Life Kit - If you're new to camping, here's how to get started

Episode Date: July 23, 2020

Attention new campers! This episode will get you ready for your first car camping trip so you'll feel comfortable and confident in being a responsible member of the outdoor community. We'll discuss what to bring camping, how to make meals, how to stay safe and how to honor the land.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

What would you say your travel philosophy is regarding? Avoid camping and avoid picking apples. Other than that, we are fine. Hi, I'm Julia Ferland and this is NPR's Life Kit. In this episode, we're talking about something that I'm extremely passionate about, camping. But as you might be able to tell from my conversation with my mom and dad in Brazil, I did not grow up camping. But as you might be able to tell from my conversation with my mom and dad in Brazil, I did not grow up camping. Why didn't we go camping in the U.S.? You mean we as a family? Yeah. I hate camping. We don't have a tent. I don't like to put up tents. I'm not very mechanical about those things.

So camping, you need someone with some mechanical abilities. And then you're going to cook. There's a lot of production in camping. Yes. Yes. Look, Antonio's got a point. Camping isn't really something you can do without putting some thought into it. And that can be intimidating. But I do have one pretty significant note. I'm pretty sure that tent technology has improved significantly since the 1970s when my dad used one.

And these days, with COVID-19 being what it is, camping means that you can travel, maybe even with friends, while also staying socially distant and outdoors, which are two things that doctors recommend when it comes to keeping yourself safe from the coronavirus. In this episode, we're here to prepare you for car camping, which is where you're sleeping in the great outdoors, but you also have access to the biggest of backpacks, a car. We're going to cover a lot of basics, and because my enthusiasm for camping is several notches above my experience level, we'll be joined by two experts. Danielle Williams is a veteran and the kind of outdoorsy person who literally jumps out of planes on purpose. You do these really long, we call them ruck marches. You know, I got out of the military, I found out they're called hikes. And you do these really long hikes and, you know, training scenarios.

She's also the senior editor of the outdoors community Melanin Base Camp. She also runs Diversify Outdoors, which is a movement that spotlights people of color, queer people, differently abled people, and all kinds of folks to improve representation in the outdoor industry. Hi, my name is Jalyn Yenaba Goff. My Navajo name is Yenaba, which means warrior woman who wanders the mountains. And you can call me Jalyn. Jalyn is our other expert. She's worked as a guide and as a mountain climber, hiker, mountain biker, and a landscape

photographer. She created Native Women's Wilderness in 2017 to address the overwhelming whiteness of the outdoor community. Together, Jalyn and Danielle are going to get us pumped for car camping. We're in such good hands. Now before we get into the nitty-gritty of camping and all the packing lists and how-tos, the first takeaway for this episode is really simple. Check in with yourself first. One thing to start is to know what your limitations are, right? Like, are you able to sleep on the ground? Do you need a mat? Do you need a cot? Before you start packing or picking a place to camp, knowing yourself and what your own limitations and abilities are is critical. Are you able to

be around wildlife if that were to come? I've had people who were literally afraid of squirrels. And so having to process the animals and, you know, also maybe in some points looking at your trauma and your history because sometimes camping can be a little scary in terms of you don't really have a shelter around you you have this nylon piece between you and the world with bears or people who could harm you take it from me an absolute beginner you gotta start somewhere and for me that somewhere was camping in my friend's yard where I knew that there was access to the things that I needed if I felt unsafe or bad in the middle of the night. Also, if sleeping in the woods is scary to you, maybe you can go with a

friend or like a larger group of people so that you feel supported and safe. So our second takeaway for this episode, you can and should do from the safety of your own internet. I also have a researcher brain, so I want to, like, research the heck out of everything. But, like, there's a really great thing called Google, and I use it all the time. It's free. People, be like Jalyn. Takeaway two is do plenty of research before you head out. Like I said to my parents at the top of this episode, camping takes a certain amount of production work to do it right.

