This is the first big weekend of summer camping for many families.
As the temperatures warm up on this first weekend of what many consider summer, families are enjoying the plans that they have been making for months. And while many people have been making plans for months, the weekend weather on Memorial weekend can interrupt many schedules. In spite of the weather, however, many families are able to go through with their plans because of the hard work and preparation of campground workers and site managers. With the placement of ground mats like campground protection mats, even heavy recreational vehicles can still park safely on muddy camp sites.
Modeled after the outrigger pads and steel crane pads that are used on construction sites around the country, ground mats at campgrounds serve the same basic purpose. In fact, in the absence of concrete camp sites, a ground mat provides the opportunity for year round camping in many locations.
Does Your Family Have Memorial Weekend Camping Plans?
Rain or shine, many families look forward to the opening weekend of summer with plans for family camping trips. When the weather does not cooperate, however, some of the best campgrounds are still a great place to be because they use ground mats to create stable camping surfaces. With innovations like camper jack pads the approximately 8.9 million household owners with an RV have places to camp in all kinds of weather. The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association, the same group that reports the current number of RV owners is 8.9 million also reports that in the year 2013 the revenue of campgrounds and RV parks was estimated at nearly $5 billion.
Families that camp chose this activity for a number of reasons. From finding time away from technology, jobs, and school is only part of the reason that people enjoy camping. Many families also like camping because this activity provides them the opportunity to enjoy nature as well as have easy access to a variety of physical activities. For all of these reasons, the camping is an activity that encourages people to stay for extended periods of time. For example, the 2014 Camping Report indicates that 13% of campers, specifically those that travel with an RV stay for seven or more night. And while the majority of campers, regardless of whether they are using a camping shelter, spent one to two nights in the outdoors, those traveling with RVs are often looking for a longer stay. A longer stay that is enhanced by campground upgrades like permanent RV pads.
What Kinds of Extras Does Your Family Look for When You Go Camping?
In addition to the essential need for a stable camping surface, camping families are often looking for many other things as well. For instance, many families like to be rivers or lakes. Finding a location where they can fish, boat, water ski, or kayak, in fact, is a goal of many families that like to camp. In addition to using water as a recreational activity, many families also look for other settings that encourage outdoor activities.
For instance, some families like to camp near the mountains so that they can hike, rock climb, and enjoy taking photos of wildlife. Other families also want to have the options of having indoor activities. For instance, families with small children enjoy access to indoor arts and crafts centers as well as indoor play centers that provide a chance for children to burn off some energy even when the weather does not cooperate.
The foundation of RV camping grounds often starts with large ground mats, but theses stable surfaces are just the beginning for what families are looking for when they head out camping. Whether they are going out for a short weekend or a long month of camping, families also enjoy the option of enjoying lakes, mountains, beaches, and hiking trails. The opportunity to remove your family from the allure of technology and the busy schedules that we all lead back home, campgrounds across the country allow parents and children to reconnect with nature and with each other.
Do you have your first summer camping trip planned? It is Memorial weekend and time to make your plans!
