The first camping trip I remember was when I was about 5 years old. We camped on a lake in Idaho. Been camping ever since. Early camping cooking was done over an open fire. Eating out, too far to drive or walk as case may be.
The main activity in early trips was fishing.
Around 30 years after the first trip, I talked a friend to take on a backpacking trip. Up till then all my camping was "car camping", that is close to transportation but usually a long ways from a town.
That first trip into the Jefferson Wilderness (that's in Oregon) got me really hooked on the silence and beauty of true mountain wilderness. Days were spent exploring, fishing, taking pictures, and relaxing. Eating out wasn't possible, a 5 hour hike and a 3 hour drive to closest eating place. And there wasn't a current bush around to run a
microwave oven. Neither was there a shower or potty. A nice dip in a mountain lake is about as refreshing as it gets.
About that time a divorce and remarriage happened. The new wife was taken on a backpacking trip and then it was matter of who was dragging who out the door for our next adventure. We experienced sun and sun burn, rain, snow and sleet. I even got a mild case of hypothermia and still loved it all. Got rid of the fishing pole. I figured I was old enough I didn't need an excuse to watch the water roll over the rocks or the ripples run across a lake.
Later we got involved with a carving group and geocaching group. Both had group camp outs and our only camp bed room was the tiny tent and we got tired of getting dressed on our back at the events.
Now there's the trailer. If we're someplace in Oregon/Washington we head for the back country and park in "dispersed camping" spot. Some even have a metal fire ring. Two activities occupy us, I set up my Ham Radio station and get on the air or we'll take a hike around the area.
When traveling we head for federal non-electric camp grounds. There we often visit with the temporary neighbors, walk around, and try to make a few radio contacts on the Ham Radio. If get rained in then a few card games, maybe a computer game, or a book.
The idea is get out and off the grid.