How to Get Started in Camping?

The purpose of this hub is to give the reader an overview of the different styles of Camping and the different Campers that are popular in the US, such as Campers, Tents, Motorhomes, trailer campers, pop-up campers, fifth wheels and more.

Too many people jump into the world of Camping without really knowing what they are getting into, and far too often, they end up owning equipment that is not suited to their physical capabilities, age, or personal inclination.

My hope is to put the right questions into the readers head so they can make an educated decision about what they may really like to do.

Once that decision is made, the reader can define a path of investment and expenditures that will help them reach their ultimate goals in the world of Camping..

One of the most popular and cheapest Camping "styles" to participate in is Back Pack camping.

You get to take everything you might need for several days, put it all into a Back Pack, and walk through Forests and over Hiking Trails, as well as over Mountains, across Deserts, and along River Banks and Ocean shores.

You get to enjoy Nature, up close and personal, and at your own pace.

Here is a list of some of the things that you should consider if you think you are a Back Packer, before you start down this trail:

• To hike over such terrains you must be physically fit and of a hearty disposition.
• You will be sleeping on the ground, in a sleeping bag, regardless of weather conditions.
• You will be subject to the vagaries of nature, whether cold, hot, wet or dry.
• You will eat condensed and dried foods, that you packed with weight and size being the overriding considerations.
• You will need to read and study about the region you are going to be hiking in and through for safety reasons.
• You will need to study and be aware of the status of any wildlife you may encounter during your Hike.
• You will need to become somewhat of an expert on performing your own First Aid, if you injure yourself.
• Hiking is not really a family sport, maybe a couple sport, but not really a family sport.
• Once you become adept at Hiking, you tend to migrate to tougher and more dangerous trails, and these are not really safe for children even most teenagers, if they are not well trained.

As you can see, from what I have listed, the typical Hiker ends up being a Young Adult who is in very good physical condition.

Don't get me wrong, there are many older Hikers out there, but, once the legs, hips, ankles, feet and backs of the Hikers start to give out, they are eventually forced to consider other methods of enjoying the great outdoors.

Tent Camping is a very popular sport for young families who want to vacation and travel the country, and not invest a lot of money in equipment.

As I mentioned, the whole family can enjoy being together and visiting great Campgrounds around the country. There are hundreds of Federal, State, and even City campgrounds that are set up for Tent Campers and provide the basic amenities such as restrooms and showers for the convenience of all.

As with Back Pack Camping, there are certain things that you need to understand before you get too far into thesport of Tent Camping. Some of these are;:

• You need to think hard and long, and decide what type of Tent camper you want to be. Are you just looking at Summer vacations?, Are you a cold or hot weather camper? Are you a Forest, Mountain, Desert, or Ocean shore camper?
• You then need to understand tents, how they are made, and which size and design is right for you and your family.
• There are certain basic items that a Tent Camper needs, and you need to be aware of what they are as well as their costs.
• You need to understand that Tent Camping provides basic comforts, and everyone in the family has to be willing to accept the physical, food, and privacy limitations in a Park or Campground.
• There are certain tips for Tent Campers, that you should be aware of that will help you enjoy your time in the outdoors in your Tent.

Tent Camping is not for everyone, but it is a great sport for young families who enjoy not only each others company, but living in a basic environment close to nature.

The next step in the Camping experience is the purchase of an actual Camper on wheels.

The cheapest investment in Campers is still the Pop-Up Camper. A Pop-Up is a small trailer body on wheels that has a solit roof that cranks up once you are at a camp site. This allows the owner to foldout several beds with canvas and screen window walls.

Depending on it's size, the central part can include Electrical lights, appliance outlets, a small propane stove, a built-in small Fridge or Cooler, among other options.

These Pop-Ups allow the owner to have a level of personal comforts that are a step above the Tent Camper, while keeping the equipment investment at a minimum.

