Some of the best thing to do in life is to go camping. Camping is the best way to connect with nature and the surrounding wildlife. Camping will give you the chance of exploring some breathtaking scenery that the city life can’t provide.
Camping can be comfortable too it all depends on how well you pack and what you bring along the trip.
There are multiple ways to camp, from beginners all the way to advance. You might wonder what types of camping there are. Well, here is a list of the different types of camping and it all depends on what you want to do and what you are comfortable with.
What are the types of camping?
Tent camping
- This is the most basic type of camping and everyone can do even little kids. You just have to pack some essential camping gear, most importantly the tent and some food, and you are ready to go. Once you reach your camping spot, it could be at the beach, in the woods, or at a campsite, you just have to pitch up the tent and stay out there for one or more nights.
- This type of camping is great for families with kids. Kids can experience the outdoors, learn about wildlife, and how to camp. The whole family could work together and set up the tent and other jobs around the camp area. It’s a great way for a family to bond too, talk about life, and anything around the campfire.
- The best area to set up a tent is on flat ground and away from rocks and away from areas where water can be collected when it rains.
- When tent camping you have to prep the food and eat it outside. A tip about cooking outside, clean and chop all vegetables and pack it in zip lock bags beforehand. This will help with the cooking process. Once you are done with cooking and eating you must dispose of any waste properly and secure any leftovers and containers with food. You have to do this so that animals can’t get into your foods and leftovers.
RV or Van Camping
- Depends on the size of the RV, it’s like having your house on wheels when you are camping. Some may say that RV camping isn’t real camping since you are not really sleeping with nature. The downside of RV camping is that you will have a harder time finding spots to park the RV.
- Van camping is almost the same thing as RV camping but very limited spacing. Some people would convert their vans into full-time house. The good thing about van camping is that you could park in spots for like normal cars without knowing or bothering other people.
- Some people would live in their RV or van full time, which means they don’t live in a house at all. This would consider RV living and van life.
Backpacking
- Backpacking would be considered as an intermediate to advance campers, not really suitable for kids and beginners.
- Backpacking is when you carry all of your gears and equipment on your back with a backpack. While you carry all that you would hike through nature. This type of camping can last from one night to a couple of months.
- For this type of camping, you will need to let someone know back home about your plans and when you are supposed to return. Just in case of emergencies and you don’t return that person could contact authorities to start a search and rescue mission to find you.
- Since you are carrying everything on your back you will have to plan everything carefully which means you will have to take into consideration the weight of the materials and what kind of food to bring. You will have to use ultralight gears and eat dry out food for this type of camping.
- One of the most famous trails for backpacking is the Appalachian Trail, which is 2200 miles long. It will take around five months to walk the whole trail.
Survival Camping
- This type of camping is only for the most advance and extremely skilled campers. This is the “Bear Grylls” type of camping where you will need to know all the vegetation like wild mushrooms that you can eat. This is the ultimate test of survival in the wild.
- The point of this type of camping is to be self-sufficient of a period of time, test yourself if anything were to happen that you could still survive off-grid.
- In this type of camping, you can only hunt and gather your food supplies in the wild. You can fish, trap wild animals, and gather edible plants, nuts, and berries.
- Depends on where you want to do your survival camping, you can run into dangerous animals like bears. You have to carry some type of protection like bear spray.
Car Camping
- Most people think that you need fancy and expensive gear to camp but you don’t really need it. Some people just camp from their car. Some people take all the back seat out, some you can fold them down. Once you get rid of the back seat, you just need to lay down some sleeping pad for cushioning and you got yourself a bed.
- If you are on a budget this style of camping might fit you, granted it’s not the most glamorous, but it’s simple and you may be able to get away with this style of camping within the city.
- You can try this style of camping before moving onto the van camping style.
Primitive Camping
- This type of camping is very similar to backpacking. The difference is that you have to make camping reservations. It’s a bit safer than backpacking because of the reservation, authorities can come to check up on you if you don’t check out, plus they would know the area that you are supposed to be in.
