Why I Camp

My favorite tent from Night Cat

 When I first started camping on a serious level, I was rather pressured into it, by a woman who wanted to hold a "retreat" for like-minded women.  Except that, I didn't know she wasn't like-minded, and that I would be the outcast in the group. She disappeared from my life a year later with no explanation, but not until she took vital and valuable information from me to make money. She used me and never saw me as a friend at all.

You'll need to forgive me for telling you all this, but it sets the scene for the reason I have embraced camping. In short, women are bitches and I'm tired of it.  Onto the story: 

Denise worked for the Girl Scouts of the Sierra, as a fundraising recruiter.  The campground and acreage was actually owned by the Girl Scout organization and was commonly used as a campground for Girl Scouts only. It is located in the upper regions of the Gold Lakes region, past Graeagle, California.  It is private property in the mountains.  

The structures are more like military tents built on platforms, so we did not need our own tents.  But other than that, it had no real facilities as a campground other than typical outhouses/pit toilets. It was literally, a half mile to walk to the toilets so I learned how to do my own cat hole. 

During our "retreat", I was treated rather badly and spent my time staring off into the woods, ridiculed for praying privately in my tent, and generally made fun of, when I questioned the wisdom of leaving a "geocache" for young Girl Scouts to find.  Even then, I knew that 'leave no trace' was a serious thing. I suppose the case could be made that it was on private property owned by the GS but I will never carpool again, and I don't care what it does to global carbon emissions.

In general, it was a ridiculous exercise in trying to bond with two out of five,  of the most un-likeminded females anyone has ever met. 

Looking back, I felt Denise was strange for many reasons and much of what she said to me was truly "not okay." There was a lot of projection and snide, passive agressive comments made to and about me. 

 But regardless, that's how I started.  And it was the absolute end of camping with anyone else, ever again.  From then on, I decided I would not be a slave to others' opinions and preferences, nor would I spend any time with people who demanded it, silently and sneaky, or otherwise.

It wasn't until I took my solo trips a year later that I really enjoyed it. So, I guess I have to thank Denise, but will do so only once.  She can forget she ever knew me and that would be great.  By the way, I use real names, unless the person involved is a victim of something or someone.  

In short, I love to camp because it gets me away from all the terrible adults who seem to have multiplied in the world.  They are everywhere now:  arrogant, self-serving, and self-absorbed, they have little to no moral compass and will take from anyone who crosses their path.  

I camp because it heals me from PTSD among other things, and rescues me from myself.

I love the solitude I can find while camping, and enjoying God's creation.  Yes, I said the word 'God'.  I believe in him and I feel that most people either do not understand it (or Him) and no one hates God as much as redditors, IG-ers, youtube creators, and internet people in general.   They seem to hate me too, but that's okay.  I don't care for them either.

I really enjoy being self-sufficient and on my own out there.  I know now, that I can surmount any challenge, in the main, without crumbling in defeat.  It's just that depression seems to dog every step I take, and an urban environment is not healthy for me anymore.  But I can't afford to move away.  So, camping is the only option I have. And I have learned to fully embrace it and love it.

I camp for my own soul health.  Notice I didn't say 'mental health'.  That's because I believe that soul health is more important.  If my soul is healthy, my mind will be also.  And the only way to achieve that is to spend time with God in his true element: nature.  

The Wilderness is my Cathedral, and the trees that tower above me, are its spires, reaching to the heavens in supplication.  And out there, no one is demanding money from me that I don't have.  God doesn't care how shallow my pockets are, only the depths of my heart.

Gear:  Chevy Trax AWD, Night Cat Tent, and assorted necessaries.

Defining the Act of Camping--YMMV

 There are as many types of camping as there are campers.  But I have found that the best camping experience is the one you define yourself.  This is how I categorise the main types of campers.  

Some categories necessarily delve into the human condition and cause me to take a pause and wonder what can we do as a society to help others.  These distinctions become important when you are faced with a homeless person who is asking how to stay warm at night because they are not familiar with the elements of nature and just got evicted from their home, or cast out of their families.  So yes, these distinctions go into socio-economic conditions in which we all live and depend on for survival.  

