Living under the stars still a timeless activity

Camping is the oldest way of living. There is hardly an adult who doesn't long for the simplicity of the open road or the campsite. All the refinements of modern civilization haven't dimmed our appreciation for a place away from it all.

Our camping roots run deep. Organized camping dates back to the 1860s, but recreational camping didn't take root until the 1920s.

With the advent of the automobile, Americans began to access a world beyond their neighborhoods. Model T owners, Henry Ford and Thomas Edison, were campers themselves.

After World War II, camping began to evolve. Rather than camping for economical reasons, people camped also because they loved being outdoors.

As campers became more experienced, they formed checklists of necessary items. As the list grew, campers found that enterprising entrepreneurs introduced better equipment.

Today's tent campers have more compact, lighter weight, quicker to assemble, take down, heat up and light up gear, all to accommodate the rapidly growing market.

A large part of the growth in camping is due to the new generation of tent campers, the 25- to 44-year-olds with young children who haven't yet progressed to RVs. More than 48 million Americans tent camp every year at some 16,000 campgrounds and wilderness campsites.

Campers combine their trips with other activities, including fishing and hunting.

"I started tent camping years ago when deer hunting and now, several of my hunting friends make camping-fishing trips each summer" Bob Marshall, Springfield, said. "It's a big part of our season."

It's interesting that as peoples' leisure time decreases, their camping and outdoor activity time increases. The outdoors is a cherished part of our lives.

The way things are going, soon, we may pack a 2-pound, six-person umbrella tent that will fit in a glove compartment, along with a solar cook set that requires no matches.

Family camping is another area of camping that has taken off for a lot of reasons. Marshall remembers his first camping trip with kids.

A week-long trip into the back country isn't the way to learn and appreciate how to camp," he said. "Start with an overnight or weekend (trip) in a place where access to restaurants, indoor plumbing and running water isn't far away. This approach softens the fear of the unknown and lets families try camping with confidence."

Another very important point to remember for families getting started camping is to invest in good quality equipment. A family's first rainstorm inside a tent is not the time to discover what waterproof really means.

Camping without TVs, DVD players and video games encourages families to get to know each other on a level only the outdoors can provide. It promotes teamwork and a sense of accomplishment and is a healthy and valuable experience families can enjoy together.

In the past few years, camping has come a long way and more people are finding out why.