America's Family Camping Magazine

Ahh, the great outdoors! Getting back to nature can provide a relaxing break from the hectic pace of urban life. I’ve always loved getting out in the woods or up in the hills, miles away from civilization, playing my guitar and enjoying a good campfire with some friends. The more spiritual among us might value the closeness with the source of all life. Whatever your inclination, camping is fun.

Sure, one can always find those small campgrounds to pitch a tent or park an RV in almost every state. Those camping experiences can be entertaining, even if they smack a little bit of the artificial. I mean, is it really camping when you are stationed in a glorified trailer park, complete with all the modern conveniences and distractions of city life? The whole fun in camping is in the “roughing it”!

My favorite camping experiences have been when I went to a plot of land on New York's Southern Tier owned by the parents of some college friends. It was reclusive enough to feel like we really were in the middle of nowhere, yet still accessible by road in case we needed to return to civilization for further provisions. We’d go hiking through the hills, exploring the woods, and venturing up and down a small creek that went through their land. At night, out came the beers, guitars, dirty jokes and philosophical discussion. I miss those times. I get to do so very little camping these days.

That’s why a magazine like Camping Life is really enjoyable for me to read. I recently picked up a few issues to examine – February, June, and July/August 2005 – for this review. Published seven times a year by the Affinity-Ehlert group, the publication provides a wealth of camping tips, product reviews, locale information, and related subjects. A one-year subscription runs for $14.97 ($21.97 Canadian/Foreign), and a two-year, $26 ($40 Canadian/Foreign). This is a fair discount from the cover price of $4.99 ($6.50 Canadian/Foreign). While these prices seem a bit on the high side, they are well justified by the richness of the magazine’s content.

Beginning with the February issue, the magazine has been undergoing a complete overhaul in terms of design, content, and focus. By the time one looks at the June and July/August issues, one can see that the change has been much for the better. The February issue seems rather spartan, filled with longer articles and feeling more like a journal. The later two issues are more streamlined in their design. The articles and columns are shorter and more informative, sticking to basic, yet valuable information. The photography is excellent, and really captures one’s imagination. I found reading these newer issues a real delight.

Camping Life has a section for main features, as well as regular departments, a buyer’s guide section, and highlighted destinations. The features section usually provides very helpful articles entitled “Good Sun” and “Bug Free”. The first article would be extremely useful to pale skinned people like me who have a tendency to fry with even the slightest exposure to sun. And do we really need to discuss those pesky bugs?

Any serious camper will always be on the look out for great new places to camp. That’s why the magazine always has a “destination” feature. The July/August issue has a listing of what the magazine staff judges as the 㥶 Best Kayak and Canoe Camping Hotspots”. And for those interested, they are located all over the North America, from Baja California, Mexico to coastal Maine. Although I’ve only been canoeing a handful of times, I’ve always found it to be a very fun time. Perhaps I’ll plan a vacation to one of these spots someday.

The buyer’s guide section provides lengthy reviews on gear and other staples a dedicated camper will need. The February issue is almost completely devoted to RVs, and which ones provide the best value. The other issues feature smaller ticket items like kayaks, portable stoves, tents, sleeping bags, hiking boots, socks, and so forth. Each guide provides a look at a cross section of products by different manufacturers in each category. The guide on tents, for instance, tries to get a prospective buyer to focus on such critical details as the necessary size, materials and construction, and weather coatings. Very helpful indeed.

The “departments” section includes all the smaller, miscellaneous elements that aren’t covered in the other areas. There are more product reviews, usually on individual items now on the market like a small, hand held torch with can light a fire in winds up to 60 MPH, and so on. Another column called “Camp Kitchen” provides helpful cooking tips from author Janet Groene. There is a regular column called “wildlife”, written by Jack Ballard, who writes very informative articles on various species of birds, fish, and other animals one may encounter in the wild, like the June issue’s article on the badger, or the July issue’s article on the Blue Jay. These columns round out the content, making the book an all-purpose camping aid.

Overall:
Camping Life is a superb magazine that anyone who camps on a regular basis MUST read. It is useful for just about any level of camper, from the novice recreational camper, to the hardcore veteran outdoorsman. Even for those of us who don’t camp often, reading this magazine will put the camping bug into you. It has made me really anxious for next month to arrive, when I will head to the Philadelphia Folk Fest, where we will do some camping. I give this magazine fifty stars!!