Glamping

[Selena]

I read this article earlier this morning, and I thought about posting it here, but I didn't. But something sparked a thought in me from the "kids at faire" thread and I wanted to take something that Bonnie Strangeways just said and elaborate on it.

So here's this story... read it. It's a bit enlightening, as what it's doing is teaching the rich kids that all you have to do is pay for something and you can get even camping for no work. You get your butler and a hot tub and prepared meals.

What does this teach about nature? What does this pass along to kids?


My point of view--- yes, camping is a fucking pain in the ass. It is! And it's SUPPOSED to be. But when I was a kid, you learn to feel an accomplishment on what you have created and learned. Camping is not, never has been about the "Butler service". It's about getting away from the luxuries of most of our modern life and enjoying nature. As a kid, I hiked around Tres Rios in the New Mexico mountains for a week straight with ONLY what you could carry on your backpack and your freezdried meals, we had a canoe as well as a raft on different trips and traveled rivers across this nation and learned that thing called self accomplishment.

Yes, it was hard work... and boy, did I feel like I DID something amazing!

Is it just me, or are these kids just learning that if you have the right amount of money, you don't have to "camp". Just pay your way and everyone else will do it for you... even fishing! Where's the "accomplishment" and self worth factor? Or is it all about convenience and money these days?

And to be honest, as I get older and in worse physical shape, camping is difficult... but I still do it! I still have my tent, I sleep in the heat and the hold, I cook on a coleman stove, I have limited light, but I have the mattress that sits off the ground (so my bones don't ache for 2 weeks afterwards!) and the little comfort of a travel shower. But to me, this whole idea of "glamping" seems a bit silly and spoiled.

All this seems to me is a five star hotel room that has a canvas build instead of drywall and paint.

Thoughts??


http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...la-home-center

[Buxom Wench]

Back in the age of dinosaurs when I was a kid, my parents sent me to 'day camp' for 2 week sessions.

We learned what plants were poison, what were ok to eat or make into tea (mmm, sassafras), how to build a lean-to shelter and a plethora of other real world useful knowledge.
At the end of the 2 weeks, we had an overnight. You slept in the lean-to you built for the last 2 weeks. You cooked over a campfire, not even a Coleman stove. And you learned to help others and let others help you.
Those were some of the best times of my life.
I also spent many weeks away at Girl Scout camp. (OK, no wise cracks!)
We did many of the same things that I had done at day camp except it was a 2 week overnight instead of one night.
I learned alot and it helped in real life situations.

What Selena has posted is all about being spoiled, pampered and thinking that the "camper" is the Sun and we all revolve around them.

What do I think of this concept?
Take away the trustfunds, allowances, cars, 'toys', get a real life and grow the hell up.
Learn to be useful instead of useless.

[lavender r dragon]

OH MY GOODNESS.

slightly related:
a nephew of my uncle went to YMCA Camp Greenville (SC - beautiful place!!!) one summer and most of the kids there are rich. they were talking about what to cook on their three night/four day excursion away from main camp. one girl didn't know how to cook any of the things mentioned. so they were like "can you make scrambled eggs for breakfast one morning?" her response was "i've never made scrambled eggs - i don't even know how to start" so they asked "what about sandwiches" and her response was "I guess i could...but i've never made a sandwich"

She was FOURTEEN and had never been home alone - not even for 5minutes - there was always a butler or something home with her who would make her some food.

[Buxom Wench]

OH MY GOODNESS.

slightly related:
a nephew of my uncle went to YMCA Camp Greenville (SC - beautiful place!!!) one summer and most of the kids there are rich. they were talking about what to cook on their three night/four day excursion away from main camp. one girl didn't know how to cook any of the things mentioned. so they were like "can you make scrambled eggs for breakfast one morning?" her response was "i've never made scrambled eggs - i don't even know how to start" so they asked "what about sandwiches" and her response was "I guess i could...but i've never made a sandwich"

She was FOURTEEN and had never been home alone - not even for 5minutes - there was always a butler or something home with her who would make her some food.

That's very sad.
I always asked my kid's friends; Could you take care of yourself if you were somehow left on your own?

