Camping can be an affordable way to enjoy a family vacation. It can also be an easy escape from the hustle and bustle, if only for a couple of days. If everything goes as planned, that is.
Sometimes, however, Mother Nature has a mood swing. Other times, you forget to pack something crucial. No matter what the reason, experiencing a major fail on a camping trip is no fun … unless it’s somebody else’s fail, perhaps.
Check out these amusing, entertaining and sometimes pitiful camping mishaps we found across social media. Have you ever experienced any of these fails yourself?
Snooping Around
There are reasons why people advise against leaving stray food around at your camp site. After all, that can attract wild animals. And we don’t mean squirrels or deer. Let’s just hope there was no one in the tent when this bear showed up.
Cute Tent
That’s a nice cute tent and all, and you don’t necessarily need to be out in the woods to use one, but you won’t exactly be protected from the elements if you use this one. At least the tent makes for a great photo.
This Looks Like The Perfect Spot
When you find the perfect spot at the edge of the campground. And then you read the sign on the other side of the handy pole there. And then the powers that be ask you to move your entire camp. Twitter user Kellie Rich showed off this fail that could’ve been avoided with a little more reading!
Please Wear Sunscreen
These women might need to cover up. Oh, their outfits are cute, the bigger worry comes from if they’re not wearing sunscreen. Not to mention, when the sun sets the temperature will get a lot colder, so it may just be better for them to have a warmer set of clothes.
Overpopped Popcorn
Missy Shana decided to immortalize one of her camping misadventures with a Tweet. Cooking on an open fire can be difficult for some foods. The best example of that is probably Miss Shana’s charred popcorn in her skillet. It looks like there are some good bits, they just ended up all over the ground.
Why Secure The Tent?
Water can be at least partially to blame for many camping fails. Even if it doesn’t rain, you could find yourself in a murky situation. This is especially true if you forget your tent poles. On Instagram, @the_wild_folks showed what happens when your pop-up tent unexpectedly becomes a boat. Have we mentioned that tent poles are very important?
Rain Or Shine
Again, this probably isn’t the best attire for a camping trip. On the surface, it looks like they’re prepared for warm weather or rain, but their rain preparedness isn’t exactly that helpful. When going camping it’s a better idea to wear hiking boots for the rain. They also help under normal circumstances. Although, for the sun they’re fine, as long as they have sunscreen.
A Prickly Situation
It pays to pay attention where you lay down when you’re going to sleep while camping. And that is especially true when you’re an active sleeper. Don’t want to roll into something that might heart you. Well… at least this guy seems used to the pain.
Poison Oak
It can be pretty difficult identifying dangerous plants. Of course, you’re not going to just eat random berries you find in the forest. And you’re not going to touch anything with obvious thorns. But finding out what’s poison oak isn’t quite as easy. Instagramer @aprileshowerswv figured that out the hard way.
A Soggy Surprise
If you’re ever planning on going on a camping trip, make sure to check the weather forecast beforehand. Otherwise you might end up camping in an area that suffers from inclement weather. Something like, perhaps, minor flooding. At the very least don’t camp next to a river. That way you won’t wake up floating in it the following morning.
Watch Where You Drop Your Gear
You’d think you wouldn’t have to worry about your phone getting wet unless its raining or your near a body of water. Well, you’d be wrong. If you’re not paying attention, you could throw your phone into a puddle on your lawn chair… who took this picture?
Overnight Camping Vs. Sleepovers
When you’re camping overnight, even in a larger group in a field like here, you should always come prepared. Although, it seems as though these two only brought a pair of stuffed animals and a tent. It just seems as though they are woefully unprepared for a night out like this.
When A Tornado Hits Your Campground
It started out as a relaxing camping trip for @stephnicks08, who shared her own scary camping mishap on Instagram. The trip ended as a run-for-your-life experience. She and her fellow campers fled from a tornado that hit the area and spent the night in a hotel, instead.
Becoming One with Nature
When you camp, you want to get closer to nature. But how close, and what sort of nature are we talking about? Reddit user burnz_J_ woke up to find a bear’s massive paw print outside their tent in 2018. The startling image got nearly 1,000 upvotes from other campers.
Guess We’re Using Leaves Now
You definitely don’t have all the comforts of home when camping, but bringing along some toilet paper is obviously a must. Keeping a roll easily accessible is important — but you might not want to leave it out in the open or you’ll end up with a useless roll of pulp. This funny image of a soggy roll of toilet paper was shared by camping outfitter REI on Twitter.