Cowboy Camping:

For myself, camping means cowboy camping with or without a tent, with or without a horse.  Some would say that unless you are hiking in and sleeping without a tent, you are not cowboy camping.  I disagree. For me, cowboy camping is about independence, and self-sustainment, with or without a tent (or a horse).  

You take only what you can carry in your vehicle.  It means minimal gear, all with dual purposes, all of which defines cowboy camping.  Bonus points if you sit and look at the stars.  Even if you drove in, it's still cowboy camping.  Cars/Vehicles are the "iron horses" we use to get us where we want to go and in that sense, everyone qualifies, as long as they are self-sufficient, and enjoying themselves. 

Still, many people often do camp with their horses.  There's a special campground near me that is just for them, and it's only $8 per night, per horse.  They count the horse as the main "vehicle" and then charge an extra $5 for actual trucks/SUV's plus the horse trailers.  I wish I could be one of them!

Roma Camping:  

This could be better and more widely understood as "gypsy camping" but I just made it up for the sake of completeness.  The Roma are a distinct people and they are the vardo campers who have evolved with time into the RV sector. Traditionally, a vardo was a horse-drawn wagon and these folks practically invented camping to start with.  

They are called Travellers in western countries of Europe, and here in the States as "Gypsies" a rather racist term I prefer not to use.  Hence, Roma Camping.  The Roma have their own way of life, and their existence has often depended on many rules and regulations they themselves enforce upon each other, in a tribal sense of community.  For example, they will not wash themselves in the same water as they wash clothes.  If they live in a camper or an RV or even a "mobile home" , underwear has to be washed entirely outside of the dwelling.  

They invented camping hygiene.  In some communities, they will take underwear items to a laundromat even if they have a washer/dryer at home.  They are very strict about these rules, and their health often depends on it, if they do not have access to medical care.  They know it and have made it a science.  Kudos to them.

It's hard to find real photos of a real vardo anymore.  

This is an artist's rendition, but quite accurate.

Car camping:  

This is where the aim is to sleep in your car/van conversion comfortably.  This is car camping.  No tent, no camper, no RV hitched.  Literally, camping in your car or van. Bonus points if you take a cool dog with you.

Wild camping:  

Leave it to the Brits to properly define what the Americans are clinically calling "dispersed camping."  Dispersed camping sounds like you are moving every night to a new site for clinical purposes of a study on the effects of swearing on physical pain.  (It was a real study. Look it up.) Maybe you are or not, but to me "wild camping" is the best descriptor for the act of camping for free, in locales that lack amenities, and are off the beaten path. 

Motocamping:

They are on the open road and looking for an escape route.  That's why they have a tent strapped to their back.  Or tucked away in their saddlebags. These folks are everywhere and nobody tells them 'no.'  They are in campgrounds, off on mountain tops with no one else around, and camping wherever they decide to hang their helmets.  (Let them in, while you're toodling down the highway.  Their lives depend on it.)  Ask one of them to show off their tat....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

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Photo by freepik

Bicycle Camping:

Mostly they are just like the guys and gals above but they are lighter and are often dreaming of France.  They ride expensive bikes, and their gear is lightweight and ready to go on the spur of the moment.  You never know where they might turn up and they can often go where others have not gone before.  Because their bikes are not really designed to carry their gear, everything has to be carried in their backpack.  Uphill.  Both ways. In the snow....

Photo by ArthurHidden at Freepik

Glamping:  

This is where you literally bringing your entire home with you, whether its a camper, or an RV.  You will also probably have hookups to electricity, and water, as well as the latest and greatest in home theatre equipment, and probably a portable sauna and hot tub.  There's usually an open bar and I don't think anyone will notice if you slip over there and grab one or five.

Van/Car Dwellers:  

This is not camping at all, but rather a necessity now, and a sad reality for many due to the rising cost of housing.  These folks are not  "homeless" in the classical sense, but many are in the category of what used to be condescendingly called "the working poor".  These folks are doing what they do in order to literally survive.  They deserve everyone's prayers and good vibes, as much as the "homeless."  They are usually in cities and towns, sometimes venturing into camping areas out of necessity.  Share some coffee with them if you can.

