There is a satisfying immediacy about the prospect of establishing an encampment for the night - clearing the site, erecting the tent, chopping wood, building a fire and cooking over the live flame - that in turn suggests a meaningful connection to landscape, place and the rugged life of backwoods adventurers.
In essence camping is an act of faith and survival, a way to buttress a modest, isolated human settlement against the forces of nature. The camp is a temporary substitute for the home - a place to dwell, to sleep, to interact socially, to prepare and eat food. Stripped of any but the most vital conveniences, the camp is literally and figuratively open to the stimuli of its natural surroundings.
2 comment(s):
Camping is an act of insanity. I didn't particularly like it when the government paid me to do it, and I sure as hell am not going to pay for the "privilege."
Now a nice quarter-million dollar RV? We can talk...
Camping is wonderful from my perspective. My wife and I camp in a 5th wheel trailer every chance we get. But I also backpack quite a bit. For years I have been hiking the Appalachian Trail (USA) as I can. There is nothing better than finding 2 suitable trees off the trail to hang my hammock between. The best part of the day's strenuous hike is near dark, eating supper.
Stanley
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