Men will be men!

Men may be increasingly domesticated in the modern home but it seems that when they hit the great outdoors, they revert back to their caveman ways.

According to a new survey, when it comes to the campsite, men and women assume roles that would not be out of place in the film ‘Carry On Camping’.

Men insist on pitching the tent, but then expect women to do all the tidying up and cooking.

GO Outdoors, the UK’s largest retailer of outdoor clothing and equipment, released the findings from a poll as it published its camping tips for the holiday season.

The poll showed that men were far more likely to pitch the tent (70%) than women but it was left to the women to turn them into a home – 80 per cent arranging and tidying the inside and 65 per cent doing the cooking.

One female respondent said that her husband insisted on pitching the tent in the same ‘caveman way’ he wanted to chop wood and hog the barbecue.

"You may be able to get away from it all but it seems you can't get away from traditional gender roles," said Ian Mackintosh, spokesman for GO Outdoors

"The important thing is that modern tents are so easy to put up that anyone can pitch them and then make them into a comfortable home from home."

The poll of 2,000 people found that camping remains as popular as ever with more than three quarters of the population still regularly opting for a holiday under the canvas at least once a year.

Fresh air, a love of the wilderness and living close to nature were cited as the main reasons for its popularity.

Getting away from modern technology and the hustle and bustle was also a strong reason for going camping.

The poll also found that more than a quarter of men aged between 45 and 54 (27%) preferred to head off camping with their dog as their sole companion, opting to leave the children, friends and extended family at home.

The poll also saw the rise of the ‘shabby chic’ holiday with many preferring a mixed holiday of camping followed by luxury hotel rather than a week in an average B&B or hotel.

Survey source – 72Point | OnePoll | SWNS. Number of people in the poll is 2000.