holly_young35•2mo agoMost Upvoted

Pro tip: I spent 4 days trying to 'perfect' my campsite setup in the Gila National Forest... and completely missed the point.

I was so focused on getting the tarp pitch just right, the firewood stacked neatly, and my gear organized in a grid. My buddy just looked at me on the third evening and said, 'You know we're not being graded on this, right?' It hit me that I'd spent the whole trip working, not being outside. The next morning, I left the camp a mess, went for a hike, and just sat by a creek for two hours. Felt like the first time I'd actually been there. Anyone else ever get so caught up in the 'doing' that you forget the 'being'?

3 comments

3 Comments

jade6392mo ago

That "forgot the being" part is where I disagree. For me, the doing is the being. Getting the tarp pitch right and having a tidy camp is how I relax and connect with the place. It's not work, it's the whole point of being out there for some of us.

rubyw702mo ago

Totally get what you mean, @jade639. My own camp usually looks like a gear bomb went off, so maybe I'm missing the zen part. There's a real peace in getting that line tension just right, isn't there? For me, that's usually when I realize I forgot the coffee. But watching someone methodically stake out a perfect shelter, it's clear that's their way of settling in. The doing really is the being for folks like you.

lisa_wilson8722d ago

Oh man, I mean is it really that deep? Like tying a tarp isn't gonna unlock some hidden meaning of the universe or anything. Idk, maybe I just throw my stuff down and call it good, but it feels like some people are turning camping into a whole philosophy.