Parks test out wireless Internet for campers

What happened to going away for the weekend to get away from all of that crap?


Yeah... because everyone needs to post what they're doing "out camping" on Facebook every 15 minutes.

Brutal.

Well, it's for the same people who can't camp without a microwave oven and a hairdryer I guess.

For those who are truly going camping to get away from all that shit will have to seek out "tech-free" campgrounds or by-pass the campgrounds altogether.

That's kinda what we do now.

I tend to get a little testy when every second kid walks into me because they've got their nose stuck to their Gameboy or iPod.

Doesn't anyone know how to camp anymore? Really camp...

Little things that make camping a little more comfortable or entertaining is fine but the internet is neither and there's no need for it. If you need to be "Webbed Up" that bad......stay home because you don't belong out there.

........and I don't even like camping.

I don't even like it when someone has a power generator at the campsite, it makes too much noise. Then, there are those who have their sattlelite dishes pointing out to where they can get their much needed signal. No, I agree, this is not really camping, and ya, stay home!

I just spent a week a Giford Pinchot State Park in Pennsylvania. I borrowed my brother's air conditioned 25' travel trailer, took the family down there. 111 degrees Farenheit, plus the humidex. Anyway, I was down there for some Civil War exploring, Gettysburg 147th anniversary re-enactments and to smuggle back some Weed & Feed. Trying to navigate to find places when you're studying history is GREATLY aided by the presence of internet, not to mention driving unfamiliar roads with my wife navigating. I would have LOVED to have had internet access.

Now, is this "camping"? No, of course not. My annual 10-day fishing trip into the bush at Shining Tree, ON is camping. But for a lot of mainstream camping (should we really call it "trailering"?), net access would be welcomed. It's also nice to have a device (that rhymed) to at least shut the screaming brats up for a couple minutes while the old man enjoys a beer.

If you can't go a weekend without your internet or find something interesting to do while out in nature then just stay home!

You make some good points and it's nice to see you know the difference between 'camping' and 'trailering', as you call it.

There is a difference between "camping" and "holidaying". On holidays, yes, it can be handy for different things, but camping - no.

What the hell? Whatever happened to a tent, sleeping bag, fishing rod beer and food being all you needed for camping? If we were going for awhile we'd take a radio and bear repellent, and that was it. We had a cottage, but that wasn't considered camping.

I guess my point was that parks don't really offer camping. People that use these facilities aren't looking to go 'camping'. They're looking to burn some shit and roast marshmallows and sleep in air-conditioned comfort. If you really wanted to "camp", you wouldn't even consider one of these places as a destination, so it's unfair to judge them on the real definition of camping. That's not their business.

'Tis a thing of the past, sadly.