The Beginnings of Camping

Where it all began

Historically, the activity originated in antiquity, in military expeditions, where entire troops sheltered in tents made of fabric and animal skins.

It was during this time that the beginnings of camping took place.

The practice gained educational essence in 1860 when it was established as a process of children's education until Baden Powell, in 1908, conceived scouting, spreading throughout Europe mainly in the post-World War II period.

When large industrial urban centers began to grow, the need arose for people to escape and seek places with greater contact with nature.

Camping became essentially touristic and led to the creation of several associations. The largest of these is the International Federation of Camping and Caravanning (FICC), headquartered in Switzerland.

Baden Powell

In 1887, Baden-Powell participated in the campaign against the Zulus in Africa.

Soon after, he was promoted to Major in 1889, and in April 1896 he led an expedition against the Matabele in Rhodesia.

This was a formative time for Baden-Powell, as many of the fundamental ideas of scouting originated here.

In this war, Baden-Powell began a friendship with the American scout Frederick Russell Burnham, known for his service in the British colonial army, who showed him the American West way of woodcraft (scouting), and it was here that he wore his Stetson hat like Burnham (a hat commonly worn by Baden-Powell) for the first time.

In the first months of 1908, he published his training manual, "Scouting for Boys," in six fortnightly installments, without even dreaming that this book would set in motion a movement that would affect the youth of the entire world.

He then resigned from the Army, where he had reached the rank of lieutenant general, and embarked on his "second life," as he used to call it, his life of service to the world through Scouting (Woodcraft).

In 1912, he made a trip around the world to contact Scouts in many other countries. This was the first step in making Scouting a worldwide brotherhood.

The Scout Movement continued to grow.

On the day he came of age, turning 21, he had more than 2 million members in virtually every country in the world.

On this occasion, Baden Powell received from King George V the honor of being elevated to baron, under the name of Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell.

But despite this title, for all Scouts he remained and will always remain Baden Powell, the World Chief Scout.

General Baden Powell

Message from Baden Powell

"Happiness does not come from being rich, nor merely from having been successful in one's career; nor, indeed, from being indulgent towards oneself. One step towards happiness is to become healthy and strong while one is still young, so that one may be useful and enjoy life when one is a man. The study of nature will show you how full of beautiful and wonderful things God made the world for you to enjoy. Rejoice in what you have received and make good use of it. Look at the good side of things, instead of the bad side of them. However, the best way to obtain happiness is to bring happiness to other people. Try to leave this world a little better than you found it, and when the time comes for you to die, you may die happy with the feeling that, at least, you did not waste your time, but did the best you could. Be prepared, in this way, to live and die happily, always faithful to the Scout Promise, even after you die." "May they cease to be young – and may God help them to fulfill it.

Baden-Powell."

The origin of camping stemmed from man's need for shelter and protection against weather, time, and animals, exploring unknown frontiers.

Camping in Brazil

Camping in Brazil began to be implemented in 1910 by the navy, which brought scouting to the country.

Until the 1960s, camping was practiced in a wild way and only in tents, when in 1964 the first trailer factory in Brazil emerged – Turiscar – with the need to manufacture equipment that could offer great practicality and speed in setting up and dismantling the camp.

Camping associations also grew, and their largest representative was the Camping Club of Brazil.

Read more... Camping Club of Brazil.

Almost three decades have passed, accompanied by the development of the activity:

Increasingly modern, lightweight, and retractable products emerged on the market, along with the growing number of people adopting camping as a lifestyle.

Finally, in the 1990s, with rising fuel prices, various economic plans, tolls, and a lack of government incentives, camping...

Finally, in the 1990s, with rising fuel prices, various economic plans, tolls, and a lack of government incentives, camping began its decline.

Camping is an important sector of tourism, with leisure as its main purpose.

It is an itinerant practice with high proximity to nature, where the individual carries their shelter in order to meet the main need of a human being: protection.

Full of modern features, motorhomes are the equipment that most closely resembles fixed human dwellings.

Betrayed by the biggest blow to the caravanning sector, the new traffic code of 1997 prohibited holders of "B" type driver's licenses from towing their trailers.

Now campers would have to hold the highest category of license, leading to the almost total paralysis of production and the bankruptcy or closure of the main recreational vehicle industries.

With all these factors, the motorhome is currently the most sought-after option for caravanning in Brazil.

Read more about... Trailers and motorhomes on the Camping Natural blog

Holiday Camp

Some Camping Symbols; although some are somewhat indecipherable

It Happened Out There

Scouting 

On May 17, 2009, the Scout Association (England) announced Bear Grylls as its new Chief Scout, elected for a five-year term.

He was officially sworn in as National Chief Scout of England in Gilwell in July 2009, and more than 3000 scouts were present at the inauguration ceremony.

Grylls is the tenth person to hold the position and also the youngest scout leader to hold the position, created by Robert Baden-Powell in 1920.

Edward Michael Grylls, known as Bear Grylls (born June 7, 1974 in Northern Ireland), is a former British Special Forces officer, adventurer, writer, television presenter, and British mountaineer.

He became world-famous for presenting the programs "Man vs. Wild" and "Worst Case Scenario" on the Discovery Channel.

In the United States and other countries, camp functions as a holiday camp, with existing infrastructure such as dormitories and dining halls.

There are also trailer camps (exclusive Organized Camps).

In Brazil, there are a large number of camps for young people and children. Located on farms with the necessary infrastructure to comfortably accommodate everyone.

The vast majority are monitored by experienced teams who organize, accompany, and also participate in games during the days the children stay.

Usually lasting a week, this period is spent solely under the care of the monitors and supervisors, without the presence of parents.

In these places, children can learn many new things that they would not learn under everyday care and customs, in addition to learning to live with different people, about nature, and many different situations.

Currently, there are many campsites scattered throughout Brazil that offer excellent infrastructure for campers, where they only need to bring their tent and personal and collective accessories for the group.

Learn more about... camping groups.

Camping do Siri (ES) is one of the largest and best-structured campsites in Brazil.

Natural - wild camping

Some prefer natural camping; in hard-to-reach places, without any infrastructure, with the minimum for survival.

In these types of camping trips, all necessary equipment and supplies must be taken into account, as well as the risks that will be faced (with survival instinct).

See the posts Camping Natural I and II, How to get out of the woods, etc.

Importantly, it is not mandatory to follow them all in order, but even so, you will already be well prepared and equipped for your camping trip.

This article is also available in Portuguese: Os primórdios do campismo