Who are the real campers? Through-hiking backpackers traversing the Appalachian Trail? The family in an SUV making a tour of national parks and sleeping in tents at campgrounds? People committed to the RV lifestyle who move their homes from state to state as season and whim dictate? Terence Young would say: all of the above. Camping is one of the country's most popular pastimes—tens of millions of Americans go camping every year. Whether on foot, on horseback, or in RVs, campers have been enjoying themselves for well more than a century, during which time camping’s appeal has shifted and evolved. In Heading Out, Young takes readers into nature and explores with them the history of camping in the United States.Young shows how camping progressed from an impulse among city-dwellers to seek temporary retreat from their exhausting everyday surroundings to a form of recreation so popular that an industry grew up around it to provide an endless supply of ever-lighter and more convenient gear. Young humanizes camping’s history by spotlighting key figures in its development and a sampling of the campers and the variety of their excursions. Readers will meet William H. H. Murray, who launched a craze for camping in 1869; Mary Bedell, who car camped around America for 12,000 miles in 1922; William Trent Jr., who struggled to end racial segregation in national park campgrounds before World War II; and Carolyn Patterson, who worked with the U.S. Department of State in the 1960s and 1970s to introduce foreign service personnel to the "real" America through trailer camping. These and many additional characters give readers a reason to don a headlamp, pull up a chair beside the campfire, and discover the invigorating and refreshing history of sleeping under the stars.

The Camper Book will captivate all those who dream of waving good-bye to the rat race from the window of their own moveable home, be it a camper, RV, travel trailer, camper van, or tiny camper. Not just for placid retirees anymore, camper culture has sprung up among simplicity-seeking millennials, retro-loving "glampers," sports and movie stars, aging hippies, contract workers, "road-schoolers," and others. Award-winning journalist Dave Hoekstra hit the road in his own custom camper van, named Bluebird, to explore the history, culture, subcultures, and future of camper life. Traveling and talking his way through US campsites, RV parks, landmarks, and communities, Hoekstra draws out revealing stories from all walks of life—from Americans who are downsizing material goods while upsizing spiritual pursuits to RV enthusiasts such as Grammy-winning singer-songwriter John Prine and Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon. A modern-day Studs Terkel, Hoekstra provides a delightful mix of oral history, in-depth reporting, and practical information, while photographer Jon Sall's beautiful color photographs illuminate the unique people, places, and rigs that typify camper life.

Make yourself at home on the road Live down by the beach one week and way up in the mountains the next? It sounds like an impossible dream, but motor-homers do it all the time. Whatever draws you to the mobile life—adventurous domestic vacations or permanently itchy feet—RVs & Campers For Dummies helps you feel right at home. The book explores the key aspects of glamping-with-wheels. Discover how it’s possible to bring beauty spots right to your doorstep without sacrificing domestic comforts like a comfy bed, private bathroom, and wholesome, healthy home cooking! In a down-home, friendly style, mobile-living veterans and husband-and-wife team Christopher Hodapp and Alice Von Kannon welcome you inside to discover everything from deciding to rent or buy the vehicle that best suits your needs to planning and prepping your first journey and then setting yourself up wherever you arrive at the perfect spot. Along the way you’ll learn how to adapt your driving skills to pilot your home on the road, as well as how to keep every aspect of it shipshape and ready for action. Explore your RV and camper options Stock up with the right supplies Get a snapshot of the mobile home lifestyle Troubleshoot common problems Getting there is half the fun—and this guide shows you how to do it safely and in style. So, buckle up (or relax in the back) … it’s going to be a wild but incredibly comfortable ride!

Do you like the outdoors? Do you like camping? Do you like off road trips and long lasting memories? Then you probably have heard about rooftop tents. This guide has the goal of teaching you not only the basics of what roof top tents are, but it will go in depth to give you valuable information about which roof racks you need, if your vehicle is suitable for a tent or not, and then it goes even further into models, designs, features to look out for and more. If you want to enjoy time in the outdoors with your significant other, your family, or why not even your pets, roof top tents will offer you an excellent, safe, and comfortable experience. However, it is important to have an idea of which tent really suits you, your needs, your vehicle, and the plans you have. It's important to know what's the difference between: Hardshell roof top tent Soft-shell roof top tents The different brands The different materials You want to make sure that you get the right tent, before you go out breaking the bank and spending more for something you didn't need. What this guide covers: ⛺Basic introduction to what rooftop tents are and their advantages over ground tents. ⛺An explanation of the roof rack requirements to be able to install a tent. As well as an explanation on which roof racks are better, and which cars are the best to use these tents. ⛺An in depth look at the two different type of car top tents: Hardshell and Soft-shell ⛺A great comparison of both types of tents, as well as the best models to look out for for each type. The best hard top tents, and the best soft-shell tents. ⛺General maintenance guidelines to make sure that your RTT will last for a very long time, and for you to be able to camp in it as much as you can. This guide has been written from the personal experience, insight and knowledge from a professional that has years of experience not only camping with rooftop tents, but actually selling them and having tested multiple models, brands and designs. The author has worked for a company selling camping, outdoors, off-roads and overlanding equipment, as well as multiple roof top tent brands. His personal experience and in depth knowledge helped craft this detailed guide, and will give any "newbies" into the RTT world, the information they need. Whether you are planning a long cross-country road trip, you want to go camping or glamping with your family and kids, or you have overlanding trips with your friends coming up, rooftop tents are a choice you won't regret. There is a huge difference between camping on the ground, taking 20 minutes to set up your tent and then sleeping over an uneven, stiff and uncomfortable floor, to that of camping off the ground, in a flat surface, with a cushion, on a well built tent. There is no surprise into why roof top tents have been taking over the adventure, outdoors, camping, hiking, and off road niches: they are a comfortable and safe invention. You might be surprised to learn that many rooftop tent owners are older couples or large families, that simply want to enjoy themselves in remote, breathtaking natural parks, as well as comfortably sleeping in a roof top tent that offers coverage, a comfortable mattress, and outstanding views of their surroundings. Others are interested in these types of tents, because they are budget campers, couples or solo travelers looking to be on their four wheels discovering America, Australia, Canada or whichever country offers the most adventurous trails, sceneries and roads. If you want to learn what roof top tents are, if you are planning to start camping more often, then this guide is just for you. You will learn much more than just the basics. You'll know what roof top tent is best for you.