What to call this common boondocking phenomenon?

[twogypsies]

... dislike the name of 'glamping'. So pretentious.

[Divingbiker]

Professor Dan,
Great thread you started.

My wife and I discussed this subject often, usually over that evening drink you wrote about......

We say BLESSED. I don't mean from a religious standpoint, although it's great if you believe this blessing is Devine. But blessed can be taken several ways. You could say that you are blessed that you have these small creature comforts when you are out boondocking. But also, you are blessed that you are AWARE and recognize the possibility of not having these little extras.

Being cognitive of the small extras make you a "glass half full" kind of person. That's the kinda person I/we strive to be....the blessed kind of person.

[Bobby F]

I'd call it a happy cognitive dissonance. Something that just doesn't seem to fit, but I'm so happy it's there.

Our family name for such a thing is, it's a LIG.

Life Is Good.

[pasdad1]

I equate this feeling with the “beach hot dog” phenomenon. It always seems that eating a hot dog while on the beach is the most delicious hot dog you have ever tasted... lol

I think when we are slightly deprived of comfort and luxury, we appreciate everything much more.

[Phil G.]

Originally Posted by profdan

When we are boondocking in really remote territory, we are often struck by the luxury of having some specific comfort, however minimal it may be, while camping off the grid. Examples: our fridge makes one tray of ice cubes a day, so we greatly enjoy ice in our afternoon drinks, something we would take for granted at home.

Or having a hot shower available every evening, even though it is a Navy shower and not nearly as good as our shower at home. Yet being in the middle of nowhere, and still being able to shower, feels like a great luxury.

The same for having a decent mattress, or having great coffee in the morning, or enjoying a really good wine with dinner: these are all things that are ordinary at home but seem like major achievements in the wilderness. And this feeling of gratitude for these comforts is somehow much greater while boondocking than while camped at an RV park or a campground.

So here is my question: is there a term for this phenomenon? Or is this something that might be named in another language but not in English, like schadenfreude? (A German word meaning “the pleasure one gets from the misfortune of others.”)

Your linguistic suggestions (and other examples of this thing, whatever it’s called) are appreciated!

What you describe is exactly why I prefer to boondock camp in a reasonably roomy self-contained hard sided wheeled mobile room (i.e. an "RV') - as opposed to boondock camping via a foot powered backpack.

So IMHO, what you describe is ... simply ... RV boondocking!

[Phil G.]

Originally Posted by Gammel

40 years ago my wife and I were on our way to Alaska. We pulled into a campground in the Yukon. There was only one other camper there! They were already inside their truck camper as we were pitching our tent. Did I mention it was early October, about 34F, and raining? We looked at that camper with the steam rising from the heater vent and promised ourselves that we would be those people one day.

What you describe reminds me of an experience the DW and myself had around 50 years ago in a state park way back when the U.S. wasn't quite so full of people.

It wasn't camping - we were just together before kids on a picnic in a Utah state park. We were the ONLY ONES IN THE PARK on the 4th of July!!

Boy or boy ... ooohhh for the good old U.S. days when there was less population and less SUVs.

[ClassAboater]

I call it ‘living the life’.

[treeoflib]

My DW and I joke about this all the time, looking at each other and saying, "that ain't campin'". This is the phrase we always used or heard when camping in a tent and seeing someone in a tent trailer, or camping in a tent trailer and seeing a class A. As we clink a (plastic) glass of brunello over a prime ribeye, or sip a cup of espresso, we joyfully and thankfully utter the phrase.

And we always believe that food tastes better at altitude. Eating simple burgers above 10,000 feet is five star dining.

The good professor has hit upon our favorite part of boondocking.

Cheers!

[RickLight]

I call it RVing!

Backpacking, Car camping, RVing, Glamping, Hotels (depending)

[LanceKeys]

Perspective

[Yosemite77]

Hmm… How about calling it Gloondocking? For those interested in “roughing it”, you’d have to leave the servants at home.

[RescueRamsey]

My Dad always said "everything tastes better on vacation" I've noticed even a simple hamburger tastes great when I'm in my motorhome. It's perspective I suppose, everything is better when you are somewhere you want to be, rather then somewhere you are required to be.

[UTTransplant]

I call it appreciation. Let’s face it, a backpacker notices the comforts a canoe camper can bring, a canoe camper notices the comforts a motorcyclist can bring, a motorcyclist notices the comforts a car camper can bring, etc. The “notices” phrasing frequently doesn’t mean “envy”, but having ice in a drink while miles from nowhere, having a good latte from the espresso machine, and having a warm (even if short) shower are pretty nice.

Oh, and I was happily a canoe camper in wilderness areas, tent camper for many years, pop up owner, travel trailer, and now motorhome owner. I loved them all.

[Phil G.]

Originally Posted by profdan

When we are boondocking in really remote territory, we are often struck by the luxury of having some specific comfort, however minimal it may be, while camping off the grid. Examples: our fridge makes one tray of ice cubes a day, so we greatly enjoy ice in our afternoon drinks, something we would take for granted at home.

Or having a hot shower available every evening, even though it is a Navy shower and not nearly as good as our shower at home. Yet being in the middle of nowhere, and still being able to shower, feels like a great luxury.

The same for having a decent mattress, or having great coffee in the morning, or enjoying a really good wine with dinner: these are all things that are ordinary at home but seem like major achievements in the wilderness. And this feeling of gratitude for these comforts is somehow much greater while boondocking than while camped at an RV park or a campground.

So here is my question: is there a term for this phenomenon? Or is this something that might be named in another language but not in English, like schadenfreude? (A German word meaning “the pleasure one gets from the misfortune of others.”)

Your linguistic suggestions (and other examples of this thing, whatever it’s called) are appreciated!

I would call that "being blessed". With 7-8 billion souls on this planet, I wonder what percentage of those have no hope of ever being able to do what you describe?

P.S. We can do what you describe for at least awhile yet and the DW and myself and the dog are very aware of that. However, we both very much realize that it's not much related to things we have intentionally done in our lives to deserve it.