Anonymous wrote:In America, I think camping is popular among white people. I don’t see it much with other ethnic groups, aside from the tent encampments set up by the unhoused.

In the DC area that isn't true. Greenbrier State Park in Maryland has a lot of non-white people in any given summer weekend. Mostly recent immigrants, from all over the world.

I love the outdoors and love camping. I have always enjoyed camping and still continue to enjoy it. Part of the allure is I think our lives are way too comfortable. It’s nice to get back to basics and rough it once in awhile.

There are ways to make it more enjoyable and less of a grind. I have so much gear to take beach time there’s no way I could go backpack camping. Me and my son just got back from a 2 night trip and the car was packed. My latest investment is a travel cot with memory foam pad on top as my bad back can no longer handle sleeping on the ground.

I love the hiking, outdoors, etc., but truly hate camping. I have done it a couple of time when I was in my teens and early twenties and can't see myself doing it again. Like others, I enjoy indoor plumbing and a temperature-controlled environment when I sleep. No one in my extended family enjoys camping either. That may be because we are from a country where lots of people, including our own ancestors, sleep/slept in little huts with dirt floors, a roof made of palm leaves, and no indoor plumbing. After coming from that background, NO ONE in our family views camping as a vacation/leisure activity. We did not work so hard over the last 50 years to "rough it" for fun. I can completely see how this might primarily be a white person recreational activity.

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a family that had never/would never go camping. Now I see everyone and their mother owns an rv and kayaks. When and why did this become so popular?

RV's, quads, coolers, and big tents is "glamping" not real camping.

Anonymous wrote:Everyone I know who goes camping are Scout parents, and they have ALL ended up with ticks on themselves and their kids at some point, multiple times over. So camping has been a hard NO for our family. I don’t do ticks, no a/c, and sleeping on the ground.

You can easily get ticks when hiking, too. It’s really not a big deal if you just check each night for ticks.

I did not grow up camping, my parents did not grow up camping, and we are now not going camping as we raise our own children.

My older daughter does go in camping trips with her Girl Scout troop. But she is a really laidback person. My other daughter and I have a lot of sensory sensitivities and I think we both would go insane if feeling dirty, sweaty, sticky, uncomfortable, buggy, etc.

Anonymous wrote:In America, I think camping is popular among white people. I don’t see it much with other ethnic groups, aside from the tent encampments set up by the unhoused.

https://www.blackfolkscamptoo.com/

The whole idea is promoting these experiences in a population that traditionally hasn't been involved in them.

You're just meeting different people than the ones you grew up with, dummy.

Everyone I know who goes camping are Scout parents, and they have ALL ended up with ticks on themselves and their kids at some point, multiple times over. So camping has been a hard NO for our family. I don’t do ticks, no a/c, and sleeping on the ground.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did it once with girl scouts in 8th grade. Never again.

“And here’s the latrine you’ll be using!”

I’ve even camped in a place with no bathroom. You just set up the tent in the middle of the forest. Not my preference though, lol.

We bought our own campground because public camping was getting too crowded.

It’s fun. I’m not white. I don’t know why race has anything to do with it.

It’s not new. My mom is 75 and went camping as a kid. It was how her family could afford vacation.

I only camped a little as a kid but did more in my teens. We take our kids camping at least a few times a year, and they (now teen/tween age) love it, as do DH and I. But we aren’t exactly roughing it… we sleep in a tent, but we aren’t backpacking, and we use air mattresses. Some campgrounds have hot showers. It’s expensive and a great way to spend time together in nature.

I will never go camping nor do I have any desire to be in an rv ever.