A green blog on CAR camping?

Well, yes, I struggled with this idea as well. But the truth is, there has been a steady decline in enthusiasm for camping since the heydays of Boy Scouts and Airstreams. Should this blog be one effort to reignite an interest in camping then that's one step toward finding:

1. Alternative access to parks and forests (some larger parks do already offer limited busing systems, but not many).

2. A segue to more primitive camping and backpacking that is more public transportation-friendly.

These days when people DO go to parks they spend a peculiarly short amount of time there, usually just cruising in to look at the main attraction, then cruising right out again. When I was in Joshua Tree last year, my guide said the average stay is 15 minutes! That's barely enough time to regain oxygenation after a stint in the porta-potty.

As it stands, I want to enliven and reinvigorate peoples' interest in camping, and car camping is a more convenient way of making camping happen as well as a great way to ease novices into the stunning experience of an extended stay in the outdoor life.

Don't, though, mistake this as an endorsement of RVs or campers. Sorry, I'm a bit of a snob about this. To some extent I cringe at even seeing a car in a forest but the newest, truest eyesore is the micro-city of campers filling campsites. Strings of Christmas lights adorning fluorescent awnings, the whir of generators, the hum of TV s, all of this is antithetical to the pared down, humbling experience of roughing it en plein air. Let alone the fact that I see these RV enthusiasts very rarely leaving the comfort of their propane-heated movable living rooms, I have to wonder to myself why they’re even there at all.

In any case, once you get to the campsite I encourage you to walk, run, stroll, hike, bike, and swim, but leave the car alone until you leave the park for good.

Oh, and here's a great source for keep your car well-maintained and as efficient as possible.

Righty, then.




P.S. I'm not saying you should actually sleep IN the car, but you can...