Ever since
I was a little kid I have loved camping. I remember my parents loading up the
car with all of our camping gear, and heading north of the city to spend three
days immersed in nature. Funnily enough, the town near to where we used to camp
is the town that my parents eventually settled in.
When I was
old enough to go camping alone I took every opportunity I could to do so with
friends. We’d hike, bike, swim, goof around the campfire and take care of ourselves
with no adult supervision. Now that I am an adult who has a busy schedule and
limited time I cherish every chance I have to disconnect with my daily life and
reconnect with nature, preferably with some of those same friends I camped with
as a kid.
Here are 5
reasons why you too should disconnect from the daily grind and reconnect with
nature by camping.
1. Camping
Makes You Appreciate the Little Things in Life
What I love
about camping is shedding the unnecessary and only bringing exactly what you
need. It puts things into perspective for when you are preparing to leave and
when you return.
You can’t
carry everything into the woods, so you must purge your lifestyle down to only
the necessities. What those necessities are will vary for everyone, but it is a
great feeling to realize what you really need versus what you think you
need.
Chris – “I feel camping is real and basic. I think I like it because it humbles me. It also brings my kids closer to me when I take them, almost like an adventure!”
Camping also
makes you appreciate all that you have upon your return. Everyday items we take
for granted become amazing again like your washer and dryer, your bed, TV,
smartphones etc. All of these things that we relied on and took for granted are
much more appreciated for their importance in our lives.
2. Camping
Helps You Reconnect
Camping is
a time to reconnect, not just with nature but with each other. Spending a few
nights under the stars with friends and family is a great way to connect in
ways you normally wouldn’t during the daily grind. As well you can reconnect
with nature, lay under a starlit sky and ponder how small you are or walk
through a forest and realize how quiet the world is away from the hustle and
bustle of a city or town.
Scott – “I remember last year [at Man of the Year camping trip] on the Saturday morning when we all set out to fish, the water was still and the park was quiet. That’s what I love, a little bit of tranquility in all too busy life. And beers and jokes around the campfire.”
You’d think
that we guys at Real Man Travels see each other often, but in reality we don’t.
With our busy 9-5 schedules, families and plenty of side activities we don’t
spend a lot of quality time together just hanging out. Our annual camping trip
provides us the time to unwind and reconnect in a way that we don’t normally
have throughout the year. Our Man vs. Wild camping trip is something we
all look forward to doing each summer.
3. Camping
Gives You Time to Think
I always
take some time to myself on a camping trip whether it is fishing at 4:30 am off
the shore, sitting down in a chair for an hour in silence or just going for a
short hike. Camping provides an opportunity to be alone in relative silence to
think about your life and plan out some things you want to do with no outside
influence.
Fun Fact:
Real Man Travels was created because of Chris taking some time to think during
a camping trip that people would be interested in reading about the shenanigans
we get into.
4. Camping Creates
Self Reliance
If you’re
going on a camping trip it’s a chance to learn to be self-reliant. You are
picking the best spot for a shelter (in some cases building your own shelter),
you are starting fires from scratch, chopping wood, cooking in ways you didn’t
know you could, fishing for a meal, learning a little about first aid on the
fly, and much more.
Sam – “The real reason I like camping is it gives me a chance to escape the everyday routine and reconnect with my surroundings. The chance to self-sustain, even for a weekend gives me a sense of caveman pride.”
In my
opinion this is something we HAVE to teach the next generation of kids about.
The more entwined youth get with technology the less happy they seem to be away
from it. Camping is a small break that creates confidence and self-reliance
when given the chance. So take a weekend away with no screens and become more
self-reliant!
5. Camping
is a Break from the Daily Routine
Camping
offers an escape from the every day. A chance to escape the grind of work, the
continuous flow of email exchanges and phone calls. There are no bosses, no
co-workers, no workplace jargon or etiquette to follow (well there is some
etiquette, please follow all park rules!).
Justin – “Hanging out with friends around the campfire and away from the distractions of regular life brings everyone closer together.”
There is just
nature, family and friends, there is silence, there is beauty beyond
description but most importantly there is a break from the real world that we
all could use an escape from.
While this
list may seem geared to traditional camping, it can also be accomplished
by “glamping” in yurts, cabins or RV’s. Don’t feel that you have to rough it to
the extreme to reap the benefits of camping. So pull up the website of a place
you want to camp in and book your summer camping adventure now!
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