Caravan & Outdoor Life Magazine

‘Camping really does make you richer in mind, body and soul’, aldus navorsers van die Liverpool John Moores Universiteit, wat ‘n onlangse aanlynopname onder lede van die Britse Camping and Caravanning Club gedoen het. Hulle het onder meer bevind dat die meerderheid deelnemers aan die studie meen dat mense wat gereeld kampeer meer lewensvreugde het, hulle familie-bande is nouer, hulle het minder stres en hulle het ‘n meer aangename sosiale lewe in vergelyking met mense wat niks van kampering weet of niks daarmee te doen wil hê nie. Selfs skottelgoedwas word ‘n aangenamer ervaring! ‘n Groot getal kampeerders meen ook dat jy gewig verloor as jy kampeer!?

Kinders se opinies is ook getoets. Byna 80% van kinders meen hulle ouers skreeu minder op mekaar tydens kampeer-ekskursies! Ook geniet kinders dit om nuwe plekke te ontdek en die natuur te ondersoek. Hulle ervaar baie meer pret as by die huis en ‘I can get muddy and dirty and don’t get into trouble!’

Die navorsers, wat ook sielkundiges insluit, meen dat jou geestestoestand tydens ‘n kampeer-ervaring meer transformeer as om winkelsentrum toe te gaan of om om die blok te draf. Daar is groter genot as jy ‘n sonsondergang ervaar of om wakker te word met natuurlike geluide om jou. Hulle wil verdere ondersoek instel om te bepaal of kampering nie as addisionele terapie kan dien om
byvoorbeeld geestesongesteldhede soos depressie te behandel nie.

Die pad na geestelike genesing na stormagtige ervarings word deur die volgende verhaal, soos vertel deur ‘n C&C Klublid, geillustreer: ‘I left my ex-husband after domestic violence over many confidence-destroying years. With less money to spend and three children to entertain on holiday on my own, I hired a motorhome. I had never driven anything bigger than a family hatchback! We had a wonderful time. One child was in charge of securing everything before we drove, one in charge of hooking up at the sites and the youngest was in charge of entertainment – he chose Status Quo for the entire holiday as this was what he called “road movie music”. The children and I got our confidence back through the responsibilities and freedoms of that first camping holiday and now we camp for sheer pleasure.’

ENGLISH SUMMARY
Research conducted in the UK in February 2011 revealed that spending time outdoors surrounded by nature is linked to improved psychological wellbeing. It suggests that the beneficial effects of camping go deeper than just walking or riding a bike. Academics in the field of outdoor education at Liverpool John Moores University also found that those families who make time to camp together share a much closer family bond than those who have never camped.

WOONWA-PRAATJIES

Neels van Heerden is professor and head of the Department of Marketing, Logistics and Sport Management at the Tshwane University of Technology. He is the master assessor of the AA Quality Assurance Programme for caravan and camping and has been enjoying the camping lifestyle for more than 30 years.

(This edition of Woonwa-praatjies was published in the August 2011 issue of Caravan & Outdoor Life)