Growing up with grandparents, there was always talk of the “good ol’ days”.

Sitting around the dinner table, fond memories of yesteryear were recalled amidst the groans and eye rolls of the rest of us.

If your elders happened to be into the whole camping thing, they might have told seemingly romantic stories of travelling the country side with a roof-top tent, or hauling a compact caravan referred to as their “home away from home”.

But compared with the ease and accessibility of today, photographs pulled from The Telegraph’s archives show us we shouldn’t be all that envious.

In fact, we should be happy with what we have (although the countryside isn’t as accessible as it once was):

The ‘Trotent’. Supported by the roof of a car, the tent sleeps two and there is a ‘ground floor’ apartment for dressing (circa 1961).

A rather bijou tent or…he’s packed his children’s garden tepee by mistake?

Room with a view.

A cyclist towing his caravan (1940).

Designed for comfort the Bedouin B collapsible caravan converts from a compact trailer into a spacious home for two in four minutes flat. (Circa 1956)

Mrs G Cranham of Mitcham, Surrey on a camping holiday near Le Mans in her Volkswagen camper van with a tent extension, June 1962.

A family enjoy a cup of tea outside their mobile caravan, at Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, 1926

Another family enjoy a cup of tea outside their mobile caravan, at Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, 1926.

How quaint?!

Thank goodness tents these days are a whole lot more streamlined. Imagine what the reaction would have been if you had given anyone of them a, say, K-Way Vista 4 Person Tent.

I am sure they would have found themselves in an intense situation.

[source: thetelegraph]