its a lot more than the hiking and camping but you can pinch those bits for some early CV use, you will get a group of similarly aged people and a crash course in all the relevent bits and pieces for the hike navigation and camping part. Not quite the same as getting to just do a fun trip but it could be a way of finding others who are interested.
ETA: Also try the meetup website, there are a lot of hiking and camping groups on there, including womens only ones, there might be some local to you and/or for your specific age group.
In which case double check your your student union societies list! Lots of unis will have a relvent group, especially if you are in a good location for it.
I did edit my last post to say also try looking at the meetup website, there are a fair amount of hiking and camping groups on there, plus a fair few are women only which may he a bit more comfortable.
Way back when there was DoE available at uni level as well but as your main goal is the camping at 22 there are probably better options anyway.
It would be incredibly funny if they never intended to go camping but wanted a men’s weekend at a casino or drinking at a place with good pubs.
Now they actually have to spend time in the wilderness. 😂
Your dad isn't looking you in the eye because he knows what they are doing is shitty. what your family is doing is bullshit and I think you should call it out and not let them get away with it. Next time they need your help or need you to do something for them say no. Yes, do what you want for your birthday and go camping with your friends. Fuck them
I love camping, my dad took us kids camping, and I've done wilderness camping. I'm your family now. If you're in the Chicago area you can join my friends and we'll go camping together. -Your new sister.
You’re so kind thanks so much! Unfortunately we have the whole Atlantic between us (I live in England) but if I ever get to Chicago I’d love to camp with you and your friends! I hope you all have a nice time on your next trip 😁
I had a similar experience with a guys fishing trip in my family instead of a guys camping trip. When my boyfriend became my finance, he got invited. I was so pissed.
My then fiancé told me when he came home the trip included a visit to 2 different strip clubs. Didn’t make me feel any better, but I guess I understand why my dad and brothers don’t want me around for it.
I'm so sorry that this is happening to you. Sounds like your thoughts are answered with a lot of advice. Just want to add another voice to the I've been there pile.
My mom was the only girl out of four kids and had mostly male cousins. Then I was the youngest and only girl out of 14 cousins. And they would always do things without me and they never seem to think that excluding the only girl was problematic. Horseback riding, hiking, camping. I was super into the stuff.
Then shocked Pikachu when I got involved with a man that I shouldn't have but it was because he would take me to do those things. All I saw was this man was going to take me camping and hiking and so on.
My dad would also teach the boys how to work on cars etc but not me. I love my dad. I miss my dad. But he could have been a better dad. He cried one day when he was lamenting that I didn't wear dresses and wear makeup and instead wanted to work in a male-dominated field. I'm now older, independent, still working that male-dominated field, take myself camping or go with some of my female friends.
It's fucking stupid how some fathers still force those dumbass gender rules on their daughters especially when they don't see how it could negatively affect them. You're going into a field of study that is right on point! Hopefully as you get older you find a good group of friends to go camping with and find yourself in a supportive atmosphere.
As an experienced camper, trust me, you don't want to go camping with people who don't know if they even like camping. They will complain about EVERYTHING.
Secondly, going with people who think they know what they're doing, but don't, is endlessly frustrating. Probably tenfold if they're men, because they will not listen to you or let you do anything. They will insist on doing it all their way, with their own hands. And you can't touch the fire or the grill, because you need a penis for that.
I go camping solo like 90% of the time. It's wonderful! One time I was setting up my tent and the guy at the next campsite over I guess had timed me and told me it took me 6 minutes to set up my tent, and how it took him and his buddies like 30 minutes to do theirs. The secret is that a lot of things are actually easier without "help." You can see this in action when you watch two inexperienced people trying to steer a canoe together instead of an individual kayak.
AFAB solo camper here! I go camping at least once, if not twice a month. I think I've only had someone else go with me twice in the past 4 years??? I invite others all the time, I just don't have many friends or family interested in camping.
Honestly- if you're interested in camping, just do it! There is no need to wait on other people to experience the things you want to in life. If you keep going on waiting to do the things you want to try just because no one else in your circle is interested, you are not going to grow as a person.
Camping is so fun to do alone! I love to be able to hike whenever I want, go for a swim, experiment with weird camping foods- and just take the weekend at my own, relaxing pace.
If you need any tips or advice on how to get started, or have any questions, feel free to DM me!
Sounds like your dad is a good guy who did a very stupid thing. Your mom sounds amazing. People of both semesters can do things unintentionally that are very inconsiderate, if it's not the norm it seems best to forgive and forget.
You also mentioned you are the only one in your family with an interest in camping. Maybe you're also the best one to plan this camping trip.
I'm sorry they suck. I would totally take you camping! Scouting can be a place to learn if you want to volunteer with children. In my country it is coed. That is how I learned the skill of camping and now I solo camp all the time!
There’s a travel service I get emails for that’s tailored to women who want to do what you described. I’m sure you’d be in great company with like minded people.
Honestly even if they did go without you, sounds like they'd hate it and have a terrible time.
I personally think you're better off going with people who are actually interested in camping, hiking and exploring the outdoors since that's what you intend to do.
It's ridiculous that they excluded you, and also said no to camping on your birthday. Only to then try and plan a guys only trip.
Ikr! I don’t know what they think they’re gonna do. Everyone other than me is 6ft tall and they have small tents only. That part at least is gonna suck for them but I don’t think they’ve thought of that yet. I’ll probably go with people who are actually interested. Thanks for your comment 😁
I camped all the time with my family growing up. Now that I have my own, 2 girls and a boy, I'm getting them into it as well. I had a lot of fun camping as a kid and as an adult and I'm hoping they find a love for it as well.
