What is Your Definition of Camping ?

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by karenjude

To me camping is not what you're in, but what you do. Being out in nature and listening to the sounds of the water, birds etc. Appreciating the view, trees, wildlife etc. You can do this in a tent, Airstream or Prevost.

Many of us have our homes at the lake, seashore, woods or in the mountains. Does that mean we're camping all the time?

If we stay at the lodge in a National Park are we camping?

Camping certainly is different things to different people, and there's nothing wrong with that.

[urnmor]

Have you seen some of the new tents with AC etc.. Also many who say they tent camp are actually car camping which in my opinion is significantly different then backpacking a tent to a site. With car camping you can bring everything that an AS has to include the kitchen sink

[John&Vicki]

Doug...

There are real differences between staying in a country home and a National Park lodge as opposed to dry camping in an Airstream in a forest:

In a dwelling you don't have to carefully manage finite resources such as food, water, electricity, waste storage, electricity and propane.

In a dwelling you most likely won't be cooking your meals on a campfire.

In a dwelling you might opt for heat and to sleep in warmer conditions. My wife and I have had the trailler down to the 30's at night.

In the trailer you probably won't watch TV, at least not in mine.

In the trailer you're more profoundly affected by the weather.

In the trailer you aren't as isolated from the environment. This one to me is the biggy. Anytime you reduce the layers of insulation between you and the environment you are coming closer to camping.

Modern technology enables us, in fact encases us, in a bubble that separates us from the natural world. Most RV'ing diminishes the isolation a bit and puts us a little more in touch with it.

Poppy

[63air]

Anywhere I park and sleep ; be it in my truck ,van, tent ,Airstream, and even with a sheet of plastic and a sleeping bag under a picnic table at a rest stop ( my younger years). As long as I'm on the road I'm happy.

[MrUKToad]

Great discussion!

In my younger days I backpacked, carried my tent and food and set up with no facilities at all, and to my mind that was camping.

I was a Scout Leader for a while and we took tents in the back of a truck and had some facilities, and that too was camping.

A few years back, as a family, we piled our huge, modern tent into a car and stayed at a Provincial Park. We were on air mattresses, had a big gas grill and plenty of room. It was still camping but not in the same way that backpacking was.

Now we have the Airstream. Heating, electric lights, hot water, A/C, beds, TV, DVD and the rest. I don't consider this camping, compared to my earlier experiences at least. The thing is that everyone calls it camping and that's kind of stuck; a guy once called my shiny new Airstream a "Camper" and I was mortified, but now I call it a camper, too.

Back in the UK there is a distinction between being in a tent and being in an RV; one is camping and the other is "Caravaning", because a towed RV is known as a Caravan there. It isn't going to work on this side of the pond, though, because "Caravaning" is something else (and it took me a while to figure it out!).

Camping, glamping or RVing, it's all getting out and doing something different; they're all good positive pursuits and the name isn't important, really.

[FCloud9]

Riveted Camping & "camping in general" without a doubt has evolved over time. For each individual "camping" brings to mind different experiences. One of the reasons we finally decided to "camp" again after many decades since our simple pup tent days was due to the wonderful adventures of days past. Understanding what you most enjoy about seeking new adventures & destinations which enrich memories to shape experience of it. Adventures in our Airstream with "riveted camping", we know we will gain significant experience that would not otherwise have....not just pictures stored.

“Only by going alone in silence, without baggage, can one truly get into the heart of the wilderness. All other travel is mere dust and hotels and baggage and chatter.” –John Muir 1888







As newbies...we hope to enjoy many years exploring many alternatives

[Hittenstiehl]

Poppy
You are getting some great responses and definitions of what different folks consider camping. We can identify with much of it but the common response we like is you are out there doing it, enjoying it, making memories and living life to your fullest.

We started in tent camping families, then to boy and girl scouting, then to backpacking, then came Army camping, back to backpacking, car camping, pop up camper, and now to the Taj Mahal !!!!!!!!

2 Airstreams that are both partially done, don't plug in yet. We cook inside or outside on our camp stoves or fires, have the shovel if we need it and sleep up off the ground, except for the few occasions when you can only get there on foot and then I let a mule carry my pack for 12 miles due to a aging back.

All were good, all were so much fun, (okay maybe a couple of the Army campouts were not do much fun) and we plan to keep plugging away and make memories whatever you want to call it.

Categorize us as Rv'ers, Campers, Streamers, Glampers etc we don't care we just keep doing it.

[Airrogant]

camping

1. the activity spending a vacation living in a camp, tent, or camper.

[Goal15]

Camping is a state of mind!


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[Air Dog]

This is my idea of camping but we tend to mix it up from primitive to rejected because it older than 2004.


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[wolf146]

"I was reading a review of a commercial RV park the other day and the reviewer complained that the sites were so narrow that they couldn't open their sliders. She signed of by saying, "We camped in a Prevost motor home."


I looked up the definition of camping. According to the definition you are a camper if you partake in outdoor activities. It doesn't make any difference if you are living in a tent or motorhome or trailer while pursuing these outdoor activities.

