How to Camp Like a French Local
So, what comes to your mind when you think about camping? Is it instant noodles? How about plastic chairs, or zip-off trousers? Well, this is usually how camping goes for the average person. Well, that’s not exactly it when it comes to the French and their way of camping. It’s not really about surviving the outdoors; it’s about enjoying it. Which is what camping should honestly be about nowadays anyway.
So, the French treat camping the same way they treat food, wine, or long weekends, meaning, they’re all something to be savoured slowly, preferably under a tree with good cheese and no one rushing them to do anything productive (hikes, routes to explore, and swimming are still there but it’s not rushed how it is in other countries to “get it done and over with”). So yeah, it’s all fairly simple and indulgent too.
It’s All About the Food
Well, that’s one of the things, at least, and with camping for everywhere else, it’s not about the food at all, which is fairly bland anyway. French camping is basically an excuse to eat well outdoors. There’s always a little bit of theatre to it. Now, not every French person is like this, and it also depends on the style of camping (who knows, maybe the age too). But you might be able to expect a baguette (ideally perfectly fresh), some red wine, maybe some cheese (which might be sweaty, but that’s okay), butter, and just other small things. So, usually with regular campers (and again, maybe some French do it this way), but you can basically forget freeze-dried meals, trail mix, and cereal bars; this is all about markets, fresh produce, and long, lazy lunches.
Actually, it’s not too common to see people setting up tables right next to their tents, pulling out actual plates and cutlery (usually plastic ones), and again, just the food somehow looks simple, effortless, and just better than trail mix and granola by a long shot. Here’s a nice way to explain the setup: it’s a temporary countryside restaurant with better scenery, and so yeah, camping is just the setting, but the meal is the main event.
It’s All About the Comfort
The major thing here is that it’s not about having fun survival in the wild (or pretending you’re surviving in the wild or anything like that). Well, that and the whole premise is to tolerate the discomfort. It’s not necessarily that in France (the same can be said for how a lot of Europeans camp in general). But for French, it’s more about balancing ease with some comfort, and this can include just not rushing to unpack, or just packing light, or even needing to “prove” anything.
Some are in caravans, others are in tents; there’s no “one is better than the other”. But even the setups feel relaxed and smart. Like, some have small campers or vans, and others might use their truck with upgrades like UTE canopy designs (actually, this one is becoming a favourite the same goes for those tentboxes that are on the roof of a car.
It’s Just Slow Days and Slower Nights
Again, it’s not fast-paced, and the whole “we have to do everything” type of style it is usually for camping. In the morning, your legs stretch out, and you just enjoy nature with coffee, maybe lying in a hammock in the afternoon, and maybe just drifting and slowly eating when dinner time comes. As you can see, this is a big difference, but again, not all French people do it this way either.
