Camping is a lot of fun for the entire family but have you considered trying your hand at primitive camping? In general, primitive camping usually includes camping without piped drinking water, electricity, land-line phone or cable service, and no flush toilet or shower.
If you’re thinking “I’m out of here,” you might want to give primitive camping a shot and here are two of the best reasons why.
1) Saves Money
These days, most people are looking for ways to save and if you can squeeze in a vacation that doesn’t cost anything but extra gas and maybe a little ice, you’ve got a winner. Primitive camping usually costs nothing for the campsite itself. There are some campgrounds that charge but it you ask around you can usually find out where the free primitive spots are.
Some primitive campgrounds are right on a river or have vault toilets and a dumpster for your garbage. I have even been to free primitive campgrounds in North Carolina that have picnic tables and grills at each campsite.
Camping at a regular campground is usually not too expensive, but if you are looking for an extended camping trip it can start to get pricey. There will be no gift shops out in primitive areas to buy extra goodies that you probably don’t even need. This is another savings. As one of the best reasons to go primitive camping, saving money is at the top of the list.
2) Away from the Hustle and Bustle
If you are like most people, you like to go camping to get out into nature and away from all the people that city dwellers face every day. Some of the more popular paid campgrounds sometimes seem as busy and as populated as the place your family just left behind.
When you choose to go on a primitive campout, you can usually camp anywhere in a U.S. National Forest, as long as it is not on private property and it is not a designated hunt camp. Although, even hunt camps are great to go primitive camping in during off season.
While primitive camping, your family can get a lot closer to nature and wildlife just by the fact that they are in raw nature with no man-made buildings surrounding them. You can also take the opportunity to teach yourself or your kids the value of catching rainwater or building a stone oven.
Having the opportunity to commune with nature in this way is so rewarding and can be a life changing experience. As one of the best reasons to go primitive camping, getting out of the hustle and bustle is something everyone needs now and then.
Sources
Personal experience
More from Teresa:
Living Off Grid: a Woman’s Journey into the Wilderness
How to Stay Warm in a Tent
Seven Great Foods to Take Camping
How to Make an Outhouse While Camping
