Asked whether they had a camping place without snow, two women behind the desk of the campsite break out laughing.

“Snow-free? No way,” they say.

Dozens of tents dot a winter wonderland at Amsterdam’s Zeeburg camp site. It’s been fully booked this winter. Some 700 guests toasted in the New year in flimsy tents or bare huts. French tourists flock here by train; a German couple has been coming with their two children for the past 15 years, trekking through the snow to the toilets in bathrobes and slippers.

No-one has ever been harmed by the cold, acording to Manager Pepijn van den Heuvel.

“They keep each other warm enough in those little tents,” he says.

Come rain or shine: we do what we want

Weather is not an issue in the 21st century. We wear summer dresses in winter and winter boots in summer. We want experiences of every kind, whenever and wherever we desire, dim sum in Amsterdam and mashed potatoes in Shanghai. So why should Christmas pudding and a lighted tree be our only sources of cheer in the dark days of winter?

“I think, therefore I decide,” is the attitude, said Richard Lamb of Trendwatcher.com. “We know what we want and we want it now. Since the lightbulb was invented we no longer need to stay indoors when it gets dark. We can determine our activities ourselves.”

With internet and other technology, we roam the world to get as much variation in our lives as we can. We don’t want to waste a minute of our time; we want constant stimulation and we want to choose for ourselves where we get it from. Shops must change their opening times to accommodate us; every ray of sun between the bouts of snow brings us out to sunbathe on pavement cafes with outdoor heating.

The weather can create obstacles. Trains stop running because of ice on the tracks, not at all a rare occurrence this winter in the Netherlands. Barbeque pits are doused by snow-storms. Yet Christmas parties are now turning into winter barbeques, with venison steaks and flaming fruit. It’s cheaper than renting a party facility. Beach-cafes now stay open year-round so we can watch the sunset over the water, mulled wine in hand. We sunbathe in ski-suits, why not? Factor 30 on our noses, a stereo nearby with yodelling on, and presto – you are basking in the renowned après-ski glow commonly associated with post-piste revelry.

Cold pleasure: the joys of subzero camping

“Camping is fantastic in winter”, says Peter Quist, who runs an outdoor cooking shop and organises a mid-winter camp in the south of Holland.

But why?

“Because we can,” he laughs.

While he was a student he discovered the charm of winter camping in Scandanavia: the primitive joys of feeding the campfire with wood dried in the frosty air. You need cold to experience that pleasure.

“In the tent, the heaters can be on 20 degrees Celsius while it is minus eight outside. Dry cold is, for me, much better than summer downpours.”

Last year 75 people took part in his winter camp among the pines, mainly sporting types, particularly fathers with children. It seems to be turning into a bonding ritual. Sometimes they sit round the campfire till midnight. During the day they cut wood, prepare meals and go trekking. Next month, Quist will install a hot tub, an amenity hugely popular with the Swedish. He has his own theory about the increase in open-air winter activities.

“Winter sports are increasing in popularity,” he notes. “Tourism in Scandanavia and the Alps have given people a taste for camping in the snow. Now they want to reproduce the apres-ski glow at home as well.”