I dread the day

[BigFatMeanie]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Things I like about camping:

1. Camraderie with friends.
2. Challenge of cooking on campouts (about the only time I ever care to cook).
3. Getting and using cool gear to make my life easier on campouts. If you are uncomfortable on your campout, then you didn't plan enough.
4. I like challenges, I like to push myself, a little bit of suffering gives me a hard-on.

I camp once a month and have camped more than 30 nights in the past year and a half.

It's great.

So you're talking about car camping - not backpacking? Or are you applying your assertion about comfort to backpacking as well? I'm not sure I would agree with your comfort assertion if applied to backpacking.

Here's what I don't get about car camping: People want to be comfortable while camping so they go to all this planning and effort to pack gear, set up big mattresses, buy camping trailers, generators, whatever. I just don't see how camping brings any joy that is worth that kind of effort. Having a cookout? Enjoying the great outdoors? You don't need to go camping to do those things. They could save a lot of time and effort by just having a cookout or enjoying the great outdoors on their back lawn.

"But, but - It's not the same!", Mr. Camper splutters. Fine. If I want to have a cookout I'll just drive up the canyon and have a cookout or dutch oven by the bubbling stream, and still sleep in my own bed, shower in my own shower, and watch Sportscenter. A better experience than anything Mr. Camper can provide. If I want to enjoy beautiful mountain scenery, I'll just take a day hike up the canyon to the lake, have a picnic, fish, frolic in the fresh mountain air, etc. and still sleep in my own comfortable bed, shower in my own shower, and watch Sportscenter. In other words, I can experience whatever joys people get from camping without all the hassle, fuss, campfire-stinky sleeping bags, dirt, bugs, equipment, etc.

I could possibly understand the appeal of backpacking, where you leave behind civilization, hike into the mountains with everything on your back, and don't run into any other people for a whole week. I can be convinced that backpacking offers experiences you can't achieve any other way. Car camping, however, just doesn't offer enough unique appeal to make up for its hassle.