The Joy of Camping

It all starts with a tent.  That wad of fabric (you know, the one you can never get back in to that damn bag) that introduces you to everything the great outdoors has to offer.  Your first campfire, the first time you can truly see the Milky Way, discovering that food, when cooked and eaten outside, always tastes better.  The conversation and the silence, all more rich when done while…

Camping.

It’s one of life’s greatest pleasures.  Some of my fondest childhood memories are those spent in a tent or at camp.  Sometimes camp was in the backyard, I’ll never forget the Girl Scout retreat my mom hosted in our backyard complete with s’mores, scary stories and pancakes on the grill the next morning.  Other times camp has been on the top of a houseboat on Lake Powell or on the California Coast in my childhood tent trailer.

The definition of camping varies greatly from one person to the next.  Backpacking the Colorado Trail and sleeping in the back of your truck at a campground in Rocky Mountain National Park are two completely different experiences but if they have one thing in common, it’s that lifelong memories are made while living life in the Great Outdoors.

The best part is that whether you’re a hardcore, everything fits in my backpack and only weighs 2.2 ounces, or a creature of comfort that must pack up your entire house and then some before even thinking about venturing out, there is an option for you.  When searching for the best option for us, I was blown away by the many, many ways to create your perfect version of camping.

Let’s see…

There’s, of course, the classic tent.  From there, you’ve got truck toppers or camper shells, the very cool Flip Pac or flip open truck topper with pop up tent and roof top tents.  How about tent trailers or pop-up trailers, teardrop trailers, Adventure Trailers, toybox trailers, travel trailers and fifth wheels.  Wait there’s more.  You’ve got your Class A, Class B and Class C motorhomes.  You can also camp on boats or beneath the wing of your very own airplane.  Let’s not forget the coolest of the cool (I’m being subjective, I know) like the Sportsmobile, VW Westy and EarthRoamer.  And that’s just what I can remember off the top of my head.

Wait.  I think I forgot one.  The Truck Camper.

A method of camping that, one year ago, had never even been on my radar.  Now, I can’t imagine life with out it, it would be much less fun that’s for sure.

It really doesn’t matter where you do it or how you do it.  What does matter is that you get outside, breathe the fresh air, gaze at the stars, listen to the birds chirp and the wind blow, smell like a campfire for days on end and love every second of it.  It truly is one of life’s greatest pleasure and is sure to leave you with some of your fondest memories.