Reading time: 6 min
Everyone’s a camper now. Scroll through Instagram and you’ll see it — a perfectly staged tent glowing like a lantern of lies, some influencer sitting cross-legged with coffee and a fake smile like they didn’t just scream at a mosquito for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, real campers know that half the experience is swearing at wet firewood, realizing your lighter ran out, and pretending your back doesn’t feel like shattered glass at 3 a.m.
I’m not new to this. I’ve camped everywhere — deserts, mountains, beaches, islands — by car, bus, boat, or just walking till my knees gave out. I’ve done it broke, I’ve done it bougie, I’ve done it in freezing wind and sandstorms.
So yeah, when I say “I know what I’m talking about,” I mean I’ve seen all kinds of campers — the survival junkies, the glampers, the gearheads, the “I saw a YouTube video once” crowd — and I’m here to tell you the truth.
Because somewhere along the way, people forgot that camping was supposed to be simple, cheap, and honest — not a gear parade or ego contest.
So let’s burn the bullshit, myth by myth.
Myth #1: You Need an Off-Road Vehicle to Camp
Truth: You need common sense, not a lifted Toyota with a snorkel.
Here’s the deal — you don’t need a 4×4 tank to roast marshmallows. You’re not invading Iraq. You’re going outside the city for one night to stare at a fire and pretend you’re surviving.
If you can walk ten meters away from your car without crying, congrats — you’re already doing more camping than half the “Overlanding” influencers.
I’ve seen people in sedans and buses make better camps than guys with $50,000 rigs. Because it’s not about the wheels — it’s about the will.
Stop flexing your car. Start enjoying the dirt.
I sold my $40,000 rig, and got myself a $15,000 Jimny, and it still camps the same, it’s not the car, it’s you.
By the way, you can read about trading my Big Fancy Offroader for a Jimny right here: I Traded my Mitsubishi Montero Sport for a Jimny
Myth #2: Camping Is Expensive
Truth: Only if you’re allergic to humility.
The outdoor industry sold you a fantasy — titanium cups, “breathable ultra-light carbon tents,” and jackets that promise to make you one with the wind.
Guess what? You don’t need any of that crap.
You need a place to sit, something to eat, and a blanket. The rest is noise.
Camping isn’t supposed to be a side quest in Capitalism Simulator.
If your “minimalist setup” costs more than your rent, you’re not escaping consumerism — you’re role-playing as a broke explorer.
Nature doesn’t care about brands. It cares that you shut up long enough to hear the wind.
Myth #3: You Need Survival Gear to Camp
Truth: You’re not being hunted by predators. Calm down.
I’ve met beginners who pack machetes, tactical knives, flint stones, paracord, and trauma kits like they’re about to invade Poland.
Buddy, you’re camping behind a lake. There’s a bathroom ten minutes away. The most dangerous thing here is your own stupidity.
You need water, food, fire, light, and a functioning brain. That’s it.
If you start a fire by rubbing sticks for “authenticity,” that’s cool — I’ll be done eating before you get smoke.
Myth #4: Parking an RV Counts as Camping
Truth: That’s just moving your living room to a parking lot.
If your “tent” has air conditioning, a fridge, Netflix, and a toilet — congratulations, you’re glamping. Nothing wrong with that — but don’t call it “roughing it.”
You’re not connecting with nature; you’re streaming it in HD.
Real camping hurts a little. There’s dirt, discomfort, and the occasional spider trying to join your sleeping bag. That’s the fun part.
If your biggest challenge is leveling your RV, you’re not escaping life — you’re just driving it around.
Myth #5: You Need Fancy Cooking Gear
Truth: Burnt food tastes better when you earn it.
You don’t need collapsible espresso kits or pans that cost more than your stove at home. You need one pot, one spoon, and a flame.
Food doesn’t taste good outdoors because of your gear — it tastes good because you’re hungry, tired, and slightly miserable.
Real camping coffee tastes like smoke and revenge. And it’s glorious.
If you cooked something without dropping it in the dirt at least once — you didn’t really camp.
Myth #6: The Farther You Go, the More “Real” It Is
Truth: Peace is not measured in kilometers.
Everyone’s trying to outdo each other. “We hiked 20 kilometers into untouched wilderness.” Cool. I sat 30 minutes outside town and heard myself think for the first time in a year.
Camping isn’t a contest. You don’t earn peace by hiking farther. You earn it by unplugging.
If you’re stressing about reaching “the perfect spot,” you already lost the point.
It’s not where you are — it’s what’s not around you. No cars. No screens. No constant noise. That’s the win.
Myth #7: Camping Is Boring Without Activities
Truth: The activity is doing nothing.
You don’t need a drone, Bluetooth speaker, or “camp playlist.” You need silence.
You’re not supposed to be entertained — you’re supposed to get bored until your brain finally takes a breath.
You stare at the fire long enough, and you’ll realize your phone’s been lying — you weren’t overstimulated; you were just starved for quiet.
If you can’t sit in silence, you’re not ready to camp — you’re ready for therapy.
Myth #8: Camping Means Suffering
Truth: It’s supposed to be uncomfortable — that’s the point.
You’re not signing up for luxury. You’ll smell bad, get bitten, and maybe sleep on a rock that questions your life choices.
But that’s living, not suffering.
You’ll realize how absurd modern life is — buttons for everything, switches for light, machines for coffee. When you go home, flipping a switch will feel like magic.
Camping makes you grateful. It kicks you in the ego and whispers,
“You’re soft now, buddy. But not hopeless.”
Myth #9: Camping Is Only for ‘Outdoorsy’ People
Truth: It’s for anyone who’s sick of the world’s noise.
You don’t need to be a lumberjack or a philosopher. You just need to be done with screens, drama, and fake smiles.
Camping isn’t about escaping people — it’s about remembering you exist outside of them.
You don’t have to be “into nature.” Nature’s already into you.
You’re made of the same dirt you’re sleeping on — deal with it.
The Final Truth
Camping isn’t a sport. It’s not a hobby. It’s a reset button.
It’s where fire means warmth, rain means patience, and silence means peace.
You’ll hate some moments. You’ll curse your tent. You’ll want a shower. But when the sun rises, you’ll understand why people like me keep going back.
Camping doesn’t fix life — it just reminds you that you don’t need much to live it.
You’ll come back dirtier, smellier, and somehow cleaner inside.
And no titanium cup, no Instagram post, and no rooftop tent will ever come close to that.
You know what’s also fun like camping? Scuba Diving! If interested to know more about that, click here: Scuba diving: Why you need to try it.