Inside Outdoor Spring 2017

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go camping, where and how they camp
and what they do are fairly consistent
among all ethnicities, especially as larg-
er percentages of minorities make up
the overall participant base. There are,
however, some statistically significant
differences worth noting.
Campers classified as Hispanic/
Latino by KOA, for starters, most likely
view camping as a way to positively
impact health and emotional well-
being, including reducing the stress of
everyday life and improved relation-
ships and academic performance.
Those of Asian descent, meanwhile,
appear most interested in how camp-
ing creates opportunities to spend
more time with family and friends.
“In a departure from past iterations
of the survey, Asian campers are ex-
pressing much stronger opinions about
their connections to camping, including
the desire to spend more time with fam-
ily and friends,” said the KOA study.
Campers of Asian descent also
are most likely to visit national parks,
with nearly 70 percent stating that
they intend to visit a national park in
The Technology Dichotomy
Across every cohort and category, technology and digital devices are part of the camping
experience. According to KOA findings, a full 95 percent of campers admit to bringing some
type of technology on their trips, and the majority of campers check in online at least
occasionally. More than half say they go online more than once a day. And it’s not just the
kids doing it. Adults who go online at least occasionally do so with the same frequency as
Generation Z campers.
For the most part, this is a good thing.
It’s not hard to understand the value of
a connected smartphone when traveling
away from home, and for many, access
to technology, and the ability it provides
to work remotely, actually allows for
longer and more frequent camping trips,
suggests KOA’s survey.
On the other hand, campers are
less sure if the benefits outweigh
the drawbacks.
Somewhat surprisingly, slightly
more respondents to KOA’s survey
feel technology detracts from their
enjoyment of the camp out than the
third who say it enhances it. The same goes for Gen Y
and Z. Among millennial campers, 38 say technology detracts from the
camping experience and 36 percent say it enhances camping. Among Gen Z, a full 71 percent
of teen campers claim they still want to go camping even without access to technology. Only 6
percent say they can’t be without their connected devices.
Of course, teens do have a more positive take on technology around the campsite, and place
significantly more importance on keeping connected, but even teenage campers understand
the need to unplug once in a while. For most participants both young and old, camping sill
represents that off-the-grid escapism.
So even though campers want access to their toys and technology when camping,
they understand that staying connected means, well, staying connected.
Source: KOA
Inpact of Technology on Enjoyment
of Camping Trips
Source: KOA
Hunting
Horseback
riding
16%
9%
14%
10%
10%
7%
8%
38% 34%
Detracts a
great deal
Detracts
Somewhat
No Impact Enhances
somewhat
Enhances a
great deal
15%
23%
29%
22%
12%
Leisure
Anywhere
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Spring 2017 | InsideOutdoor 19