Is it really Camping?

[Mrs Evans]

Originally Posted by laurarice26

As long as I'm having fun, it just doesn't matter. I'm getting excited for our 2nd year with our camper.

X2

[Just_Bill]

As a young man I spent almost a year "camped out" ate ham & lima beans out of a green can, had my mail flown in and out, and met strange and interesting people (some of whom wanted to kill me). All paid for by my Uncle Sam. What a guy! I swore off of camping for a long time.

But these days.... hooking up my camper and going to where the fish are biting (or not)... yeah, I love this kind of camping! Happy Trails!!

[Sunnyfun]

When I was quite a bit younger and camped in tents and a small popup back in the 70's and 80's, I walked past a TT and said to my husband, that's not camping . Since 2003 and on our second class c motorhome, I can honestly say I am still camping, but, in a different comfortable way and I love it. Age changes things !

[Glindz233s]

My 2cents is that camping is what you want it to be. I like it all - Rving, backpacking, tent camping, hammockng or just sleeping on the floor in front of the fireplace "camping" with the kids. Just have fun. We got our hybrid because it seemed like a good compromise between tent camping and glamping. So far so good!

[Oaklevel]

Is it Grey or Gray, Colour or color, do we use tissues or Kleenex, Is it a Cougar, Mountain Lion, or a Puma, they are all the same animal but depending on where you live is what it is called. A Puma to us is our camper. So call it what you like but camping to us can be in a tent or an RV who cares what its called as long as we can get away & have some relaxation time.........

Just

[Batts-toy]

Sometimes we meet up with DW's brother, as he raises the top on his pop up, moves the slide out into position, sets up several bottles of spirits on his makeshift bar and all the while telling me DW and I aren't camping cause I had the 26' TT and now 35' MH. I am like others on this thread my camping is a coffee at the morning camp fire (by myself as DW sleeps in - love it!) long walks with the fir babies during the day, cooking on a small gas grill and another camp fire in the evening with snacks and oh yeh drinking a can of suds now and then. My parents weren't into camping so I did not experience it growing up so what I am doing certainly feels like camping to me.

[youroo]

Originally Posted by M&K Hoffman

I added this Coleman Lantern to my collection a few years ago. It belonged to my parents and I remember it well from "camping" during my childhood. The lantern dates from the late 50's and that is the original box which still has the label stating it came from The Sperry and Hutchinson Co. in Burlington, IA. (that is S&H Green Stamps for you youngsters!) I had to get a replacement fuel cap as the original one would not hold pressure, but it still works like new.

Nice Coleman,what about (Top Value and King Corn) also! Youroo!!

[Iwritecode]

When I was a kid I spent many years camping with my parents in a 20 ft travel trailer. With my own wife and kids we’ve done the entire progression from tent to pop-up to bigger pop-up to TT and now to a 42ft 5th wheel.


We spend our weekends in a CAMPER that is parked in a CAMPground. It’s camping. Don’t know what else you would call it.


That's like saying athletes don't play “real” baseball because they get paid millions of dollars to play in front of thousands of fans with the best equipment/training money can buy instead of playing in an empty field somewhere.

[WrongWayRandall]

A lot of interesting comments in this thread! Personally, I call what we do (stay in a camper in a campground) 'camping', but it's not really the same thing as what we do when we camp in a tent - the specifics of the experience are different, but I still consider them both to be 'camping'.

It's easy for me (and I'm only going to speak for me here) to read an implied derogatory sentiment into comments that camping in an RV is not really camping, so I can see where some people would be offended hearing that another person does not consider it camping if you sleep in a camper or RV. I tent camp, have for decades, and to be honest, that's what I consider true 'camping' - no electrical devices, no camp store, nothing that you didn't carry on your back to the place where you setup camp, etc. A mostly primitive experience. But there are a lot of shades in there - is it still camping if you use a stove? How about a lighter instead of making a bow and friction fire? Does a firestick count or not? How about that knife you use for bushcraft, or that fancy plastic tent, do those disqualify you as a camper? You can draw the line in a lot of places...

I feel that our campers, which have electrical and water hookups, HVAC, etc. qualify as camping because for me, a large part of the concept of 'camping' has to do with the experience rather than the equipment. Camping is about location, cooking and eating outdoors (we tend to only cook indoors when it's raining), hiking, bicycling, canoeing, or otherwise doing things in a non-urban setting, not what my tent is made of (metal, foam, and wood in this case.)

So for me, if I were staying in a giant camping-lot where my neighbors were less than 10 feet away, never left my air conditioned RV, and sat in front of the TV all day I admit that I would no longer consider that camping, but again, that's just me. The bottom line as I see it is this - if you are doing what you like then more power to you. Draw the line where you want to draw it and if someone else doesn't like where you drew the line, what does that really matter? If it's camping in your mind then you are camping.

