Gul Panag's son Nihal camps with a 1975 tent passed down three generations
Synopsis
A £5 tent bought by an Indian Army Captain backpacking through Europe in 1975 is now being used by his grandson Nihal — Gul Panag's son — on a family camping trip in 2024. Three generations, one canvas: Panag's viral post is a rare celebrity story about legacy, nature, and the things money truly cannot buy.
Key Takeaways
Gul Panag shared a family camping trip featuring a tent her father bought in 1975 for just £5 while backpacking through Europe.
The tent, weighing five pounds (2.3 kg) , has now been used across three generations of the family.
Her father — a young Army Captain at the time — undertook a six-month backpacking journey from Kabul through the Middle East, Iron Curtain Europe, and Western Europe to England .
The tent was gifted to Panag's son Nihal on his birthday; he has been camping with it ever since.
Panag described the experience as passing down not just a tent, but a love for nature through generations.
Actress Gul Panag has shared a heartwarming account of how her son, Nihal, is experiencing the joy of camping through a piece of living family history — a tent purchased by her father in 1975 for just £5 while backpacking through Europe. The post, shared on Saturday, offers a rare glimpse into a family tradition that has spanned more than half a century and three generations.
The Tent That Started It All
Gul Panag, widely known for her role in 'The Family Man', uploaded snippets from a recent family camping trip alongside a deeply personal note. 'Some things are worth holding on to. Some are worth taking out into the world. And some things are more precious than anything money can buy. Like uninterrupted time together as a family. My father bought this tent while backpacking through Europe in 1975. It cost him all of £5, weighed just five pounds (about 2.3 kg), and more than half a century later, it's still going strong,' she wrote.
Three Generations Under One Canvas
The actress noted that her brother was the next to use the tent when he first took up camping, before it was eventually gifted to Nihal on his birthday. 'There's something rather wonderful about a tent that has travelled through three generations of a family. From my father's backpacking adventures in the seventies, to my brother and me discovering the joys of camping, to a little boy now making his own memories under the same canvas,' she added. For Panag, the tent represents far more than outdoor gear — it is a tangible thread linking family members across decades.
Her Father's Epic Six-Month European Journey
Panag also recounted the extraordinary backstory behind the tent's purchase. Her father, then a young Army Captain, used accumulated leave and furlough to embark on what she described as the most epic journey undertaken by anyone she knows. He flew to Kabul, then hitchhiked and backpacked through the Middle East, including Tehran and Beirut, before crossing through Iron Curtain Europe and Western Europe, ultimately reaching England. The six-month adventure was funded entirely from savings he had accumulated during his first foreign tenure in Bhutan, where he served with IMTRAT (the Indian Military Training Team).
A Legacy of Love for Nature
Beyond the material object, Panag emphasised that what has truly been passed down through generations is a love for nature and the outdoors. The camping trip she shared with Nihal is, in her telling, the latest chapter in a family story that began on the roads of Europe more than 50 years ago. The post resonated widely, drawing attention to the quiet, enduring value of heirloom experiences over material possessions.
Point of View
Gul Panag's camping post stands out precisely because it does not perform aspiration — it performs continuity. The story of an Army Captain spending his Bhutan savings on a six-month hitchhike from Kabul to England is itself a remarkable historical snapshot of a pre-liberalisation India that is rarely surfaced. What makes this more than a lifestyle post is the implicit argument: that heirloom experiences — ones that cost nothing to pass on — carry more identity than anything a brand deal can manufacture. That is an unusually quiet message for celebrity social media.
NationPress
24 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the story behind Gul Panag's family camping tent?
Gul Panag's father purchased the tent in 1975 for £5 while backpacking through Europe as a young Indian Army Captain. The tent has since been used by three generations of the family — her father, then Panag and her brother, and now her son Nihal.
Who is Nihal, and how did he get the tent?
Nihal is Gul Panag's son. Her father gifted him the tent on his birthday, and he has been using it for camping ever since, continuing a family tradition that began more than 50 years ago.
What was Gul Panag's father's backpacking journey?
Panag's father, then a young Army Captain, undertook a six-month backpacking journey starting from Kabul, through Tehran and Beirut, across Iron Curtain Europe and Western Europe, finally reaching England. He funded the trip from savings accumulated during his foreign tenure in Bhutan with IMTRAT.
What did Gul Panag say about the significance of the tent?
Panag described the tent as a symbol of uninterrupted family time and a love for nature passed across generations. She wrote that it is 'more precious than anything money can buy,' noting it cost just £5 and still holds strong more than half a century later.
Why did Gul Panag's camping post attract attention?
The post resonated for its rare combination of personal history, generational continuity, and a deeply human message about the value of shared experiences over material wealth. The story of her father's extraordinary 1975 journey added historical depth that set it apart from typical celebrity posts.
