My FIRST Time Camping Was a DISASTER!! 

Please don’t say you hate camping because you have yet to camp! You just took a very long walk without enough preparation on how to find those perfect spots to set up camp and definitely were unlucky in timing. You may not want to think back on this trip for quite a while but hopefully, some time soon, you’ll be able to think back and appreciate where you’ve been and what you may have learned. Don’t ever give up your thirst to try new things and see new places - we love your videos😘

When I have a bad experience, I always try to look on the bright side to keep my spirits up. You did get to see some beautiful views on your walk. Thankfully, the grumpy farmer stopped you before you had camp set up...that would have been way more frustrating! Also, what a gorgeous sunrise you got to experience! Don't give up on camping (this experience doesn't really count as camping). I think it was a combo of the two things you mentioned...inexperience and timing. I know you didn't want to be around people, but I was talking to the screen telling you to just set up on the beach by the little fire pit. 🙂 You'll do it differently next time and have a much better experience. Thanks for sharing this video even though it didn't turn out the way you hoped. I appreciate you, Ben!

Back in the 70's, my family went tent camping at Kentucky Lake. We had a fun afternoon of peeing in a bucket and running around the woods.😂 Nightfall was just beginning. Mother was trying to settle us children down when my father got in the truck and took off. He came back with a travel trailer. I never found out where he got it from. However, the next week, he bought a 1972 Winnebago camper. Spent the rest of my childhood on great adventures every weekend. No more tent camping until my girls joined Girl Scouts. Turns out, I LOVE tent camping. Ben, you should give it another try, but not on an island with limited areas to camp.

20 miles walking? Wowzers. You’ll never be overweight 😂😂😂😂

Poor Ben. I'm so sorry you had a bad experience. Please don't give up on camping. I think you should try camping in a camp site first. Then you can have a good experience. I have put up so many tents in my life, even in the dark. I do think also you should have scoped out areas that you could have pitched your tent. Oh and on my bucket list is I would love be a nomad for a year.

So glad you did post this video. Just shows that adventures never turn out they way you planned. I am 71 and when I was in my late teens and early twenties I just packed a ruck sack with a few basics and a sleeping bag and just went on the road and hitchhiked and didn't know where I was going to end up that night . I was based in London and ended up some times in Scoltland, Wales the Lake District, The Pennines. I always focused on trying to get to any YHA youth hostel or Bed and Breakfast anywhere and if they were full I would try and find a field wall and sleep against that with plastic covering over me. I have camped many times since and did it only because I was relatively poor at the time.. Saw some fabulous places and scenery on the cheap but like you now enjoy my cruises. In the 60s to 90s BandB's were plentiful and everywhere and hitchhiking was relatively safe. You would have succeeded if you had found a Band B or a YHA youth hostel. I would have gone back to the campsite and paid a fee. Loving your content. I was on the return transatlantic Norwegian Getaway cruise from NYC to Southampton and enjoyed it. Well done for producing interesting content.😂

I've always camped at designated campsites. The quiet nature is still beautiful and, as a bonus, we get a designated place to go to the bathroom! Lol. If you ever make it to Arizona, my hubby and I would be happy to take you camping. Sedona is magical and you will never say you hate camping again. :-)

Fascinating approach to camping. I'm a very experienced tent camper having camped all over the US, Canada, Europe (although not the UK), Scandinavia and even Russia when it was the Soviet Union. Despite all of that I never tried what you just tried-- Wild camping while walking through populated areas with no planned or detailed itinerary. I suppose the closest I've come to that is backpacking in National Parks or canoeing in Canada, but those were more structured and planned than what you attempted. I don't think I'd be comfortable or even brave enough just fill a backpack and start walking. Some people in the US do what's called "boondocking" which is similar to what you attempted but they do it in some sort of vehicle--often a camper or van. At night they just park in some shopping mall or off some obscure road to sleep in the vehicle. I haven't tried that either. I suggest the next time you try something more conservative and predictable to get your feet wet.

Wow what a mean farmer! I’m glad you posted this video, though and I always appreciate your positive attitude.

