Are You A Backpacker?

Sunday, November 13th, 2011

When we think of the term “backpacker,” we probably get a particular image in our heads: someone walking solo through Europe, going from town to town after graduating from college and hoping to discover something about themselves.

Okay, maybe our image of the backpacker isn’t that specific, but we do know one thing: being a backpacker isn’t limited to the profound. Backpacking is also about integrating hiking and camping into one enjoyable, relaxing activity that helps you get out of the world for a few days and cut loose. Spending the occasional weekend on a backpacking trip doesn’t mean you’ve mentally checked out; instead, it means you’re simply recharging your batteries.

With that in mind, ask yourself a few questions to determine whether or not you have the personality of a backpacker, and you’ll understand in a few minutes whether you have it within you.

-Do you function well alone, or at least feel the yearning to get away from things?

You might have a busy and active social life, but sometimes taking “time off” doesn’t only refer to work. Spending a day or two camping by yourself can be totally reinvigorating, especially if you’re used to the hustle and bustle of a highly active social life. If a break from “people” sounds as welcoming as a break from work, you might want to spend a weekend backpacking, if even just to try it out.

-Do you enjoy camping?

You don’t need to enjoy being alone to be a backpacker; often, you can spend a backpacking trip with a friend or loved on. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, you come to another question: how much do you really like camping out under the stars. To some people, the novelty of sleeping directly under the clouds or under a tent is refreshing and welcoming. To others, they can only think about how many canisters of bug repellant they’ll have to bring. If camping out without breaking the bank sounds good to you, you might have the personality of a backpacker.

-Do you want to learn self-sufficiency?

Sometimes, you don’t need to be predestined as a backpacker; you can develop those skills by backpacking! Learning self-sufficiency is a great skill, especially to people entering college or the work force. For you youngsters who want a taste of what it will be like to depend on yourself for your livelihood, a simple “one-weekend trial” can be a big step forward.

Do any of these personality types sound like you? If so, consider giving backpacking a try. You’ll enjoy your own cooked food, clear summer nights, and sometimes a more developed relationship with a loved one.

Photo Credits: Mat Honan

How to Make Your Camping Trip More Exciting

Monday, September 26th, 2011

Camping trips are meant to be exciting whether you’re going with your family or with a group of friends. Whether your group is adventurous or just looking to brave the outdoors there is something for everyone. If you’re off to a bad start though, what can you do to make your camping trip more exciting? This article will list a few ideas that can get your camping trip back on the right track.

Go Exploring

If you’re already at the campsite what’s stopping you from going to explore the wilderness? You never know what you may find out there and it’s a good way to take your mind off any hardships you may be facing. It’s amazing how even the smallest discovery can be exciting when you’re out camping with a group of friends. It’s important that when you go out exploring that you at least bring other person with you in case you get lost. Two heads are better than one when trying to find your way back!

Play Games

Making up different games is half the fun when you’re out camping with your friends and family. There are all sorts of games that you can come up with using the environment that you may have found, whether that is trees or a lake. From freeze tag to racing the woods is a great environment to play all sorts of games. Try to keep them safe because it could be very easy to hurt yourself in the woods, especially if you’re playing in the water.

Try To Rough It

Many people like to rough the great outdoors when they go camping. To them this can either mean being completely helpless to just have to catch your own dinner, whether that is a fish or whatever. This creates a sense of isolation; some people love this feeling because camping is a way to get away from the hustle and bustle everyday life.

Look For Wildlife

Looking for animals is great fun in the woods because often times they’re smart enough to stay away from you making it hard for to observe them. This can even be turned into a competition of who can find whatever animal first. It’s important that if you do seek out wildlife that you don’t anger it. Even the smallest animals can be dangerous if they attack you, especially if you don’t have the proper first aid.

Remember, camping trips are meant to be exciting, don’t just go outside put up the tent and go to sleep. Try to have some fun, catch some dinner, explore, there are endless possibilities waiting for you in the great outdoors.

Photo Credits: TheNickster

The Beginner’s Guide to Stargazing

Thursday, July 7th, 2011

Part of the fun of camping, especially for the city slickers among us, is getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Living near the bright lights of a major urban area also have one drawback – the light from the city drowns out your ability to see stars at night. This is an unacceptable situation for the stargazing nut, but if you’ve never been much of an amateur astronomer, you can get started on your next camping trip. Here’s a quick guide for getting your feet wet.

Use Binoculars, Not a Telescope

There’s no sense in buying a $600 telescope if you can’t even identify the North Star. Bring along binoculars for your stargazing. You won’t exactly be able to see the footprints on the moon, but you will get a better view of the night sky, including stars behind brighter stars that the naked eye can’t quite make out. Buying a telescope before you can identify various points in the sky will probably be a frustrating experience.

Identify the Easy Constellations First

It will help to bring a skymap that shows where the constellations are at a given time in the Earth’s orbit (for example, summer). Once you do this, however, try to start with the constellations that are the easiest to find. In the Northern Hemisphere’s summer, you won’t have much trouble identifying Ursa Major (including the Big Dipper), the North Star, and the Summer Triangle. For example, if you lay flat at night with your feet facing south, you shouldn’t have much trouble seeing the Summer Triangle in the left side of your view. Directly above you will be the constellation Hercules.

Finding constellations isn’t as hard as you think, it just takes a little persistence and a little knowledge of the sky. Try to study up a little bit before heading out camping this summer.

Once you know where a few constellations are, you’ll have reference points to discover all sorts of other constellations while camping in the summer. If nothing else, knowing some of the constellations and being able to star gaze will give you something to tell your kids about later in life.

Photo Credits: xamad