Some things that should be noted about Pop-Up camping are:

• Pop-Ups usually have their own Propane tanks and 12-volt and 120-volt Electrical Systems.
• Pop-Ups have a relatively small interior space, and is used mostly for sleeping, and some meal preparations.
• Pop-Up campers will still do a lot of their cooking and eating, and spend the majority of their time, outside the unit, similar to a Tent Camper.
• Many Pop-Up campers will carry and use a small tent to expand their usable space for sleeping, especially if they have several children.
• The canvas on Pop-Ups, require special care to prevent mold and rot, to extend the life of the canvas.
• Although better than what tent campers have, Pop-Ups have very limited storage capability for appliances, cloths, and other personal items.

The Trailer Camper has been around for decades.

It is a self-contained camper, with a hitch on the front for towing it with a vehicle.You can get a small 16-18 footer with just the basic amenities similar to a Pop-Up, or you can get 35+ feet long Trailer Campers with multiple slide-out rooms, and loaded with luxury accessories and systems.

In fact our first camper in the early 70's was one of those tear-drop shaped 16-foot long Trailer Camper that you can see in old black and white movies. We had several good vacations in it, before we moved on to a larger camper.

Some things that you need to know about Trailer campers before you purchase one are;

• Do your research on brands, models, and accessories, as well as the re-sale values of used units.
• Who is going to use the Trailer Camper. will it be just you and your spouse, or are you going to be camping with several children and/or friends when you camp.
• They usually have propane and 12-volt DC and 120-volt AC systems built in.
• They have a fresh water tank, and generally a small toilet, either a Porta-Potty, or one with an actual Black water holding tank, depending on it's age and size..
• They have a small kitchen generally with a 2-burner or 3-burner propane stove, and often at least a small 120V-12V-Propane Fridge, and even sometimes a microwave.
• They can have a propane hot-water heater, and a shower depending on it's size.
• They have a Double or even a Queen sized bed, and some storage cabinets for linens, foods, and clothes, etc.
• They can have one or more TV's, a TV antenna and sometimes a Satellite Antenna.
• Some have a propane furnace, as well as one or more 120V roof Air Conditioners.
• Depending on their size and weight, they can require a high powered vehicle to tow them to and from campgrounds.
• You should be sure, when looking at a Trailer Camper purchase, that you either have an adequately powered and equipped vehicle for towing what you get, or that you are willing to trade vehicles to get the appropriate vehicle.
• You should be aware that the costs of just setting up a vehicle for towing a Trailer Camper, can quickly add up to over a thousand dollars.

A Trailer camper is obviously a step up in luxury and comforts, above those with a Pop-Up or Tent camping set-up. But, along with that luxury, comes the higher cost in initial investment, as well as ongoing upkeep, also.

Somewhere, sometime in the past, someone thought that it would be a god idea to take a nice simple Trailer camper, enlarge it, and raise the front 6-8 feet of the camper body, so it fit over a pick-up truck bed. Then, instead of a simple ball-type hitch, they attached a commercial tractor-trailer type of hitch, and the Fifth-Wheel camper was born.

With this configuration, the camper could be much larger and heavier. It could contain even more floor space, storage areas, and more exotic luxury options.

It was an immediate hit with a large number of campers.

Of course, there are certain things you should know before you get into the purchase of one of these monsters of the road, such as;

• Do your research on brands, models, and accessories, as well as the re-sale values of used units.
• Who is going to use the Fifth-Wheel camper. will it be just you and your spouse, or are you going to be camping with several children and/or friends when you camp.
• You will need a very high powered pickup truck to haul one of these, so be prepared to make the necessary investment in a tow vehicle, that is high powered, and gets pretty bad fuel mileage.
• Be ready to invest in the appropriate towing equipment and accessories for your pickup truck, as these alone can run well over a thousand dollars.
• The Fifth-Wheel camper, like the Tag-Along trailer, can be a sparce small camper, or it can be a 38-foot monster with six slide-out room extensions, and be loaded with luxury options.

The Fifth-Wheel, or "Fiver" is great way to camp and enjoy yourself with worrying about seasons, weather, or other restrictions that concern the Tent Camper and Pop-Up Camper.

It is a good way to get the comforts and Luxuries you want with a relatively reasonable price.

The Class-C camper is a camper body that has been designed to fit onto a standard truck chassis. It has it's own drive train, and is self-contained.

They are popular because they have the luxuries of a Tag-Along or Fifth-Wheel camper, and they have their own drive train.. THis allows the camper to sit in their camper and drive it to their campsite, and not have an extra vehicle with a hitch system.