Oooh what an adventure!! It was a beautiful place - love the houses and the beach. However the road you walked on in the dark was super creepy! 👻 I would have freaked out. That farmer wasn’t a very nice person .. he didn’t have to be so angry.. pfft. I’m glad you made it home safely. I don’t know anything about camping (only did it once in my life and that was a long time ago, together with a bunch of other people who put up the tents) so I don’t have a clue what to say except that it was an interesting experience, although an uncomfortable one! Maybe you can plan your next cruise 😬. Thanks for the video though! ❤

Thank you for sharing, Ben. It makes me want to visit the UK. You are a very brave person and you gave it a nice try. I’m glad you were able to ride the bus. 😊

Oh my the longer I watch, the worse I feel for ya. Get that bus and get to civilization!!

Glad that you got home safely, Ben! Sorry that camping didn’t quite work out the way you had hoped. Probably good that you weren’t able to camp … I saw all the grass and trees and thought that it was Lyme disease waiting to happen. (Not sure how widespread it is in the UK, though.) Very impressed by your honesty in posting the video and how you took it all in stride. And, by the sheer amount of walking you did in one day! Better luck on the next adventure!

I am on the same page regarding camping, Ben. Just not my cup of tea. I love the adventure but at the end of the day I want a shower and a comfortable bed in an air conditioned room!

Public paths are mostly on private land. Private persons own the land but there are rights of way that allowed people to walk to market or church or river a thousand years ago and theses rights prevented the land owner from preventing or charging people going to the church or the town. There are very few spots in England that are not owned by someone.

Thanks, Ben, for taking us along. I know you hated it, but I enjoyed watching you work it all out. I would have been terrified after dark. Glad you made it back safe!

Oh how I loved watching this video. I really felt for you and remembered that I never ever wanted to go camping / backpacking . Maybe you are more suited to Vanlife. Camping in OZ is a bit different . Friends go for a couple of weeks in a large tent . They take fridges, microwaves and occasionally portable aircon in summer. I do look forward to seeing the island when you return .

Good on you for posting this even though you consider the experience a failure. It seems you were just a little excited and ambitious rather than researched and prepared. You researched which fish shop to get lunch in more than where to find a place to camp. Your anxiety got the better of you, and that farmer beat down your confidence so it was a double-whammy when you were already feeling tired and unsure of your surroundings. Your adventurous spirit will bounce back and will soon be on your way to new adventures. Thanks for taking us along for the LONG walk. This was just a bump in the road.

I love camping, but the first time I went, it was with a friend that showed me how to set up a tent. I hope you give it a try again. I live in the Pacific Northwest so I just drive to the mountains and find an old logging road then find a creek to set up camp next to it. I'm so sorry you had such a bad experience. 😢 I'm glad you uploaded this video. Definitely give tent camping a chance again with just a friend that can guide you. ❤

Stop complaining lol enjoy it, most people aren’t lucky to do this. 😂😂😂😂 . Camping is fun. 😅 I enjoyed it, but the negative energy. lol 😂😂, bad experience, we all have them.

I totally enjoyed being along for this experience. I think your expectations at the onset were reasonable. The setbacks were unfortunate and your reactions appropriate for the situation. I am a recent subscriber because of your NCL cruise videos. This was something new. Thank you, Ben.

Is it illegal to wild camp is that why you had to search so long? I hope you try again! Tent. Sleeping pad and designated camp sites!

Fareplay Ben for giving it a go. Never liked camping myself 😉. As for the national speed limit which in the uk is 70mph as you mentioned but is for motorways and dual carriageway with a central reservation in place. The road type you were showing means the national speed limit is 60! as there was no reservation Keep up the great work 👌

I’m so sorry you didn’t enjoy yourself. I love camping but I always make sure I have a camping spot reserved so I know where I’m going to sleep. I would be so stressed not know where I was going to sleep. I hope you give it another try sometime with a reserved spot

Ben you really tried 👍. The positive commentary is the beginning of this video speaks volume. This was an experience, definitely not bad luck or a failure. I’m wondering why you weren’t able to camp by the caravans. A single soul inspiring people worldwide to gradually get out of their comfort zone and experience the world. Enjoy.