" Nomads":  

This is a dumb category, but here we are.  These are people who make enough to have a home, but live in their vehicles and travel by choice because they have the money to do so.  In my experience, they are not campers at all and use resources that are better left to the Car/Van Dwellers, and the homeless. They are resource suckers.  But that's just my considered and throughly over-thought opinion.

"Unhoused" - 

This is a dumb term, but okay.  They are not "camping" even given their tent cities.  They are homeless, and they are a large and growing section of the population.  Alarmingly so.  

Most are homeless through no fault of their own, but for time, circumstance, substance abuse, domestic abuse, and lack of financial resources.  Many are children under the age of 18.  

We can argue all day long about the whys and wherefores, but in the end, the fact is these people are suffering.  And it is the aim of human existence to ease suffering wherever it is found.  Why this seems to escape some people is beyond me.  

Human beings should not be left to the mercy of the elements, and lack of medical, dental, eye/vision, and emotional care. This is not humane.  It is barbaric that in the wealthiest countries in the world, and yes, I'm looking at all you Western Europeans as well as the Americans, this is reality for so many.  Homelessness is not a choice.  It is a death sentence.

My Best, True Scary Camp Story

 This really did happen to me.  The year was 2019 and I was just starting out in the camping hobby. I was alone, and I wasn't scared. At all.  I should have been.  

The people I was supposed to go with ditched and never showed up. So, I decided I would strike out on my own. I left the mountain (Mt. Diablo in Northern California) and went down to the lowland, around the river and foothills.

It was a regular campground although it was a little too well used. The website said "here's spot # whatever." So that's where I parked. There were several cars and trucks in the site, and the people were all minding their own business, doing what campers generally do, having a great time.

On the spur next to mine, was a white, dilapidated pickup with a camper shell on the back. The tall kind. The truck itself had last been registered in 1978. I didn't really think much of it. You see that a lot here in this area. Lots of folks live off grid, or in the back country in the desert. It's not unusual.

Anyway, it was almost dark and I was unpacking and busily scurrying around trying to get everything set up so I could start my very first, very own campfire. I had a few hotdogs in my car to eat with a side of guacamole and chips from Del Taco in the last town (Truckee).

This was my actual tent, that I used that day.  It was a Liberty Trail 3 giga tent that lasted approximately 8 hours. In other words, it had no brand and I bought it at Walmart.  I threw it away and bought an Ozark Trail.  That one lasted 4 days.  

Finally, I bought a Night Cat tent and it has been love ever since.

From the corner of my eye, I saw that the camper shell seriously tilted to one side as a scruffy looking older man stepped down onto the ground. He was really tall compared to me - perhaps 6'5. He was skinny. He was white. I didn't think much of that either because we have "all kinds" in this area. No one really judges anyone else , least of all me.

He was wearing jeans, and some kind of old t shirt and something like a plaid over shirt. His hair was wispy, scraggly, and grey.

He was standing there, about 20 - 30 feet away. It seemed like it was so fast, and he plopped down in MY chair, next to MY picnic table, in MY campsite. I'm still about 15 feet away and not very threatening to say the least. I'm about 4'11.

So now, I'm thinking "wait a minute - let me process this shit" as Sam Jackson would say. I don't like this at all. Not at all.

"That's a nice hammer you have...." His voice was like MadDog 20/20 mixed with a little boilermaker of Hennessy and Pabst beer, scraping over granite ice cubes.

It's dark. I can barely see anything with my glasses on but my INFJ senses are out in full blazing flame for those with eyes to see, and I'm reading his mind. (It's an INFJ thing). There was no way for me to run fast enough when he reached for the hammer and grabbed it, holding it up for me to see that he had it.

So I did what any normal, middle aged woman with few options would do: I pulled my taser and let off a few sparks. (It was all I had.) He ran to his truck pissing himself the whole way, and yelling that I was an "offender". He was screaming bloody murder.

