As resort campsites become ever more luxurious, lovers of the primitive still cling to what they consider genuine camping-backpacking through the woods, relying on trees, canvas and perhaps a lean-to for shelter. TIME's Boston correspondent Philip Taubman is one such purist. Last week he and his wife Felicity tromped the Long Trail in Vermont's Green Mountains, their enthusiasm only slightly dampened by a chilling rain and acres of mud. Herewith Taubman's defense of nature's way:
Luxury campsites! The very phrase is a non sequitur. As any Boy Scout knows, a campsite is a clearing in the woods where the greatest luxury is...