camp

Camp is a place used for temporary residence or shelter. It can refer to a site where people set up tents, caravans, or other temporary housing, or to the activity of staying in such a site, known as camping. Camps are established for recreation, travel, education, or humanitarian purposes, and range from remote wilderness sites to organized youth camps. Facilities commonly include water, toilets, and designated fire rings, with rules to protect safety and the environment.

Camping covers the activity of staying outdoors overnight or for extended periods. It includes tent camping, car camping, backpacking, and developed forms such as glamping. Many campsites are part of public lands or private facilities with campgrounds, trails, and instructional programs. Best practices emphasize Leave No Trace principles, including packing out waste, respecting wildlife, and choosing appropriate locations to minimize impact.

In cultural usage, camp denotes a sensibility characterized by artifice, theatricality, irony, and humor, often embracing things that are exaggerated or extravagant. The term gained prominence in critical discourse over the 20th century and remains influential in film, fashion, and art. Scholars distinguish between camp as a deliberate aesthetic and performances that are merely earnest or kitschy, noting context shapes its reception.

Beyond recreation, the word also denotes temporary communities such as military camps, refugee camps, or work camps. It appears in phrases like summer camp or campgrounds, and the verb to camp describes the act of lodging at a camp. The concept highlights mobility and temporary settlement rather than permanent, long-term habitation.