Camping: A time-honored tradition

Above: Tents set up near a lake, and ready for a fun-filled weekend of camping.

Ken White | Special to the Daily Mail

Camping! Either you love it or hate it.

It all depends on when, where and how. The “when” is still about the same for most campers, but the “where” and “how” has changed over the years.

With the big Labor Day weekend coming up, plans have been or will be made for the last camping trip for many camper families. With school starting and more activities to take up weekend time, camping may be put on the back-burner.

Camping is the oldest way of living. There is hardly an adult who hasn’t longed for simplicity. Many dream of the open road or a 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 automobiles, 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 also camped because they loved being outdoors. As campers themselves became more experienced, they formed checklists of necessary items. As the list grew, they found that entrepreneurs introduced better equipment.

Today’s tent campers have more compact, lighter weight, quick-to- assemble take-down gear that accommodates the growing market.

Camping and canoeing go together at a small lake.

Ken White | Special to the Daily Mail

A large part of the growth of camping is due to the new generation of campers — the 25 to 44 year-olds with young children, who may not yet progress to RV’s. More than 50 million Americans camp every year at some of the thousands of campgrounds and wilderness campsites here in Missouri and across America.

Campers combine their trips with other activities, including hunting and fishing. Bob Marshall, Blue Springs, said, “I started out tent camping years ago while deer hunting and, now several of my friends make camp while on hunting or fishing trips. Camping is a big part of the season.”

Marshall continued: “We were tent-camping last weekend at Table Rock, and had one of our best camping trips of the year. We caught lots of crappie while fishing at night and had several big bass that we caught early in the morning with top-water lures. It was a memorable trip. Our campsite is almost always close to the water where we can fish, swim or just enjoy the scenery.

A yurt at Caplinger Woods Campground along the Sac River.

Ken White | Special to the Daily Mail

“We are blessed here in Missouri with great places to camp, including the Mark Twain National Forest, Corps of Engineers and State Park campgrounds that dot the state along with private campgrounds. From now to November is a great time to camp and enjoy the outdoors.”

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

Family camping is another area of camping that has taken off for several reasons. Marshall recalls his first camping trip with his kids.

“A weeklong trip into the back country isn’t the way to learn and appreciate how to camp,” said Marshall. “I suggest you start with an overnight or weekend 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 wet tent is not the time to discover what waterproof really means.

I remember a friend who planned to take a family camping trip with their two young children to Southeast Missouri. Being a first time camper the trip turned into a disaster.

After driving all the way from their Independence home to Southeast Missouri, he was ready to set up the tent only to discover he had forgotten to put the tent poles into their station wagon. Things got worse as the rain started to fall. They tried to check into a motel, but they were all full so they spent the night in their vehicle. It was a long drive home the next morning, but he never forgot the tent poles again.

In Missouri, the camping experience can mean many different things. You can go canoeing, hiking, backpacking, boating, fishing hunting, wildlife watching, (for) photography or a variety of other things to do while camping.

Anywhere you want to travel in the state of Missouri there will be a campground ready to accommodate your needs. In the past decades, camping has come a long way. More people are finding out why.

Happy Camping.