Where you go camping isn’t always as important as how you go camping. While everyone needs to follow the same rules within our shared natural resources, your personal experiences should feed your soul and make you happy. Think outside the box a bit as you review a few of our books about backpacking, tent camping and glamping. And while all of these contain information, some are also good reads, sharing personal experiences of people who put their own spin on their visit to nature.
Such as “Every Dog Deserves an Adventure” by Camping With Dogs and L.J. Tracosas. This is an amazing book by an organization that believes “every dog has a story, and our community helps share those stories.” Enjoy stories about dogs going camping with their owners, with many images of those adventures together. It is broken up by seasons and are from all over the country — enjoy the stories! This is a nonfiction cozy read and may entice you to take your pup along on a camping trip. I am not a dog person but can appreciate the enjoyment people get from having their pets with them.
I loved this next book for its great ideas. MaryJane Butters has written a useful, cheerful book titled “Glamping with MaryJane,” sharing projects and tips from her life of camping in a small trailer and running a glamping camp at her Idaho farm. While having a witty sense of humor, Butters has advice on everything from decorating on the cheap to picking out a mechanic. Retro graphics and a cowgirl theme make it an easy read. But it’s the encouragement that sold me — a perfect read for a ‘thinking about it’ glamper as well as a person looking to spark memories of past camping trips.
Me? I take portable versions of home with me. I tent-camp and am aiming to glamp up my home-away-home this summer. The precious little iron kettle, the mushroom-decorated towels and decor; I’m working on a hand-made starry-starry camping quilt. In spring I bring an electric blanket and small heater for inside the tent, because spring camping offers some challenges. I enjoy finding ways to make my camp a bit glamp as well as comfortable and easy for a solitary camper to manage.
“Woman in the Wild: The Everywoman’s Guide to Hiking, Camping and Backcountry Travel” by Susan Joy Paul, offers a women’s perspective of preparing yourself and your gear for multi- or single-day hikes. Paul is a serious backwoods-hiking, mountain-climbing enthusiast and she shares smart advice about aspects of the sport including living well, pushing yourself and developing the skills you need to succeed. Check this out when you are ready to carry your home on your back and depend on what you’ve brought with you.
Ethics and efforts of stewardship are combined with recollections and tales of hiking by Laura and Guy Waterman, in “The Green Guide to Low-Impact Hiking and Camping.” First published under the title “Backwoods Ethics” in 1979, this third edition speaks of how technology has made it much easier for more people to take to the trails, which in turn leads to more impact on our shared wilderness areas.
Akin to glamping is traditional camping, practicing “…the woods wisdom of the Golden Age of Camping…,” which is between 1880-1930. Think of pioneers, fur traders, cowboys and city folk wishing to live outdoors for a few weeks. While “Camping in the Old Style” won’t help you decide between a trailer or a tent, as everyone slept in tents, it will charm you with nostalgic tools and techniques. Author David Wescott introduces you to cooking over an open flame, organizing the kitchen kit, and even folding blankets and waterproof tarp into a warm bed. You might enjoy the old photos and advertisements mingled with 21st Century campers in pre-1930’s clothing. Perhaps not the most useful of a book to include but certainly a charmer!
If you enjoy traditional camping, you might like “Camping and Tramping with Roosevelt” by Naturalist John Burroughs. President Roosevelt and Burroughs tramped throughout Yellowstone, exploring our first national park. This book was first published in 1907. President Roosevelt took a train across the country, afterwards exploring Yellowstone’s abundance. Burroughs captures his favorite highlights of the president’s actions and enjoyments. It’s a short book with rich language if short on practical advice. I found it fascinating as a historical view of President Roosevelt.
I don’t want to leave you thinking that I discount the RV camping life — far from it! Most of our RV materials are about where to go but we do have “Van Life: Your Home on the Road” by Foster Huntington. This is a beautiful collection of glamped-out RVs and vans, tiny homes on wheels. We also have a number of guides to help RV travelers find interesting, scenic roads and parks that are, according to their descriptions, accessible to these larger vehicles. That’s a problem I’d not thought of!
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about these aspects of camping, from animal companions to presidents, from all the fancy gadgets to canvas and wool. Shake off your every day routine, pack up and hit the road! But certainly make a reservation — the campgrounds can fill up fast!