- Some of the things you have to prepare for is shelter, food, water, and first aid kit.
Glamping
- This type of camping is when you combine camping and luxuries of a home or hotel. That means you can do all the camping stuff like hiking, hunting, and gathering then you come back to a roof over your head,
- Some options that are consider glamping would be villas, cabins, lodges, tipis, and treehouses.
Kayak/Canoe Camping
- This type of camping can allow campers to reach places that aren’t accessible to hikers on foot or vehicles. You can deeper into the wilderness faster than going on foot.
- You don’t have to carry everything on your back, so weight isn’t really a concern.
- These types of trips are best with two or more people just in case, but you can also do a solo trip. It’s a bit more dangerous on a solo trip because you run a risk of the kayak or canoe flipping and no one around to help.
Overlanding
- This way of camping is only good if you already have an off-roading vehicle because this is a mix of camping and off-roading. If you don’t have an off-roading vehicle then it will cost a lot to do this type of camping.
- People tend to go to remote areas for this type of camping and they could spend a longer period in the wilderness from days to weeks even months or years.
Rooftop Camping
- This is camping on top of your vehicle. People call it rooftop tent, pop up, or car top tent.
- It has a couple of benefits of camping on top of the car, like no bugs can crawl into the tent, the bottom of the tent won’t get dirty. If it’s raining the bottom of the tent won’t be in a puddle of water.
- Some people would do this on their overlanding vehicle.
Winter Camping
- This is for the intermediate to advance campers. You should only use gears that are suitable for the harsh winter.
- Not a lot of people are willing to do this so you will be very isolated.
- You should look up the weather beforehand because you do not want to be caught in a snowstorm while doing this type of camping.
Bicycle Camping
- This type of camping is for people who want to leave a minimal environmental impact, the bike will help the camper explore the environment faster than by foot without leaving an environmental footprint.
- This way of camping is a camper that you tow with your bike.
- You will have to use lightweight gear because you will be towing it by a bike
Motorcycle Camping
- This style of camping is similar to bicycle camping but using a motorcycle to tow the camper.
- This method will help you travel further distances and carry more gear than the bike method.
- You can sleep in a tent or tow a travel trailer or pop up camper
Dry Camping
- This way of camping is just camping with the RV without hookups to utilities.
- Pretty much camping off-grid with the RV, you could park the RV off-grid then use a car to go nearby town to get supplies.
Workamping
- This type of camping is when you camp and work. Pretty much work online and don’t have to go into an office.
- There are many jobs that you can find to do online.
- The pros of this are that you don’t have to waste time and gas going to the office every day and money on rent. Since most people that do this live in their RV or van or car.
Adventure Camping
- This camping type is about traveling with a group to a couple of locations over a span of few days with backpacking gears.
- This type of camping is for advanced campers because you will have to hike all day until night then find a place to set up camp.
History Camping
- This type of camping is for people who like history and want to reenact that certain historical time.
- To do this you only use the gears that they would have during those times and nothing modern.
- Most people like to reenact the American Civil War, wild west, or medieval times eras.
- People who like to do history camping tend to join groups that do this type of camping because it feels more realistic.
Backyard Camping
- This type of camping is one of the safest types of camping because you are in your backyard and you could go back into the house at any time.
- Its mostly for little kids to get into camping and to have fun with their friends while being safe
Hammock Camping
- Hammock camping is great for backpacking because its lightweight and you can set it up with some trees, you don’t need a flat ground.
- You don’t have to worry about bugs on the ground since you will be sleeping in a hammock.
- Some hammocks offer bug net and rain covers so it’s like a tent.
Hopefully, you can experience the joy of nature through these types of camping. If you are a beginner to camping you should only do beginner level of camping. Hopefully, someday you can experience all of these different camping types because nature provides such peaceful and happy times.