Tags
backpacking, camping, camping for girls, girly, girly camping, hiking, Inside Outdoor, Inside Outdoor Magazine, motivation, nature, Outdoor Foundation, outdoors
I have my 5 Reasons to go Camping but I was curious to what everyone else was motivated by! I was reading Inside Outdoor Magazine and the Outdoor Foundation reported the motivation behind why people go camping for 2012. Their study was conducted between campers 18 years and up.
“What is the main motivation for camping?”
Campers, Ages 18+
- Camping itself 33%
- To escape the grind 23%
- An equal mix of camping and sports activities 13%
- To teach my kids/the next generation about the outdoors 10%
- To meet family and friends 7%
- To enable participation or competition in other sports or active pursuits 6%
- To save money compared to other vacation options 3%
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To stay close to an event without a hotel 2%
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To see the outdoors 2%
I can’t believe only 2% go camping to see the outdoors! I think my main motivation would be camping itself! What’s your motivation?
Girly Camping® 
To be outside, hike, time with friends and family, time alone with God and a break from the busyness of life.
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Camping itself….nothing beats waking up in a tent and hearing (or not hearing) nature. Smell of a pine tree, camp fire, scenery, not enough words to describe it. It is the ultimate escape.
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You know, that’s a very good question, I may have to think that one over for a while.
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I’m definitely a grind escapee. Just thinking about this question has inspired me to go camping this weekend. Thank you 🙂
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simplicity. being close to nature. animals. exploring new areas. outdoor cooking. escaping the rut and experiencing new things. also lots of visual stimu, spending quality simple time in beautiful surroundings. preferably no Wifi either [which is a little paradox as I’m more than happy to come back and report about my wifi free time online, ha!]
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I would have to say other outdoor activities. When my mom would take us camping, she always just wanted to sit around camp and relax. It bored me then and it bores me now. Then I would sneak off with my fishing pole and fish all day. It isn’t much different now- we go camping in order to be near new places to fish and do other activities. Our first camping trip will be in order to go bowfishing near where I grew up, and we’re taking another one to go fishing by Matt’s home to go fishing up in the Northwoods. Later this year we may camp out to be closer to hunting spots.
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Personally I have camped 4 times in my life two of these were for music festivals and I really enjoyed myself once was camping on the beach for my 21st birthday with friends which is still one of my best birthday memories and finally i camped to be on site for an assault course. I don’t think I have ever had a nights sleep as good as in a tent
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That is curious indeed…only 2% for outdoors. Maybe most campers think that is all to obvious to mention;0) Johanna
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I think it’s in our DNA to be outdoors surrounded by nature. We live somewhat out of step with nature now in our fast paced modern lives and so any chance we get to escape, explore, and reconnect to the great outdoors is good for our soul. It’s who we are, naturally.
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I think the camping itself includes most of everything. It inherently includes the idea that you are going to be outdoors, there is the simplicity of it and the whole idea of really working and appreciating the more limited supplies you may have.
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S’MORES!!!!
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I do it to get as close to nature as possible. Do I love sleeping on the hard ground? Not especially. But every single time I go on an outdoor adventure I learn something about myself and the world. In 2012 I camped probably 10-12 times and had new challenges and fears to overcome every single time whether camping or hiking or just the trip in general. Getting out of the comfort zone is so vital to personal growth!
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STARGAZING!
Sorry to shout, but someone has to.
Here’s a recent example (photo).
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I agree. Living in a big city I rarely get to see the stars properly. Camping reminds me they are there and just how beautiful they might sky is. Plus it feels so peaceful to go to sleep and wake up to nature. I love it! X
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Also, camping lets me spend more time outdoors. It has me staying near the places I need to be; I prefer backpacking eg camping in the backcountry to doing it from the car, so it often means I’m spending more time on the hike I left home for. Sometimes I’ll pitch a tent at the crag when I go rock climbing, or I’ll go to the mountains and spend one day hiking, then the next riding a bike, and it’s easier to camp than to drive too much.
The views. If you’re choosy about your camp site, the view can be superb.
Drinking from a glacier is pretty awesome. I don’t mean out of a bottle from the store, I mean this being your only option for water.
Wildlife. Last year at Sahale Camp, a mountain goat (I named him Leroy) made himself known.
Self sufficiency.
Camping is a long tradition, people have been doing this longer than we’ve been talking.
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Thanks For the ‘like’ of my post today! I’ll have to read your blog, we camp with our 3 year old son all the time. It’s a great way to get the kids outside and develop an interest in plants, animals, and maybe the Sciences as well!
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Those are all good reasons. I hike, because a certain introverted part of me just likes to be alone – preferably in the middle of nowhere! I don’t know why, but I find being outside in the country side and living there in your tent to be invigorating and in my case actually raises my happiness levels by several notches!
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It was “to meet family/friends” because that’s the closest to our yearly tradition. But, now it is going to be “to teach my kids about the outdoors.” I go backpacking every summer too, but that’s “to see the (great) outdoors.”
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i wrote a post on this too – we go camping for heaps of reasons – but largely to give our family an identity – a shared interest – something that will hopefully bind us and allow us to be a part of each other’s lives for many years to come! Our Post
http://fealyfamily.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/why-camping/
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As a “camper”, it is the weekend getaway and relaxation. Even if it is raining and we are stuck inside. But now living full time it will be about the adventure of seeing the country. Sights, places, scenery etc. Can’t wait to hit the road!
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I go because it is the way God intended for us to live. If it wasn’t for Eve, we could drop our fig leaves.
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Heh heh, I would list my reasons, but it would simply be a reflection of everything that has been said above. I have been having difficulty trying to define my strongest draw to the forest, but it is along the lines of…it just feels like where I need to be. It puts us closer to the energy that sustains the life in all things, and I really enjoy being in that place. I think understanding our motivations for doing it makes it an even more worthwhile adventure. It helps us to appreciate it more, if we understand why we are doing it while we are doing it. Great topic and question!
You may or may not have read this one already. Have a good weekend! http://campingmissouri.org/2013/03/27/why-would-a-person-head-to-the-woods/
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Reblogged this on Hike by Faith… and commented:
Great post by Girly Camping on stats about camping.
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To escape the daily grind, and to drink, be with friends and enjoy the outdoors!
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To see the vast beauty of the great outdoors! For me it’s all about getting away and enjoying the rawness of life without any distractions and spending quality time with people I truly care about.
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I like to think this is how I really live. No job, spending time with just my husband and my dogs in nature. Trying to live the dream. I wish I had more friends who would come camping with us. They’re all lame. 🙂
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To be in nature, to have the world to ourselves or at least feel like we do… not that I don’t like people but I don’t like camping where you are all elbow to elbow with strangers and can hear everything said at one another’s sites… can stay home for that, lol. Love the green fragrances, the woodsmoke, the casual no-fuss eating when you are hungry, sleeping when you are tired, walking or other activities whenever you feel like it. No agenda. Nature fix and that’s about it, lol.
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I had to stop and think about this– My reasons for “camping”–in my case usually backpacking are– Solitude, piece of mind, nature, the next big climb, and balance with my busy life. Gives me a chance to get away from everyone, and everything that makes my life hectic, and just regain my balance.
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