Farm Girl Jen
Say hello to Farm Girl Jen. She’s a YouTuber that uses her channel to document her outdoor experiences and lifestyle. Some say she’s an inspiration to those that to live a fun, active, and healthy lifestyle after age 50. Although, you might have a little bit of trouble telling she runs an outdoors-type YouTube channel based on her outfit. It’s not exactly a style you’d associate with going outside, considering how little skin is covered. It might leave you vulnerable to ticks, stinging nettle, or poison ivy.
When Yogi Likes Your Tent
When the signs at the campground say, “Don’t feed the bears,” heed them. Otherwise, they might think they’re entitled to all of your stuff. Taken at a campsite in Canada, Instagrammer @drewmcdonaldphotography shared this pic of a black bear helping himself to someone’s gear.
Blame It On The Weatherman
Camping pros will tell you to always check on the weather before you go camping. But what do you do when the forecast is simply wrong?
“The forecast was fine with low chance of light showers,” Sean Dooley tweeted of his own camping fail in 2015. “Nobody told the thunderstorm.” As you can see, his tent felt the full force of the surprise storm.
Just The Breeze
This is possibly one of the flimsiest tents of all time. It was basically an exhibit during Scotland’s annual Eden Festival. It was so shoddily put together that people couldn’t help but take photos of the thing. It looks like a strong breeze could send all the pieces flying apart.
Not The Safest Heat Source
Making a campfire to stay warm and cook some food is a completely normal thing to do while in the woods. Just make sure you’re responsible with how you light the fire and make sure to put it out. It appears as though the person who made this campfire (and stick tent) wasn’t too worried about safety. His tent looks like it could burn down at any second.
High Tide
Taking your caravan out for a fun camping trip is great for the whole family. And what’s a more fun place to camp than the beach? Although, perhaps parking so close to the shore isn’t such a good idea. It’s pretty difficult to predict when the tide will come in.
Measure Your Air Mattress
Head to any sporting goods store and you’re sure to find tons of cool camping gear. Take this ultra-comfortable air mattress, for example. It might feel like you’re sleeping on a real bed… if you can squeeze it into your tent, that is.
An Interesting Visitor
Well… at least it’s not a bear. Although a horse isn’t exactly a safe animal to provoke. It doesn’t look like anyone’s in the tent, but it’s still a reminder of why you shouldn’t just leave random food out.
Might Want To Invest In 4-Wheel Drive
We’re not sure if these campers were heading to or returning from their campground. In either case, Twitter user @AaronJamesJenks found himself in a sticky situation when the car got stuck in deep mud. That’s a chance you take when you go off the beaten path.
Goodbye Tent!
Some people just don’t understand how important it is to secure your tent properly. Well, these people learned the hard way. While camping in Red Rock Canyon State Park, this party of campers saw their tent get picked up and carried away by the wind.
The Too Small Tent
Someone didn’t look at how big their tent was before they took it out of the box. The nights in this one must be especially cold. Well, at least their head will be warm.
Taped To Your Lawn Chair
Has duct tape every gotten away from you? Probably not so bad that you ended up getting tied to a chair. Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt though. This was probably a prank.
Don’t Dial 911
Maybe this one isn’t a fail. Because whoever made this sign knew exactly what they were doing. Somebody was clearly having a lot of fun on this camping trip.
Bonfire
Well, someone really messed up. On the bright side, this is a small island surrounded by water, so the fire won’t spread too far. It’s just a shame someone clearly didn’t listen to Smokey Bear.
Goodbye Chair
You shall be missed. If only someone had been paying more attention. Was it the wind? Someone knocked it over on accident? Regardless of what started it, we know what ended it. Fire
Stuck In The Snow
Now this is a scenario where a tent would be quite helpful. At least they have a sleeping bag and jacket, but that’s not gonna help much when it was cold enough to make at least three feet of snow.
RV Trouble
Looks like the sandy road here wasn’t quite thick enough for the old girl. They’re gonna need to call in a tow truck to get this one taken care of. Hopefully the road trip didn’t stall for too long.
The Great Outdoors
Of course, who wouldn’t want to bring their TV with them on a camping trip. Because that’s the point of going on one, to do the exact same things your normally do, albeit in a completely different location.
Balloon Tent
Looks like the wind caught this one. Guess that shows why you should always have your tent flap closed when you’re not in it. Or maybe just that you should make sure it’s properly secured so that stuff like this doesn’t happen.
Makeshift Bed
Looks like somebody forgot to pack their tent. Well, at least they made the best of a bad situation. Doesn’t look too comfortable a thing to sleep on though. Have you ever tried sleeping on a cooler?
