In praise of Real Camping

I was very happy to read Katolaz's entry[1]

in ROOPHLOCH 2019[2] (just over one week left

to enter if you've forgotten! I'm hoping to

make my post tomorrow) with its spirited

defence of Real Camping.

There's a stupid saying one occasionally sees

floating around the internet or printed on

stupid crap that says something along the

lines of:

"Camping is paying a small fortune to live

like a homeless person"

I've always hated this saying. In part just

because it's an anti-camping saying, and

camping is awesome, so screw that. But more

so because to some extent it rings true: if

you decided to go camping for the first time

ever today and you did your research and took

seriously all the recommendations you read in

blogs or heard from salespeople, you

genuinely would end up paying a small fortune

for your gear. Mainstream opinions and

advice on the outdoors could very easily give

you the impression that it was impossible, or

at least deeply unpleasant, until the past

decade or two.

I'm not denying that this expensive modern

gear works, or that it's smaller or lighter

or warmer than simpler, older, cheaper stuff.

I'm sure it does. And I acknowledge that the

ultralight approach lets older or less fit

people enjoy the outdoors for longer at a

time or later in life than otherwise might be

possible. This stuff has its place, and if

you can afford it and it makes you happy,

then more power to you.

But I'm of the opinion that to some extent

this approach misses the point, or at least

misses a point, and an important one. So

katolaz's post resonated with me quite well.

It's put me in the mood for another S24O.

Coincidentally enough, tomorrow is the one

year anniversary of my first[3]! It seems

this September is a lot colder than last

year's...

[1] gopher://republic.circumlunar.space:70/0/~katolaz/phlog/OT_ROOPHLOCH_camping.txt

[2] gopher://zaibatsu.circumlunar.space:70/1/~solderpunk/roophloch

[3] gopher://zaibatsu.circumlunar.space:70/0/~solderpunk/phlog/my-first-s24o.txt