When most people think of camping nowadays, they think of a car pulling up to a campsite with all the necessary gear they can just unpack. What they don’t know is, there are other ways to have your craving for the outdoors met.
Ways to spend time in the wild vary almost as widely as the gear required for the activity. Take your pick from any of the following forms. They’re presented from least to most glamourous.
Survivalist camping
Think Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, The Book of Eli, and just about any other post-apocalyptic movie you’ve seen. This is as extreme as it gets. Survivalists go into the wild with the bare minimum and forage off the land for their food and water. They use the simplest tools to construct a shelter or use the environment (think trees and caves) to keep out the elements. Many of them believe it is a challenge to pit their wits against Nature. Clearly, this is not for any but the most intrepid campers who have years of experience with survivalist techniques.
Backpacking
One step up from the survivalist is the backpacker. As the name suggests, these campers take on the great outdoors with all they need in or attached to their backpack. Whereas tent camping (more on this later) trip is for a defined, short period of time, usually a weekend, backpackers can spend months at a time meandering across an area, getting to know the people and the sites there, while they spend their nights out in the open. Understandably, the gear they carry is usually collapsible, flexible, and lightweight.
Tent camping
This is the form of camping that most people think about when you tell them you’re going camping. Tent campers strike a middle ground between the ultra-posh “glampers” and no-frills backpackers and survivalists. There are two types of tent camping, campsite and dispersed.
Tent campers who use a campsite or ground, pay rent to access the facility. This facility may be equipped with basics like electricity, wifi, toilets, and showers. They pitch their tents a short distance away from others they are sharing the grounds with. During the day, they may hike around the surrounding area and return to the ground.
In dispersed tent camping, there isn’t such a facility. In this instance, campers pick a spot in the wild and set up. Usually, this is far from the hallmarks of civilization and generally for that class of camper that wants to get away from it all.
RV camping
RV stands for a recreational vehicle. Modern versions of these come fully loaded with a kitchen, dining, sleeping, and living areas, bathrooms with hot and cold water as well as air conditioning. Clearly, RVers are people who enjoy camping in style. As if they didn’t come with enough features, you can purchase additional RV supplies like kitchen and bathroom accessories. Hard as is to believe, RV campers are not the most glamourous campers out here.
Canoe camping
Canoe camping enthusiasts take the show to the water. Instead of camping on or hiking overland, these outdoor enthusiasts prefer to travel along the great rivers and lakes, enjoying the sites and setting up camp on their canoes, and spending the night on the water.
Glampers
Glamper is a portmanteau or a combination of the words “glamourous” and “camper”. The glamper has never heard of the term roughing it. Outdoor purists generally scoff at glampers, who like to have all the comforts of home, with some luxuries added. A simple tent and sleeping bag would never do for a glamper. Glampers aren’t interested in testing their wiles against the outdoors. They prefer to watch it from the comfort of their air-conditioned tent drinking coffee from their coffee maker.
Themed camps
This is a pleasant variation on the camping theme. A themed camp allows you to combine your favorite activities with camping. For example, if you’re a history buff, you can go on a themed camp to explore an area of historical interest.
For a defined period of time, you can live like the people whose lives you are exploring. If you’re on a tour reliving the life of a 1st-century Roman soldier, you get to experience all the things he would have done, including sleeping under the stars while he was marching to conquer Gaul.
Whatever your preference, there is a camping style that is likely to appeal to you. Only by experimenting are you going to find the type that appeals to you most.