What is camping all about?
People often ask, what is so great about camping and what is all the fuss about.
It’s often asked by newbies or people who see their friends visiting a different site every weekend.
I am going to try and explain in this post what all the things which make camping great, but the easiest way is really just to get some basic gear and go and visit a site and experience for it yourself.
Seeing the country
Start off with a nice easy one, you can go and explore our great country, did you know there are over 8,000 campsites in the UK (check out our campsite finder to find your next site). There are campsites from the south coast all the way through the country to the highlands of Scotland. There isn’t a single county in Britain which doesn’t have a campsite.
Once you have done Britain, we there are even more across Europe and the rest of the world.
Friends and family
Whether that’s making new friends or just catching up with old friends, being away from the traps of your home always greater communication.
As a family we try and go away at least once with the extended family as a big break, its great for my parents to spend a long weekend / week away with all their grandkids and make memories.
We all live busy lives so can be difficult to see them every week, but a week away is great.
My oldest enjoys them so much he has asked this for his birthday for a week away.
There is nothing like being sat around a fire, having some food and making memories.
Multiple holidays per year
Once you have got all the basic gear, you can go away multiple times in a year.
I tend to purchase one new big piece of equipment each year, an upgrade so that each year our equipment is slightly better, but I don’t need to – some of the equipment I have had for years. My CampingGaz Cooker – over ten years old and still going strong.
Costs
I will assume your staying in the UK and not going camping in Europe, but the costs are so much cheaper – firstly you don’t need to worry about exchange rates, but then you don’t need to be expensive plane trips, passports, transfers.
Simply jumping in the car (or train) and head straight for the campsite.
I know quite a few people that go away straight afterwork on a Friday until Sunday evening – thats not really practical with going abroad.
Hotel rooms can quickly add up in the UK, especially in the peak season in the UK.
Once you have got the camping essentials, items such as tents and sleeping bags, you can go camping whenever you want.
Good for your health
If you didn’t know, camping is good for your health.
Dr Wright said in The Guardian: “Our modern environment has really changed the timing of our internal clocks, but also the timing of when we sleep relative to our clock.”
“A weekend camping trip can reset the clock rapidly.”
So as well as a great way to see the country it can really help with your health.
Good for the environment
As mentioned above, because you are not using planes, camping is very good for the environment. Concrete hotel buildings don’t need to be erected and you just need a small space in a field to call home for a few days.
There are many reasons why you should go camping and I hope I have answered your questions around what’s its all about and why you should.
The best advice I can give is to borrow some equipment or buy some cheap starter gear and go and try it for yourself.
Let us know in the comments below what you love about camping?
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Based in Liverpool, Sophie Bray is the Senior Editor at Camping Sites in Britain. Previously she has worked for The Huffington Post. Sophie is a graduate of English Literature at the University of Manchester.
