Sigh… Once again proof of how shortsighted people can be. The concept of a book while tenting is pointless for you, therefor it is pointless to all…
Say I’m out tenting in the area I’m climbing at. Yes, tenting is a common practice amongst climbers, and generally climbers bring along guidebooks for the climbing area they are in. Are they big and heavy? Well, the more the routes in the area, the heavier the guidebook. And let’s say they want to spend the day climbing instead of fumbling around amongst the many routes to choose from, simply guessing which ones are within their abilities. Well, then reading the guidebook is essential. Reading it at night is rather common as daylight is usually spent climbing. Selecting the right route or area of routes for a day of climbing can either be done by gathering around the book by the campfire, or if someone who is more interested can read the book and then give suggestions. Both scenarios are very common, even with the same group during the same trip. I’ve spent many hours reading climbing guidebooks. At home, on planes, in hotels, at restaurants… and in tents. The more you know about the area you’re going to climb in, the more you get out of the trip. I tend to more interested in this than my girlfriend, so I tend to read it more. While she is awake I rather spend my time with her, so I tend to read it quite often when she is asleep, beside me in the tent, and present interesting options in the morning.
This doesn’t only apply to climbing… It applies to caving, hiking, canyoning, kayaking etc etc. Sure, if I’d have hiked out into the woods and pitched my tent only to be out in the woods, I wouldn’t be bringing no books either. But if you’re in a specific area that has a guidebook for the multitude of options (like climbing areas, national parks with many hiking trails, areas canyoning or caving etc etc), reading about and selecting amongst the many options for the next day is part of the fun by many, especially for those of us who don’t want to have everything planned out in detail prior to leaving home.
You might not believe this, but reading the guidebook can actually help you get more out of the moments you are staying in the area. I’d even go so far as to say it’s rather common that people do this. I find it amazing that there are people who can’t think beyond there own world, even with such a simple thing as to why someone would actually bring a book when tenting, let alone why someone would find moonlight useful. But we’re all different… the world would be a boring place if we were not