Camping is minimalist living. You forego some of life’s amenities and push yourself to have fun. You willfully put yourself into a somewhat uncomfortable situation in order to have an enjoyable and memorable time. It’s an opportunity to share an experience with old friends, or perhaps make a few new ones. It’s often considered ‘hardcore’ by normal people. In these ways, camping is similar to driving a sports car. Why not enjoy both at the same time? When friends asked us if we wanted to go camping last weekend, we knew that it would be a fun trip, and committed ourselves to going. The weekend would be spent up in Tahoe City, California in a small campsite shared among 8 people. What could go wrong? Absolutely nothing is the answer you’re looking for. I hadn’t been camping in at least 5 years or so, so I nabbed a $5 two-person tent at the local goodwill (without even so much as checking to see that all parts were included), packed it in the front trunk of the Boxster with a number of blankets and pillows and an inflatable mattress. Hot dogs, bratwurst, a dozen ears of sweet corn, a cooler full of drinks, a change of clothes, and our river rafting tubes were all packed in the rear trunk. When it is a nice summer day, I’ll find any excuse to drive the Porsche with the soft top stored, and I wasn’t going to let a silly thing like going camping force my hand into taking the boring hatchback. Besides, the roads around Lake Tahoe are fantastic driving roads, and that’s as good an excuse as any to take the daily driver sports car. We had plenty of room, and a car I actually enjoy driving. How could the day get any better? We packed the night before, and woke up early to take the dog to the kennel for the weekend. Heading out of town, the couple of hours that it took to get to the campsite were blissful. Not a care in the world could weigh us down with the bright beaufitul blue sky above, and miles of sinewy ribbons of asphalt ahead. Our favorite tunes were cranked, and the two-person off-key singalong competition began. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for our camping compatriots that had to drive up these fantastic roads in their absolute bores of conventional transportation, vanilla and beige, the lot of them. Once we arrived to the campsite, we all piled onto the Truckee River with a few hundred other folks to float along the lazy current in a variety of inflatables. Fun was had by all, adult beverages were consumed, and then we all returned to the campsite for fireside card games, more adult beverages, and some dinner. The amenities were minimal, but the camaraderie was second to none. While it was a little before my time, I get the impression that stuff like this used to happen a lot more often in the 50s and 60s. Maybe I’m mistaken, but my understanding of it is that there used to be a lot more daily driven sports cars back then. People wouldn’t have an MG or a Corvette as a third car, but rather as a first or second car. Sports cars were (and are) an expensive proposition, and inspired folks to get more use out of them on a daily basis, forgoing the Country Squire or Vista Cruiser in favor of a 356 or Mustang GT350. So why doesn’t it happen as often now as it did back then? Are we getting softer? Are our cars getting softer? With entirely usable sports cars being built these days, like the BRZ/FR-S twins, Porsche’s Cayman, and the new C7 Corvette, I do see a slight resurgence in the daily driver sports car archetype, but I don’t much hear about adventure driving. These are cars equipped with large rear cargo areas that could fit pretty much anything you’d need for a weekend getting lost (an finding yourself?) with a loved one in the middle of nowhere. They have perfectly livable seats and are an absolute hoot to drive. Are these being taken on cross country tours or trips to ‘the mountains’? Are they being packed full of gear for a fishing trip ‘up north’? Are people getting full use out of them? If you have an enthusiast car, why not take it out for a long road trip next weekend? Maybe head for the coast, or go for a drive around a beautiful nearby lake. Take a trip down some wooded lanes. Search online for some good driving roads nearby. Go somewhere you’ve never been before. Leave the cellphone at home, grab the bare minimum and just go. It doesn’t really matter where. Maybe its time for a camping trip? All you’ll ever need can surely fit in the trunk of a sports car, right? Go make some new memories, and go off the beaten path. Tell us about trips you’ve done in the past. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe this happens more often than I imagine, and I just don’t hear about it. Prove me wrong and keep up this fantastic tradition. Unlike sports cars, bikers are seemingly constantly going on adventures. Have you been on the AdvRider forums lately? Those guys will embarrass any of us who resort to adventure drives in 4-wheel contraptions. They take their two-wheelers literally everywhere. As a matter of fact, my last camping trip was to the Walter Mitty classic races down at Road Atlanta. I rode my 50cc Honda MB5 “project Hoonda” up to the track from Marietta, loaded down with a blanket, tent, folding chair, and cooler of food. It only took three hours to get there in 90 degree heat… Riding home with severe sunburns was worse, though… [Sadly none of the photos are mine, as I left my camera at home, and my cell phone was dead all weekend. Photos sourced from Redverz.com, Flatsixes.com, Bumfuzzle.com, StingrayForums.com, and TheSamba.com]