Experience Counts

Jim never noticed that the shelter was up, fire going and dinner done. I honestly suspect it just didn’t enter his untrained mind that someone had had to do those tasks, and while he had slept.

“Here, you need to eat some, you had a hard walk up the trail.” I said as I handed the man a nice steak, salad, a large piece of French bread.

I was a bit surprised as I watched him take a bite of his steak and then quickly spat it out, into the fire. Jim put his plate on the ground by his feet and said, “This thing tastes like smoke. I can’t eat this.”
“Jim, it’s a campfire, of course it tastes like smoke. But, that is hickory, a very good barbeque flavoring.” John said, obviously attempting to change Jim’s mind.

“I don’t like it. I won’t eat that.” Jim quickly responded in a defiant voice. He reminded me of a child when he said it. So, as John and I watched, somewhat surprised, the man rolled over in the dirt and went back to sleep.

“Well, this is just dandy”, I thought to myself. Here we are miles from the car with a man who does not, obviously fit in. He didn’t like the hike up to the campsite, he doesn’t like the food, and I know soon he will be complaining about the smoke in his eyes. I was not sure what we were going to do. But, one thing I knew, we were not going home that night because he was not a “happy camper.”

To make a long story short, it was not a very good weekend. That night Jim complained about how hard the ground was, the lack of a proper toilet, no place to shower and, as I suspected, the smoke in his eyes. He had absolutely nothing good at all to say about the place. He even complained that the temperature dropped when evening came. I had never in my life seen a person just not made for camping. We had actually planned to stay for two nights, but eventually Jim’s whines got the better of us and we went home the next day, early.

Once we returned Jim to his house, John and I met for a cup of coffee to determine what had happened, how it had happened, and how we could prevent it in the future. We both quickly realized that some people are just not made for camping. We knew the whole situation was our fault, not Jim’s. He would have been best left at home to the comforts he was used to. But, how could we prevent a repeat in the future? How could we know what people to bring and which ones not to bring along?

We both thought it would be very unfair to keep someone from going with us due to a lack of experience. So, we devised a few “trials” for the individual before we would take them on long trips. Of course, we never mentioned these to the unexpected member.

• Start with a short exposure. No serious treks of backpacking, but rather an overnight camping trip in a designated camping spot. You know the places, showers, toilets, and running water.

• Cook with hard woods that are used for campfires, and see if the person can enjoy the meal. Some folks just don’t like the taste.

• Take the person on short, but challenging hikes, to see how they held up with the weight of a pack.

• Measure the person’s attitude during the whole situation. Did they view it as a fun challenge, or too much work? Was it fun to them, or was it viewed as punishment?

• Eventually make sure one trip lasted for at least two nights. Many people will tire of the roughness of camping after just one night. But, if they could not take two nights in a designated campground, they for sure would not be able to handle a rough and remote camping trip.

Camping should be no rougher than the weakest individual in your group. If you are with kids, or first time campers, plan accordingly. Don’t try to do too much with an inexperienced camper. Take it slowly and expose them to different aspects, one task at a time. Make sure they are gradually exposed to nature and not rushed into it. (As far as I know, Jim never went camping again). Forcing too much on a beginner will most likely turn them away from the sport of hiking or camping.

Plan your trips, as I have said, to the weakest or least experienced person in your group. I suspect that by teaching as you go, you can take a novice and turn them into an experienced outdoors person. But, it takes time, patience, and understanding. Have fun and stay safe in the woods.

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