And, because the chassis and drive trains of these campers are standard truck manufacturers systems, they are easy to get serviced and repaired.

Some of the things you need to know before you purhase one of these Class-C campers, are;

• Do your research on brands, models, and accessories, as well as the re-sale values of used units.
• Who is going to use the Class-C camper. will it be just you and your spouse, or are you going to be camping with several children and/or friends when you camp.
• Generally speaking, because they are on a truck chassis, they will ride rough, like a truck, and have a lot of engine noise in the cabin.
• The drive and passenger seats are at te comfort level of a trucks, and not very luxurious.
• They do not get very good fuel mileage.
• They will have the same comforts, luxuries and accessories available as those of a Fifth Wheel camper.
• The larger Class-C campers can be underpowered for the load they carry, so know your engines and transmissions.

Overall the Class-C camper is a great alternative for many couples and small families. It is very popular, and you can get a lot for your dollar, if you shop wisely.

The Class-B camper is one that is very hard to define today.

Originally, the Class-B camper was a van that was modified to provide sleeping accomadations, along with some other basic amenities for the traveler who wanted to save money on hotel/motel bills and camp as they traveled.

Today, you will not only see the classic simple, modified Van design, but you will see Class-B+ campers that actually resemble Class-C campers.  Some are small, while some can approach 30-feet long.

The warnings here are similar to those for a Class-C camper, with the additional provision that you know what you really, really want before you get pushed into purchasing one of these units.  They are not the most popular type of camper to have, and often you can take asignificant hit at re-sale time, because of this.

The Class-A motorhome is the high end of campers.

These are designed with the campers comforts in mind at every corner. They not only cost more, generally speaking that any of the other types of campers, but they also are the most luxurious.

Some things to know before you invest in one of these babies are;

• Do your research on brands, models, and accessories, as well as the re-sale values of used units.
• Who is going to use the Class-A camper. will it be just you and your spouse, or are you going to be camping with several children and/or friends when you camp.
• How often will you be going out to camp, what is the average distance you will drive, and how long will you camp when you go out.
• The Class-A can be either gas or Diesel powered, and the drive-trains are invariable designed to carry the load of the camper, along with you and your "stuff"
• The Class-A has a significant amount of under-chassis storage space in lockable compartments.
• They have significant; fresh water, black water, gray water and propane storage for your comfort.
• They have a roomy driving area with very comfortable and adjustable driver and passenger seats
• They have good vented air conditioning and heating systems.
• They have large bedrooms, with Queen or even King sized beds.
• They have roomy showers and toilet rooms.
• They have larger kitchen areas with a larger Fridge, microwave, stove, and sink as well as counter-top.
• With the multiple slide-out room extensions on the newer units, you end up with quite large living areas and bedrooms.

You just need to know that they are the most expensive option for the camper, but they are the most luxurious option. And if you look at the age of most of the Class-A RVer, it becomes obvious that they are the easiest to set up and shut down at camp sites.

One popular camper variant is the Toy Hauler. It is a camper trailer or fifth wheel with the rear section designed for your motorcycle or even your car.

Water:

Regardless of the type of Camping you are interested in, one of the key items you will need is Water. So, always make sure that you have at least one gallon of good drinking water for consumption by each camper in your party per day that you will be camping. All of that other stuff is nice, but everyone needs good fresh water.

Food:

With Food, you have a lot more leeway in your selection, and are only limited by you are willing to pack and carry. The Back-Packer, of course can only carry so much, and this drives them to a higher evel of planning with their food pans, but once you get to the larger campers and MotorHomes, with their Refrigerators, Coolers, and ample storage areas, let your creative mind free to allow you to eat whatever you desire.

Hopefully, this basic information will help you in your decision process, if you are considering getting into Camping. I have listed the major categories of RVs here, and there are more and more variants becoming available each year.

In Summary:

It comes down to your how you answer these questions; What do YOU enjoy doing when you camp. What do YOU want to spend to camp. How often do YOU want to camp.

Answer these and you can make the appropriate decisions to have a lot of years of fun camping.

Good Luck!

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Copyright © DonBobbitt® 2009 - All Rights Reserved

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