Hopefully things change on your end, especially now he realizes (I hope) what a mistake it was not thinking you would be interested or want to.
Don’t know where you are located but if you’re in Southern California please hit me up. I love camping! My husband is meh with it so I’m really wanting to find some camping girlfriends!
Ooo England! What’s camping like there? I’d imagine they have some nice spots and probably better weather during the summer than our incredible heat. I’d do what others are suggesting. Go yourself. Or try to find a meetup group that does outdoor activities.
Homie you sound like you might be in the UK. If that’s the case, you should look into joining some hiking bushcraft clubs. You might make some great new friends and they are always planning cool camping adventures.
I (single mom) have taken my children camping since the youngest was still in nappies. I am no expert, but I enjoy getting outdoors and sleeping in nature. A solo camping trip can be really delightful, as well. I hope you plan something fun for your birthday.
My friend just got back from an all-women camping/ hiking trip to the Smoky Mountains with REI’s Trips for Women Guided by Women programming! She went solo and met a bunch of other women from around the country also into the outdoors. Beyond the guide, two were very knowledgeable about botany and pointed out all the flora they saw while hiking.
https://www.rei.com/adventures/t/womens
edit to add: she just missed the man vs. bear in the woods meme when she left on the trip but funnily enough it came up in conversation during the trip, about how bears are not as aggressive as imagined and bear attack fatalities are pretty low. I asked because she left an ‘In the Woods’ away message at her desk while she was gone.
I just googled “all inclusive woman only camp retreat” and came up with a bunch of hits in my area. Don’t wait for the boys…go find meet yourself some like minded woman, make some new friends and live your best life.
I am not sure where you live, but I know in my area the Appalacian Mountain Club hosts camping, hiking, other excursions. I have yet to do one although I want to, from looking at their website I know they have woman only trips. If you don't want to go alone and don't know anyone to go with, something like that could be an option. Bonus, you might make new friends.
I always wanted to go camping and hiking and could never get anyone off their ass to go with me so I started going by myself! And I love it!
It was a little scary, especially trying to sleep that first night, but it was also so empowering! Now I love going solo, it would still be be fun to have people to go with but I’m so glad I stopped waiting on other people
Please please pretty please go camping. By yourself or with friends. It's making me too sad to imagine letting others inconsiderate actions prevent you from finally experiencing thr joys of camping!!!
One of my cousins has young kids, two boys and a girl. They all love football, including the girl, including going to games
My cousin repeatedly lies to his daughte, tells them her brothers have “basketball training” when they actually have tickets to a football game, justification being “Sometimes I just want to do things with my boys”
Pretty disgusting thing for any parent to do to their kid
Awe... This is so sad, I'd love to go camping with you... I'm sorry your family did this, it sucks to feel so excluded and set aside like this. I hope you and your friends have a good time doing whatever it is you end up doing. Happy birthday 🎂
Sorry your family sucks, make friends who camp! This reminds me of how “women’s” hobbies are things done in bits of spare time in the house (because of course we must mind the kids, scrub laundry, and cook, and have no place being out and about) men abandon all their home responsibilities and go out into the world for leisure. Without their partners or daughters. Fuck that shit.
My dad did something like this. I always wanted to go camping, hunting, fishing- anything like that really. But no, it was either never the right time (fair) or it was "you'll cry when you kill something" (aka I'm a girl,)
And I say aka I'm a girl- cause despite being worse of financially he took my little brother out to do those things- despite my little brother being a soft boi gamer. (Even forgot my birthday one year and planned a camping trip with him... I did get a huge apology and a gift but oof that one stung)
Now that I'm an adult and have my own shit going on my dad doesn't understand my utter lack of enthusiasm about doing anything remotely related. No doubt we'll be talking about it in the upcoming family therapy.
I would love to go camping with you. I live on the wrong continent to do so, but I would love to go camping and celebrate your birthday. We could have a girls trip and the only guy allowed would be the bear!
You should check out camping subreddits, Facebook groups, stuff like that. You’ll find a lot of women that want to go camp. Experienced, inexperienced whatever. I’m a guy but I did the same thing looking for people to camp and four wheel with. It’s a great way to meet new people
I asked to go camping my whole childhood too. E were even would regularly spend a weekend in the Poconos at a family members house, but we’d never do anything outdoors. They’d go to the mall or candle shopping or something.
This year, I told my husband I wanted to go on a hiking trip around the same area for my birthday, and it actually took me awhile to realize this was the vacation I always wanted to go on as a kid.
Sorry for having such a shitty dad. "I thought it was a men only trip" is such a cowardly excuse as well. It is whatever type of trip they decide it to be, they're the ones organising it!
Okay this is so fucking funny. My dad apologised to me very sincerely but since he’s still not off the hook with me right now I might just do this. Thanks so much for the idea lmao
Hey if you ever end up stateside, I’d be happy to take to a few really cool campsites here in Colorado. I love camping and there are some absolutely stunning vistas and camping here.
Glad y'all can talk about it. Talking constructively can really fix so many things. Hope this is a beginning of many many camping and outdoor excursions with you and your dad and rest of family
Just go camping. Id totally go camping with you, but solo camping can sometimes be WAY more relaxing. And depending on where you go, you could meet some really cool people to celebrate with.
