Whatisoneofthefeaturesofmoderncampingwherenationalityisconcerned？ 　　Economyisonepowerfulmotiveforcamping，sinceaftertheinitialoutlayuponequipment，orthroughhiringit，thetotalexpensecanbefarlessthanthecostofhotels.But，contrarytoapopularassumption，itisfarfrombeingtheonlyone，oreventhegreatest.Themanwhomanoeuvrescarelesslyintohistwentypounds‘worthofspaceatoneofEurope’smyriadpermanentsitesmayfindhimselfbumpingaBentley.Morelikely，FordEscortwillbehubtohubwithRenaultorMercedes，butrarelywithbicyclesmadefortwo. 　　Thattheequipmentofmoderncampingbecomesyearlymoresophisticatedisanentertainingparadoxforthecynic，abrighterpromiseforthehopefultravelerwhohassworntogetawayfromitall.Italsoprovides-andsomestudentsociologistmightcaretobasehisthesisuponthephenomenon--anescapeofanotherkind.ThemoderntravellerisoftenamanwhodislikestheSplendideandtheBellavista，notbecausehecannotafford，orshunstheirmaterialcomforts.butbecauseheisaffordofthem.Affluenthemaybe，butheisbynomeanssurewhattotipthedoormanorthechambermaid.Masterinhisownhouse，hehaslittleideaofwhentosaybootoamaitred‘hotel. 　　Fromallsuchfearscampingreleaseshim.Granted，asnobberyofcampingitself，baseduponequipmentandtechniques，alreadyexists；butitisofakindthat，ifhemeetsit，hecanreadilyunderstandanddealwith.Thereisnosuperior’they‘intheshapeofmanagementsandhotelhierarchiestodarkenhisholidaydays. 　　Tosuchmotives，yetanothermustbeadded.Thecontemporaryphenomenonofcarworshipistobeexplainednotleastbythesenseofindependenceandfreedomthatownershipentails.Tothispleasurecampinggivesanexquisiterefinement. 　　Fromone’sownfrontdoortohomeorforeignhillsorsandsandbackagain，everythingistohand.Notonlyarethemeansofarrivingattheholidayparadiseentirelywithinone‘sowncommandandkeeping，butthemeansofescapefromholidayhel(ifthebeachprovestoocrowded，thelocalweathertooinclement)arethere，outside--or，aslikely，partof--thetent. 　　Idealistshaveobjectedtothepackagetour，thatthetravellerabroadtherebydenieshimselftheopportunityofgettingtoknowthepeopleofthecountryvisited.Insularityandself-containment，itisargued，gohandinhand.TheopiniondoesnotsurviveexperienceofapopularContinentalcampingplace.Holidayhotelstendtocaterforonenationalityofvisitorsespecially，sometimesexclusively.Campingsites，bycontrast，arehighlycosmopolitan.Granted，apreponderanceofGermansisacharacteristicthatseemscommontomostMediterraneansites；butasyetthereisnooverwhelminglyspecializedpatronage.Noticesforbiddingtheopen-airdryingofclothes，ortheuseofwaterpointsforcarwashing，orthoseinviting’ourcampingfriends‘toadanceoraboattripareprintednotonlyinFrenchorItalianorSpanish，butalsoinEnglish，GermanandDutch.Atmealtimestheodourofsauerkrautvieswiththatofgarlic.TheFrenchman’sbreakfastcoffeecompeteswiththeEnglishman‘sbaconandeggs. 　　Whethertheremarkablegrowthoforganizedcampingmeanstheeventualdeathofthemoreindependentkindishardtosay.Municipalitiesnaturallywanttosecurethecampers’sitefeesandothercustom.Policearewaryofitinerantswhocannotbetracedtoarecognizedcampboundaryortof