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In praise of Real Camping ------------------------- I was very happy to read Katolaz's entry[1] in ROOPHLOCH 2019[2] (just over one week left to enter if you've forgotten! I'm hoping to make my post tomorrow) with its spirited defence of Real Camping. There's a stupid saying one occasionally sees floating around the internet or printed on stupid crap that says something along the lines of: "Camping is paying a small fortune to live like a homeless person" I've always hated this saying. In part just because it's an anti-camping saying, and camping is awesome, so screw that. But more so because to some extent it rings true: if you decided to go camping for the first time ever today and you did your research and took seriously all the recommendations you read in blogs or heard from salespeople, you genuinely would end up paying a small fortune for your gear. Mainstream opinions and advice on the outdoors could very easily give you the impression that it was impossible, or at least deeply unpleasant, until the past decade or two. I'm not denying that this expensive modern gear works, or that it's smaller or lighter or warmer than simpler, older, cheaper stuff. I'm sure it does. And I acknowledge that the ultralight approach lets older or less fit people enjoy the outdoors for longer at a time or later in life than otherwise might be possible. This stuff has its place, and if you can afford it and it makes you happy, then more power to you. But I'm of the opinion that to some extent this approach misses the point, or at least misses *a* point, and an important one. So katolaz's post resonated with me quite well. It's put me in the mood for another S24O. Coincidentally enough, tomorrow is the one year anniversary of my first[3]! It seems this September is a lot colder than last year's... [1] gopher://republic.circumlunar.space:70/0/~katolaz/phlog/OT_ROOPHLOCH_camping.txt [2] gopher://zaibatsu.circumlunar.space:70/1/~solderpunk/roophloch [3] gopher://zaibatsu.circumlunar.space:70/0/~solderpunk/phlog/my-first-s24o.txt