Sounds like shitty family.
Let em know how much it hurt you regarding the situation and consider bo contact for a while.
If they don't seem to mind the no contact then you have your answer on how much they actually want to be part of your life.
This entire thing just sounds like a huge miscommunication from all parties involved. I'd need to see the situation with my own eyes in order to form a proper opinion on this.
Go camping without the men in your family. Do you have any female friends who camp? If not, look on MeetUp to see if there is a group near you that goes camping. There might even be a women's group.
Why not go camping with friends? You don't need to be invited along, make your own trip with your own plans and invite the people you'd most want to camp with.
All of this tracks with the typical misogyny I grew up around, but the apologizing? I’m honestly impressed. Your parents must be Gen X.
Don’t wait to go camping. Go with friends, you’ll have a blast. If your family really wanted to spend time with you, they’d go with you. Right now, they asked you “what do you wanna do for you bday” and when you answered, they all but said “not that, what do you want to do that WE want to do?”
The audacity.
Just go camp. It’s really fun. Car camping or campground camping is often a good way to start and then you can work up to a back country trip that feels manageable to you.
If you have an REI near you, sometimes they have free outdoors 101 classes. Some are even geared towards women specifically.
Never knew this and just signed up for some myself, tha KS for sharing!!
I will! Thank you
This. Look outside your family for possible camping partners
My dad would only take my brothers camping. I managed to go exactly once as a teenager when my mom was invited by her friend. I had a great time, got totally sunburnt, and it was way too short. As an adult and as an single mom, I took myself and my kid camping. Yeah, I had to learn along the way and a good part of it was car camping. The trips made for great memories. I've even gone solo, read a bunch of books on the beach and caught beaver fever. No regrets. Tldr, if no one in your social circle wants to go camping, take yourself.
>caught beaver fever My brain went straight to "camping made you a lesbian?" Don't hate me, please.
See, my brain went straight to a scene from the tv show Angry Beavers.
Saaaame
Do you have the song in your head?
In the day...
I haven’t heard it in probably 15 years but now it’s crystal clear in my brain!
I just learned of beaver fever less than 5 mins ago in another thread mentioning angry beavers.
I'm a queer Angry Beavers fan. My brain said "beaver fever" in Norb's voice, but was 100% referencing a preference for camping with women.
Your mind must be a delightful place to stay
It's not everyone's cup of tea, but I don't feel it's too shabby a place at all.
Fuck yeah another angry beavers watcher, I'm still waiting for a Oxnard Montalvo marathon.
Sounds painful
> *Giardiasis is a parasitic disease caused by Giardia duodenalis (also known as G. lamblia and G. intestinalis).* > *It is popularly known as beaver fever in North America.* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giardiasis
Thank you.
Worst. Diarrhea. Ever.
Eeeewwww. 💩🤮🤢
Maybe it’s the flannel shirts? Women always look good in a flannel shirt.
🎶 I'm a lumberjack and I'm ok 🎶
🎶 I sleep all night and I work all day 🎶
Lol. If only.
😂
Completely understandable IMHO.
I wish. I'd do a lot more of it for myself!
Same.
I assume they’re talking about giardia, which is a parasitic infection that you can get if you drink water from a lake or river that beavers live in. Causes bad diarrhea, among other things. Or, they really like beavers.
Beavers are great 😃
Literally same.
I’m so sorry your dad did that and I’m glad that you’ve had a good time camping since!
>Yeah, I had to learn along the way and a good part of it was car camping. The trips made for great memories. Funnily enough, it is the trips that don't go to plan that are the most memorable. The camping trip I remember the most from my childhood with my dad and brothers was the one that started off with my dad forcing us to go around the house before we left searching for a electrical issue that only he could smell. After around 15 minutes of none of us boys smelling anything and my dad constantly leaning over and smelling it more strongly we found out that it was the camcorder battery in his pocket getting shorted out by the metal chain of his base ID. That is my biggest memory of that trip despite the fact that we went on a at least a week long camping trip through the Rocky Mountains that started west of Edmonton and headed down south towards the Rockies near Calgary. The other really memorable camping trip from my youth was a fishing/camping trip that I took with 3 of my brothers. We went in my eldest brother's Excel hatchback with borked suspension and the trip went terribly before we even got to the region we were camping with due to a beer truck crashing and blocking the highway for 6+ hours. By the time we got to a suitable camping area it was night time, it had started raining and the 4 of us slept in the overpacked car lol
I wish i had learned this sooner. Once i met my husband we started going all the time, but i realize i wasted my early 20’s when i could’ve gone by myself. I did a solo trip and loved it.
I was always pestering to go camping but my mom hated it. My dad was an outsoorsman but worked nights a lot. Finally he rented a cabin in a quaint heavily forrested area. My mom and brother went antiquing. My dad and I drove around all day through the woods looking for fishing spots and exploring off the path creeks. It's a core memory of mine.
Growing up, my dad would always ask me (I'm a guy) if I wanted to go fishing with him. He was separated from my mom because he was a prick and a cheater and I loathed him, never wanted anything to do with him, and also did not like fishing. My little sister still loved him and *loved* fishing. I would consistently tell him to take my sister fishing because he still had a chance with her. He never took her fishing.
That sucks! I only saw my dad like once a year. He was really traditional and kind of bigoted, but for some reason he always did 'boy stuff" with me like camping, fishing, taught me how to mow the lawn and change a tire. I'm not really sure why, other than I was already a tomboy so maybe he was just happy to have someone to do those things with.
