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I camped extensively in the 80's to early 90's. Then got out of it until about 5 years ago.
I have not experienced the terrible changes referenced elsewhere. There are some differences, but the people seem to still be friendly and courteous out at the State Parks around here just as they were.
The biggest substantiative change I have noticed is in the equipment used for camping. There are far fewer people pitching tents compared to years ago. On the upper end, I see far fewer large motor homes. Most people seem to be using some sort of travel trailer, or hybrid trailer, ranging from very small to mansion on wheels.
We have a pop up, and there do seem to be a decent share of campers using these. It is certainly a niche overall, but it always seemed to be anyway.
I was spoiled camping in the scouts. We would have 500 acres to ourselves, no other souls in sight. Took my now wife camping for her b-day right after we started dating. She had as much camping gear as I had accumulated in 23 years in scouts, so I knew I was with the right person. We have camped a few times since then, either in Florida or Tennessee SP's. A few noisy neighbors on occasion, but nothing horrible. I just got spoiled having no one around at all... I really miss those trips.
Yeah I prefer tent/car camping far away from campgrounds. It's mostly the people running their generators so they can sit inside and watch tv or whatever, the noise kind of spoils the whole thing for me, personally. I know, lots of people like being able to bring 'home' with them, and that's cool, they're having fun too I just stay far, far away
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The biggest substantiative change I have noticed is in the equipment used for camping. There are far fewer people pitching tents compared to years ago. On the upper end, I see far fewer large motor homes. Most people seem to be using some sort of travel trailer, or hybrid trailer, ranging from very small to mansion on wheels.
We have a pop up, and there do seem to be a decent share of campers using these. It is certainly a niche overall, but it always seemed to be anyway.
Some of us do all of the above!
My NF 4 season tent, on top of the continental divide in January- did some snowshoeing with some friends.
Elk camp- that's my truck camper but the outfitter tent is where we all congregate with the wood stove.
I don't have a t.v. or anything, but when I hunt I like to come back to the truck camper and fix a warm meal and sleep on a bed. However tent camping will always be in my future until I can no longer physically stand it
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Threerun
Some of us do all of the above!
...
same here...
Do these camping activities many times every year.
1) tarps / bicycle camping (Blue Sky Trailer) Bicycle Trailers by Blue Sky Cycle Carts
2) Bed-roll / Motorcycle (Then came Bronson...)
3) 'Slide-in' teardrop (50 mpg Motorhome ... Passat diesel wagon)
4) Rialta (20mpg Class C motorhome)
And lots of backpacking / where-ever
After 40 yrs intense camping, we had bought a couple new tents (different sizes for different venues), but spouse thought it would be nice to send them to some 'hurricane' victims (I wonder if that was a hint ). Actually spouse enjoys camping far more than I, so probably was just being kind...
My family likes to camp off-season. A little snow and we can have the campground all to ourselves.
I was talking to the camp host and I said that his job must be nice, to stay in such a beautiful place and campers are usually nice people to deal with.
He pulled a face and replied that people only come to the campground to party and make a lot of loud noise.
I found that sad. To go up into the mountains, not to enjoy the beauty of the trees and the serenity of the lake, but rather to whoop and hollar and get drunk and harass the other campers.
Not necessarily true. You'll find that going on on weekends but usually the Host puts a stop to it if it's really loud and bothers others campers. They call the local police if necessary.
People don't socialize in campground (thanks to satellite TV and internet)
I first camped back in the mid 1970s and well remember all the socializing - you're right. That doesn't happen anymore. We've seen RVs pull in, set up and never saw the people until they were leaving. Why not just stay at home? Or they're sitting outside, back to the road watching TV or reading or they're on their laptops. I don't know what to make of it.
We normally camp in NFS campgrounds and in national parks/monuments without hookups. A couple decades ago we started avoiding campgrounds that were on lakes, especially if the lakes allowed motor boats. We learned that they pack in the noisiest campers with partying and drinking seemingly the main entertainment. Since then we haven't been troubled by noisy neighbors.
Here in TN we stick to the SPs and COEs. Being retired we avoid the holiday weekends as they're always the noisiest, though quite hours are enforced.
I'll admit I didn't read through the three pages of replies. Instead, I'll just post my thoughts and not reply to any specific comment.
Camping has always been a very intrinsic happening -- it means different things to different people.
Some like the solitude, some like to hoot and holler, some want to be one with nature, some like to meet new friends with similar interest(s), e.g., camping, some like the travel, some want to bond with family and friends, some do it to de-stress from their "normal" life, etc. You get the idea.
That's one of the really cool things about camping -- you can make it what you want. It doesn't have to be a big fancy RV, it doesn't have to be in a plush RV resort, and it doesn't even have to be in a campground.
You can camp in your backyard which is, by the way, where I started "camping". My brothers, friends, and I threw an old tarp over the clothesline and slept on the ground. All these years later, it is still as fun as it was back then but, I will admit, the housing (my RV) is a nice improvement over the old tarp.
But the memories my wife and I make everyday are still as fresh and fun as they were under that old tarp.
And that, friends, is why camping is still as fresh and fun today as it was so many years ago.
What I find different is that hardly anyone uses tents anymore. 99% of the setups are huge RVs or big long trailers that have to be pulled by a truck. They've got tvs and who knows what else. You never even see these people, just their gigantic setups.
We now have a popup instead of a tent but it's almost embarrassing. We just camp around New England so I don't know about the rest of the country but it used to be fun to look at all the different tents and to admire the campers' abilities. Now it seems to be a competition of who has the most gigantic and expensive RV or trailer. (Do they even know how to build a campfire?)
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I just stay far, far away 
). Actually spouse enjoys camping far more than I, so probably was just being kind...
