Off The Cuff Archive

Frank and I went camping this past weekend, exposing ourselves to the first below-freezing temperatures of the season. Of 66 campsites on the grounds, only two others were taken--all of us camping in tents. Even the campground attendants thought we were crazy.

I have a hard time explaining why we go on these adventures. We do it because we think that survival skills are important skills to have. We do it because we are forced, by nature and environment, to work together to keep warm, fed, and comfortable. We do it because it takes us away from everyday life and brings us closer together.

 We do it because we believe it makes us better people--not only for immediate stress relief, but also because we are practicing our skills for planning, preparing, and being responsible for our own enjoyment, comfort and survival.

 If you forget something, or overlook something while preparing for a camping trip, you could freeze, or starve, or be eaten alive by bugs. If you discuss how to build a fire for too long, you get cold. If you don’t strategically plan the placement of the tent, you won’t sleep well. If you don’t clean up your mess before nightfall, you’ll be raided by raccoons and bears. If you don’t read the directions on the lantern, you could get burned, or start a forest fire.

 If you aren’t prepared for everything that could possibly happen, at the very least, you won’t be comfortable; at worst, you could die.

 Because of our planning, forethought, and preparation, Frank and I survive cold freezing weekends just as well as sunny weekends. We weren’t always so practiced, but now, because we prepare for the worst no matter what the weather forecast, we can survive whatever comes our way.

 You can’t throw a bunch of food and gear in the back of the truck and go. You can’t muddle your way through a camping trip. You can’t survive in the woods by giving less than 100 percent.

There are times when I would like to pack up several prominent leaders of our community, give them the necessary gear, and drop them off in the woods for a weekend. You know, force them to work together for their survival.

 You can’t survive in the woods on words. Your survival is a direct result of your own actions. Life in the rest of the world should be much the same.

 The skills needed to survive a camping trip are skills that can be used in any situation. Planning, preparation and self-sustainability are useful traits--for personal living, business, and even government. Responsibility for our own actions, gear, warmth, food and survival is important in every facet of life.

 Sometimes it seems we need to be stuck in the woods to truly comprehend how weak our survival skills are.

 Challenge yourself. You may not want to camp outside when it’s below freezing, but you can challenge yourself to be a thorough planner, to be prepared for anything that comes your way, to be responsible for yourself, your actions, your survival.