The Leisure and Economics of Camping

I recently went on a camping trip in Rocky Mountain National Park with my family. For some families, this is a regular thing they do. Everyone enjoys it, the tents go up quickly, no one is stressed out. But for part of my family, camping is more like getting a tooth extracted. They know they need to do it, but aren't really looking forward to it. And the reason they feel the obligation to go is me.

As we were planning this vacation, I couldn't help but dream about the opportunity to go camping in the Rocky Mountains. And, with a little bit of politicking, I was able to convince everyone (even my mother) that it was going to be a fun and enjoyable excursion for all parties involved. Now instead of launching into the story of this last camping trip, I am simply going to take this post to talk about a few reasons why camping is so enjoyable.

Leisure: You can wake up in the morning and not have to worry about anything. You have no schedule. Leave the watches at home people. In fact, you could successfully lose your watch and not have a problem. When else can you say that. The sun becomes your alarm clock and you can take as much time relaxing over breakfast as you want. This is what people pay thousands of dollars for in a vacation. Which leads me to my next point...

Economics: The economics of camping are incredible. Unless you stay at a KOA or something, the cost of each night of sleeping under the stars is fairly minimal. This comes in handy when you have limited funds, but also for those who do have a little extra dinero. Wouldn't you rather take those dollars you saved on a campsite and go out to a nice dinner or spend it on some cheesy, touristy souvenir that will get lost in your closet immediately after vacation? How about using it to support the National Park Service, or any number of things. The possibilities are endless.

Just a little word to wise: If you borrow a tent, be sure to set it up before you leave to go camping. It might just save you a gigantic headache.














Mother Neff Texas State Park. Experiencing the benefits of
camping leisure and economics.