Actually, as soon as we're done with the show, I'm hopping in my Jeep and driving down to Ouray and I picked a new camping spot. But I can't tell you how many hours I have researched that place of where I'm going, what's around, because I want to know this to be prepared. And there's lots of different kinds of research that are going to help you out. There's sleeping areas and campsites, weather, food, different trails and hikes you might want to do, and also historical research and land acknowledgement. But don't let me get ahead of myself here. Let's start with the first kind of research, which answers the question of where you're going to be camping. If you have no idea where you want to go, look up a list of state or municipal parks near

you. Spend some time thinking about what you're hoping to do during the day. Maybe there's a cavern you're hoping to tour. Maybe you're hoping to jump in a lake. Maybe you're trying to bag a peak. That's summit a mountain for the uninitiated. Once you've settled on where you're going to go, figure out where you're going to sleep. I was actually surprised to learn that even though you bring all your own stuff and you're going to be sleeping under a tree, you still might have to make a reservation to camp somewhere. Lots of campgrounds require you to make a reservation way in advance, so before you get on the road, make sure you know as much as possible about where you're going to camp and how

it works. It's also smart to be mindful about popular times or peak season. Campsites can be much more crowded at certain times of the year. A lot of campsites weren't accepting reservations until recently, also because of the coronavirus, so make sure that the site that you're headed to is open and ready. Now our second layer of research is packing. There are a ton of free packing checklists that you can reference online. We've got some in the show notes as well. But one tip is to consider packing backups of critical essentials like first aid and fire starting materials. I definitely credit the military for helping me, you know, be thorough when it comes to checklists, when it comes to packing lists, when it comes to, you know, making sure I have extra batteries and making sure I have an extra flashlight and redundancy is such

a big part of the military culture. And don't be afraid to overpack. A car is really just a gigantic duffel bag if you think about it. Obviously, you're going to want to make sure you have a dry place to sleep, like a tent, a sleeping bag, some kind of light source,

and plenty of food and water. And when it comes to car camping, there are actually a bunch of checklists and packing lists that you can find that we'll link to in our episode page. That can save you the trouble of writing a packing list for yourself and make sure that you have all the equipment that you need. The third piece of research you want to do before heading out

is all about planning some daytime activities. I'm disabled and I use my billiards to walk. So I don't do a lot of long distance hiking. I do a lot of shorter hikes, which is one reason why car camping and day trips work better for me than backcountry trips. Danielle recommends doing a lot of research on the exact specifics of the terrain and the access to the trailhead before you get there. And if you're not afraid of a phone call, you can call the park headquarters for trail conditions,

or you can use apps like AllTrails. Everybody is going to have different abilities and approaches to their situation, which is why it's really important that you have as much knowledge as possible of the campsite that you've chosen. And here's another thing that might seem totally basic and reminds me so much of my vovo in Brazil who used to yell at me to take a jacket, even though it was like 85 degrees outside. Check the weather up to the moment before you walk out the door. You're going to want to pack for a wide

range of weather scenarios because you never know when it's going to turn. Check the weather? Checking the weather? I mean, no, say it. Say it loud. It does sound really basic, but you know, you might check the weather three days before your trip, and then the morning of, the conditions could change.

Things could get dicey really quickly, so it is important to check the weather right before you go. And listen, some fashion advice, okay? Layers are not only the height of fashion on the trail, but they're actually a really good way to have flexibility to change your clothing along with the weather. Layers are the easiest way to make sure that you are comfortable no matter what's going on outside. And I have a, you know, fair amount of experience so it doesn't hurt to, you know, pay attention to what the park rangers are telling you, do your research on the website ahead of time so the information is out there provided

you have internet access the information is out there, provided you have internet access, the information is available. And it also doesn't hurt to call ahead. I'm that person, I like to hear it. Calling and talking to an actual human person can also give you access to information that you don't get online, like which campsite has the best views, the most shade, etc, etc. And finally, there's another kind of research that's really important that you do that isn't about rain or packing or whether or not you're going to see a rattlesnake. It's historical research about the land itself that you're exploring. I think it's giving opportunity for other people to realize that this is not a white cisgender outdoor arena.

There are many people involved in here, and one thing that's really frustrating for a lot of Native people is that we are excluded from these spaces. But who knows the land better than us and the waters better than us? This is the land our ancestors walked on in. So I think it's really beautiful to see that shift and also acknowledging the original territories that we're wandering and exploring, but to also encourage and educate people of the people who came before us and the treaty rights and the land rights and the water rights. There's so much to learn of the beautiful land in which we wander.

