10 Things That Make Camping Fun: We Asked The Community

Camping is a widespread activity nowadays. It’s fun, relaxing, and an overall great way to have a vacation on a budget, while connecting with nature. People who are not into camping often wonder what makes it so fun, so I decided to ask the community and make a post about it.

Read on to learn more about the things most campers agree make camping fun.

1. Enjoying nature

One of the most common answers to what makes camping fun is enjoying nature. Most campers actually go out camping specifically because they want to be away from the city, and enjoy their time outdoors.

In fact, in the 2022 KOA camping report((KOA, 2022 Annual North American Camping Report)), spending time outdoors is listed as the top reason why experienced campers go out camping.

While camping, you’re experiencing nature all throughout your trip. Many peoples nowadays rarely go out of the city, so camping is a great opportunity for them to enjoy the outdoors. On a camping trip, you spend your time in a remote destination, surrounded by trees and plants.

During the daytime, most of the things you see are green-colored, like trees and different kinds of plants. One of the things I miss most about living in the city is being surrounded by nature, and a camping trip, for me, is the best opportunity to experience that.

Being outdoors at night time lets you experience something you can’t in the city: seeing the stars in the skies, away from city lights. The skies you see in a remote location are very different from what you see in the city because light pollution covers most stars.

Stargazing is one of the most fun things you can do on a trip and many people actually travel specifically to do that.

While in nature you can also enjoy a breath of fresh air, away from cars and pollution from the city. Breathing feels cleaner and easier while on a trip.

2. Disconnecting from day-to-day life

We live pressure-filled lives, and a camping trip is perfect for disconnecting from your day-to-day. In that sense, a camping trip is similar to other types of vacation, where you stop what you’re doing for a short time and relax.

Some people have certain responsibilities, like kids, a pet, or some relatives they have to take care of. On many occasions, you can still go on a camping trip even if you have these responsibilities.

For example, many people take their children camping, as an experience in nature, and bring their pets as well. In some other types of vacation, that’ll be difficult, but while camping you can still disconnect from your day-to-day even if you have responsibilities.

3. Spending time with friends and family

Camping is a great opportunity to spend quality time with your friends and family, in ways you might not be able to do otherwise. You get to spend all night and day together, talk, and have fun.

Spending time with your loved ones can help solidify your relationship – you’re creating meaningful shared experiences, which would otherwise be hard to make. This can bring you together, and make you feel more secure and connected.

Your quality time can be chill and quiet, talking and relaxing, or it can be more active, filled with games and exploration. I think especially with kids, playing outdoor games together is a great way to enjoy your time.

While camping you can also have great conversations with your loved ones, so you can learn more about each other and create a deeper connection. Quality time without the pressures of life creates space for meaningful, vulnerable conversations you can’t get otherwise.

4. Time for exploration

A camping trip can be a time for exploration, where you get to know the surroundings and take short trips away from camp. You can simply go around and explore where you are while staying on trails. You can also take full-on hiking trips from the campsite, though it requires some more organization.

For me, camping is very tied with hiking, because when you hike for multiple days you need to set up camp outdoors for the night. I have the best time exploring and walking around, seeing nice views, and being outdoors.

If you’re out around a body of water, you can go out to explore it as well, and swim around. It’s very relaxing, and it’s a cool explorative experience to swim in nature.

5. Outdoor cooking

For all cooking lovers, outdoor cooking always comes up as a fun part of the camping experience. How you cook in a kitchen and outdoors are really different, and the tastes are new and exciting.

Many people cook outdoors on a campfire, where you can make all kinds of dishes, like roasting potatoes and meats, and eating roasted marshmallows. You can also make some meat and vegetable soup using a cast iron pot, which typically turns out delicious.

You can also cook outdoors using a standard camping stove. You can basically make anything you would on a normal stove using a camping stove, though it can take longer to cook. That’s OK though – you don’t have to rush cooking while camping.

On a camping trip, you can also use a grill to make great meals, roasting any vegetables and meats you might have on hand.

If you know a little bit about foraging, it’s really fun to incorporate natural plants you find around the campsite in your cooking. They can spice things up, and add flavors that will be hard to mimic at home. Only forage plants if you know what you’re doing, though, since eating the wrong plant can be dangerous – consult with an expert to learn what plants you can and can’t forage and eat.

Cooking is a really fun activity when outdoors, and you can be creative with how and what you cook, and what ingredients you take, and make great meals.

6. Seeing wildlife

If you love animals, camping is a great opportunity to see wildlife you don’t typically see. Depending on where you decide to camp, there are all kinds of animals that are around and you’ll be able to see them.

Many people, for example, your bird watching and enjoy seeing unique birds when out camping. If you like animals, and specifically birds, you can take small binoculars with you, so you can easily spot and watch them.

If you do decide to walk around on nearby trails and explore the area, you significantly increase your chances of seeing the wildlife.

Make sure to stay away from animals you might encounter outdoors. Nature is their home, and we need to preserve it and let them live. Some of them might also get aggressive when triggered, so make sure to stay away and avoid interacting with wildlife.

7. Time to relax and recharge

Camping is a great opportunity to relax and recharge, especially if you’ve been stressed out. You can take things more slowly and simply chill. The atmosphere has a lot to do with it – something about being out in nature is just relaxing.

When camping, you usually get some quiet time where you can simply relax, read a book, and enjoy a good tea or coffee. That is, of course, if you don’t have kids ????

Many people take the time to meditate when camping because it’s very relaxing, and the atmosphere makes it more fun. If you like mindfulness, you can do any exercise you want outdoors – it feels natural and fun.

8. Leaving screens behind

A lot of people want to break their phone addictions, feeling like they have too much screen time. On a camping trip, you’ll leave most of the screens you’re usually using behind.

You’re on a trip, and so you’re very likely to minimize the time you spend on your phone (of course, taking some pictures is ok).

Spending quality time with your loved ones and exploring the area doesn’t leave too much time for scrolling on Instagram. You also typically have a limited amount of phone battery, and shouldn’t waste it.

Camping in a tent in the middle of nowhere, you won’t have access to a TV and a computer, so you’re very likely to spend much less time looking at screens than usual.

By avoiding screens you actually get to experience the trip more deeply, and can later leverage the new habit to lower your screen time back home.

9. Learning outdoor skills

You can learn a lot of different outdoor skills while on a camping trip, which can help you build confidence and enjoy your time better. I sometimes like to imagine what would happen if I was stranded out in the middle of a jungle, and what survival skills I would use.

You can learn a variety of skills while camping:

Of course, there’s a lot to each of these skills, and there is a lot more you can learn.

Some of these skills are just for fun, and some can actually be useful in your day-to-day life. For example, learning how to build a fire can be applicable if you want to grill something in your backyard.

10. Creating fun memories

These kinds of trips, where you have unique experiences and spend quality time with your loved ones, are something you’ll remember. These fun memories are what bonds are together, and what we ultimately strive for.

There are a lot of things we’ve listed here you can only experience on a camping trip. So people who don’t enjoy the outdoors… Don’t really get to experience them.

To this day I still remember camping trips I went to as a child, and even more so camping trips I went to with friends in recent years. These are fun memories I’ll have forever, and I share them with the people I spent the trips with, which makes it all the better.

Conclusions

We’ve covered the main things most people like about camping, and detailed why they make camping fun. In the end, every camper has their own reason why they like camping, but we all share a love for the outdoors.

If you never took a camping trip, you should go out and do it, and find out what you like for yourself. Of course, it’s not for everyone, and you might not like it. But if you do, you’ll have a great new hobby to enjoy.