# Why dont' black people go camping? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 8, 2007, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982 "2007-10-08T19:23:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982/61 "2007-10-09T15:20:08Z")
[QUOTE=Larry Borgia] Actually black people would love to go camping but they know they’re so loud it would ruin the experience for the rest of us, so they graciously stay home. Thanks, black people! [/QUOTE] Plus, of course, have you ever tried fitting a watermelon into your backpack? They be big and heavy! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982/62 "2007-10-09T15:27:05Z")
[QUOTE=Dorjän] As a black camper who also climbs, rides motorcycles and drinks coffee (sometimes all during the same weekend!), should I turn in my official negro card? 😃 [/QUOTE] You just HAD to out-do me, didn’t you? I had the market cornered before you got here. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982/63 "2007-10-09T15:37:55Z")
[Photographic evidence of black people camping](http://www.fiery-foods.com/images/ed/chiliconcarne/cannibals.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982/64 "2007-10-09T15:56:56Z")
A whole host of [scary](http://www.allfantasyart.com/3d/troll.jpg) things can be found in the woods. Not everyone is [prepared](http://flamesrising.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=1837&it=1). ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982/65 "2007-10-09T16:53:15Z")
Around here the homeless living in tents tend to be white, but I bet there are plenty of black people in tent cities throughout the country. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982/66 "2007-10-09T18:59:18Z")
Edit: Never mind, misunderstood what **tom** was talking about. ---
**Author:** ![welby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@welby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/welby)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982/67 "2007-10-09T21:22:30Z")
[QUOTE=VCO3] Black people don’t go camping. Before you even start to debate that assertion, [it’s true](http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/outdoors/2002356450_blackcampers03m.html), [end of discussion](http://www.soundpolitics.com/archives/004718.html). I started wondering why, though - **why** don’t black people go camping? [/QUOTE] I don’t know. I’ll ask my black friends when we meet in the Shenandoah National Forest to go camping on Friday and get back to you. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982/68 "2007-10-09T21:46:12Z")
A black friend of mine once talked about it and said that for a black person just leaving your house is an adventure, so you don’t tend to seek it, whereas white people tend to be bored, and are always seeking thrills. I thought that had some wisdom in it. Perhaps this video can shed some light on the subject: [African-American boycott of LL Bean enters 80th year.](http://www.theonion.com/content/video/african_american_boycott_of_l_l) ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982/69 "2007-10-09T21:47:11Z")
Additional anecdotal evidence is of no help, of course – but I’ve camped all my life (probably 75 camping trips), in a half-dozen state and national parks. And my reaction to the OP was “yeah, I wondered that myself.” ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982/70 "2007-10-09T23:24:20Z")
Maybe it’s because it isn’t easy to come up with “black people camp like this…but white people camp like this…” jokes. Marc ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982/71 "2007-10-10T01:15:06Z")
The people who think camping isn’t expensive are both right and wrong. On a amortized basis it’s not expensive to do 50 times. It is hugely expensive to do once. Sleeping bags, tent, camp stove, ground cloth, Coleman lantern, first aid kit, cooler for food, Thermarest pads, insect repellant, rain gear, packs, and so on. When you look at the expense of outfitting a family of four for a camping trip, it runs into hundreds of dollars. WikiHow has a list already prepared: **Campsite** Tent Spare tent stakes Sleeping bags Sleeping mats Tarp Camp chair Lounge chairs Folding table Lantern Tarp Day/fanny pack Shovel Axe Saw Pocket knife Hammer or mallet Whisk broom Flashlight Rope & clothespins Fishing rod & tackle Other sporting gear Camera & film Butane gas lighter Safety supplies First aid kit Insect repellent Hat Sunglasses Sunscreen Lip balm Canteen Duct tape Map Compass Binoculars Blanket Signal whistle Toothbrush Towels & washcloths Soap Toilet paper Washbasin Mirror Propane stove & fuel Waterproof matches Dishpan/detergent Coffee pot Cook set mess kits Pot scrubbers Garbage bags Paper towels/napkins Water container Cooler & insulated jug Can/bottle opener Aluminum foil Cooking utensils Pot holders Knives, forks, spoons Salt & pepper shakers Grill top/Rack Charcoal Fire starter Waterproof storage containers & plastic bags Plastic mugs Food Sure a lot of this stuff is superfluous, but most is either necessary or important if you’re going to have a good time, and without camping experience how will you know which is not required? Some of these items might save your life. Sitting huddled in the rain under green trash bags eating cold canned food is not a fun weekend, even if you don’t have an emergency. If your family camps, you can probably borrow a lot of this stuff, but if they don’t, you’re out of luck. Without knowing whether they would enjoy it, there are a lot of things people would do for recreation first. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982/72 "2007-10-10T01:20:07Z")
