The benefits of camping are numerous, but we’ve compiled a list of the seven best reasons why camping is a fantastic hobby!
I was a reluctant camper.
I’ve never considered myself to be an outdoorsy person in any way, and never really had the desire to go sleep in the great outdoors.
But in recent years, I’ve changed my perspective on it and have come to love camping with my family.
As part of that transformation, I’ve realized that camping has some great benefits, both for me personally and for my family.
Here’s my list of seven of the best benefits of camping.
Cost Benefits of Camping
Vacations are expensive!
As much as I love to hop on a plane and jet off to some exotic location, it just isn’t in the budget to do that frequently.
Camping is a great way to get away on the cheap.
Renting a site at a local campground is always way less expensive than renting a hotel room.
Sites can easily be found that have access to water, electricity, and even bathrooms!
Or if you’re even more of an outdoor lover, spend even less to rent a primitive site without those amenities.
After making a small investment in some good camping gear, you can reuse it over and over again for years.
If your budget for camping gear is small, you can frequently find gently used or even brand new camping gear on Craigslist or your local Facebook Buy/Sell/Trade sites.
For a just fraction of the price of brand new equipment, you can get great gear used and save that money for other things.
Saving money is one of the best benefits of camping I can think of!
Choose Your Own Comfort Level
When most non-outdoorsy people think of camping, they think of really roughing it.
They picture long hikes up giant mountains, hauling 50 pounds of gear on your back through rough conditions.
While for the real camping enthusiast, those trips are possible, most average Joe’s don’t camp like that.
One of the best benefits of camping I’ve found is that you can camp at any comfort level you want.
Don’t want to sleep on the ground? Use a cot or an air mattress.
Don’t want to go without a toilet? Pick a site near a communal bathroom.
Not interested in sleeping in a tent? Rent an RV!
Sites like Outdoorsy.com have travel trailers and RVs for rent by owner in your local area. It’s like AirBNB for RVs!
Whether you just want space for a bed out of the elements or you want to go “glamping” with all the bells and whistles, you’ll be able to find what you’re looking for.
Don’t have a vehicle that can pull the weight of a travel trailer? No problem! For a small additional fee, most owners will deliver to campsites within a certain distance.
Camping at your own comfort level is totally possible and always fun!
Unplug and Reconnect
It is so easy to become disconnected with family these days.
With screens being so pervasive in our lives for work, school, and play, we all find ourselves longing for some time to unplug from it all.
Camping is the ideal way to get away from technology and reconnect with the people we love.
It’s so refreshing not to be constantly connected and to spend real quality time together.
There’s something about sitting in front of a campfire that really opens you up for deep, meaningful conversations.
Camping trips are a great way to spend real, focused time with your family, away from the distractions of day to day life.
Through the time we’ve spent camping, we’ve been able to connect with friends and family in fun, memorable ways.
We still quote inside jokes from memories made from those trips all the time. It’s been a wonderful way for us to stay connected with each other.
This is one of my personal favorite benefits of camping.
The Food
Cooking can be a huge chore, but it becomes fun and exciting when you’re doing it over a campfire.
We all love take out and dining at our favorite restaurants nowadays, but there’s something intrinsically enjoyable about cooking your own food over an open flame.
Gathering the whole family around the campfire to prepare a meal creates memories you’ll cherish for years to come.
You can easily keep is simple with things like hot dogs and s’mores. Or you can go all out with elaborate recipes made in specialized camping equipment.
We love making pie iron cookies over a campfire!
No matter what you do, cooking while you camp is just plain fun and is one of the best benefits of camping.
Learn New Skills
While camping may seem straightforward enough, there are a lot of skills you can develop and learn through the process of camping.
Whether it’s building a fire, putting up your tent, or cooking your food, the skills gained while camping are extremely valuable.
And camping is an especially great way to teach new skills to kids.
In addition to teaching kids about science and nature, opportunities to teach things like problem solving and logic present themselves naturally when you’re camping.
We always use our camping trips as teaching opportunities with our kids. It’s one of the best benefits of camping as a family.
Health Benefits
One of the coolest benefits of camping is that it’s good for your health.
Being outdoors in fresh air is wonderful and can improve your health in many ways.
From improving blood pressure to strengthening your immune system, fresh air has so many health benefits.
It’s also so easy to exercise without even realizing you’re doing it when you are camping.
Just hauling firewood or taking a nature walk, the opportunities for exercise are everywhere.
Peace and Quiet
It’s hard to find anywhere in our daily lives where we can get a little peace and quiet.
The older I get, the more I seem to crave stillness and calm.
For me personally, I’ve found that one of the best benefits of camping is being able to find that tranquility.
The complete lack of “hustle” or “busy-ness” has been quite restorative for me, and helps me refocus before facing the challenges of daily life again.
Being out in nature just has a way of helping you get your head on straight.
What’s your favorite benefit of camping? Tell us in the comments!
7 Benefits of Camping