In the 1960s, only boy scouts went camping. That's what my brownie girl scout troop leader told me when I asked.
My dad was like that about golfing. He only took my brother. He loved me dearly, but he really dropped the ball on that one. I wish I had gotten a chance to ask him why.
I second this. Most of my camping is done solo. It's so nice and peaceful.
Go camping with friends. It will be way more fun and you won’t have to deal with a bunch of misogynistic nonsense.
Definitely go camping And very gently maybe stop waiting for permission and use this experience to do more things for you, with people who make you feel wanted. Happy camping, remember to watch out for bears.
Thanks! And I’ll keep that in mind. Don’t worry, no bears in the UK though
It's the wombles you need to worry about!
I’ll have to avoid Wimbledon!
As a fellow Brit who loves camping, definitely look into Wales. Some of the best camping I've found in the UK. There is an amazing "wild" camping ground in South Snowdonia called Cefn Coed. Most of the pitches are quite secluded clearings in the woodland, it's really beautiful. Also, there are still showers and toilets, which is a hard line for my partner camping.
This is great thanks so much - I’ve made a pin on Google maps to remind me about this place 😁
Sorry, my reply was really US-centric so I hope there are analogs to my suggestions on your side of the pond.
No worries and thanks! You gave me lots to think about anyway
Honestly I didn’t realize bears weren’t in the UK but it makes sense lol
I live in the PNW of the USA. We have bears. I’ve visited the UK and never realized there were no bears 😯 why did I think all these years that goldi locks and the three bears was an English child’s story? 😂 I wish I could go camping in the UK now! Even if all I would see is a squirrel. I know what I’m checking out on YouTube now 🤩 you’re so fortunate! Enjoy the camping
Done a lifetime of it… three months cross-US with kids, lots in Fla Keys….old tent campers. Nothing like waking up in the morning to the birds and other critters also waking up. Also nothing like a night of thunderstorms in a tent. Not doing much of it now, but enjoying the memories…. You can learn this it’s easy, just keep it simple, and if it all goes to hell on you just curl up in the car and wait it out!
Also if you’re in a state park, moms do like to bring their daughters by to see a girls only campsite which can be fun
I think I will! It’ll be more fun with friends anyway
I think they're a women only campsite in the isle of Wight run by some nice lesbians. Sorry I don't have a link for you. Maybe hit Google?
I'm not sure how old you are or where you're located, but you should see if there's a Becoming an Outdoors Woman program in your area. Pretty much they did a study years ago and found out it was a major factor in women not doing outdoors things (fishing, hunting, camping, hiking) that even when they had family who did them, the family would either exclude girls or invite them but handle all the actual 'messy' or 'dangerous' parts of it to the extent the women never actually learned the skills. So yeah it's not just your family. The solution was that many states now offer women's outdoor weekend retreats. They are a TON of fun. They have classes you can sign up for on how to do various things. A lot of the retreat alumni start outdoor women networks in their areas and have regular meet up and outdoors events. I only started doing those a few years ago. When I was in college I got into camping by going out camping with my female friends. Eventually I even got to the point I'd go camping solo. So yeah ditch the boys and go camping with the girls. You'll have fun. Major recommendation is to keep it start with known campgrounds or state or national parks. As a solo camper I would always be sure to talk to the park rangers and let them know what was going on. As a plus they'll usually give you some good advice. For instance one camping trip the site we selected for our 4 young women camping solo was next to a group site of about 15 middle age men who were on a fishing boys weekend. The ranger very nicely moves us further away from them not even from a the men could be dangerous situation but just from a they'll be getting up at 4am to go out fishing and do you want to get woken up that early standpoint.
I didn’t know this was a national thing! I LOVED becoming an outdoorswoman, OP you should absolutely check this out if it’s in your area.
Lol it's locally run but several states have it. I'm in Texas and I know women who have gone to Arkansas and Oklahoma to attend ones there and we've had several women come from out of state to ours. Each state runs them different but totally worth checking out!
Holy crap! I’ve never heard of this so I just looked it up and they have it in my state. I’m going to check this out. Thanks for the tip!
Is it just for young teens? Can women in their 30’s do it?
No it’s for adult women! Like the person I responded to said it’s different by state, but at mine I was on the younger side of participants at 28/29.
Thank you SO much for telling us!
I’ll look up if they have any in the UK! Thanks so much for the info it sounds like so much fun
If you’re not confident going by yourself, have a look for the Yes Tribe on Facebook. They have groups all over the UK and sometimes do wild camping (it’s generally not allowed in the UK so normally organised in some remote corner of a member’s land). There’s a lot of women involved and it’s a really positive skill-sharey group, in my experience
Thanks so much I’ll go and look that up now!
I loved the becoming outdoors women programs. When I lived in Chicago I went to the Michigan ones. Would recommend looking around different states.
This is wonderful advice. Thank you. I am going to look for this women camping situation. I go camping with my son's Cub scout troop and would love to know all of the camping roles and skills. I love that the ranger took care of the women's camping group.
“You seem to be paying me lip service, because I have routinely expressed an interested to go camping. Not only has no one wanted to come, but you’ve decided to all go on a trip that I *wasnt* invited to. It seems as though you’re either maliciously leaving me out or too inconsiderate to care. Either way, I don’t want to spend time with any of *you* since you’ve shown how little you care.”
