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The Appeal of Camping
By Peter Simmons
I think the appeal of camping must be something to do with getting away from the complexity and reliance on buildings and high-tech equipment to a simpler life, an escape from civilisation, and with a touch of self-reliance. Having camped for many years, first in an old tent, then in a VW camper, and then graduating to larger camper vans or mobile homes as they are referred to. Finally we have now come full circle and returned to a tent, although we have a few luxuries to make life beareable and not quite so much like a refugee. We have an Outwell tent, an American make which is thought by most campers to be the very best there is. This has an integral groundsheet, three bedroom, a carpet for the central lounge area, and a porch under which you can cook if the weather turns nasty. We also have a camping kitchen, with two work surfaces with cupboards attached beneath on either side of a central cooker table with wind shields. There's also the table and benches set which folds into a flatpack with handle for easy stowing, so we are comfortable for meals; there's nothing worse than having to sit on the ground to eat, plate balanced precariously on knees and within reach of dogs, your legs seize up along with your back after a while, and your bum goes to sleep. We also have wind breaks which not only stops the wind from chilling you down, but also provides privacy, you really feel like you're in your own little space. There are the usual things like a water carrier, kitchen implements and saucepans, lanterns for when it gets dark which can be battery powered, rechargeable battery powered or wind up. These are getting quite sophisticated and are now using LEDs which give a bright white light for barely any power used. Most campsites in the UK have hot water and showers in the toilet block, and often will have tumble dryers for washing, and recharging points for electrical things like phones. This year we have a plot booked which has electricity, so will be taking the microwave for quick efficient meals without juggling two saucepans on a gas burner too often. The toaster might be a good idea too as toast is notoriously difficult to make on anything else. Having tried doing it on an open fire, I can attest to it tasting more of smoke than toast. So, far from escaping civilisation we take a bit of it with us, but the illusion is still there, you are out in the open air, and your home is a temporary structure. We could, of course, take a PC as well, but part of a holiday is getting away from email, so we won't be doing that. Camping's advantage isn't just in terms of cost of a holiday, it provides much more than that. You can up and move if you don't like the site or grow bored with the area. You can move to anywhere you wish and even pitch camp on common land if there's no sites available, although this can be liable to being asked to leave at some point if discovered. We have camped in forests in Wales, at the top of hills, beside mountain streams and other wild places, always being careful not to damage anything and to leave the area as we found it. Never a piece of litter left, never any burned fire circles, no clue that anyone was there. Mostly, all other things taken for granted, camping is about freedom; freedom to roam where you wish, freedom to eat when and how you like, freedom to change your mind and try somewhere else. And few hotels accept dogs, and a holiday wouldn't be a holiday without our dogs. |
http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/
| http://camping.uk-directory.com/
| http://stores.ebay.co.uk/CAMPING-ONLINE-LTD
| http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/
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