The strenuous hikes, the danger of the wild, the distance from medical care, and the total lack of home comforts – you would be forgiven for thinking that camping isn’t really a pastime suited to elderly people. However, you would also be wrong. For sure, some adaptation might be necessary, but there is no age limit when it comes to comping. Moreover, as it happens, older people regularly take part in camping trips – in a diverse array of locations.
Indeed, there is a range of wisdom out there to advise older people on how to make camping a success. Such wisdom would simply not exist if older people did not regularly set off to enjoy the great outdoors and nights under the stars. But, before we get on to what those tips and wisdom are, there is something particularly important to get out of the way first.
The Fitness Question
There is a common – and admittedly understandable – perception of older people as being less fit, and therefore less suited to outdoor pursuits. However, it should be time to do away with that perception entirely. Can we assign a certain level of fitness to a particular age? Indeed, we cannot.
The idea that age automatically makes one less fit need some reexamining, for it is a hangover from a past age when medicine and healthcare were far less advanced, when people were poorer and sicker, and when aging really did mean – in the vast majority of cases – a marked decline in physical fitness. This is no longer the case.
These days, people of all ages can get themselves physically fit, and comparisons between one person and the next, as regards fitness, are very often the wrong comparison to make.
Be in no doubt then: if you are an older person, camping is definitely still for you!
Tips for Camping When You’re Older
So, camping is for people of all ages. But of course, there are some extra considerations when you’re a bit older. This not only concerns fitness, but also the different priorities and tastes that people develop as they age.
Here follows, then, some of those tips. Bear in mind though that you do not need to follow any of them. If you feel up to camping right along with the younger folk – go right ahead!
Get the Right Tent
Perhaps this is one of the most important things for older people. Sleeping well can get harder as you age, with sore joints, aches and pains unfortunately becoming more common. Luckily, there are tents out there that can accommodate for this. Usually sold as “luxury tents”, it is certainly possible to have a comfortable sleep in the middle of the woods.
Travel Well
Camping usually involves a long car journey towards wherever you plan to camp – it’s usually outside major residential areas. Rollercam, a tie-down strap company specializing in outdoor pursuits says to be sure to pack economically, making use of cam straps to affix larger equipment to the top of your car.
Stay Warm
The utility of staying warm is obvious and applies to everybody, not just older people. However, among the elderly, it might be more of a concern. Great camping products to stay warm include a range of sophisticated heating gear. Invest in this if you want, but simply packing plenty of blankets and pillows will also do the job.
For sure, for the majority of older people, there are a few extra considerations to make when going camping, normally revolving around extra comfort and warmth. Plan for that though, and you can go camping just as anybody else does.