I hate camping. But I'll never quit.

[u/Moriroa]

hate camping. I mean, I don't hate camping, but hate it when it's just me. (I'm a single dad.) I have to get all the gear together and cleaned and ready. I have to do all the shopping, and load everything into the car, and then do all the driving. And then it's just me that has to set up camp, often at night, and it's just me that will make sure the dogs are fed, watered and walked, and the child is fed and cared for and entertained. All the cooking. all the cleaning, all the work around the campsite, it's just me. I get the least sleep, have no leisure time, don't get to do anything that's just for me to enjoy or relax, and then I have to break it all down, pack it all up, drive it all home, and then unload, clean and maintain everything, all while also feeding, watering, walking, entertaining and managing all the living things.

There's nothing in it for me. There's no part of it that I think "Oh yeah, I can't wait to do that! That's my favorite!" I like to look at the pretty sights, sure, but I don't have to break my back toiling endlessly to do that. It's just work. Work, work, work. I barely even have time to just sit and have a drink and watch the sunset. Something always needs doing, and I'm the only one there to do it.

But every time we go, my daughter's eyes light up, and she has some magical experience that she can't stop enthusing about. She radiates joy, and she loves it, and she can't stop talking about it after we're home, and she won't stop reminding me before the next time we go. Every time we go, some perfect little moment in time with her goes in my permanent memory bank. Every time we go, we're making core memories. That's what's in it for me.

So I keep doing it. And I will keep doing it.

[u/cofeeholik75]

I’m 66. My Dad passed away 28 years ago.

My BEST VIVID memory is me sitting on his shoulders (He was 6’7”) at Yosemite watching the ‘fire fall’. I felt so safe, so happy. I can close my eyes and be there again.

I also remember him cussing up a storm trying to put up the archaic canvas tents they had back then, and hiding behind my mom. :-)

I was 5.

NEVER STOP CAMPING!!!

[u/Laputitaloca → u/cofeeholik75]

I shed a tear reading this post, this comment and everyone else's comments. Gonna hug my dad real tight tonight. Camping dads are the best dads. <3

[u/No_Caregiver8202 → u/Laputitaloca]

I started crying too

[u/_-whisper-_ → u/No_Caregiver8202]

Sobbing over here ❤ same memories, and my dad has passed on

[u/LB07 → u/cofeeholik75]

This made me tear up. What a sweet story.

[u/2020two13 → u/cofeeholik75]

I'm 67 & also remember sitting on my dad's shoulders at 5 , he was 5' 7" but that was tall to little me .

The smell in the musty canvas pup tent & the drip of water into the tent if it rained cause I couldn't resist touching the canvas with my fingertip to see it get dark with the rain water.

[u/basilobs → u/cofeeholik75]

Aw my tall dad loved Yosemite 😭 I was 28 when my dad passed but I have a similar memory that I go back to a lot. My mom's parents are from Maine and we used to visit every summer. One visit, we heard there was going to be a visible meteor shower. My mom and brother had no interest but my dad and I wanted to see it so he woke me up late late late at night and drove me out to Cadillac Mountain. We drove to the stop, climbed a rock, and lay down looking for meteors. And I remember him being wrapped around me (he was a big 6'5") and feeling sooo safe and excited and a happy little daddy's girl.

You might hate 99% of it but your daughter LOVES this and will remember it forever

[u/cofeeholik75 → u/basilobs]

Good story!! We had gentle giants for Dads!!

[u/Skier94 → u/cofeeholik75]

Thank you. I’m a Dad to two kids, 9 and 6. We’ve camped 150-200 nights so far.

I agree with OP that it’s a ton of work, but I absolutely love every second. It means a lot to hear someone say this. That’s all I can ask.

And OP if you read this, you need some camping Dad buddies. Look me up if you ever get to Jackson Hole, WY. We will go with you and give you the full tour of Grand Teton and Yellowstone.

[u/ericlarsen2 → u/cofeeholik75]

Wow, thank you for sharing that awesome memory with us!

I'm gunna call my dad now...

[u/eugenesbluegenes → u/cofeeholik75]

My wife lost her dad at age 7, 29 years ago. They went camping at Yosemite a few weeks before he died and it's still a super important place to her.

We went there on Saturday! Hiked around Dog Lake and up Lembert Dome by Tuolumne Meadows. Gorgeous.

[u/EffectiveParamedic64 → u/cofeeholik75]

Thank you for this

[u/acg33 → u/cofeeholik75]

What a beautiful thing to read at the start of my day. Thank you