The Great American Backyard Campout

I hate to admit it (having grown up all around nature and camping in amazing places like Zion National Park  and Alaska), but there recently came a time when I gave up on camping. After a miserable trip with a 2- and 4-year-old in the middle of a Texas summer, I made a declaration to Duane that I had been afraid to make for years. I HATE camping. I hate sleeping on the ground, I hate getting dirty, I hate being hot and I really hate having to tromp through snake-infested grass to get to the bathroom in the middle of the freaking night. The nature-loving girl of old was gone, and she had been replaced by someone who greatly loved air conditioning, had really gotten used to her pillow top mattress and quadzillion count Egyptian cotton sheets, and, frankly, would be thrilled to never use another outhouse for the rest of her life.

Fortunately my declaration was made privately and Duane allowed me to take it back. Though somewhat relieved immediately after declaring my disdain for camping, I quickly came to realize that my perspective was a bit skewed after our mid-summer debacle. There really are so many invaluable things we and our children learn from camping -- things that we cannot learn any other way in our ultra busy modern life. The reason I love nature so much is because we spent so much time in it growing up. Without spending time in nature, I would never have grown to appreciate it enough to get past the little inconveniences of camping like sweating, being dirty and eating s'mores. With all the modern "conveniences" like cell phones, Blackberries and the internet, it is even more important to take a step back from technology, contemplate our role in this amazing planet that we inhabit and learn a little respect. So, here are a couple of things I learned and some tips that got me back to nature.

• Don't go camping when it's 90 degrees, especially if you're used to camping with Mummy bags in Alaska and you now live in Texas.

• Go camping with friends. Our latest camping trip with a couple who has kids the same age as ours was a dream. The kids had soooooo much more fun with friends around, and it was a lot of fun watching them have so much fun!

• Keep the food simple. Growing up we had elaborate breakfasts complete with eggs and toast made on a special campy-toasty thingy. Though we're not typically packaged food people, for the sake of simplicity, we have changed the rules for camping until we become pros enough to try our hand at fancier camp fare.

• Try it in the backyard first. We had a trial run in our living room, because our neighborhood is a little iffy, but camping at home is a great way to get your feet wet, so to speak.

This weekend is the perfect time to join thousands of other families (unless of course you live in Texas and will have to break my first rule) for The National Wildlife Federation's Great American Backyard Campout™ on Saturday, June 28. Spend time gazing at the stars, listening for the sounds of nocturnal animals, and swapping stories by the light of the lantern or flashlight. It’s a great way to pass along your love for the outdoors to future generations.

Register your campsite and get recipes, activities, wildlife guides, and more at www.backyardcampout.org.

The Great American Backyard Campout™ is sponsored annually by National Wildlife Federation, America’s conservation organization dedicated to protecting wildlife for our children’s future. Let's camp!

Comments

[Julie]

I looked at your link to mummy bags. They sure have gotten a lot more hip and cool since we slept in them!! They're pretty now!