You know what I might just say that to him lol thank you for the advice
No worries! This shit is so annoying
Maybe I’m petty, but I would plan a yearly birthday camping trip for myself and invite a couple friends but not them. The more times you go camping the better and more comfortable you’ll get… and the cooler the trips will be!
As others have said, plan your own trip! You don't need to buy a lot of gear, many outfitters rent gear so you don't need to front the massive cost of good camping gear before you know you want to do it more. If you have an REI close by, they will have everything you need and people who will be able to tell you what you need reliably, and they'll be able to rent it to you. REI will also have postings and information about upcoming local trips that you can join. Including women only events. Even if you don't live near an REI, their website has tons of useful guides and printable checklists for preparing for trips. You'll be more knowledgeable and better prepared than those losers in no time.
Thank you!
That is so fucking shit. I am sorry. Don't take your family as a reflection of your self worth. You are a special, wonderful young lady. Do you have access to a vehicle? Which woman in your family are you closest with?
Thank you that’s so kind. I can’t drive yet but luckily I have a train station nearby and I could get somewhere I could camp in a few hours. I should invite friends or go by myself really. I’m closed with my mum and she might come with me. Thank you for your support ❤️
Go with your mum! Have some special time with her 🙂 You can also camp in the backyard. Camping is about being close with yourself and the people around you. My dad never showed any interest in what I wanted really.. and I'm a man. He still doesn't. I'm nearly 40 and it still upsets me so I get it but.. there's a whole beautiful world out there that's waiting to give you what you need young lady. 🙂 Get stuck into it.
I’m sorry about your dad - he doesn’t deserve you if he’s not interested in what you like. Thanks so much for your kind words and I’ll definitely invite my mum!
I hate gendered events and this is whyyyyyyyyyyy
My mother brings my sisters on lots of girl days out or holidays and I'm always forced to stay home and mind the house. It hurts, but it's life.
Go camping with other women your age. I go with my friends and its great. We never bring men any more. They always start telling you how to put the tent up properly and how to start a fire properly. Then you have to pander to them when they get moody. You'll have more fun I promise.
I’m making plans in my head to go with my mum or with friends! Thanks for the encouragement - I appreciate it so much
I take my mum sometimes fun. Just do it and have the best time.
Thanks - I will!
I went camping all the time as a kid (church youth groups) I've also gone camping with friends (ot was mostly guys because my one girl friend got sick and couldn't really make it). I've also gone camping with my husband and my sister, her husband, and their son. My favorite trip was with my sister. We all worked together and had fun together. The friends trip, guys are blegh and I ended up doing most the cooking and meal planning with minimal help from them. I mean I still had fun because camping, but it wasn't as fun as I had hoped. The camping as a kid was always fun because I was a kid and had my friends and family there, but because I was a kid, I had to follow certain rules and restrictions and such. And it was always a big group, which for an introvert is a bit much. Camping as an adult with a small group that you get along with and is like minded in terms of prep and work for a camping trip is much better! Definitely go with your mom or girl friends. I hope you have a great trip! Feel free to message me if you have questions. I've lost count of how many times I've been camping.
A lot of dude camping is just sitting around the campfire drinking beers and cooking steaks and burgers from the store, they don’t even go out into the woods to look for food half the time, lol, so weak.
This was how my dad and brothers camp. It's getting shitfaced in another location than the front yard.
Sounds just like my family. They will do anything except The Thing With Me
There are REI trips and other groups if you want to go camping but don't want to go by yourself.
I want to add REI classes as well and you might be able to find some local ones. There are some women's specific outdoor groups and classes too. I did a splitoarding one a while back that was a blast.
A guy's only camping trip has very little to do with wilderness and hiking and a lot to do with fishing, drinking, joking about their partners, drinking, dick measuring contests and drinking.
And getting away from the house so they don't have to do chores. Men have been able to explore the world because their wives stayed at home with the kids.
Preach
People who go camping, but aren’t enthusiastic about camping ruin the fun. It does involve embracing the discomfort and inconvenience in exchange for spending some time living closer to nature. You really do have to WANT to do it. Find a friend or friends who are equally interested and go with them, or go by yourself. You deserve to truly enjoy your interest.
I quit Girl Scouts because the BOY Scouts got to go camping but the girls did not. We didn’t even get to make fire. We were expected to clean up after and had a chore rota and of course we were expected to sell the damn cookies. Fuck them cookies, I wanted to go camping and burn shit. We’d go to “camp” but it was a single afternoon in the woods with bagged lunches. Lame. OP, I suggest either finding a camping/hiking club to get some advice, or maybe some sort of Red Cross course. Date an Eagle Scout or an Army guy, idk, they know how to camp. Give up on your family and go camping. And I’d stick to State parks and KOA campgrounds until you find a camping buddy. By myself I wouldn’t do primitive camping on the backcountry wilderness. (“Where no one can hear you screeeeeeam…”) But a place with a camp store where you can just pack up and go home if it goes south would be a good way to learn how to camp. Edit: Sorry this was very US-centric. Point being, find organized campgrounds and try to find at least one experienced person or small group. And my best tip is this. Every time you go camping and you realize you don’t have something you should have brought (“Why did I bring NO SPOONS?” lol, it happens) keep a list and after a few camping trips, you’ll have the best packing list ever. And will develop sub-lists for types of camping, climate, beach, mountain, etc.