Most could do a few basics but it was sad to hear that some didn't know how to cook, do laundry, or even which doctor to call.
Alot of those kids came to my house to learn to cook and , unbeknownst to me, watch me do day to day domestics.

[Lady Sarah]

I had a long snarky post all ready to go for the posts and just realized that it's not worth it to put it up.

I will say that there's some hateful things in these posts. I don't like camping. I'd rather stay in a motel than camp. I guess that makes me one of the pampered people.

[Buxom Wench]

I had a long snarky post all ready to go for the posts and just realized that it's not worth it to put it up.

I will say that there's some hateful things in these posts. I don't like camping. I'd rather stay in a motel than camp. I guess that makes me one of the pampered people.

No Sarah, that doesn't make you pampered because you CHOOSE to go to a hotel. That's your preference.

What makes these kids pampered is having someone (butlers, whatever) doing all the things that go ALONG with the camping.
Anyone can sleep in a tent. It's all the work that goes with it that these kids EXPECT someone else to do for them.

I'm sure if you DID go camping, you could do it without having a butler or maid do it for you.

[Lady Sarah]

I'm sure if you DID go camping, you could do it without having a butler or maid do it for you.

Probably not. I'd rather have a my fingernails pulled out of my fingertips than go camping. The joke about 'roughing it' is calling room service? Not a joke. I wouldn't know my way around a camp site without someone having to show me where everything is and what's going on.

You're talking to the girl who went to grandmother's funeral, stepped in a mud puddle with her brand new heels and told the pastor that *this* is why she lives in the city.

[RaevynCait]

I had a long snarky post all ready to go for the posts and just realized that it's not worth it to put it up.

I will say that there's some hateful things in these posts. I don't like camping. I'd rather stay in a motel than camp. I guess that makes me one of the pampered people.

I'm right there with you on the motel thing, but I don't think that makes us particularly pampered, just selective about where we want to have a lie down. I've done the camping thing exactly twice. The first time I was a brownie scout, 1 night, it poured down rain, our tents were very old, and we woke up with them plastered to our faces. The second time we were in a camper, and that wasn't so bad, but at this point in my life, unless it's got running hot/cold water and a solid roof & walls, I'm not doing it.

People who don't teach their children the very basics, like how to prepare at least basics to feed themselves, clean their clothes, etc. are, IMHO, doing them a grave disservice. I think, that the biggest difference between me, and those spoiled kids in the article, is that if I HAD TO I could survive without anyone to do anything for me, even in a camping setting, and they couldn't even do it at home, I would suspect, much less without any of the toys they are accustomed to.

[sslider66]

Many moons ago, I was running the kitchen in a bakery/sandwich shop and it totally floored me when I would get people that didn't even know how to de-bone a chicken. And forget asking them to mix the meatloaf! They seriously would not put their hands in the meat. Needless to say, those kids didn't stay in my kitchen very long!

I'm not a "the world is gonna end tomorrow" person, BUT if something seriously bad happens, I want my kids to be able to survive. They need to know how to take care of a garden and maybe a few farm animals (and that includes the butchering of them).

I was totally amused last week when my youngest asked his older brother to fix him eggs for breakfast. He had to call me, because he had never cooked eggs over anything but a campfire. With a little prompting, he discovered that there's not much difference.

[Bonnie Strangeways]

Naw Sarah, that doesn't make you pampered hun, I *KNOW* you don't wear diapers anymore.


(demmit...I just couldn't help myself. The door was right there...honest...and now I'm running like hell......)


There's nuthin' wrong with enjoyin' the finer things in life. Not every person likes the same stuff, and that's ok, it's a big world, so there's plenty of room for it all.

Insofar as the whole camping/roughing it/kids thing....eh' to each their own I guess. Parents have the right to try and choose what they think is the best way to raise their kids. If they think that instilling the necessity of reliance on a butler/cook/whathaveyou for the rest of their natural lives is the way to go for their children...then I guess it just ensures work for future employees of tomorrow. (see, taking the long picture view here!) Personally, I think it's zany....but there ya go. My boys already know how to hunt and fish...more importantly, they know how to clean and COOK what they've caught. (tying in to the thread that Selena was referring to ;o) ) They're no Bear Grylls (they worship him only slightly less than me. *lol*) by any means. *snicker*