I guess sitting around the campfire while drinking beer would count as "outdoor activity"!!!!!!! Wolf146

[gdod25]

Overnite back packing in the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness in Montana where I live though at 61 my definition will change when my Globetrotter is finished. (-:

[SteveSueMac]

Since my trailer is also known as a "camper", to me it's any time I can get out with it and enjoy some time with my family outdoors. I've been at sites with no hookups, full hookups, plenty of space, barely enough space to open my awning without touching my neighbor's camper. It's all good to me.

Someday, when I retire, I dream of traveling rte 66 without a schedule. The entire trip will be one long camping trip at hundreds of sites. Can't wait!

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

Since my trailer is also known as a "camper", to me it's any time I can get out with it and enjoy some time with my family outdoors. I've been at sites with no hookups, full hookups, plenty of space, barely enough space to open my awning without touching my neighbor's camper. It's all good to me.

Someday, when I retire, I dream of traveling rte 66 without a schedule. The entire trip will be one long camping trip at hundreds of sites. Can't wait!

I do too! BUT, Last weekend I was on an original section of narrow concrete Rt 66 in Illinois, sans AS, and all I could think of was how this would shake the rivets right out of the sucker!

[boomerBear]

When I am out for a weekend to get away from it all, at a park I call it camping. When we are travelling I call it towing my hotel suite to the next destination.

[TBRich]

It's all camping for us, but there are different "modes"... I'd say 60% of our camping is dry camping (no hookups), 35% is with hookups of one kind or another in public parks or campgrounds, and 5% is in commercial RV parks (usually for stop-over or for a night to refresh and dump tanks ... not as a destination).

[Cannonball]

I have loved this thread. What a great discussion. We are going "camping" (glamping, parking, whatever) in tow weeks with my brother-in-law and his wife. Went to the website for the place to make a reservation. They have three pools, and there is a bar on site with live music. Hmmmmmmm.

[featherbedder]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

I do too! BUT, Last weekend I was on an original section of narrow concrete Rt 66 in Illinois, sans AS, and all I could think of was how this would shake the rivets right out of the sucker!

I watched Rte. 66 being built. I drove rte. 66 many miles before 4 lane rds. & interstates as there were none. I drove from Ft. lenord Wood mo. every week end to Streator Il. for 14 Mos. plus many other places. We camped on ground then tent rain or shine now my so called camping is in AS with no hook ups always cook out side over wood fire unless raining then use small grill & eat out side put awning out for shade & protection from rain. Sleep in bed or chair by fire, back will not take abuse anymore. We will use Illini state park at Marseilles Il. take boat to fish Wife loves river as she grew up in Hannibal Mo. boondock at farm no house only fields & timber to play in. Rv parks are not for me even when traveling, look for state parks or fed. parks etc. Use camp ground Chgo. land speedway for nascar no hook ups.

[PharmGeek]

words are defined by how they are used in practice....this is (as I understand) a process that involves linguists researching through publications of various sorts, books, articles, magazines, publications of other sorts and listing down citations for each distinct usage.

I have a few buddies that are versed in such matters....often more full definitions of words can be found to include usages otherwise not often recognized.

But if it makes the "definition"....it is by that fact part of the "definition"....our sense as individuals as to what does or does not constitute "camping" is more limited to our own passing exposure to the usage of that given term.

Anyway, blah blah blah....but it seems per oxford dictionary, that the definition of "camping" is as follows:

"The activity spending a vacation living in a camp, tent, or camper"

If you were to dig through many of the citations (I do not have such references, libraries I suspect would have such things in them), most references to "camping" will be in the context of more "primative" living quarters such as sleeping on the ground in a sleeping bag or in a tent.

But clearly, among RV owners, the term "camping" is used quite often. As such (and as circular as they may be) it is part of the definition of "camping".

Of course...the title of this thread is what is "your" definition of "camping"...so perhaps all that is irrelevant...

For me, the term "camping" when I talk about my upcoming trips with my family in my airstream is too confusing and I avoid it.

While sleeping in an airstream is by definition "camping"....it is quite different than other more primative forms of "camping" as discussed in this thread and as such some feel it should not be called "camping" and wish to silent the usage of it in this context.

I tend to agree with this sentiment as it is just too darn confusing otherwise in passing discussion with strangers, colleagues, friends, and family....most of whom are unfamiliar with the less common usage of the term "camping" which includes in the definition usages that pertain to sleeping in a travel trailer.

Now I am not sure how oxford defines "camper" in their definition and if that precludes a prevost motorhome...ill look into it.

Enter the term "glamping" as an attempt to create a meaningful distinction to reduce this confusion....but it barely does...and it is still by definition (it is in the oxford dict) a subset of "camping".

All of these things are a battle...a brawl....word usage....who will win? tune in in 50 more years and we will find out

[m.hony]

If you are in a wooded are by a lake, can build a fire, cook out, and go fishing- that is camping-


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