Published by Craig Corti on 4/8/2023
Here are 3 scenarios you can use to practice your expert camping mindset whether you are heading for a quick overnighter at your local state park or you are headed on a multi-day trip deep in the backcountry.
1. Camping is dull. Take it or leave it.
If you and I are alike, you spend the days leading up to your next camping adventure consuming hiking, camping, or backpacking related content on the internet. You get home from work or school and tune in to watch your favorite bushcraft Youtuber or you scroll through camping related posts on Facebook or Instagram. This gets you even more excited for your weekend trip.
You finally get out there and are all setup at camp. All of the sudden you become bored or you may experience a bit of unpredicted weather. You are sitting there thinking to yourself "why am I even out here?". This is totally normal and can be expected. Maybe not for every trip you take, but perhaps 10% of the trips you take you experience this sense of discouragement.
I believe this is something we have all felt at one point or another. There is definitely a reason why they say camping is "type 2 fun".
Social media platforms have a powerful way of making mundane activities seem extraordinary. The truth of the matter is that camping may be less fun than you expected. There is a reason why you are out there and when this feeling pops into your head, maybe it's worth listing 3 reasons why you went camping in the first place. Maybe it was to hear the birds sing in the morning?
Whatever your reason, enjoy your experience for what it's worth. You deserve it.
2. Rain and Misery.
Spring has sprung down here in North Carolina and we have been showered with a miserable gloomy Easter weekend.
Stop. Why does it have to be miserable?
Rain is probably the single biggest detractor to most camping trips and likely causes most of us to avoid heading out on a camping trip. What's the point if we cannot have a camp fire and we get wet, right? We cannot control inclement weather, but we can control how we react to unpredicted or unwanted weather.
Next time your weekend camping trip gets put on the backburner due to inclement weather, use that time to learn more about what gear you can bring on a rainy camping trip that can keep you safe, dry, and happy. Once you gather enough knowledge and resources to make a rainy camping trip a success, try putting your skills and gear to the test the next time you have the chance to go camping in the rain.
I am sure you will not regret your decision to experience a familiar environment in a different frame of mind with different weather. You may learn something about yourself and your environment.
***Safety should always be top priority. Be sure to keep yourself and others safe. Gathering enough knowledge to be prepared, safe, informed, and happy is most important***
3. Nightmares.
On a recent camping trip I had a series of bizarre dreams that kept me tossing and turning and all night. When I got home I thought to myself, "why was I having such a hard time getting comfortable last night?". After all I had been camping 19 times prior to this. I reflected on some past camping/backpacking trips and remembered that I did have some strange dreams in the past too.
I looked online and found a couple of articles that explained something called the first-night effect.
In simple terms the first-night effect is what an individual may experience when sleeping for the first night in a new or unfamiliar location. This could be a luxury hotel room or sleeping on the ground in the backcountry. Overall, you may have a harder time falling asleep.
When you experience a simultaneous state of sleepiness and vigilance, you may have nightmares. This is what I had experienced and I felt a sense of validation when I stumbled across this information. The "first night effect" is what caused my bizarre dreams.
If this has ever happened to you just know that this may be a fairly common occurrence (*I am not a medical expert here). Do not let this discourage you from experiencing the true wonder of sleeping outside. It might be worth re-framing this experience for yourself and using it to gain a deeper connection with your surroundings. I know I will when I head out to go camping next time!
-Craig, Old-Timer Mindset
Here are 3 scenarios you can use to practice your expert camping mindset whether you are heading for a quick overnighter at your local state park or you are headed on a multi-day trip deep in the backcountry.
1. Camping is dull. Take it or leave it.
If you and I are alike, you spend the days leading up to your next camping adventure consuming hiking, camping, or backpacking related content on the internet. You get home from work or school and tune in to watch your favorite bushcraft Youtuber or you scroll through camping related posts on Facebook or Instagram. This gets you even more excited for your weekend trip.
You finally get out there and are all setup at camp. All of the sudden you become bored or you may experience a bit of unpredicted weather. You are sitting there thinking to yourself "why am I even out here?". This is totally normal and can be expected. Maybe not for every trip you take, but perhaps 10% of the trips you take you experience this sense of discouragement.
I believe this is something we have all felt at one point or another. There is definitely a reason why they say camping is "type 2 fun".
Social media platforms have a powerful way of making mundane activities seem extraordinary. The truth of the matter is that camping may be less fun than you expected. There is a reason why you are out there and when this feeling pops into your head, maybe it's worth listing 3 reasons why you went camping in the first place. Maybe it was to hear the birds sing in the morning?
Whatever your reason, enjoy your experience for what it's worth. You deserve it.
2. Rain and Misery.
Spring has sprung down here in North Carolina and we have been showered with a miserable gloomy Easter weekend.
Stop. Why does it have to be miserable?
Rain is probably the single biggest detractor to most camping trips and likely causes most of us to avoid heading out on a camping trip. What's the point if we cannot have a camp fire and we get wet, right? We cannot control inclement weather, but we can control how we react to unpredicted or unwanted weather.
Next time your weekend camping trip gets put on the backburner due to inclement weather, use that time to learn more about what gear you can bring on a rainy camping trip that can keep you safe, dry, and happy. Once you gather enough knowledge and resources to make a rainy camping trip a success, try putting your skills and gear to the test the next time you have the chance to go camping in the rain.
I am sure you will not regret your decision to experience a familiar environment in a different frame of mind with different weather. You may learn something about yourself and your environment.
***Safety should always be top priority. Be sure to keep yourself and others safe. Gathering enough knowledge to be prepared, safe, informed, and happy is most important***
3. Nightmares.
On a recent camping trip I had a series of bizarre dreams that kept me tossing and turning and all night. When I got home I thought to myself, "why was I having such a hard time getting comfortable last night?". After all I had been camping 19 times prior to this. I reflected on some past camping/backpacking trips and remembered that I did have some strange dreams in the past too.
I looked online and found a couple of articles that explained something called the first-night effect.
In simple terms the first-night effect is what an individual may experience when sleeping for the first night in a new or unfamiliar location. This could be a luxury hotel room or sleeping on the ground in the backcountry. Overall, you may have a harder time falling asleep.
When you experience a simultaneous state of sleepiness and vigilance, you may have nightmares. This is what I had experienced and I felt a sense of validation when I stumbled across this information. The "first night effect" is what caused my bizarre dreams.
If this has ever happened to you just know that this may be a fairly common occurrence (*I am not a medical expert here). Do not let this discourage you from experiencing the true wonder of sleeping outside. It might be worth re-framing this experience for yourself and using it to gain a deeper connection with your surroundings. I know I will when I head out to go camping next time!
-Craig, Old-Timer Mindset
