Adventure and Camping

by Alice Njavro
(USA)

British Columbia, Canada

No matter if you are with your family or out on your own, adventure does not wait. You have to go out and find it. For some this means finding the extremes of skiing or hiking in a foreign land. For others it means the thrill of catching a Big Mouth Bass on the lake with their son or daughter.

Really, adventure is what you make it so you might as well be prepared to make it yours.

Why Camping

Hiking and camping are great ways to disconnect from our television society and reconnect with our community as well as the earth. Finding our balance is a necessary lesson for all of us urbanites and it can only be learned in the wilderness. Even over a short weekend trip there is much to be learned that will last a lifetime.

My point is not that we need to step back from technology, leave our homes for a more primitive life and live under the stars. However, we do need to recognize the lifestyle that we live and be thankful for it. Adaptation sometimes means stepping aside and allowing the world to grow around us. Developing a way of life that is beneficial to future generations as well as nature is essential now more than at any other time in humanities short existence.

Is Camping Enough

Camping is an essential part of growing into our world and gaining a more accurate perspective of our personal lives as well as our environment.

It is preparation for life as well as a therapeutic way of handling our stress.

Camping is a fundamental path in humanities continued success as the dominant species on planet Earth. Witnessing the beauty that Mother Nature has to offer is essential to ensure that our environment remains healthy, society stays in touch with the essence of life which really has very little to do with our iPods and in box.

It is a path for our children to grow in nature and be more prepared to handle their lives. Learning what it takes to put up your own shelter, cook your own meals without a microwave and fetching your own water humbles all of us.

After all it is the difficulties in life that build character, not the videogame. It is the hike that wears you down, blisters your feet and compels you to complete the journey that gives you strength.

Camping is a cornerstone for success in our future. It shows a person how to be on your own in an environment that is unknown. It builds self-confidence and strengthens commonsense. Camping actively shows you the importance of preparation and improves your clarity in thinking and in actions. Besides, it’s fun to do. What more can you ask for in a vacation!

Plight of Urban Man

In the United States many of us live in cities or towns that are some how connected to the urban sprawl of the nearest metropolis. We deal with cars and stoplights, shop for our food in supermarkets and make our meals out of boxes or plastic bags, if we make them ourselves. We are not farmers that till the soil and we do not slaughter the meat that we consume.

It is the connection to nature that many of us are lacking as we step on the train or bus to find a seat for our long trip to work every morning. We feel the brisk morning air as an inconvenience instead of the blessing that it is.

Some of us have been lucky enough to have families that are active and camp regularly. Others have joined organizations like Boy Scouts of America and have used their training as an opportunity to commune with nature. Some of us have no outlet and don’t know where to start.

A Little Help From Our Friends

Technology can help you not only find out where to go but how to do things. We must learn to do things like start a safe campfire, how to pack and how to physically prepare yourself for your first adventure and the many to come after.

Websites like greatfamilycamping.com and rei.com can teach you what you need, how to do it and where to get it.

Don’t be afraid to start slow with day hikes, maybe rent a cottage or cabin in a nice location or camp at a local lake. Start somewhere you can be comfortable even if the unexpected happens. Keep an open mind and build yourself up to that weeklong backpacking trip. If you take the steps necessary to succeed, we will succeed together.