Emily and I have built our entire relationship over our love for camping trips. These trips opened up many doors for us, especially as a cheap way to travel and experience new places. Our camping trips are what lead us to create this blog, and also what beckoned us to full-time Vanlife.
We have come a long way since packing up my old Subaru with the cheapest camping gear we could afford, and hitting the road. And sure Vanlife has given us a lifetime of new (previously unattainable) outdoor experiences, but this post is about the other side of that equation. This is how Vanlife ruined camping for us.
The Excitement Of Packing
Every great camping trip begins with preparation. Scouting a location, planning meals, packing the cooler, and loading up the car. We honestly miss the excitement of packing for a camping trip.
In Vanlife, everything is always already packed. So we kind of miss the excitement of packing for a camping trip.
Not Truly Disconnecting
Obviously disconnecting from the internet and our devices is one of the unique things about camping. But since starting vanlife, we don’t disconnect quite as much. It’s partially because we often seek campsites with cell service so that we can work on this blog.
But then once we have “clocked out” for the day, it’s hard to fight the urge for never-ending scrolling or Netflix bingeing. If we spent more time out of cell range, we would probably entertain ourselves in more wholesome ways.
Too Easy To Stay Inside
We spend much more time inside the comfort of our van. When we used to car camp, it took some seriously bad weather to force us to seek shelter in our car. But in Vanlife, even mildly unfavorable weather can send us inside the comfort of our van.
Missing Moments
And spending more time in the van leads us to miss precious moments. Camping is about spending time outside and truly connecting with the natural world. When quietly experiencing nature for hours, you open yourself up to those very memorable experiences. The kind of special moments that bless you when you are really listening or observing. It may be some lighting flashes in the distance, wild animals coming through camp, or even the sounds of nature you never took the time to listen to.
Who knows how many special moments we missed by being inside the van, insulated from the sights and sounds, with windows covered up for privacy
Loneliness
Before vanlife, our camping trips were less frequent, but would often include groups of friends. And camping with friends is much more fun, for us. But most of our friends and family work normal jobs, and can’t just spend weeks or months traveling.
We are so lucky to have each other’s company, and both admit that we would not want to do solo vanlife. But even we admit that a two-person party isn’t much of a party. Having the camaraderie of a group creates an energy that’s hard to replicate.
We try to stay open to meeting new people, but it’s not always easy making new friends. Especially when we are nomadic.
Less Cooking Over The Fire
Cooking food outside is one of the unique pleasures of camping. Whether cooking over a campfire or setting up an outdoor kitchen on a campstove, it is a joy that’s hard to explain in words.
But with our campervan kitchen supplies on hand, we are often too lazy to cook outside. It feels like a pain to relocate everything outside to cook. But the taste of food cooked over a campfire cannot be imitated.
No Challenge — No Story
And sure, having a fully-loaded campervan makes camping so much easier. But it’s in some of the most challenging and uncomfortable moments that you form the best memories. It’s not much of a story if everything goes perfectly. Something we now understand well from making Youtube videos.
But you will never forget the time you and your friends endured brutal cold weather at a campsite that didn’t allow campfires. So instead, everyone was huddled around the grill and drinking red wine just to stay warm.
So sometimes it’s those challenging moments that make the most memorable stories.
Conclusion | How Vanlife Ruined Camping For Us
Transitioning from car camping to Vanlife has been a bit of a double-edged sword. Without full-time vanlife, we never would have had the time or money to experience even a fraction of the camping adventures we have had. Sleeping in a real bed, staying warm at night, not being woken up by the slightest crunching of leaves, easily cooking dinner protected from the elements, or watching a tv show when you just want to relax with some mindless entertainment. These are all things that make full-time Vanlife sustainable for us. But it’s more like pseudo-glamping that loses some of the ethos of really camping out in nature.
However, his type of vanlife camping misses out on some of the uncomfortable challenges of tent camping. So at least being aware of these changes helps us live more intentionally to make sure that life outside the van isn’t passing us by. We make an effort to still capture those quintessential camping experiences.
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