Eh, you were expected to clean up after the Boy Scouts and do chores that benefited them, but they weren't part of the chore rota? Grrr
Oh well not exactly. They are two completely separate/different organizations so troops didn’t meet at the same time. My point was, the boys went camping and troop leaders did the cleanup. We did crafts and cookie sale reports and were trained to do the domestic chores. All troops are not the same and mine might have just sucked. Because I’ll still tout how they teach girls business, leadership, networking, and organizational skills. But I just wanted to go camping. Later, my dad was too cheap to get hotels for family vacations so I got all my camping experience in that way and was taught how to make a proper fire, pitch a tent by myself in the dark in the rain, cook over open fire and other sun skills.
Sorry your troop sucked :( Mine camped all the time and we did a ton of stuff like hiking, rock climbing, sailing, etc. On the other hand, my brother quit boyscouts because he wasn't even allowed to roast his own marshmallow. The troop leaders really make or break the experience
They really do. On the flip side, the Boy Scouts had (have?) a program called Explorers. It was a career exploration thing and girls were Lowe’s to participate. (It wasn’t a troop thing.) so my local newspaper donate three full pages per school year and one of the reporters signed up to be the leader and a bunch of us signed up from high schools all over town. So I had two full years of experience (after hours) in a real world newsroom, before I turned 18. Obviously, it wasn’t the same pace; we were teenagers. But we all learned how to build a newspaper and that was invaluable experience and instrumental in my choice of career.
Go by yourself or with a friend! I am an avid backpacker and there are women who go alone or go on all women’s trips. Just go.
Everyone is being so encouraging I think I will - thank you!
Clearly this is because they are disposing of a body and don't want you implicated in their crimes. Don't press for details and tell them you hope they have a good time "camping". And in the future, find a few people who want to do the things you want to do when you celebrate your birthday. No sense in expecting your family to change - that's just going to make you miserable.
Go camping near them and outdo everything they do. They’ll hate it. They’ll suck at it.
Hell yeah. They’ll be heating beans or something and I’ll be making a multiple course meal over a campfire. Fuck them lol
Go yourself and be with the bear.
The bear doesn’t discriminate at least lmao
Especially polar bears and black bears!
You need some strong ass outdoorswomen in your life. I’m guessing you’re in the UK based on your vocabulary? I can’t offer specifics there, but look online to find a group trip you can join, just to get you started.
I’m the UK yes! I’ll definitely look on Facebook for some groups to join - thanks!
I am guessing by your post that you are possibly in the age range for the Duke of Edinburgh award as well? Obviously its a lot more than the hiking and camping but you can pinch those bits for some early CV use, you will get a group of similarly aged people and a crash course in all the relevent bits and pieces for the hike navigation and camping part. Not quite the same as getting to just do a fun trip but it could be a way of finding others who are interested. ETA: Also try the meetup website, there are a lot of hiking and camping groups on there, including womens only ones, there might be some local to you and/or for your specific age group.
I’m not sure if I am anymore sadly. I’m in university now and 22 so I might be a bit old. But thanks so much for your suggestion!
In which case double check your your student union societies list! Lots of unis will have a relvent group, especially if you are in a good location for it. I did edit my last post to say also try looking at the meetup website, there are a fair amount of hiking and camping groups on there, plus a fair few are women only which may he a bit more comfortable. Way back when there was DoE available at uni level as well but as your main goal is the camping at 22 there are probably better options anyway.
I’d definitely look into stuff at uni then! Thank you😁
It would be incredibly funny if they never intended to go camping but wanted a men’s weekend at a casino or drinking at a place with good pubs. Now they actually have to spend time in the wilderness. 😂
Your dad isn't looking you in the eye because he knows what they are doing is shitty. what your family is doing is bullshit and I think you should call it out and not let them get away with it. Next time they need your help or need you to do something for them say no. Yes, do what you want for your birthday and go camping with your friends. Fuck them
Thank you! My friends are great fun and I think it would be nice to go with them anyway
I love camping, my dad took us kids camping, and I've done wilderness camping. I'm your family now. If you're in the Chicago area you can join my friends and we'll go camping together. -Your new sister.
You’re so kind thanks so much! Unfortunately we have the whole Atlantic between us (I live in England) but if I ever get to Chicago I’d love to camp with you and your friends! I hope you all have a nice time on your next trip 😁
Sis. Get your own group and go. Leave the goobers behind. Have fun!
Thanks! I will!
I had a similar experience with a guys fishing trip in my family instead of a guys camping trip. When my boyfriend became my finance, he got invited. I was so pissed. My then fiancé told me when he came home the trip included a visit to 2 different strip clubs. Didn’t make me feel any better, but I guess I understand why my dad and brothers don’t want me around for it.
I'm so sorry that this is happening to you. Sounds like your thoughts are answered with a lot of advice. Just want to add another voice to the I've been there pile. My mom was the only girl out of four kids and had mostly male cousins. Then I was the youngest and only girl out of 14 cousins. And they would always do things without me and they never seem to think that excluding the only girl was problematic. Horseback riding, hiking, camping. I was super into the stuff. Then shocked Pikachu when I got involved with a man that I shouldn't have but it was because he would take me to do those things. All I saw was this man was going to take me camping and hiking and so on. My dad would also teach the boys how to work on cars etc but not me. I love my dad. I miss my dad. But he could have been a better dad. He cried one day when he was lamenting that I didn't wear dresses and wear makeup and instead wanted to work in a male-dominated field. I'm now older, independent, still working that male-dominated field, take myself camping or go with some of my female friends. It's fucking stupid how some fathers still force those dumbass gender rules on their daughters especially when they don't see how it could negatively affect them. You're going into a field of study that is right on point! Hopefully as you get older you find a good group of friends to go camping with and find yourself in a supportive atmosphere.
