by Timothy Wolaver

Created on: August 30, 2010

To truly weigh in on the debate between tent camping or RV camping - one must first answer two very key questions.

1. What are my goals for this camping trip?

2. What kinds of resources to do I have for getting into camping?

The second question is the easier one to answer. If you only have a couple hundred dollars to get into camping - may I suggest tent camping as the better alternative. I'm not sure what type of RV camping you can do on that budget.

The initial question is the one that is key to understanding the reason this debate will live on as long as camping lives on.

I had the privilege of growing up in a camping-rich family. Grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, on and on - we all camped. Like most people who have spent any amount of time camping, we started out in a tent and progressed through the ranks of pop-up to small travel trailer and up and up. (Although it took my parents having the house all to themselves after we all moved out for them to buy the 35ft 5th wheel).

This experience has provided the ability to weigh the pro's and con's of both styles of camping.

As I grew up and started my own family and as a multi-year veteran of tent camping, I have been through just about every elemental scenario imaginable. From wind, to cold, to heat, to rain, and even a hail storm - all in my tent - and all with my family (including children under the age of 5).

I won't pretend for a minute that when the opportunity presents itself for me to evolve up off the ground and into something towable - that I won't do it.

However, my goals for that style of camping will at that point be different.

If your goal is a stress-free (or lower stress) family, fun vacation - the RV is certainly the way to go. The elements begin to play less and less of a role in how your trip is planned (or reacted to) - as well as providing more and more of the "comforts of home."

If your goals are to spend some time outside and make memories - like those around a campfire or a nice walk through the camp - as opposed to memories of a collapsed tent, or terrible heat, or freezing cold - then the RV experience definitely improves your chances of that happening.

All that being said - I think every person who has ever camped needs to start out in a tent and learn the true meaning of camping. The knowledge of how to "manage" a camp site is invaluable regardless of to what level you end up camping in your lifetime.

You also certainly learn to appreciate the value of working together and maintaining order in your camp.

As my family has started to grow up - my children enjoy having their own sets of responsibilities at the campground, and I am hoping that they are building the foundations and memories that will one day inspire them to camp with their families.

Camping (in any form - or at any level) is truly a special experience that should be shared across generations. The more people that appreciate the art of camping - the better off we will all be.

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