Weekend Camping & Wealth

I recently visited a campsite on Strawberry Reservoir in Utah with my family on a weekend getaway. Being a new (earlier this year) RV owner I initially was excited to see other RVs in the vicinity, but upon going for my morning run the next day I realized that RVs and the trucks pulling them comprised the vast majority of campers in all of the nearby campsites.

But there was more. Many of the sites had RVs, golf carts, sport side-by-sides, and the like parked there with a little sign that said something like, “Reserved through 15 September” (I saw these in July). It became clear to me that many people adopted the practice of securing long-term reservations and visiting their campsite when they had time over the summer in a similar fashion to how they would escape to a second home or a time-share condominium. Purchasing an RV and parking it at a campsite under a long term reservation is probably more economical than purchasing waterfront summer homes.

Justin Farrell in his recent book, “Billionaire Wilderness,” quotes one affluent individual as saying, “Nature is good for the soul. It brings much-needed healing to us [affluent] people, who live such stressful lives and work so hard. We desperately need the healing touch of nature.”

I certainly didn't notice it when I was young but believe that I now recognize a version of the above-mentioned healing. Time spent in the outdoors recharges me, I long for it and cherish it. I've been learning to take pictures so I can both enjoy the views for longer than a fleeting moment as well as share the beauty with others, I truly appreciate the great photographers who have done the same for me.

My question then becomes: Is there a significant rise in the time that the affluent spend in the outdoors that is affecting the ability of the non-affluent weekend warrior to enjoy nature's recharging characteristics? If the majority of campsites are reserved for a prolonged period of time then there will certainly be limits on how many ad-hoc campers will be able to take advantage of exceptional outdoor spaces. My hope is that the weekend warriors are not forgotten and camping spaces are managed in a way that enables maximum enjoyment by all, not just the ones that have buckets of money. I was lucky that weekend, by the way, to get in a site. The only reason we did was because of another party's cancellation.

Is this what camping now looks like? If it takes a $50k+ truck and a $60k trailer to play this game, the camping demographic is greatly changed from when the author was a kid.

The outdoors is an amazing place and everyone should be able to enjoy the benefits found there. With technological improvements and the expansion of cities and roads, we're seeing more and more people doing more and more activities in the outdoors. This increase is certainly going to demand more from those who manage outdoor access. I hope in years to come it's done in a make sense manner that provides equitable opportunities and preserves the world's natural resources.