INA WO(A)NDERS: About Camping
"Ina is going camping with you, it's sure to be great!" When my mother announced this happy news to my nephew last summer, I flinched involuntarily. As an adventure aunt who alternates between living in a van and on a sailboat, I had obviously raised expectations in my family that urgently needed a reality check. The last time I had slept in a tent was a long time ago. Memories of a hippie festival in the Hunsrück region popped up. I was 18, and back then we used our tent for all sorts of things, but not for sleeping. It wasn't camping—but it's amazing how easy it was to put it aside back then. But that was almost 20 years ago. Still, looking into my nephew's shining eyes made me soften—and I didn't want to ruin my reputation as an adventure aunt. So we would go camping. The classic way: with a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, and mixed feelings.
Camping: affordable proximity to nature
Camping used to be primarily a cheap vacation option, but today there are a wide variety of options for every budget and every comfort need. Whether in a luxury motorhome or a camper van with an improvised mattress, whether glamorous glamping in a Bedouin tent or amidst the elements directly under the stars: camping is trendy. But why? Many rave about the proximity to nature. And indeed: nature is good for us. Just the sight of it has been proven to lower the anxiety and stress hormone cortisol in our bodies. But for some, cortisol levels rise again at the thought of mosquito infestations, dead batteries, creepy crawlies in the tent, and impromptu trips to the toilet. Why do we do this to ourselves?
In the tent with Maslow's hierarchy of needs
When I finally lay in the tent next to my nephew that evening, I couldn't fall asleep for hours. It was a good opportunity to reflect on the camping hype. I dug out the hierarchy of needs of the American psychologist Abraham Maslow from my memory. At the very bottom are physiological needs like water, food, and sleep. Okay, things weren't going so well with sleep at the moment, but otherwise we were well looked after thanks to Mom's generous food package. On the second level are safety needs. I thought skeptically about the seven pegs that anchored our tent to the ground on the bank of the stream and the thin tarpaulin that was supposed to protect us from wind and weather. Level three: social needs. Smiling, I glanced at my slumbering nephew. And that catapulted me up another level – because, of course, I hoped to win his recognition and appreciation through our tent endeavor. The top of the pyramid: self-actualization. But that thought didn't click with me at all. And maybe that's exactly the point of camping.
When camping we celebrate our basic needs
Maslow claimed that we climb the hierarchy of needs from the bottom up. Only when our basic needs are met do needs at the next higher level become important. When camping, however, we spend a lot of time on basic activities. We lug water from point A to point B, painstakingly prepare food, and consider how to store our supplies so they don't spoil in the heat or get infiltrated by creepy crawlies. Choosing the perfect tent spot can take many hours. So can the nightly struggle until you finally work up the courage to leave the safety of the tent to finally go pee. This makes us all the more satisfied when everything works reasonably well. A coffee brewed on a gas stove tastes even better than a coffee-to-go from our favorite bakery—especially if the milk has survived the night without going bad.
CAMPING: LESS STUFF, MORE FREEDOM
In a world where electricity is readily available from the socket, water flows from the tap, and the selection in the refrigerator overwhelms rather than inspires us, camping can recalibrate us. Beyond self-realization and self-optimization and the drive for social recognition, we can learn to celebrate the fulfillment of our basic needs instead of taking them for granted. If all goes well, a wonderful feeling of freedom arises – when we realize that we can get by just fine with less stuff and less comfort. At first, this may take a bit of overcoming. Or at least the look into expectantly shining children's eyes to make us consciously turn our backs on Maslow's theories.
Camping, glamping, or a hotel – which type are you? What was your best and worst camping holiday? Share your stories with us – in the comments or directly by email to [email protected]
Ina Hiester
Ina is a digital nomad and travels through Europe by land and sea. The journalist is always on the lookout for special places for Good Travel, philosophizes about travel in her column, takes photographs, makes music and writes articles on all kinds of environmental and sustainability topics.
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