I Hate Sleeping on the Ground, but I Love Camping

Sometimes we forget that life is survival. No, I didn’t almost die on my most recent camping trip. But an unplanned obstacle reminded me how important it is to face challenges and overcome them.

My buddy and I were early arriving to the mountains for a weekend camping trip. We overconfidently tried to drive over a downed tree trunk blocking the road. In the process, we high-centered the SUV.

Now, we had to shift gears from a leisurely mindset to a git-er-dun, problem-solving one. After some failed attempts to drive forward and backward, or to dislodge the trunk, we started to feel screwed. But we had to come up with a plan, or we had a long, cold walk ahead of us to get help.

We used the car jack to raise both tires and get big rocks underneath them. This cleared some space. Then, we used a sawn section of the same tree trunk as a battering ram to clear away the trunk. Et voila! We were free.

Although I didn’t go camping in search of that experience, I was glad that I had it. That was the best part of the weekend. Facing a moderate crisis and finding a solution was exhilarating. The feeling after the event was pure calm.

Though I love being outdoors, sitting for hours by the fire, smoking a cigar, having great conversation, and eating a delicious meal, I hate sleeping on the ground. I hate peeling out of the tent in the middle of the night to go pee, as I wonder how close I am to a bear or a territorial moose. I hate not having a hot shower. However, I keep coming back for more punishment, because I love the kinds of primal obstacles you have to face when you brush up close to the elements. I love the camaraderie achieved from shared struggle. I hate sleeping on the ground, but I love camping. And I’ll ante up for more of this nonsense before too long, no doubt.