Camping

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Bivouacking, Camping Site, Campsite, Campground, Camping Area

Category

Travel, Tourism, Concessions, Public Facilities, Activities, Outdoor Activities

Message / Function

To indicate the location of public camping facilities

	Source	Description
	ISO 7001	Wigwam style tent on a base, tree
	Ski Arlberg 2025	Letter C, wigwam style tent
	Forster	Letter C, asymmetric wigwam style tent
	BEV	Wigwam style tent on a base indicated by horizontal bar
	Slovenia 2015	Wigwam style tent on a base
	BS 8501:2002	Wigwam style tent
	Argentina SSTN	Wigwam style tent
	ÖNORM A 3011	Wigwam style tent
	Tern	Wigwam style tent
	Picto'grafics	Wigwam style tent with asymmetric opening
	Jalisco	Wigwam style tent with asymmetric opening
	Naturparke NÖ	Wigwam style tent with asymmetric opening and curved contours
	freizeitkarte osm.de	Wigwam style tent with large opening
	SSRS	Wigwam style tent with inverted v like opening
	Aicher & Krampen	Front view of ridge tent
	Dreyfuss	Front view of ridge tent
	SADC	Ridge tent with asymmetric opening
	Nova Scotia	Ridge tent with asymmetric opening, tent pegs at the edges
	CNFC	Ridge tent in outline, tent pegs at the edges
	U.S. National Park Service	Ridge tent on base
	NPS	Ridge tent on base
	Québec	Ridge tent on base
	NZS 8603	Oblique view of ridge tent with asymmetric opening
1)	Eco-Mo Foundation	Oblique view of ridge tent with asymmetric opening
	EJP	Oblique view of ridge tent with asymmetric opening
	Fukuoka 1989	Oblique view of ridge tent with rectangular opening
	Handbuch wien.gv.at	Oblique view of ridge tent in outline, stakes
	Pacific Bell	Oblique view of ridge tent
2)	Parks Canada	Front view of house tent
	Peru MST	Front view of dome tent, two tent pegs and lines at the edges
	Dutchicon	Oblique view of ridge tent, three tent pegs
3)	Fiori R	Perspective view of ridge tent on base

Variants concerning special messages like
Group Camping, Back-country Camping, Horse Camping, Canoe Camping, Camping Site near Water

4)	Parks Canada	Front view of three house tents in triangular arrangement
5)	Parks Canada	Side view of walking human figure with rucksack and stick in hand, front view of house tent on the right below
	Parks Canada	Side view of human figure on a horse, front view of house tent on the right below
	Parks Canada	Side view of human figure in canoe, front view of house tent on the right below
	USSR	Outline of ridge tent with asymmetric opening, two wavy lines below left
	CISC 1988	Wigwam style tent, two wavy lines below

Discussion

A few studies present research covering several pictogram variants for this referent. These papers offer some useful information:

Gehringer (1979) asked 300 subjects from seven countries to draw a symbol for camping site. Results were very homogeneous with 95 % of the drawings showing a tent and 3 % showing a caravan.

The selection above corresponds to these findings. While for example both U.S. National Park Service variants seem rather abstract, many pictograms are easy to recognize as images of tents.

This is especially true for the pictogram labeled as Eco-Mo Foundation and marked with 1). In a Japanese study to propose domestically unified graphical symbols based on scientific methods, it proved to be well comprehensible with an excellent comprehension score of 94.1 (Eco-Mo Foundation, 2001). But for a map symbol displaying a perspective view of a ridge tent on a base, very similar to the variant labeled Fiori R and marked with 3) in the table above, only 60.4 % of the responses in a Comprehension Test were classified as correct in a study conducted in Brazil (Fiori, 2008).

Evaluating the Parks Canada’s National Park and National Historic Sites symbols, also guidance and information symbols regarding several camping related messages were examined using a Comprehension Test according to ISO 9186. For pictogram No 6-4-001: Camping, labeled Parks Canada and marked with 2) in the table above, 92 % of the responses were classified as acceptable. Also pictogram No 6-4-025: Back-country Camping, marked with 5) in the table above, used to indicate the location of a camping area accessible by backpacking only, seems to be sufficiently comprehensible with a score of 80 % correct. The variant intended as No 6-4-002: Group Camping, marked with 4) above, was completely unsuccessful regarding the key message of camping in groups, with 89 % of the responses classified as unacceptable. But the list of wrong responses provided indicates that the basic activity of camping was identified by almost all respondents (Ipsos-Reid Corporation, 2003, page 46).

Recommendation

Camping

We recommend the use of a wigwam style tent as shown in pictogram No 43 from ÖNORM A 3011, which is symmetric, has no superfluous elements and is still easily recognized, and also works in small scale reproduction.

Tests of pictograms of referent Camping

Eco-Mo Foundation (2001): Test data of public information symbols in Japan - Procedure for the testing of public information symbols by the Study Committee. ISO: ISO/TC 145/SC 1 N 329.

Fiori, S. R. (2008): Mapas para o turismo e a interatividade - proposta teórica e prática. Tese de Doutorado - Depto. de Geografia, FFLCH-USP.

Gehringer, J. (1979): Untersuchung über die zeichnerische Gestaltung von Pictogrammen in Abhängigkeit von einigen Persönlichkeitsmerkmalen, sowie Überprüfung einiger Bildzeichen auf ihre Erkennbarkeit. Dissertation, Psychology Department, University of Vienna.

Ipsos-Reid Corporation (2003): Evaluation of Parks Canada’s National Park and National Historic Sites Symbols – Phase I.