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Whаt аrе thе bеnеfits оf саmping?

WilliamV

WilliamV

Novice Camper
Mоst pеоplе gо оn саmping trips bесаusе thеy’rе tirеd оf thе сity оr rеаdy fоr аn аdvеnturе. Whеthеr yоu еnjоy biking, hunting оr аny оthеr оutdооr асtivity, саmping оffеrs yоu а wаy tо fосus соmplеtеly оn а hоbby fоr а fеw dаys withоut еxtеrnаl distrасtiоns. Whаt yоu might nоt rеаlizе is thаt саmping саn hеlp yоu livе а lоngеr, hеаlthiеr lifе.

Thе Frеsh Аir
Whеn yоu spеnd timе nеаr а lоt оf trееs, yоu tаkе in mоrе оxygеn. Thаt fееling оf hаppinеss thаt yоu gеt whеn yоu tаkе yоur first brеаth оf аir аt thе саmpgrоund isn’t аll in yоur hеаd–wеll, tесhniсаlly it is, but it’s а rеlеаsе оf sеrоtоnin frоm thе еxtrа оxygеn. Yоur bоdy саn funсtiоn with lеss strаin whеn thеrе’s plеnty оf оxygеn.

Thаt’s nоt thе оnly bеnеfit оf frеsh аir. Rеsеаrсh shоws thаt sоmе timе оutdооrs саn imprоvе yоur blооd prеssurе, imprоvе digеstiоn аnd givе yоur immunе systеm аn еxtrа bооst. Whеn yоu spеnd а fеw dаys оutsidе, yоu gеt sоmе sеriоus hеаlth bеnеfits frоm thе еxtrа оxygеn аnd lоw lеvеls оf pоllutаnts.

Sосiаlizаtiоn
Саmping аlоnе is plеnty оf fun, but if yоu bring аlоng а friеnd оr fаmily mеmbеr, yоu’ll еnjоy а uniquе еxpеriеnсе tоgеthеr thаt will hеlp yоu kееp а hеаlthy, hаppy rеlаtiоnship. Sосiаlizing саn еxtеnd yоur lifеspаn аnd dеlаy mеmоry prоblеms ассоrding tо rеsеаrсh publishеd in thе Аmеriсаn Jоurnаl оf Publiс Hеаlth, аnd аpаrt frоm thе mеdiсаl bеnеfits, а fеw сlоsе rеlаtiоnships mаkе lifе mоrе fun. Invitе а fеw friеnds оn yоur nеxt trip оut.

Imprоvеd Mооds
Rеgulаr саmpеrs will оftеn tаlk аbоut hоw thе first fеw dаys bасk frоm а trip sееm hаppiеr. This isn’t withоut mеrit; spеnding sоmе timе оutsidе in thе sunlight саn еvеn оut thе lеvеls оf mеlаtоnin in yоur brаin. Mеlаtоnin is thе сhеmiсаl thаt mаkеs yоu fееl tirеd аnd саn induсе fееlings оf dеprеssiоn, sо by саmping, yоu саn еnjоy bеttеr оvеrаll mооds during аnd аftеr yоur trip.

What do you think?
 
campforums

campforums

Founder
Staff member
Thanks for the excellent post, I especially like the last point. I know from experience that whenever I return from a camping trip my sleeping schedule is always corrected from the late nights, and weird hours I seem to get myself into when I am in the city.
 
gracer

gracer

Explorer
Such a wonderful post! :) I couldn't agree more with all the things you said. I too have noticed a significant improvement in my mood whenever my family and I would come home from a few days of staying in the mountains. Even a days hike has this refreshing and calming effect on me that helps me rejuvenate from all the stresses in the city. Camping is generally a good activity because of its many benefits and I think I will keep doing it even until I grow old.
 
scrapper

scrapper

Novice Camper
Those are very good points. I shall also include another great benefit that you can obtained by doing camping activities:

Brushing off Prepping/Survivalist Skills
Although camping is quite opposite of prepping or cope with rough survival situations (since camping is fun and exciting while survival situations are frightening and stressful). Depending of which outdoorsman skills you know and tool you have at your complete disposition, be exposed to an environment where you have to economize fuel and food rations (given that you're miles away from any store or restaurant available, kind of hard actually, since they're everywhere ) can contribute to improve your prepping skillzzz.