- R

[caper]

If you are in a RV it is not considered camping because of all the luxuries. I have seen groups of people at the campground in tents. They bring a large dining shelter, fridge, ice maker, electric coffee maker, electric fry pans, TV with sat. dish. How is this any different then a person in a hard walled unit. Plus I have seen some bring the "bring your own bed" blow up mattress on a frame. They came into the CG pulling a covered utility trailer in order to hold all their equipment.

[OldCoot]

Amazes me as to why anyone would want to come up with a goofy name for it!

[SKnight]

Originally Posted by caper

If you are in a RV it is not considered camping because of all the luxuries. I have seen groups of people at the campground in tents. They bring a large dining shelter, fridge, ice maker, electric coffee maker, electric fry pans, TV with sat. dish. How is this any different then a person in a hard walled unit. Plus I have seen some bring the "bring your own bed" blow up mattress on a frame. They came into the CG pulling a covered utility trailer in order to hold all their equipment.

This does bring up a point. This summer I was at my local state park and one of what I refer to as a tarp cities popped up, two tents, several tarps set up in such a way that I don't think a single square inch of the site was clear to the sky. Full kitchen, a portable outhouse even though the restroom/bathhouse was 150' away.

But what really got me, each tent had it's own air conditioning, the units on table legs and ducted in. It was amazing how much they hauled in, once spread out it covered a much bigger footprint than my 38' 5er and my truck combined. To each their own, but that was an awful lot of work they put into setting it up.

[DreiHunde]

Camping is a state of mind. Y'all do what you want but I'm goin campin!

[chuckw5kav]

Like many of the OP's here I started out in Cub and then Boy Scouts,
we camped in tents and canvas shelters with wood frames at a
boy scout camp outside of Toledo Ohio. Also in some fields around
there for jamborees every so often. My parents were not into camping
even thought my dad spent some cold nights with our troop and
froze his backside I'm sure.

However my aunt and uncle were regular tent campers and I was
able to join them along with their two boys many times over the
years as a young man. I still remember the camper box they had
that held their cook stove, food, pans, dishes and silverware alone
Coleman lantern, so cool.

Then there was that 3 years of camping in the 60's that Uncle
Sam let me enjoy in Europe and other parts of the world.

later after after I left the Army, my other aunt and uncle
got myself and wife back into tent camping, I enjoyed it
but my wife then didn't so much, so as withe her it ended
after a few years. However fast forward a few years I got
into snowmobiles, bought a bed over for my pickup and
spent great winter nights in and around Travers City
Michigan

So started out in Tents, moved to camper caps, the slide
in campers, TT, Class C's and now 5th wheels. DW loves
our 5th wheel and so do I, along with a nice cup of
coffee while sitting out at the picnic table in the morning
hearing the bird singing, bacon frying and the great
smell's all around me

[RSchleder]

We have a 33' Wildcat MAXX after experiencing 3 class A motorhomes over the past 20 years. We also have a 13' Scamp we bought new in 2007. My wife says we are CAMPING in the Scamp, and RV'ing in the Wildcat. Hard to argue with that!!!!

[B and B]

Originally Posted by youroo

Nice Coleman,what about (Top Value and King Corn) also! Youroo!!

I have a coleman propane stove bought with Top Value. It is a weird model with no replacement hose available/ There is enough bacon grease on the hose that it seems preserved quite well!

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by HSVBamaBob

Camping in perspective...

That was then....this is NOW.

I'll take now over then anyday!!

I like the above picture, that's when I said I will not sleep on the ground again or poop in a whole........PS: and I haven't since 1968

[Pipeman]

I got this in an email this morning, from the1950s, "Cooking outside was called camping".

[tenttotrailer]

Interesting to read the passion just on the term "Camping", imagine if brought up religion and politics? Good we live in countries where we can go "Camping" and not have "Papers" to do it, other than signing the registration slip at the CG office.

Long live the campfire and burnt marshmellows!

Kevin

[glen1971]

After reading all the posts on this one, I think everyone has one main goal with their version of camping - to enjoy it! No matter what your style of camping is, make sure that you take the time and enjoy the scenery and don't take it for granted.. Also make sure that your activities don't hinder the enjoyment of others around you...

One other thing I read in several posts was the poster's reflection on where they started camping with their parents or when they were young.. The only thing I'd have to say, is make sure that we aren't taking those experiences away from kids... So that they have stories of their own to share with their kids.. If they want to stay in a tent instead of the TT or motorhome, bring it along and encourage it.. If they want to try and start the fire, show them and let them try... If it isn't warm enough to toast a marshmellow, let them work at it to make it bigger.. How will they learn without trying it first? Let them explore.. Explore and share the experiences with them to the best of your ability..

As a friend of mine told me one day:
Your kids are only young once and you have to make the most of it... It won't be long and they'll want to do their own things.. If we, as parents, don't encourage camping and enjoying the outdoors, how will they know about it as young adults?