The days are long and golden, the berries are ripening and the Road beckons. Summer time is family time, outdoors time and camping time. There’s so much to do, and so much time, since the days are so long. With tent and rv camping and options for cabin rentals, there are a variety of accommodations available to suit everybody. It’s time to pack your rucksack, grab a sturdy pair of hiking boots, pack some food and hit the road with your family and friends.
Summer is the time to reconnect to nature
There’s something about the outdoors that is so appealing to all of us: the fresh air, abundant sunshine, wildlife, mysterious trails that just call out to be followed, streams and lakes that just invite you to cool off. And summer is the time when you really can do it all: swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, berry picking, and so much more.
Camping is a great way to reconnect with nature and to remember what the really important things are: sunshine, fresh air, simple and healthy food, peaceful nights under a sky full of stars. That’s the reason why camping is such a popular summer pastime, and why so many millions of people go camping each year. As of 2013, 40.1 million people chose to go camping, according to the 2014 American Camper Report. That’s about 14% of the total population over the age of six years.
Tents, rvs and cabins: which do you prefer?
Campgrounds offer a variety of accommodations, from basic tent camping sites to rvs and cabin rentals, so you can pick the option that works best for you. Cabin rentals are usually a good choice for families with young kids, since they come with basic kitchens and bathrooms.
Tents are the camping classic, and bring you very close to nature. Really, really close, with just a thin sheet of plastic between you and the woods and their inhabitants. That means close to the bugs, raccoons, skunks, bears and foxes whose world you have temporarily invaded. Be prepared to use their space respectfully. And store the food securely! Bears and raccoons are great scroungers and will even get into cars in pursuit of food.
Gear: planning ahead helps
When camping, it helps immensely to plan ahead and make sure that you have the right gear. There’s nothing worse than remembering to bring the baked beans but forgetting the can opener. Anyone who’s read Jerome K. Jerome?s classic book about his boating adventures ?Three Men on a Boat (to say nothing of the Dog)? will always remember the heroic struggle with the tin of pineapples. Without a can opener, of course, the outcome was inevitable, and the three men, to say nothing of the dog, had to do without their dessert.
American campers seem to have taken such cautions to heart, and spent over $1.5 billion on camping equipment in 2014. A large proportion of this amount was spent on backpacks and sleeping bags. We hope they remembered the can openers and the flashlights. And the insect repellent and sunscreen.
We wish camping holidays could last for ever, but they don’t. The average camping holiday lasts just over two weeks, at 14.9 days. That could be camping in a tent, yurt, rv or cabin rentals. Planning your schedule ahead of time and researching hikes, beaches, bike trails and other activities can help you to get the most out of your days in the great outdoors.
