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Camping has come a long way since the Boy Scouts pitched their first tent more than a century ago and today’s high-tech campsites often look more like polyester hotel rooms than the bivouacs of decades past. But some modern-day campers are just over the top. 5 “They load up with
Camping has come a long way since the Boy Scouts pitched their first tent more than a century ago and today’s high-tech campsites often look more like polyester hotel rooms than the bivouacs of decades past. But some modern-day campers are just over the top. 5 “They load up with every comfort imaginable. They’ve got their cooktop, their inflatable mattresses and even their kitchen sinks. But you might as well be in a hotel room at that point,” said Craig Fisher of Sydney camping retailer in Anaconda. Mr Fisher said modern camping conveniences had opened the door for urban families looking to stay within their comfort zone. They have also given rise to a new feature of the retail 10 landscape – the camping megastore. “In the past, camping really was looked at as something for the more adventurous – for the men to go get rough. Now anyone can go camping,” Mr Fisher said. Occasional camper Niall Roche said the comforts of modern camping helped him convince his wife, Wendy, to come along. 15 “I don’t like roughing it anyway. When we go away, I like taking the suitcase and staying in a decent hotel, and when we go camping I still like to have some of the comforts there,” he said. “We’ve got the cooking stoves, the camping seats, the tent, the sleeping bags, the little lamps.” Last year, adventurer Dick Smith warned overly cautious parents they were raising a 20 generation of ‘cottonwool kids’. “As a boy, I enjoyed camping and climbing in Scouts. I accept there is going to be risk involved, but, now more than ever, we need to stop wrapping our kids in cottonwool and let them discover their true potential,” Mr Smith said. But Mr Roche is confident his more comfortable camping style was as worthwhile as its 25 traditional counterpart. According to Mr Fisher, camping retailers are doing as well as ever, despite the economic downturn. “A lot of families are looking for cheaper holidays,” he said. “Rather than spending money on flights or hotel rooms, they’re getting a chance to get out and see our beautiful country.” 30 Retail figures showed a 0.8 per cent rise in sales for camping equipment stores. Adapted from The Australian September 21, 2009 10ANT2ME3/LR3/AG3 Page : 2/4 NOTE AUX CANDIDATS Les candidats traiteront les exercices sur la copie qui leur sera fournie et veilleront -