After an initial, one time investment of about $200 in tents (we have two, a small one we used for storage and a big one that could sleep four), sleeping bags, air mattresses, and a small gas grill, camping provides huge cost savings in vacation room and board. For example, on this vacation, everything we did, saw, and bought was more than paid for by our savings on room and board. Our campsites cost about $20 a night while the most inexpensive rooms are $45-50. Our meal costs were the same as eating at home (i.e., we saved about $30-40 on meals per day). Our food and drink (from our grill or cooler) were varied and included: scrambled tofu, pasta dishes (Italian, Thai, and Oriental), veggie burgers, a variety of boiled vegetables (potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli), soy drink, juices, sandwiches, and fruits (apples, pears, oranges, kiwi, mangoes, bananas).

There is some time and energy overhead in setting up and taking down a campsite and in cleaning up after returning home; but staying in our own, familiar tents helps us feel more "at home" then a hotel room. Cooking and cleaning takes time but probably less than eating out. While on vacation we often have difficulty (and spend a lot of time) finding restaurants that serve vegetarian food and even when we find them, we still have to drive there then spend time waiting to be served.

Camping puts us closer to nature. We more closely follow the rhythms of the day; going to sleep not long after the sun sets and waking up as it rises enabling an earlier start on our vacation days after a longer sleep. We enjoy seeing and listening to the sounds of nature and wildlife as a change from watching TV; though spending more time in the company of mosquitoes or ticks (there were none of the latter on this vacation) is a drawback. The other drawback, as noted above, can be the weather. Since our tent is not a rugged one, if it is pitched in an open place we will want to be attentive to weather forecasts and have a backup residency plan.
 

© 1999 frantzs@geocities.com