Sorry it didn't work out for you. On the bright side, I learned a littlemore about the UK today. Look forward to more videos😊.

That was very brave of you. Not sure how I would have handled it. Camping is meh even in good conditions. Thanks for showing us the Isle of Wight!

In the U.S. there are camping guide books for most popular routes. This way you can have a plan in place as to where you will stop and set up camp. I think of you had a planned place to stop it would’ve worked out for you. Also, there are usually networks or clubs where people can help to prepare you for these adventures.

I’m so sorry. I am proud of you for trying to have an adventure. But it’s no fun to not have a place to sleep. And I did enjoy the video. It was so humorous!

I don't know the wild camping rules there in UK. Here Finland we have the 'everyones rights' that says you can camp almost where you want, just not too close to houses or someone's garden. You should practice first and set up tent near home (even on a own yard if having that) and sleep first night there. And one important gear is sleepingpad. I think you were really bold to just go without testing the gear first.. And about the question: Isle of Wight I have heard the name (i think in primary school geocraphics lessons about the British Isles) but I don't know any details. So beautiful and lush green but quite a lot walking throung town.

Yeah, Ben, it seems to be a pretty miserable experience, and yeah, you probably should have done a little more research; however, I've got to say, the more miserable you got, the more I laughed. If I didn't know you were safe, it would have really been scary, but as it was, it was pretty darn funny. I suspect you're like me: you should stick to the cruise ships. Ref: your ending comments--I was laughing too much to feel bad for you. Don't be mad with me; I couldn't help it.

Interesting adventure.

You have not even camped yet. You should find an actual camp site and then camp. Too much stress of the unknown as to where your going to sleep. Give camping another try but the proper way. As for people.. Just set up in a campsite and keep to yourself.

You should be so proud of yourself for trying this adventure! No way In hell would I ever attempt to do something like this. I admire you of your attempt at do it! Thank you for taking us along with you!

"There's probably so many monsters in here" 😅😅😅

Good morning, Ben ! This is not Ben Cole Coleman. This is the "Adventure of Tom Sawyer " ! I went to fishing and camping trip in Minnesota one year. It was summer and hot. I openned the camp a bit and a score of mosquitoes got in and the bited me all night ! Mosquitoes in Minnesota are three times as big as normal ones elsewhere ! I never camped again !

I don't understand why you wanted to hide while camping. Why didn't you just pitch your tent next to that campfire ring. Camping on the beach is great. I've never heard the term wild camping before. Is that opposed to camping at a paid campground?

Great video! And great idea-try it again with hotel reservations!

But do you want to go home? 😆

Bummer Ben, but I think it was partially bad luck and a little lack of planning on the where to camp portion. Still, thanks for taking us along.

I loved camping. We always went in campgrounds. Camping isn’t for everyone.

Oh dear. Camping can be fun, but I totally understand that you didn't enjoy this experience! It was pretty ambitious for your first go..but you figured that out pretty quickly.

It was not a failure, you now know you are in the majority, camping is not for me either. Keep enjoying civilized travel and no shame.

Most land in the UK belongs to someone. A public footpath gives you the right to walk through a privately owned field but not camp there. You would have had an easier time stealth camping in car.

Camping can be hit or miss (for me generally a miss), still great to see someone showing a real experience! Thanks.

Good on you for giving it a crack and uploading. I could never camp in a tent ... i'd 💩

So do they not have any public campgrounds on the island? Because I would love to do this walk. What about hostels in the small towns? Could you walk between those and just stay in a hostile at night if you didn’t want to do van life? Wild Camping is such a foreign concept to Americans,. If we saw something like that, we would just assume you’re homeless lol 😂 I had to edit it to say this, don’t feel bad if it didn’t go according to plan. Because we’re literally in a mercury retrograde. So for the next month, all travel plans will be delayed and have hiccups. And communication will be blurry. I mean you can believe in it or not, but it is affecting everyone on this planet right now it’s why everyone feels so frustrated but should get a little bit better by September