You have taken your family on many vacations. They have experienced the beauty and the humidity of the rain forests of Costa Rica, as well as the majestic mountains and inlets of Alaska. Why is it then when somebody asks your two teenage daughters about their favorite vacation they keep coming back to simple summer camping trips with their aunt, uncle and three older cousins?
It certainly wasn’t the allure of high tech camping gear that kept them accepting the invitations to spend a three day weekend each summer camping on a lake in Iowa. In fact, the first summer they went they slept on the ground in a tent in temperatures well into the 90s. Their aunt is a good cook and she provided a lot of delicious campfire meals, but it also had to be more than just the food to get your city girls to go three days with no real shower other than the lake water during the water skiing and tubing. When they retell the stories of those trips, your daughters talk about the excitement and thrill of being on the water, but they really get animated when they talk about the times just hanging around the campfire, playing cards and laughing until they cried. And maybe that’s the secret.
Camping is a chance to get away from regular chores, athletic practices and everyday city life. You can leave your cell phones and laptops back home and enjoy a more free and relaxed time enjoying the company of family and friends. Camping’s popularity is definitely increasing. In fact, 3 million more Americans went camping in 2012 than in 2010. The call of the wild seems to be catching even the most city-like folks.
Your adventure to the outdoors can include the latest climbing gear, camping supplies, and archery equipment, or it can include a few good books, some new hiking boots and good friends. It seems that the versatility of the camping world has something to offer everyone, and that might just what makes it so relaxing and popular. It should come as no surprise then that whether outdoor enthusiasts had the latest camping gear or not, 70% of all trips are taken with friends.
While many who go camping lead active lifestyles–84% of campers participate in multiple outdoor activities–the camping bug seems to even bite the less active crowd who enjoys quiet time for conversation, reading and relaxing. Whether your camping gear includes the latest backpacking gear or just a sturdy deck of cards and a cribbage board, camping is an activity that can rival the grandest and most exotic vacation plans.
