Is it Camping or "Camping"?
This is directed to all of you (not just you Mike) that think that going to a campground is not real "camping". I've got a message for you, WHO CARES WHAT "REAL" CAMPING IS! Is roughing it untouched wilderness fun? Can be. Is "camping" in a motorhome, cooking over a propane grill, watching satellite TV while a portable dishwasher is cleaning your dishes in a Army Corp of Engineers campground also fun? can be. The point is, "camping" can be anything from sleeping in a tent in your back yard, or staying at the Cedron Creek Park at Lake Whitney or go hiking through the wilderness and set-up camp using only the things you carried on your back. The point is, camping (no matter what your definition of camping is) should be fun and should be done with family and friends. When we go camping this weekend, my kids won't care if they stay in the motorhome or if they stay in a tent. All they remember is that we spent time
together as a family and had lots of fun. And isn't fun what Camping or even "Camping" is all about anyway?
posted by NLPRacing at 12:35 PM
7 Comments:
Could not agree more with you!
Even thou I'm rarely use anything else than a tent or nothing at all when i sleep outdoors.
Camping is what you enjoy, and that can't be defined by anyone else.
A Norwegian ramler, looking forward to some clare blue winter nights under the polar sky. -20 (Celsius) and a big fire burning...
I agree! Camping is Camping! As long as we have fun and enjoy ourselves with our family/friends. That's all that matters.
Whenever I tell people that do what they consider "real" camping that I'm going camping, they always tell me that what I'm doing isn't "real" camping. I'm a little tired of hearing it, so I thought I would throw this out there. I've done plenty of rough'n it "real" camping and I've done the "that's not real camping" camping plenty also and I always have fun either way. Remember, camp is defined as "A place where tents, huts, or other temporary shelters are set up, as by soldiers, nomads, or travelers."
I used to like the roughing it camping, but after having the motor homes, I like that better. Besides most of the time when we go camping with the motor homes we spend most of our time outside, usually we only go inside to go to the bathroom and to sleep.
Besides, I think that everyone should just do things the way they want to, that way everyone is happy! Like I always try to keep in mind, to each their own!
For sure you have to make camping what you want it to be. I am one of those "campers" that cares more about what you’re doing the rest of the time vs the act of camping. For example- camping off the Brazos after canoeing all day is AMAZING too me. The preparation is minimal, the cost is affordable and the sights are breathtaking. I like that there are no distractions and you HAVE to keep it simple. I like my down time to be down time (IE: I want to be lazy on housekeeping issues).
My siblings like to camp differently and that’s fine. We try to attend most campouts but I have to say while I LOVE hangin' with my family and friends, I'd rather do it indoors where the climate is controlled and the bed is down the hall (or a quick drive away).
While camping is what you want it to be and I don't judge anyone for how they do it (or even if they don't) it is a good idea for all the campers involved to have similar perspectives.
What I mean is that I'd rather bring a couple cans of soup, a pan, a bowl and call it. But my family likes to cook it up. That's great but that means more time goes into the preparation, more money is spent, and then you have a bigger clean-up. These are trade-offs they don’t mind- I do (the whole wantin' to be lazy on the housekeepin' thing). Even though it isn’t a big deal to me, I'm fine eating simple, my kids see it a different way… they want what everyone else has. So we're forced to camp in a different way than what we like because we don't want our kids mooching and everyone feeling like we're not carrying our own weight.
Then you have the tent vs. trailer/RV situation (while we’re talking about different types of camping). We don't mind doing the tent thing and it isn't a big deal pitchin' it next to a trailer/RV- but our kids... they just see it as us always having less. It also creates problems outside of sleeping because you don't want your kids messing up someone elses' huge expense and LOVE. Trying to keep them out is impossible and staying in there with them the whole time isn't fun either so it just makes you feel like you can’t win for losing.
NLP, I wouldn't feel defensive- mostly people would LOVE to have an RV and rough it with all those conveniences. If you feel like they're putting you down for it- you're probably misunderstanding where they're coming from (that or they're jerks). The only problems with us is the balance of trying to bring all kinds of campers together.
The balance is difficult BUT so worth it- nothing is more important than family and friends (well besides God) and while we all see things differently, we find a way to compromise.
I love you and your LOVELY RV and your way of doing things. Mostly I just like it when we get to do things together (whether it is camping, signing our kids up for sports together, or attending a kid's b-day party). We're very blessed.
Cap - Like I said in the blog, it wasn't just you, I hear from a lot of people & I was tired of hearing about it and tired of defending myself. Like I've said before, I love ALL forms of camping, from the keep it simple (no running water, no electricity, sleeping bag under the stars, cooking stuff over an open flame) type to the all out RV style (with all the comforts of home and then some) type of camping and everything in between. My favorite type of camping is when all my family and friends can go and we all hang around the campfire, having a few beers, burning stuff that we shouldn't and all that. Plus I love cooking outdoors and I love cooking lots of good food for everybody. I also like it when I cook something & everybody likes it (like those ribs & corn, they were good). I don't mind getting sh!t from people about certain things (like the Vikings, etc), but for some reason, this camping thing brings out some nastiness from people. Some people think that when you go camping and you don't make a sundial to tell time and rub two sticks together to start a fire that you're not "camping" and that you have no right in the world to call it "camping". Like they're the camping Nazi or something. Maybe I should call it "taking my RV to a federal owned park that provides concrete pad sites to park on with electric & water hookups to allow me to cook, fish and have lots fun", but calling it "camping" just seems to make more sense...
Cap - Oh yeah, and it IS wrong to be a Cowboys fan :)
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