A friend sent this article my way a couple weeks back knowing I’d get a chuckle. It details the experiences of urban dwellers taking to the woods for their first time and while I’m very happy to see more people getting outdoors, I couldn’t stand by and let the platform of my company be labelled “gross”!
I think if these campers had the chance to experience nature with a guiding hand to help with gear, planning and an example of handling bugs and the restroom, they’d come out having had the time of their lives. Anywho, I put these thoughts down so maybe other first timers can come to terms with the nitty gritty pieces of camping.
Bugs and bathrooms. The two biggest topics of contention I encounter with first time campers.
For bugs my rebuttal is, YES. Yes there are bugs, yes they exist, yes they can be icky. They crawl around, fly at wicked speeds and are drawn to the light of your headlamp. I’ve been smacked in the face a few times by large luna moths as I negotiate my bear bag. Do I like it? No. Is it funny for my campers to witness? Yes. Is it funny when it happens to them? Yes.
In my opinion the best part about encountering insects outdoors is observing them in their natural home; as opposed to watching them fly into our windows at home or crawl across the kitchen floor. In nature you can take in the intricacies of an insect's shape, colors, wacky antennae and incredible camouflage.
As for bathrooms, there’s no way around it. Ya gotta go at some point, and if you had to choose between a nasty outhouse as described in the article or hand-dug hole overlooking a pristine forest, what would you choose? Most folks are just a bit iffy over the whole squatting section so I always run through a good stretch and deep squat example :-) it makes for a good laugh and can bring the group together around that shared discomfort and awkward guide pretending to poop in front of everyone.
And now onto the whole packing and planning snafu the article describes. There’s no shame in packing too much; understanding what you need really only comes with experience. No packing list or do’s/don’ts can prevent people from thinking they need certain items like a makeup mirror, umbrella plus poncho, full pajama set and so on. The only way to stop folks from overpacking and over thinking is to be honest and firm and kindly do a gear dump at the trailhead.
The big piece to know is that the gear you bring but don’t need can be left behind. The gear you do need and did not bring will be sorely missed when the time comes, like certain clothes and sleeping pads.
My full-on biased opinion for folks who are camping-curious is to find bring some friends with some experience, and if that’s not possible, there’s always room for you at Adventures Accessed. Camping for the first time deserves to be a positive experience because your relationship with nature can truly be life-changing.