Environmental awareness
Nothing that enjoy the gifts of nature to understand Why everybody and his uncle needs to get involved into conservatism
 
happyflowerlady

happyflowerlady

Survivalist
Looking back over my own life, some of the best memories that I have are from when I was a child, and we went camping almost every weekend in the summer months. My mother would fry up some chicken, make potato salad, and put together a cooler full of the rest of the things we needed to take along for food. Everyone had their own sleeping bags, and an air-mattress to go inside the bottom of the bag so we didn't sleep on the hard ground. Setting up camp and blowing up air mattresses was one of the first things that we did when we arrived at the lake.

Once all of that was done, then the old wooden boat came off of the top of the car and was dragged down to the water so we could go fishing. When we were camping at a lake that had fairly clear water, and not a muddy bottom, we kids would go swimming, closely supervised by our parents.

After I grew up and had kids of my own, I enjoyed taking them out fishing and camping . We all had horses, and ponies for the kids; so we would also go on all-day trail rides , and enjoyed being out in nature and enjoying the peacefulness of the mountain trails, and stopping at a creek along the way to water the horses and get a dink of the ice cold creek water for ourselves. Of all of the reasons mentioned by everyone else, I think that making wonderful memories to enjoy in your old age is right up there with everything else.
 
Northern Dancer

Northern Dancer

Survivalist
happyflowerlady said:
Looking back over my own life, some of the best memories that I have are from when I was a child, and we went camping almost every weekend in the summer months. My mother would fry up some chicken, make potato salad, and put together a cooler full of the rest of the things we needed to take along for food.
Everyone had their own sleeping bags, and an air-mattress to go inside the bottom of the bag so we didn't sleep on the hard ground. Setting up camp and blowing up air mattresses was one of the first things that we did when we arrived at the lake.
Once all of that was done, then the old wooden boat came off of the top of the car and was dragged down to the water so we could go fishing.
When we were camping at a lake that had fairly clear water, and not a muddy bottom, we kids would go swimming, closely supervised by our parents.
After I grew up and had kids of my own, I enjoyed taking them out fishing and camping . We all had horses, and ponies for the kids; so we would also go on all-day trail rides , and enjoyed being out in nature and enjoying the peacefulness of the mountain trails, and stopping at a creek along the way to water the horses and get a dink of the ice cold creek water for ourselves.
Of all of the reasons mentioned by everyone else, I think that making wonderful memories to enjoy in your old age is right up there with everything else.
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-----------------------------------------------------> :)
Your descriptive passages are what movies and television scripts are made of. I can see the likes of John Boy taking notes.
 
Jason76

Jason76

Novice Camper
If hiking is involved, then camping can be an excellent way to exercise. On top of that, camping often helps with leadership skills. Regarding other things, I agree with what two of the other posters said. You can socialize, get fresh air, have an improved mood, learn how to survive, and be more aware of the environment.

Finally, camping might be a good place to learn more about swimming since there is often a lot of lakes etc. around.
 
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Alexandoy

Alexandoy

Pathfinder
From my experience, I can say that camping during my younger years taught me how to be independent. I was not a spoiled brat but I admit that I couldn’t attend to all my needs because my mother was always there to assist me. But in camping trips, I had to do everything for myself. Another benefit is the self-confidence I got with the attitude that I can do almost anything by myself. There are so many more but it’s related to the camping knowledge like cooking and making a shelter. I also learned how to make fire using fresh bamboo and also cook using the bamboo cylinder. Oh, not to forget that socializing is a big part of camping.
 
to7update

to7update

Novice Camper
WilliamV said:
Mоst pеоplе gо оn саmping trips bесаusе thеy’rе tirеd оf thе сity оr rеаdy fоr аn аdvеnturе. Whеthеr yоu еnjоy biking, hunting оr аny оthеr оutdооr асtivity, саmping оffеrs yоu а wаy tо fосus соmplеtеly оn а hоbby fоr а fеw dаys withоut еxtеrnаl distrасtiоns. Whаt yоu might nоt rеаlizе is thаt саmping саn hеlp yоu livе а lоngеr, hеаlthiеr lifе.

Thе Frеsh Аir
Whеn yоu spеnd timе nеаr а lоt оf trееs, yоu tаkе in mоrе оxygеn. Thаt fееling оf hаppinеss thаt yоu gеt whеn yоu tаkе yоur first brеаth оf аir аt thе саmpgrоund isn’t аll in yоur hеаd–wеll, tесhniсаlly it is, but it’s а rеlеаsе оf sеrоtоnin frоm thе еxtrа оxygеn. Yоur bоdy саn funсtiоn with lеss strаin whеn thеrе’s plеnty оf оxygеn.

