Camping, as a Recreational Activity, Is Considered

Camping, as a recreational activity, is considered to be a tremendously rewarding experience primarily because it allows people to commune with nature (Millers). While Miller's observation, no doubt, has a great deal of validity, the fact is that camping also results in a host of other benefits such as the development of planning ability, survival skills, endurance, self-sufficiency, responsibility, and a chance to prove one's mettle (Shivers & Shivers, p. 286-7). Thus, it can be said that camping provides educational, social, and recreational experiences that are vital to the growth and development of the human personality (Shivers & Shivers, p. 2).

Of course, the degree to which a camping experience results in developing an individual's knowledge of nature or the skills described earlier depends on the type of camp or camping activity. For instance, some camps are so well organized that they offer virtually all the conveniences of modern living. In fact, such camps often resemble a huge playground (Mason & Mitchell, p. 392-393). At the other end of the spectrum, some campers choose to go totally rustic and simply live off the land, which means that they are traveling without any supplies and making do with whatever they can find or devise. Campers can also pack-in or backpack their way across a pre-planned terrain (Shivers & Shivers, p. 1).

Irrespective of the type of camping activity, however, camping is defined as living in or as close to nature as possible (Shivers & Shivers, p. 1). Indeed, this is precisely why camping is often described as a way of communing with nature. Interestingly, campers report varying benefits from living in the wilderness. Nature lovers, for example, are said to literally go into raptures as they describe a night spent along the banks of the roaring Linville River or the pleasures of hiking under the light of a full moon (Millers). Some city dwellers, on the other hand, describe camping as a welcome escape from the daily grind, noise, and pollution of the city (Mason & Mitchell, p. 395). Then, of course, there are those who perceive educational value in camping in as much as it teaches them to appreciate, use, and preserve natural resources (Shivers & Shivers, p. 2). Thus, the camping or rather the nature experience can result in multiple benefits, with a great deal depending on the eye of the beholder.

However, the camping experience can well turn out to be a nightmare if it is undertaken without a great deal of thought, planning, and preparation. This is particularly true of solo or independent camping trips. For, as Koch & Koch point out, the outdoors can prove to be tough on the uninitiated. On the other hand, the same great outdoors can offer the camper a rare sense of accomplishment derived from the knowledge that one's organizational, survival, and endurance skills have been tested and proven (Millers).

A camper's organizational and survival skills are particularly put to the test while on the trail or during nights that are spent away from the comforts of a main camp. Experienced campers advise that sound planning, adequate preparation, and even dry runs to acquire basic camping skills should precede such trips. A key part of such pre-planning involves the choice of equipment, which must be done with the objective of achieving a compact but fully equipped rig. Indeed, it is critical that a camper has comfortable clothing, sleeping gear, foul-weather protection, and other basic tools. At the same time, packs must be kept as light as possible while still providing whatever supplies are necessary for comfort and protection while living outside (Shivers & Shivers, p. 286; Koch & Koch).

Fortunately, campers today have a wide range of equipment to choose from, which is designed to make camping a comfortable and enjoyable experience. Such equipment includes a range of leakproof tents; lightweight stoves that run on a variety of fuels; no-stick cookware; strong but light, and ergonomically designed backpacks; insulated sleeping bags; and specially prepared freeze dried and instant food for campers (Millers; Shivers & Shivers, p. 287-288).

Besides the right equipment, preparation for a camping trip also includes learning basic first-aid skills and the art of well-mapped hiking and camping expeditions. For, such planning is essential in the interests of both safety and comfort. In addition, meticulous planning ensures that sufficient time is made available for pleasures such as bird watching, nature studies, or simply watching scenery that is untouched by human civilization (Koch & Koch).

Of course, joining a camp that is run by professionals can shift much of the planning responsibility onto the shoulders of camp managers or counselors, while still deriving all the enjoyment and benefits of camping. In fact, according to Mason & Mitchell (p. 397), private camps, especially those that are run for eight weeks, have the opportunity to pursue carefully designed objectives within an overall program of recreational, educational, and personality molding activities and guidance. Such objectives can include fostering an appreciation for nature-oriented activities. Indeed, if the camp's organizers are thorough professionals, it is likely that campers will come to understand their ecological role in nature and thereby develop a sense of environmental responsibility (Shivers & Shivers, p. 2).

In fact, the significance of educating campers to appreciate and use natural resources wisely cannot be emphasized enough in the light of issues such as global warming and the importance of maintaining nature's delicate ecological balance. In any case, campers need to learn to respect the very environment that gives them so much pleasure, especially since the recreational activity of camping now attracts more than 120 million people each year (Shivers & Shivers, p. 2).