Why Should You Begin Camping, RVing, and/or OHVing?

I recall a philosophy final exam with only one question:  WHY?  One of the acceptable answers that got high marks, was "Why not?".  Indeed, that might be an appropriate answer the the question "Why Should You Begin Camping, RVing, and/or OHVing?".

The biggest reason to start camping, RVing and/or OHVing is: IT IS FUN! There are many associated activities that are enjoyable and even educational, but the main thing is that going camping, RVing, and OHVing is just plain fun. All are an escape from our everyday lives and a chance to do something different, a potentially productive diversion that is badly needed in our hectic modern lives. They all offer great opportunities for quality time with our families and for developing long-lasting friendships. Camping gives us a tiny insight into how our pioneer ancestors might have lived along with a chance to practice and develop fundamental skills that may serve us well in case of a major natural or man-made disaster at home. Most camping, RV, and OHV activities also provide good physical exercise beyond our normal routine of pushing the buttons on the remote! If anyone tries to tell you riding a dirt bike, jet ski, snowmobile, or ATV isn't exercise, let them try it! I am often amused by folks who choose golfing for the exercise, then rent electric golf carts to haul their sagging bodies around the course. Riding a dirt bike or an ATV on rustic trails is a far cry from cruising the groomed paths of a golf course on the cushy seat of an electric golf cart.  Supercross, which is a stylized form of dirt biking, is said to be THE most physically demanding sport in the world!  Don't believe me?  Just try it!  If you don't get a good workout,  you're not doing it right!

Practice survival techniques. Camping and RVing are great ways to practice survival techniques that may be useful in case of a major disaster. A major disaster is likely to overwhelm local emergency services and you could be entirely on your own for a couple of weeks or more. No fire department, no police, no ambulance, no hospital, no grocery stores, no utilities, no operating gas stations. If you have good camping skills and/or know how to use your RV and are properly prepared, you will be able to take care of the needs of you and your family until normal services are restored. Think about what skills and equipment you would need to survive if your house were knocked down by an earthquake or destroyed by fire, wind, riots, or flood.

Educational opportunities -- teaching moments. Camping, RVing, and OHVing offer ways to teach many lessons to our kids and grandkids. Basic skills such as fire building or setting up an emergency shelter are usually a routine part of camping. Being out away from our homes also provides a setting for learning and teaching about the environment, including plants and animals, weather, and astronomy. RVing and OHVing can help kids learn responsibility and valuable mechanical skills as they help prepare for, conduct, and cleanup after outings. OHV activities can also boost kids' personal self esteem and at the same time teach teamwork and cooperation.

Having fun. I can't tell YOU how to have fun. I can only tell you what is fun for me and my family. You have to find out for yourself what is fun for you. We like dirt biking and the camping in our RV that goes with it. That includes riding, campfires, singalongs, pot-luck dinners, swapping tall-tales, and assisting our fellow riders. Sometimes it includes skeet shooting, horseshoes or tossing around a frisbee or football. Even mealtime should be fun. We try to have food we like that can be easily prepared at camp and usually bring along special treats according to the season. Hot chocolate and cookies for cold weather, snow-cones for desert summers. Impromptu pot-luck dinners with fellow campers are lots of fun. You may want to select a "signature" treat to share with your companions. A lady in our Desert Rat dirt bike group shared a great chili and cream cheese dip and corn chips. Another fellow camper likes to whip my elegant hors d'oeuvres like bacon-wrapped, stuffed jalepenos. The hot dip was particularly easy and so very welcome on chilly (pun intended) evenings in the desert. Snowcones and a special "Cucumber punch" were among our favorite contributions to our summer Desert Rat trips.

Why? Because it is fun!