Camping has always been a favourite Canadian pastime, but its popularity has boomed since the start of the pandemic, and is set to reach new highs in 2022. To gain insights into Canada’s outdoor plans for this summer, Hipcamp, the world’s largest provider of outdoor stays, surveyed 5,000 campers coast to coast and uncovered some surprising and quirky results.
Key findings of the survey:
- Parents (and kids) are out, pets in
This summer, campers are 6x as likely to camp with their pets as with their parents. Only 4.7% of Canadian campers plan to get outside with their parents, while nearly a third (31.8%) have plans to camp with a pet. That makes pets a more popular camping companion than kids (22.4%). - Privacy, please
Nearly two thirds (62.5%) of campers rank private land camping as a top outdoor destination this summer, with 20.8% saying lakeside stays are the most important feature when booking. - Rising fuel costs mean more staycations
Almost all (94.3%) Canadian campers say sky-high fuel prices will impact their travel plans this year, with nearly half (43.7%) saying they won’t roam beyond 450 kilometres - Shiny happy campers
For pandemic-weary campers, mental health matters more than fun. A whopping 39.3% cited mental health relief as the #1 reason they’re planning a camping trip this summer – ranking it above relaxation, quality time with loved ones, challenge and even fun.
Additional findings include:
- Isn’t it romantic (to camp)
More than two thirds (75%) of campers are planning at least one camping trip with their significant other this summer. - Born to be wild
More than two thirds (70.8%) of Canadian campers rate “pitching a tent” as a top camping skill, with other top skills including “foraging for edible wild food,” and “catching and gutting a fish.”