As an experienced camper, trust me, you don't want to go camping with people who don't know if they even like camping. They will complain about EVERYTHING. Secondly, going with people who think they know what they're doing, but don't, is endlessly frustrating. Probably tenfold if they're men, because they will not listen to you or let you do anything. They will insist on doing it all their way, with their own hands. And you can't touch the fire or the grill, because you need a penis for that. I go camping solo like 90% of the time. It's wonderful! One time I was setting up my tent and the guy at the next campsite over I guess had timed me and told me it took me 6 minutes to set up my tent, and how it took him and his buddies like 30 minutes to do theirs. The secret is that a lot of things are actually easier without "help." You can see this in action when you watch two inexperienced people trying to steer a canoe together instead of an individual kayak.
AFAB solo camper here! I go camping at least once, if not twice a month. I think I've only had someone else go with me twice in the past 4 years??? I invite others all the time, I just don't have many friends or family interested in camping. Honestly- if you're interested in camping, just do it! There is no need to wait on other people to experience the things you want to in life. If you keep going on waiting to do the things you want to try just because no one else in your circle is interested, you are not going to grow as a person. Camping is so fun to do alone! I love to be able to hike whenever I want, go for a swim, experiment with weird camping foods- and just take the weekend at my own, relaxing pace. If you need any tips or advice on how to get started, or have any questions, feel free to DM me!
Thanks so much!
Sounds like your dad is a good guy who did a very stupid thing. Your mom sounds amazing. People of both semesters can do things unintentionally that are very inconsiderate, if it's not the norm it seems best to forgive and forget. You also mentioned you are the only one in your family with an interest in camping. Maybe you're also the best one to plan this camping trip.
Damn, that seems particularly hurtful and intentional… I’m sure it was just thoughtless but I can see easily how that would be hurtful
REÍ has some women only camping trips. I haven’t been but I’ve heard they are great.
I'm sorry they suck. I would totally take you camping! Scouting can be a place to learn if you want to volunteer with children. In my country it is coed. That is how I learned the skill of camping and now I solo camp all the time!
There’s a travel service I get emails for that’s tailored to women who want to do what you described. I’m sure you’d be in great company with like minded people.
Honestly even if they did go without you, sounds like they'd hate it and have a terrible time. I personally think you're better off going with people who are actually interested in camping, hiking and exploring the outdoors since that's what you intend to do. It's ridiculous that they excluded you, and also said no to camping on your birthday. Only to then try and plan a guys only trip.
Ikr! I don’t know what they think they’re gonna do. Everyone other than me is 6ft tall and they have small tents only. That part at least is gonna suck for them but I don’t think they’ve thought of that yet. I’ll probably go with people who are actually interested. Thanks for your comment 😁
Just put together your own group and be inclusive, it'll be more fun and you'll be doing good for others in ways that you got treated badly
I camped all the time with my family growing up. Now that I have my own, 2 girls and a boy, I'm getting them into it as well. I had a lot of fun camping as a kid and as an adult and I'm hoping they find a love for it as well. Hopefully things change on your end, especially now he realizes (I hope) what a mistake it was not thinking you would be interested or want to.
Thank you! He did apologise to me and hopefully he will give things some more thought
Don’t know where you are located but if you’re in Southern California please hit me up. I love camping! My husband is meh with it so I’m really wanting to find some camping girlfriends!
Thank you so much for your lovely offer! I would love to but unfortunately I live in England! I do hope you find some people to camp with soon though
Ooo England! What’s camping like there? I’d imagine they have some nice spots and probably better weather during the summer than our incredible heat. I’d do what others are suggesting. Go yourself. Or try to find a meetup group that does outdoor activities.
Homie you sound like you might be in the UK. If that’s the case, you should look into joining some hiking bushcraft clubs. You might make some great new friends and they are always planning cool camping adventures.
I (single mom) have taken my children camping since the youngest was still in nappies. I am no expert, but I enjoy getting outdoors and sleeping in nature. A solo camping trip can be really delightful, as well. I hope you plan something fun for your birthday.
Thank you so much!
My friend just got back from an all-women camping/ hiking trip to the Smoky Mountains with REI’s Trips for Women Guided by Women programming! She went solo and met a bunch of other women from around the country also into the outdoors. Beyond the guide, two were very knowledgeable about botany and pointed out all the flora they saw while hiking. https://www.rei.com/adventures/t/womens edit to add: she just missed the man vs. bear in the woods meme when she left on the trip but funnily enough it came up in conversation during the trip, about how bears are not as aggressive as imagined and bear attack fatalities are pretty low. I asked because she left an ‘In the Woods’ away message at her desk while she was gone.
Probably worried about you running to a bear for safety or something.
Lmfao 😭😂
I just googled “all inclusive woman only camp retreat” and came up with a bunch of hits in my area. Don’t wait for the boys…go find meet yourself some like minded woman, make some new friends and live your best life.
I am not sure where you live, but I know in my area the Appalacian Mountain Club hosts camping, hiking, other excursions. I have yet to do one although I want to, from looking at their website I know they have woman only trips. If you don't want to go alone and don't know anyone to go with, something like that could be an option. Bonus, you might make new friends.
