Challenge the past to design campsites of the future

Image | camping design

Caption: A view of Grundy Lake Provincial Park. (Michelle Parise)

Audio | Spark : Challenge the past to design campsites of the future

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Camping itself has morphed and changed over the years, and a lot of that is due to changes in technology. The idea of getting the family together and heading off into the woods only really became popular in North America after WWII.

Image | Old tent

(Michelle Parise)

The rise of car culture led to people exploring new parks, and new ways to enjoy the outdoors, but with some of the comforts of home. To do that, we needed gear. At first that gear was heavy, and cumbersome, and inspired by military camp gear. But the technologies we associate with camping have changed over time.

Image | Retro camp cooler

(Michelle Parise)

Lola Sheppard and Mason White(external link) are two architects who have thought a lot about camping. Their project Making Camp(external link) is a collection of their experimental design ideas for alternatives to how people camp today. We spoke to them about some of their visions for the future of camping.
Check out this timeline (Making Camp: History and Gear(external link)) to see some of the ways camping tech has changed and developed over the years.
The exhibit for Lola and Mason's Making Camp project will be up at the Eric Arthur Gallery(external link) in Toronto until February 21, 2016

You might also enjoy this past Spark story by Cesil Fernandes, Camping without technology.