Prosperous but Thrifty Vacations

This New York Times article talks about how the changing economic climate is causing people to severely restrict their vacation planing for this summer. Economic uncertainly and rising gas prices mean many people are vacationing at home this summer.

I find this ironic as our family is looking forward to a month of frequent and fun vacations for the first time in a number of years. How can we manage it? By adjusting our expectations and having a great time enjoying the simple things. We're going camping. A lot.

My husband and I both grew up camping. While my experience was more of the mountain cabin variety while he was a back country, all-weather guy, we both love being out in nature. We enjoy the quiet serenity and the domestic industry of a campsite. But while we did camp before our daughter came along, once she arrived, it seemed less feasible. I know some people take their tiny babies and toddlers camping with them, but that just didn't work for us in terms of her needs and personality. It wouldn't have been fun. During these years we never seemed to take any other kind of family vacation either. In fact, we were notoriously bad at it and the strain began to tell on us.

Lat summer was the first year our girl was old enough to camp, but we were busy moving to a new city and dealing with all that entailed. This year however, we resolved to make it happen no matter what. The surrounding wilderness offered up a bevy of tempting choices, even within the parameters of the car camping set (when you have to bring stuffed animals, you're not ready for the back country).

In terms of financial implications, we did spend money getting the gear we lacked after all this time. Tents, sleeping bags, cooking gear and the like can add up. But we decided to make the commitment and get the things we'd need -- knowing that they'd last and pay for themselves over and over. Fortunately we did have a tent and sleeping bags, but needed a few significant things including a carrier for our vehicle. Our dog takes up the entire back so if we wanted to take him -- and we do, have you seen the price of doggy daycare? -- we needed someplace else to carry gear.

Still, we spent far, far less than what even just a weekend for three in the city or a resort would have cost. Camping fees are small (and smaller still if you do go into the wild country) and we're lucky enough to have remote areas that are only a short drive away (90 minutes).

In terms of living a prosperous life, we also know from our first weekend out that we were wrong to have waited so long. We sorely missed being out under the stars and in the wild and were quickly reminded how much this type of vacation can restore and refresh the body, mind, and spirit. So while camping does cost more than staying home (particularly in terms of startup costs), for us it's worth it as part of living a prosperous life. We don't need four-star hotels, gourmet meals, and expensive shows and events to have a great vacation. But we do need a vacation. We desperately needed a break away from the everyday and a respite from our busy lives.

Camping is also one of those good investments that grows more economical and thrifty over time. Once the equipment costs has been amortized over enough trips out, you can actually spend less camping than during a bored weekend at home (with all the myriad temptations for shopping and spending and driving around). In any case, taking a break away together as a family is worth any cost if you can swing it. A camping vacation just makes those costs easier to bear.

Advice for new campers:

If you have NEVER camped before, your best bet is to find someone who does camp and who's willing to take you along. Check meetup for a camping or outdoors group if you don't know anyone. Offer to supply the food and beer in exchange for going out with an experienced camper in order to learn a) whether you like camping enough to do it again and b) what kind of equipment you'll need if you do. Car camping will save you costs on equipment, as the lighter something gets the more expensive it tends to be. In addition, you can check your National Parks for cabins or yurts to rent. These are typically bare bones places without power or running water, but can be more comfortable than a tent, particularly if the weather is rough.

If you've camped, but it's been a while, find a campsite with a lot of amenities (showers, toilets, and a store are some) in order to ease the transition. Then borrow the equipment you need from a camping friend. If it's not quite what you needed you at least didn't spend any money on it.

And finally, if you have kids bring them stuff to do. We have a game box that includes an old backgammon set (which doubles as the box), a checker board, deck of cards and extra dice and scorecards for yahtzee.