The beauty of small camping

Travel writer Lee Soo-hyun, who recently released his travel essay “Off to Small Camping,” told The Dong-A Ilbo in a phone interview on Oct. 19 that a backrest attached to a backpack can serve as a great sitting cushion in a cold camping site.

In his case, the more he fell in love with camping, the less he packed camping items. Nine years ago when he first started camping, he enjoyed backpacking, carrying all his belongings in a backpack. Back then, it took three hours back then to pack his bag but now 30 minutes is enough. He introduces all his know-how of for “small camping” in his new book.

“We must not forget that the purpose of camping is R&R. We must be able to reduce the time to pack and unpack, and set up and take down a tent as much as possible in order to fully enjoy the time in nature.”

The author, who goes camping every weekend, said it was sad to see those who have just started camping and already gotten tired of so many camping supplies. The more camping supplies you have, the longer it will take to unpack and pack them. “I see many people at camping sites setting up their equipment when my wife and I have already unpacked all our supplies and taken a rest for a while.”

To be sure, there is no right answer as to what camping items you should buy and should not. The author, however, said he wants to provide more options for those who love to go camping. “Many people think they definitely need to have a tent but a hammock or a shade canopy can replace it in some cases.”

If you bring more food ingredients than you actually need, they become a burden. The author says when it comes to camping, easy-to-cook meals are the best. Barbecue parties in the mountains are nice, but mini pizza or grilled brie cheese are the best since they are easily prepared by heating up on a pan. “The beauty of camping is to experience an escape from everyday life,” Lee said. “I recommend having a simple but unique meal rather than cooking kimchi stew or samgyupsal.”


chan2@donga.com