History Main / HorribleCampingTrip

* The premise of ''Film/CheaperByTheDozen 2'' has the Patriach of the Baker family taking his family to a camping lodge. Of course, things do go awry but what really dampens the trip is the father competing with his arch-rival and his family.

* Charlie goes on one with his dad and friends in Creator/StephenKing's (writing as Richard Bachman) ''Literature/{{Rage}}''. He overhears his father discussing the Cherokee Nose Job with his friends (slitting the nose of an adulterous wife) and how he would do it to his own wife if she cheated on him.

** On one trip, it rained nonstop and didn't stop until Dad, having decided to pack it in and go home, had finished loading the car. Cue FacePalm (and then [[NarrativeProfanityFilter shouting words that Calvin didn't understand]]).

* Sixties comedy of double entendres, ''Film/CarryOnCamping'', is fueled by this trope. The campsite is in a muddy field, much to the annoyance of Sid and Bernie (who were hoping that it was a nudist camp full of attractive women), Charlie losing his tent from a landmine, Peter Potter who is bossed around by his wife that never listens to him, a schoolgirl's bra snapping off and Charlie moving in and annoying Peter. HilarityEnsues.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/KaBlam'' episode "The [=KaBlair=]! With Project", Henry, June, Mr. Stockdale, Mr. Foot, Henry's mom and Jimmy [=McGee=] go on a company camping trip, but they hear the loud roar of a {{bear|sAreBadNews}} and Mr. Foot freaks out and escapes in the camper, leaving everyone else stranded. HilarityEnsues.

** "Mistakes Will Happen" has the trio going on a trip to the woods and various hijinks including being stalked by an escaped convict and Jon [[EpicFail absolutely failing]] at scaring his pets with a BedsheetGhost when they ignore his warnings to be careful while hiking. Keep in mind though that this was only the ''subplot;'' as the title implies, the main plot was to point out the [[HilarityEnsues many, deliberate continuity errors that were displayed throughout the episode.]]

* Mishaps and accidents came with the territory on ''Series/FishingWithJohn'', but the episode guest-starring Creator/WillemDafoe stands out as a special example. Willem and John go ice-fishing in upstate New York in the middle of January, despite having no idea how to do it, bringing only a few cheese crackers to eat if they can't catch a fish. Their tent isn't warm enough and they didn't bring enough blankets. Finally...

* Episode 8 of ''Anime/Persona4TheAnimation'' takes the game's school camping trip and turns it into this. UpToEleven. [[BrokenBase And it breaks the fanbase over whether]] [[CrossesTheLineTwice it's funny]] [[DudeNotFunny or not.]] (Though there's no doubt about how much [[ButtMonkey it sucks to be Kanji]].)

* Any of [[BumblingDad Roger's]] family camping trips in ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot''. In one instance, the kids ([[UpToEleven and mother]]) notably cheered louder for the news that they wouldn't be able to go on that year's trip due to some circumstances of Roger getting his job back, than for the news of his re-hiring itself. Usually they attempt to find some sort of excuse to get out of it, such as trying to cram the car with luggage (with some of them being filled with nothing but packaging peanuts) just so there wouldn't be enough room in the car to accommodate them, and taking Roger's attempts at encouraging via exact words and exploit them to delay the camping trip.

* ''Series/That70sShow'', but they one-up it and [[UpToEleven drop the]] ''[[UpToEleven car]]'' [[UpToEleven in the lake]].

* Mishaps and accidents came with the territory on ''Series/FishingWithJohn'', but the episode guest-starring Creator/WillemDafoe stands out as a special example. Willem and John go ice-fishing in upstate New York in the middle of January, despite having no idea how to do it, bringing only a few cheese crackers to eat if they can't catch a fish. Their tent isn't warm enough and they didn't bring enough blankets. Finally...
-->'''Narrator''': On January 19th, John Lurie and Willem Dafoe died of starvation.

* One of the ''Literature/TheBerenstainBears'' books details a horrible camping trip that's tainted not only with everything imaginable from floods to swarms of insects, but disappointment. (Papa bear spends the first third of the book hyping the trip up to be the experience of a lifetime.)

** In "Survival Skills," Benson tries to teach the gang about surviving in the wilderness. Benson asks Mordecai and Rigby to buy tortillas for their barbeque, but when the two become lost, they embark on a woodland adventure to get back to the campsite.

* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'': "Camping Can Be Cool". Nobody thought to bring matches, Rigby intentionally forgot the tent and accidentally forgot the tarps, Mordecai locked the keys in the car and the park rangers showed up to yell at them for camping in a restricted area. Then it started to rain. And then [[BeastMan Deer Man]] showed up...

