by Lisa Rosenkranz

Created on: June 10, 2009

Camping is an outdoor recreation. Campers are outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy living in the woods and sleeping in tents, sometimes for weeks at a time. Packing gear, planning meals, setting up and tearing down camp just to stay in the woods is not everyone's ideal vacation.

Camping also involves a bit of an investment. You need to have a tent, bed, and a sleeping bag. Camp stoves, lanterns, coolers, and chairs are other necessities that you'll need. You'll also need a vehicle that can carry all of your gear and a place in your attic or garage to store it. You have to clean and maintain everything. Tents have to be seam sealed and treated with water repellent. Stoves, grills, and lantern should be cleaned after each trip. If you have to tear down a wet tent, it has to be set up in the yard and allowed to dry before it can be stored.

Once you arrive with your load of gear, you have to set up camp. This can be a very involved process depending on the amount of gear you need (or want). Tents have to be set up, air mattresses blown up, and then beds have to be made. You have to set-up the canopy or screen-tent (which are handy in the event of rain). You have to keep the coolers stocked with ice, which requires constant trips to the camp store or nearest gas station. When evening comes you have to build the camp fire, which can involve the splitting and chopping of wood, and some knowledge. Most state parks do not allow campers to bring their own wood due to the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive insect, so trips to the front gate to purchase over priced wood bundles are pretty much unavoidable. And when the time comes to head for home, you have to tear it all down, pack it all up, and put it away when you get back.

The camp kitchen comes with a lot more responsibilities than the home kitchen. Every meal must be prepared by either the camp stove or over a fire. In order to have coffee, you must get out the stove, set up your gas, and use a percolator. As soon as the meal is over, dishes must be promptly washed and everything must be put away immediately to avoid attracting wildlife, and all food must be kept in a vehicle or animal proof container at all times.

Not only is there effort, but strategic planning as well. To most people this already sounds more like work than a vacation. Each meal is planned, reservations are made, and lists are written. Forgetting one item could easily spoil a trip (no air pump = sleeping on ground), and

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