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of camping households reported to
having children, up from 35 percent
of camping household that said the
same in 2012. According to Census
figures, 34 percent of U.S. house-
holds includes kids.
“Couples form the group of camp-
ers most likely to share their camping
experiences, and overall, camping
appears to be gaining among familial
groups,” reports the KOA study. About
three-quarters of campers take trips
with a spouse or significant other;
about half with their children. That’s
up from 62 percent and 40 percent,
respectively, in 2014. All the while, the
chunk of participants who camp with
siblings has creeped up to three in 10.
Who We Are Camping With
Relation
2014 2015 2016
Spouse/Significant other
62% 71% 74%
Children
40% 44% 47%
Friends
38% 42% 43%
Parents
20% 23% 22%
Siblings
17% 28% 29%
Other family members
16% 20% 20%
Grandchildren
9% 11% 9%
An organized social group 7% 5% 5%
People I met camping
3% 4% 4%
Grandparents
2% 2% 3%
Source: KOA
KOA figures likewise indicate a grow-
ing percentage of respondents who con-
nect the camp out experience with child-
hood development. More than 80 percent
of adults say it’s important for kids to
spend time outdoors, and about a quarter
feel camping has a “great deal” of impact
on academic performance. Teens agree,
as 81 percent of Gen Z campers feels it
is very important for people their age to
spend time outside participating in activi-
ties such as camping.
“Overall, parents have strong
enthusiasm for camping,” say KOA
researchers. “This is especially true
among younger parents.”
Along with the parent-child dynamic
within the activity, family camping also
is increasingly seen as a way to gather
the extended family, as KOA’s findings
suggest this social element is a key
driver toward participation. In addi-
tion to partners and offspring, a desire
to spend more time with family and
friends, as well as the desire among
families and friends to “camp more
often,” are recurring themes for grow-
ing majorities of campers when asked
about impacts, benefits and influenc-
ers. That includes the top reasons for
camping more in 2017.
Again, this is largely attributed to
youth and diversity. Millennials, for one,
are most likely to site “spending time
with friends and family” as a reason for
wanting to camp more often, and they
are most likely to feel strongly about
camping as part of a group. Non-white
campers, meanwhile, are more likely to
camp with multiple generations. Three-
quarters of Hispanics and nearly seven
in 10 African American campers spend
Spring
2017
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Inside
Outdoor
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