This plot is sometimes used even in situations where the characters do not live anywhere near the wilderness, nor seem the type who would even go on camping trips or have any experience doing so. In fact, you can guarantee that, out of a whole group, only one person will even think the trip is a good idea: Dad (if it's a family SitCom) or the guy who remembers doing it as a kid, who will always view the experience through a NostalgiaFilter. (The BrattyTeenageDaughter, on the other hand, will ''not'' be shy about acting like a CityMouse.) Another variant is the father (and it's nearly always the father) coming up with the whole thing as a way to have a ''cheap'' vacation, either because [[BrokeEpisode they can't afford better]] or because he can't be persuaded to unchain his wallet.[[note]]As anyone who's ever done this can tell you, a motel room and a pitch at a campsite are actually quite similar in price, and exceedingly cheap examples of either should be regarded with some caution.[[/note]] A father (especially a [[JockDadNerdSon macho one to a nerdy son]]) might also take his son on one of these out of [[AwkwardFatherSonBondingActivity a desire for bonding]].

This plot is sometimes used even in situations where the characters do not live anywhere near the wilderness, nor seem the type who would even go on camping trips or have any experience doing so. In fact, you can guarantee that, out of a whole group, only one person will even think the trip is a good idea: Dad (if it's a family SitCom) or the guy who remembers doing it as a kid, which they always view through a NostalgiaFilter. (The BrattyTeenageDaughter, on the other hand, will ''not'' be shy about acting like a CityMouse.) Another variant is the father (and it's nearly always the father) coming up with the whole thing as a way to have a ''cheap'' vacation, either because [[BrokeEpisode they can't afford better]] or because he can't be persuaded to unchain his wallet.[[note]]As anyone who's ever done this can tell you, a motel room and a pitch at a campsite are actually quite similar in price, and exceedingly cheap examples of either should be regarded with some caution.[[/note]] A father (especially a [[JockDadNerdSon macho one to a nerdy son]]) might also take his son on one of these out of [[AwkwardFatherSonBondingActivity a desire for bonding]].

This plot is sometimes used even in situations where the characters do not live anywhere near the wilderness, nor seem the type who would even go on camping trips or have any experience doing so. In fact, you can guarantee that, out of a whole group, only one person will even think the trip is a good idea: Dad (if it's a family SitCom) or the guy who remembers doing it as a kid, which they always view through Rose-Colored Glasses. (The BrattyTeenageDaughter, on the other hand, will ''not'' be shy about acting like a CityMouse.) Another variant is the father (and it's nearly always the father) coming up with the whole thing as a way to have a ''cheap'' vacation, either because [[BrokeEpisode they can't afford better]] or because he can't be persuaded to unchain his wallet.[[note]]As anyone who's ever done this can tell you, a motel room and a pitch at a campsite are actually quite similar in price, and exceedingly cheap examples of either should be regarded with some caution.[[/note]] A father (especially a [[JockDadNerdSon macho one to a nerdy son]]) might also take his son on one of these out of [[AwkwardFatherSonBondingActivity a desire for bonding]].

Simply put, several members of the cast go on a camping trip, and disaster ensues. This plot is sometimes used even in situations where the characters do not live anywhere near the wilderness, nor seem the type who would even go on camping trips or have any experience doing so. In fact, you can guarantee that, out of a whole group, only one person will even think the trip is a good idea: Dad (if it's a family SitCom) or the guy who remembers doing it as a kid, which they always view through Rose-Colored Glasses. (The BrattyTeenageDaughter, on the other hand, will ''not'' be shy about acting like a CityMouse.) Another variant is the father (and it's nearly always the father) coming up with the whole thing as a way to have a ''cheap'' vacation, either because [[BrokeEpisode they can't afford better]] or because he can't be persuaded to unchain his wallet.[[note]]As anyone who's ever done this can tell you, a motel room and a pitch at a campsite are actually quite similar in price, and exceedingly cheap examples of either should be regarded with some caution.[[/note]] A father (especially a [[JockDadNerdSon macho one to a nerdy son]]) might also take his son on one of these out of [[AwkwardFatherSonBondingActivity a desire for bonding]].

* ''Series/{{Eureka}}'' has this trope n spades, starting with the tent acting up, and ending with an angry TINY trying to attack them all.

* One of the ''Literature/AdrianMole'' books has him go on a camping trip with the youth club. Unfortunately, [[HippieTeacher Hippie Youth Leader]] Rick thinks things like maps or the slightest semblance of planning are for squares...