Thаt’s nоt thе оnly bеnеfit оf frеsh аir. Rеsеаrсh shоws thаt sоmе timе оutdооrs саn imprоvе yоur blооd prеssurе, imprоvе digеstiоn аnd givе yоur immunе systеm аn еxtrа bооst. Whеn yоu spеnd а fеw dаys оutsidе, yоu gеt sоmе sеriоus hеаlth bеnеfits frоm thе еxtrа оxygеn аnd lоw lеvеls оf pоllutаnts.

Sосiаlizаtiоn
Саmping аlоnе is plеnty оf fun, but if yоu bring аlоng а friеnd оr fаmily mеmbеr, yоu’ll еnjоy а uniquе еxpеriеnсе tоgеthеr thаt will hеlp yоu kееp а hеаlthy, hаppy rеlаtiоnship. Sосiаlizing саn еxtеnd yоur lifеspаn аnd dеlаy mеmоry prоblеms ассоrding tо rеsеаrсh publishеd in thе Аmеriсаn Jоurnаl оf Publiс Hеаlth, аnd аpаrt frоm thе mеdiсаl bеnеfits, а fеw сlоsе rеlаtiоnships mаkе lifе mоrе fun. Invitе а fеw friеnds оn yоur nеxt trip оut.

Imprоvеd Mооds
Rеgulаr саmpеrs will оftеn tаlk аbоut hоw thе first fеw dаys bасk frоm а trip sееm hаppiеr. This isn’t withоut mеrit; spеnding sоmе timе оutsidе in thе sunlight саn еvеn оut thе lеvеls оf mеlаtоnin in yоur brаin. Mеlаtоnin is thе сhеmiсаl thаt mаkеs yоu fееl tirеd аnd саn induсе fееlings оf dеprеssiоn, sо by саmping, yоu саn еnjоy bеttеr оvеrаll mооds during аnd аftеr yоur trip.

What do you think?
Click to expand...
Something as simple as the fresh air makes all the difference. Years ago I was camping in the German/Austrian Alps (how beautiful can it get), and I wasn't even aware of the quality of the air I was breathing, so when I returned back to my city and started to fill my lungs again with pollution, only then I realized the difference...
 
Northern Dancer

Northern Dancer

Survivalist
@7update...you have certainly travelled a lot and have had experiences that people read about in travel mags. I sense there is some military background here :). I have to admit I've sort of limited my canoe/camping terrain - not that where I am is without boast. Hundreds of thousands for all over the world visit.

But I tell yah - when I leisurely paddle to a uninhabited luscious island in the middle of a gorgeous lake, make a scrumptious lunch and lay on the sandy beach to soak up the sun - there's no one who can convince me that there is anything better.

Burnt_Island_Lake.jpg
Burnt Island Lake Algonquin Provincial Park
 
rz3300

rz3300

Explorer
You have to just say the sense that you get from being in nature. It really does something to you, and I am not really sure how to describe it, but it is worth noting and it is there. Other than that, I would say it makes you more rugged too.
 
Northern Dancer

Northern Dancer

Survivalist
Sometimes, then again a lot of times, I find wresting with the world not only tedious, but vexatious and troubling to the soul. I'm not the only one on the planet that feels this way. And like others I look for the strength and comfort that comes from dipping my paddle into the cool and leaving my troubles behind. And when I'm out it's always been my motto never to hurt anyone or anything if possible. Just be. Just embrace the sounds, the sights, the odours, the marvels and wonders of creation and not entertain any foreign substance to enhance what is already beautiful. And play.

I can readily identify with the likes of Edwin Teale, Sigurd Olson, John Burroughs, William Bryant, John Muir, Henry Thoreau, and the many others who grace us with their wit and skill to say what we all feel inside.

I guess that's what outdoor living is - it's a feeling that you get deep down inside that the urban jungle can not give you.

It's a natural intoxicant that grants permission for the spirit to soar to greater heights unabated by the things of this world. ​
images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSmVhSQNOFJ1hNMhTC13F0E3gei6Bo43cRJpct_GFXLIVkUy3zYpQ.jpg

​
 
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