[QUOTE=MGibson] Maybe it’s because it isn’t easy to come up with “black people camp like this…but white people camp like this…” jokes. Marc [/QUOTE] Oh, man, it’s true! we are so lame! Speaking again, as someone for whom camping was not a part of the cultural lexicon, I don’t think price was an object. My parents probably would’ve thought it was crazy to spend that amount of money on camping supplies. Which is not to say that it couldn’t have been done. But even if we had unlimited camping supply money, it just never would’ve occurred to us to want to. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982/73 "2007-10-10T02:49:05Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] While I haven’t seen many camping it’s definately not a dislike of being outdoors. I see tons of black folks picnicing, cooking, playing outdoors in many state parks during the summer. Maybe they just don’t care to spend the night. Who can blame them? To me camping = over rated. [/QUOTE] WHAT? You lie. Who wouldn’t want to leave an air-conditioned house with a big screen TV and comfy bed o live on the ground at night after a day of marching in the sun. The mosquitoes alone are worth the trip. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982/74 "2007-10-10T08:36:05Z")
I posted [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=9059025&postcount=113) in the other thread. I’m still waiting to hear from **Auto** ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982/75 "2007-10-10T10:00:12Z")
White people don’t go camping. Before you even start to debate that assertion, it’s true\* - end of discussion. I started wondering why, though - **why** don’t white people go camping? I think the obvious answer is “because they don’t go camping.” But why? I have a few ideas: 1. Camping is associated with gayness. Since all Americans are homophobic (Before you even start to debate that assertion, it’s true\*\* - end of discussion), they don’t venture out. 2. There’s a subtext in camping that it’s wet and uncomfortable. Plus you can’t bring your home theatre or have friends over to watch football. \*I have never seen a white US family camping. \*\*I have read about such an American. Therefore they all are. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982/76 "2007-10-10T11:57:30Z")
[QUOTE=kidchameleon] A whole host of [scary](http://www.allfantasyart.com/3d/troll.jpg) things can be found in the woods. Not everyone is [prepared](http://flamesrising.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=1837&it=1). [/QUOTE] This accusation is no more acceptable because it is oblique. Keep this stuff in the **Pit**. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982/77 "2007-10-10T12:19:08Z")
[QUOTE=monstro] 1. Many black people are urban dwellers. City slickers in general do not enjoy the wild outdoors because they don’t see the wild outdoors. I also think city slickers tend to be wary of rural, undeveloped areas out of fear of “crazy hicks and hillbillies”. I think black people are especially senstive to this because crazy hicks and hillibillies often equates to the KKK. [/QUOTE] Note to Monstro and her friends: _Deliverance_ and \*The Hills Have Eyes \* are just movies, okay? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982/78 "2007-10-10T12:33:32Z")
[QUOTE=Dorjän] As a black camper who also climbs, rides motorcycles and drinks coffee (sometimes all during the same weekend!), should I turn in my official negro card? 😃 [/QUOTE] Depends. Are you also [filthy and unkempt](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=9053668&postcount=10)? If so, your official negro card is definitely history. ---
**Author:** ![SpectBrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@SpectBrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpectBrain)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982/79 "2007-10-10T14:56:43Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] Same reason they seldom ride motorcycles: they’re smarter than the rest of us. [/QUOTE] well here’s about 350,000 that might disagree with you. > [@](#): > > Black Bike Week is not only the largest black bike festival in the world but its also the largest black beach week event period. Every Memorial Day Weekend ( May 26-May 28, 2007) over 350,000 bikers travel to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for fun, food, festivities and more. If you love bikes and the people who ride them, you cannot miss this ev from [Black bike week, Myrtle Beach](http://www.blackbeachweek.com/blackbikeweek1.html) ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982/80 "2007-10-10T15:20:54Z")
[QUOTE=Princhester] Depends. Are you also [filthy and unkempt](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=9053668&postcount=10)? If so, your official negro card is definitely history. [/QUOTE] Like any self-respecting brotha, my appearance is always on point, no matter what the activity! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-black-people-go-camping/421982.md?page=5)