Simply put, several members of the cast go on a camping trip, and disaster ensues. This plot is sometimes used even in situations where the characters do not live anywhere near the wilderness, nor seem the type who would even go on camping trips or have any experience doing so. In fact, you can guarantee that, out of a whole group, only one person will even think the trip is a good idea: Dad (if it's a family SitCom) or the guy who remembers doing it as a kid, which they always view through Rose-Colored Glasses. (The BrattyTeenageDaughter, on the other hand, will ''not'' be shy about acting like a CityMouse.) Another variant is the father (and it's nearly always the father) coming up with the whole thing as a way to have a ''cheap'' vacation, either because [[BrokeEpisode they can't afford better]] or because he can't be persuaded to unchain his wallet.[[note]]As anyone who's ever done this can tell you, a motel room and a pitch at a campsite are actually quite similar in price, and exceedingly cheap examples of either should be regarded with some caution.[[/note]] A father (especially a [[JockDadNerdSon macho one to a nerdy son]] might also take his son on one of these out of [[AwkwardFatherSonBondingActivity a desire for bonding]].

Simply put, several members of the cast go on a camping trip, and disaster ensues. This plot is sometimes used even in situations where the characters do not live anywhere near the wilderness, nor seem the type who would even go on camping trips or have any experience doing so. In fact, you can guarantee that, out of a whole group, only one person will even think the trip is a good idea: Dad (if it's a family SitCom) or the guy who remembers doing it as a kid, which they always view through Rose-Colored Glasses. (The BrattyTeenageDaughter, on the other hand, will ''not'' be shy about acting like a CityMouse.) Another variant is the father (and it's nearly always the father) coming up with the whole thing as a way to have a ''cheap'' vacation, either because [[BrokeEpisode they can't afford better]] or because he can't be persuaded to unchain his wallet.[[note]]As anyone who's ever done this can tell you, a motel room and a pitch at a campsite are actually quite similar in price, and exceedingly cheap examples of either should be regarded with some caution.[[/note]] A father might also take his son on one of these out of [[AwkwardFatherSonBondingActivity a desire for bonding]].

Simply put, several members of the cast go on a camping trip, and disaster ensues. This plot is sometimes used even in situations where the characters do not live anywhere near the wilderness, nor seem the type who would even go on camping trips or have any experience doing so. In fact, you can guarantee that, out of a whole group, only one person will even think the trip is a good idea: Dad (if it's a family SitCom) or the guy who remembers doing it as a kid, which they always view through Rose-Colored Glasses. (The BrattyTeenageDaughter, on the other hand, will ''not'' be shy about acting like a CityMouse.) Another variant is the father (and it's nearly always the father) coming up with the whole thing as a way to have a ''cheap'' vacation, either because [[BrokeEpisode they can't afford better]] or because he can't be persuaded to unchain his wallet.[[note]]As anyone who's ever done this can tell you, a motel room and a pitch at a campsite are actually quite similar in price, and exceedingly cheap examples of either should be regarded with some caution.[[/note]]

Typical disasters include being SnowedIn, dealing with [[RainRainGoAway never-ending rain]], struggling with a HardToLightFire, running out of food, suffering from CabinFever, or getting attacked by an incredibly fake-looking [[BearsAreBadNews bear]]. (Or Bigfoot. Or [[EverythingTryingToKillYou every animal]].) It would seem much safer to go to a resort lodge to avoid such things, but that will usually be shot down due to budget or because it's not "traditional" enough. It's much cheaper to use an old wood cabin set, or dark set obscured by bushes where the camera never moves away from a campfire. An even cheaper device is characters going ''ice fishing'', sometimes ''in'' said cabin.

* Any of [[BumblingDad Roger's]] family camping trips in ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot''. In fact, they were usually so bad, that the kids ([[UpToEleven and mother]]) notably cheered louder when they learned that after Roger got his job back, they won't go on the camping trip, and usually have to find some sort of excuse to get out of it, such as trying to cram the car with luggage (with some of them being filled with nothing but packaging peanuts) just so there wouldn't be enough room in the car to accomodate them, and taking Roger's attempts at encouraging via exact words and exploit them to delay the camping trip.

* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' renders a mandatory camping trip for Danny and Maddie when they are stranded in the forest. Maddie does fine, but Danny is a complete dunce at it. This hatred is taken with the ''actual'' camping trip episode where the only one visibly excited is Sam. Unfortunately the trip is a typical disaster when nearly all the students and faculties are kidnapped by ghosts. By end though, Danny realizes camping has its merits and enjoys it.

-->'''Lisa:''' ''[writing a letter back to Marge and Homer]'' Dear Mom and Dad, I no longer fear hell because I've been to Kamp Krusty. Our nature hikes have become grim death marches. Our arts-and-crafts center is, in actuality, a Dickensian workhouse. Bart makes it through the days relying on his unwavering belief that Krusty the Clown will come through, but I am far more pessimistic. I am not sure if this letter will reach you, as our lines of communication have been cut. Now, the effort of writing has made me lightheaded so I close by saying, save us, save us now! Bart and Lisa.\\