Camping Trip | Andy

Not sure about everyone else, but I haven’t been camping in over 10 years and I’ve found a few things which changed my camping experience.  I’m going to sound like an elderly person here and say “back in my day” when I went camping it was a simple tent, clothing, torch and a lot of long life and dried food, such as noodles and tuna.  So when a mate asked me to go camping during my long month break over Christmas, I’ve instantly jumped at the idea as it’s been ages since I’ve tackled nature head on.

The first hurdle was passing the idea with my other half as she often gets concerned having to stay at home by herself and our little one.  So I quickly reminded her that we actually have a car, which could transport her to any one of our relatives that lives around the area (including mum and dad), should she ever feel concerned.  With that out of the way, I went shopping for all the necessities, which was simply plenty of dried noodles and tuna.  I also went shopping for a new fishing rod as the last one I had is in someone’s car boot.  All the other equipment such as torches and lamps, I was hoping my mates would provide.

Driving up to my friend’s house, I was excited to show everyone how much food I’ve brought only to be laughed at.  It was confusing at first; however I quickly discovered that portable fridges and freezers can now be installed into 4 wheel drives, which were powered through solar panels.  This meant we could have bacon, eggs, meat and more meat.  Most importantly this meant we could bring milk for coffees in the morning.  So feeling a bit embarrassed, I left a lot of my dried and boring food in my car and went with what the boys had brought.

Approaching the camp site, I imagined the area will be secluded and at most there would only be a couple of fellow campers.  To my amazement the entire campsite was filled and it almost felt like I was back in Melbourne CBD.  After 10 minutes of looking we finally found our own area and commenced setting up tents.  Another 5 minutes later I started to realize how many new and cool camping accessories were available now.  There were caravans that folded out to build an entire outdoor kitchen and play area, a tent that was so large it provided separate rooms, including a toilet and kitchen for its tenants.  Then there was the massive Winnebago which has the lot and comes with television, microwave and oven!  I however was content with our fragile tents and camping chairs.

I actually had a blast spending time outdoors without all the comforts of modern society.  The bugs, mozzies and mud (when we went fishing) didn’t sway me one bit but the one thing I found very difficult was not been able to check my phone.  There was no reception where we camped and not been able to make a call or check my messages for 3 days straight was a lot more difficult than I imagined.

I believe everyone has their own description of camping, whether it be a simple tent under the stars and nothing else, or bringing all the modern comforts along with you such as television and fridge.  The most important thing is we get fresh air, see bright stars at night and get the chance to spend time with our family and friends.

Overall I’ve learnt some important lessons about modern camping which can be applied to many activities we do in life.  Namely preparing the required necessitates for camp 10 years ago is not the same as it is today.  The next time I go camping again, I’ll be sure to research into what new tools and accessories are available for camping trips or even just man up and ask my mates what I should bring as I’ve got no idea.