Opinion
Matt Kollat thinks we should all get under canvas on our next holiday – because tech is making it an absolute pleasure
Camping is a nostalgic throwback to childhood, triggering memories of parents fumbling with portable stoves sat atop wobbly tables while we kids danced around, partly for fun, partly to escape pesky bugs.
Spending a night in a tent under the blanket of the starry sky has changed significantly since those times. The being in nature element is still very much present, but thanks to innovative technologies, camping in 2024 is a very different experience from yesteryear.
In the US alone, a whopping 66 million folks pitched tents in 2021, with 8.3 million embracing camping for the first time. That’s a huge increase year on year.
Similar numbers are observed in the UK, where 1 in 5 adults have been camping or caravanning post-Covid. Spending on camping trips increased to £2.7 billion in 2021 – 80% more than in 2020.
Why the camping craze? It’s a mix of eco-consciousness and budget-savvy adventuring. Airbnb prices have soared 36% between 2019 and 2023, nudging folks towards cheaper camping trips.
The most significant increase in interest comes from the younger generation: 45% of millennials and 44% of Gen Z have the highest level of interest among prospective new campers. These are the same generations who have vague memories of camping trips with their parents and would like to recreate those memories. However, their expectations of what it means to camp are different, and they require more sophisticated camping gear than before.
Lucky for them, camping has undergone a tech-savvy makeover, blending nature with innovation.
The most significant increase in interest comes from the younger generation
Spending time outdoors without giving up many of your creature comforts has never been easier.
Rooftop tents are an excellent example. Championed by companies such as Thule and TentBox, they provide a