I was terrified myself, because of myself. I didn't know I could be that cold and calculated, but my knees were knocking together the whole time. I was just surprised at how clear headed I was and how clear my thoughts seemed to be.

A few men heard the commotion and ran over to my site to help me, and to chase the man off. Yelling and obscenties flying in my defense. I was grateful to them. One of them gave me a side-hug and told me to come with them to their camp for awhile, so that his wife could take care of me.

Our villain finally got his truck started and tore out of the campground. The pavement actually cracked in the heat. I called the Sheriff to report that he stole my hammer and menaced me with it.

Deputy Jones was a perfect gentleman and spent over an hour talking with me and calming me down. He told me funny camp stories. But he also told me something chilling: they would never catch the guy because the homeless were being forced into campgrounds and the BLM (wild lands) due to a lack of services for them in the city and most of them were drug-addled.

He stuck around for a long time and helped me finish putting up my tent. I didn't sleep in it that night. I slept in the back of my SUV with the doors firmly locked.

Before I went to sleep, the kind people who came to my help, fed me and gave me lots of decaf tea, to help me rest. They were truly kind.

I will never forget the lesson. And someday, I will be camping with my cat and my new dog. Not only that, but I know now, how to pay it forward. I will always come running to the help of any camper in trouble. We are never alone. We are always surrounded by good people of all kinds.

Camping - Yes, camping. By Myself.

The photos speak for themselves.  Chiloot, California at Spring Creek.  It was the worst of times...but if it's the worst, I'll take it. 

The view from my tent.  Seriously.  Campsite 22 at Spring Creek.  Awesome bathroom.  Plenty of TP.

 Coffee!!!! Lots of coffee!  Who wants coffee????

 More coffee!  Want some coffee???

 Twilight, and evening bell, and after that, the dark.
And may there be no sadness of farewell, when I embark... (Crossing the Bar, Lord Tennyson)

 Definitely need a bigger tent.  Also, the floor of this one, is not too sturdy in my opinion.  No rips or tears, thank God, but I did have a visitor underneath.  It was a chipmunk. 

 More coffee!!!

 Sterno - yeah, I won't be doing this again. 
Firestarter, definitely. 

 Notary camping.  It worked.

 Science Mag says this is the only bug repellent that works.  It did seem like it.  No bugs, and at night just left it on.  Went through 4 AAA batteries and  4 refills.

 Goodwin's Mercantile, 10 miles up the road.  Love that place!

 Heavenly visitor!

What the ???

(Pyramid Lake, Paiute Indian Reservation, Nevada, USA 2019)

One day, I looked up over my coffee cup and realized that those I trusted, were not trustworthy, and the life I thought I had built, was destroyed.  I set out on a personal journey that lasted four years, spanned two continents, and over 10000 miles.  The result was a book of poetry, and a few new acquaintances. Friends? What are those? I'm not sure that I know anymore.

 Many old friends simply vanished when storms set in, while others seemed to gloat at my misfortune.  I resolved then, never to turn away a genuine seeker, and to invite them to join me for coffee, so that they would never feel that utter desolation of soul that I once felt.

 I am still learning, still discovering, and still moving forward in spite of many things (and people!) and often wonder if, when I reach journey's end, I will have gained anything that means anything at all.  I don't really know.  But I do know that the company along the way, is what enriches us.  How we earn our daily bread, is less important than how we live.  Live uprightly as much as you can. Live kindly, as much as you are able.  Love unconditionally, as much as possible. Walk gently through the world, and be mindful that what you say, do and achieve today, will echo in the years to come, long after we step into eternity.  Salvation is not something granted to us, by a petulant heavenly tyrant.  We grant it to ourselves, each day that we live.  Redemption is often found in the smallest flower, and in the most humble of homes.  Those we least expect, often have knives hidden from view, and the greatest friend, is the one unsought, who has courage enough to shelter us, when others are against us.

This blog is simply intended as a place to store photos of my latest adventures, and a few thoughts that may expand later into a book.