It’s a tough economy, and even while our belts are tight, we crave that outdoors time “roughing it.” We also want to maximize our dollars, and that means practicing before we try new things. With that said, it’s pretty boring to “pretend” to camp out in your own backyard.
Even so, that’s what we’re going to be doing with our MeetUp group this coming weekend. We’ve planned a “hobo camp” in one of our members spacious and heavily wooded back yards. So what IS this hobo camp affair?
It’s a chance to try out your ultra light gear. Granted, you aren’t going to be packing it for miles first, but long before it’s packed anywhere, you need to know it’s going to work for you. Just because that famous survivalist guy can get by for a week in the wilderness with just his trusty knife, bare feet, and some string doesn’t mean that you are going to be able to…or that you’d enjoy doing it that way. (Besides, he has a camera crew, right?) This hobo camp means you have a chance to set it up and actually use it, getting a better idea of how well it will work in practice.
If you are into survival, here’s a chance to try out your survival camping gear. It’s one thing to have your backpack with your tarp and garbage bag, but…will it work in practice? Do you know how to actually set it up in a random location in the woods? How comfortable will you really be?
How about stealth camping? Many people do this each and every day, setting up camp out of sight and out of mind, with the goal of leaving no trace of their overnight stay. It’s kind of scary to think about doing this, but for many people, especially cyclists, this is a very real practice. When it’s time to sleep, you may be far short of your goal of a campground. In addition, more self-supported distance cyclists are being forced to cut corners, staying in fewer campgrounds and motels, and doing more stealth camping to allow them to continue enjoying their hobby. If you’ve never done it, but have thought about it, this is a good chance to try it out in a safe environment.
Then, if you aren’t into any of these things, but just enjoy the outdoors and socializing with others, this is a fun activity. You can pitch your tent…or simply drive home at the end of the evening. Part of the whole experience is “pretending” and role playing, as though none of us had a home to return to. We will even be cooking a pot of “hobo stew” with whatever we have to contribute to the pot, not unlike our “stone soup social” a few weeks ago. (These communal pots of soup/stew are actually really tasty too!)
While play acting to be “hobos” may sound rather silly at first, it isn’t as silly as it could be. Part of being prepared for anything is being able to adapt to nearly any situation. During an emergency, it’s entirely possible that a group of people who didn’t know each other well would find themselves coming together for mutual support and safety. By this play acting, we are actually practicing the same skills that would be required in that kind of situation: knowing how to take care of ourselves, get along with others, cooperate with others, and being able to stay comfortable doing it.
It’s a great activity for any loosely organized (or well organized) group as well. Many emergency preparedness groups don’t have many overnight events, and yet, in an emergency such as a hurricane, earthquake, etc., our homes may be uninhabitable and our supplies minimal. Emergency response teams are notorious for not arriving soon enough, often requiring survivors to make the best of the situation for days or weeks. During this time period, everyone has to make the best of the situation.
Knowing how to set up an emergency shelter is one thing, but knowing what its like to actually sleep in one is another. This is an important skill as well, especially for families with children, as the uncertainty and unknown is often terrifying to children. By practicing when it’s just a game, it takes away the terror and turns it all into a grand adventure instead, preparing them to face situations like this in their own futures.
It’s just as important for adults. In order to project a calm and prepared facade, we need to know what we are doing and what can be logically expected. It doesn’t do any good to know how to make a shelter from palmetto fronds, saplings, a garbage bag, and some leaves if you need a full day to do it in, and both an oncoming storm and the setting sun aren’t going to give you enough time.
Backyard adventures such as this make the drill of practice into something fun and actually adventurous. In addition, if mistakes are made, it isn’t a life or death situation. There is always the safety net of knowing that you can get in your car and be home in a few minutes. In terms of emergency preparedness, it may seem a baby step towards becoming the one who knows how to handle themselves in an emergency, but baby steps can be fitted together to cover many miles. It doesn’t hurt when these small steps are turned into a fun and social event either!
There is also the option of practicing other skills such as fire starting, wild food foraging, geocache, snares, etc. while having your hobo adventure too, adding more skill sets to your list of accomplishments. Unlike a Boy Scout, we don’t get badges for achieving our goals along the way, but we do have the satisfaction of knowing how to do something new and useful for survival. For those of us with spouses who aren’t as thrilled with practicing survival skills as we like, we can often coax their participation with the more social aspects too. After all, who can resist a cup of hot coffee and a chance to roast marshmallows with the others around a communal camp fire?
Filed under: Biking, Camping, Children, Cooking & food, Education, Emergency Preparedness, Gear, Organization, People, Shelter, Tents, Things to do Tagged: | stealth, survival, ultra light