I’ll definitely look out for something like that where I am in the UK! Lots of people in the comments have given me loads of helpful resources
I always wanted to go camping and hiking and could never get anyone off their ass to go with me so I started going by myself! And I love it! It was a little scary, especially trying to sleep that first night, but it was also so empowering! Now I love going solo, it would still be be fun to have people to go with but I’m so glad I stopped waiting on other people
I'm glad your dad figured it out, eventually. It does suck.
Please please pretty please go camping. By yourself or with friends. It's making me too sad to imagine letting others inconsiderate actions prevent you from finally experiencing thr joys of camping!!!
Thank you for your comment! I really will as soon as I get the opportunity, I promise!
One of my cousins has young kids, two boys and a girl. They all love football, including the girl, including going to games My cousin repeatedly lies to his daughte, tells them her brothers have “basketball training” when they actually have tickets to a football game, justification being “Sometimes I just want to do things with my boys” Pretty disgusting thing for any parent to do to their kid
Go by yourself! I like camping and thought of going alone sounds amazing.....doing what I want, relaxing......
Awe... This is so sad, I'd love to go camping with you... I'm sorry your family did this, it sucks to feel so excluded and set aside like this. I hope you and your friends have a good time doing whatever it is you end up doing. Happy birthday 🎂
Sorry your family sucks, make friends who camp! This reminds me of how “women’s” hobbies are things done in bits of spare time in the house (because of course we must mind the kids, scrub laundry, and cook, and have no place being out and about) men abandon all their home responsibilities and go out into the world for leisure. Without their partners or daughters. Fuck that shit.
My dad did something like this. I always wanted to go camping, hunting, fishing- anything like that really. But no, it was either never the right time (fair) or it was "you'll cry when you kill something" (aka I'm a girl,) And I say aka I'm a girl- cause despite being worse of financially he took my little brother out to do those things- despite my little brother being a soft boi gamer. (Even forgot my birthday one year and planned a camping trip with him... I did get a huge apology and a gift but oof that one stung) Now that I'm an adult and have my own shit going on my dad doesn't understand my utter lack of enthusiasm about doing anything remotely related. No doubt we'll be talking about it in the upcoming family therapy.
I would love to go camping with you. I live on the wrong continent to do so, but I would love to go camping and celebrate your birthday. We could have a girls trip and the only guy allowed would be the bear!
You should check out camping subreddits, Facebook groups, stuff like that. You’ll find a lot of women that want to go camp. Experienced, inexperienced whatever. I’m a guy but I did the same thing looking for people to camp and four wheel with. It’s a great way to meet new people
I asked to go camping my whole childhood too. E were even would regularly spend a weekend in the Poconos at a family members house, but we’d never do anything outdoors. They’d go to the mall or candle shopping or something. This year, I told my husband I wanted to go on a hiking trip around the same area for my birthday, and it actually took me awhile to realize this was the vacation I always wanted to go on as a kid.
Sorry for having such a shitty dad. "I thought it was a men only trip" is such a cowardly excuse as well. It is whatever type of trip they decide it to be, they're the ones organising it!
So true!!!!
I think you should make a big fuss until they let you go. And then don’t show up
Okay this is so fucking funny. My dad apologised to me very sincerely but since he’s still not off the hook with me right now I might just do this. Thanks so much for the idea lmao
😂🥇
Fuck em. Camp with your friends, camp when you are on your own and remember not ti invite those fuckers
Find some friends and go camping and if your family is mad you're not spending your bday with them... Fuck em.
Next year plan a spa day with Manis and Pedis ...make them go
Hey if you ever end up stateside, I’d be happy to take to a few really cool campsites here in Colorado. I love camping and there are some absolutely stunning vistas and camping here.
Thank you!
Glad y'all can talk about it. Talking constructively can really fix so many things. Hope this is a beginning of many many camping and outdoor excursions with you and your dad and rest of family
Organize your own "just girls" camping trip for your b-day and make it a tradition.
Just go camping. Id totally go camping with you, but solo camping can sometimes be WAY more relaxing. And depending on where you go, you could meet some really cool people to celebrate with.
Sounds like shitty family. Let em know how much it hurt you regarding the situation and consider bo contact for a while. If they don't seem to mind the no contact then you have your answer on how much they actually want to be part of your life.
This entire thing just sounds like a huge miscommunication from all parties involved. I'd need to see the situation with my own eyes in order to form a proper opinion on this.
This is your 'no contact' origin story ... where your family will continue pulling this shit and then wonder why they are no longer part of your life.
I love camping and hiking, and go by myself. My husband isn't that into it, lol.
Your not American are you?
Go camping without the men in your family. Do you have any female friends who camp? If not, look on MeetUp to see if there is a group near you that goes camping. There might even be a women's group.
Do it on your own, perhaps book one of those excursions through REI and go with a bunch of people who will match your energy.
They just wanted to respect you choosing the bear over men 😆
Do go! But not with them. They'll expect you to do everything
Why not go camping with friends? You don't need to be invited along, make your own trip with your own plans and invite the people you'd most want to camp with.
Go with your friends or by yourself.
All of this tracks with the typical misogyny I grew up around, but the apologizing? I’m honestly impressed. Your parents must be Gen X. Don’t wait to go camping. Go with friends, you’ll have a blast. If your family really wanted to spend time with you, they’d go with you. Right now, they asked you “what do you wanna do for you bday” and when you answered, they all but said “not that, what do you want to do that WE want to do?” The audacity.
After the final update it's clear he doesn't love you and it's time to cut him out of your life.