One way that's really simple to explore and acknowledge the land that you're camping on is with this one app called Native Land. It's really cool and free, and it lets you search based on where you are or where you're going, and then it gives you links to learn about the Native folks who originally lived on that land or who still do live on that land. For me, the idea of learning about a place before you go to it really deepens the experience of being there. And you know, I'm pretty sure that anti-racist research has been clinically proven to clear your skin, improve your finances, and make your whole life better. So I know the internet is haunting your searches because they're haunting mine,

which means that as soon as you're interested in something, there's like all this stuff that just follows you around waiting for you to put it in your shopping cart. And you might feel like you have to buy something just to gain access to the outdoors. But both Jalyn and Danielle agreed that when you're starting out, it's good to start with gear that's either borrowed or rented or cheap. That is our third takeaway. You don't need to invest a bunch of money in gear right away. If you are a person who is starting out camping and aren't quite sure if camping's your jam, test it out. Maybe borrow a friend's tent first. You don't need to go out and buy like the zero degree sleeping bag that weighs a pound. Bring your comforter, bring your sheets, bring

your blankets, the sleeping mats or the air mattresses. I know when we started out, we started out with air mattresses and we would just put the mattress coverings on it and our sheets on it and then just bring our comforter, right, and our pillows. It does not have to look fancy. It does not have to be an Instagram post. See, just because Instagram wants you to think your camping experience needs to be like all made of money doesn't mean you have to do it that way. Danielle came through with an ex-military tip that I thought was great. Oftentimes, secondhand stores will have a great collection of outdoor gear. You can find Army-Navy surplus stores as well, which have discounted gear.

And then it's really about knowing what you're trying to do and finding gear that fits your intentions. It's also worth looking into whether there are any nonprofits or community organizations with gear lending libraries in your area. They function just like a regular library would, except instead of books, it's camping supplies. A lot of gear libraries loan things out

for the delightful price of free 99 after you attend a workshop or an orientation session. Regardless of where you get your equipment, it's good to know how to use the gear that you do end up bringing. It's not a bad idea to take it for a trial run at home before you take it into the wild outdoors because there's really never a good time to realize that you borrowed a tent that's missing a key part

or your air mattress is going to deflate in less time than it took you to blow it up. While we're on the topic of gear, I just want to say that even if you're borrowing some stuff, it's worth it to see if somebody's solved a problem that was particularly daunting to you about camping. In my case, it was really revolutionary to learn that there was a cheap way for me to stand up and pee outside. I mean, lots of people come to stand to pee devices for many different reasons, but I'm just going to say that having the ability to use the bathroom without taking off my pants and my shoes and my socks and without soaking them, for that matter, was a huge

boon to my camping career. So if there's something that's unsettling you or bothering you about camping, do that research because chances are somebody's thought of that before. Our next takeaway is a big one. Make a plan to eat and bring plenty of water. Take it from somebody who is so grouchy when she's hungry that nobody wants to talk to her or even be in the car with her. Making a plan for every meal you eat while you're camping is going to make your whole experience so much more fun. You should know before you get there what your meals are going to look like throughout the whole time and how you're going to cook them. But, like, don't feel like you have to whip up some Michelin star meals, too.

You can really keep it simple. If your campsite is going to have a grill, you can plan on cooking up some hot dogs or veggie burgers. And if you're packing one of those tabletop gas camping stoves, you can just boil some water for ramen or have some mac and cheese. Or if you're really trying to do the least, just get some takeout and put it in a cooler. Whatever floats your boat. I sometimes like preparing my meal beforehand like if I'm doing something and putting potatoes in the fire pit right in corn I usually try to chop up the potatoes beforehand put them in olive oil get the salt and whatever on and maybe stick it in the microwave for like two minutes or a minute just to like start softening it or I'll often sometimes cook the bacon, you know, here because animals love bacon

grease. And what are you going to do with the bacon grease out in the middle of nowhere? Outdoor ethics tells us to leave no trace. So what Jalyn is saying here about the bacon grease is key. As you're planning to cook, make sure that you have a plan to dispose of every item you use when you're cooking and eating. And I think it's worth saying that camping uses a lot more energy than, say, watching Queer Eye reruns on your couch. So don't forget to bring a few extra snacks. And look, I know you might want to bring all those cute craft beers or those cans of rosé on your camping trip. But listen to your old pal Julia on this one.

Please do not forget water. You want to have an abundance of water to drink so that you don't even have to worry about it. The National Park Service recommends two liters of water per day or more, so keep that in mind as a general guideline. So our final takeaway for this episode is one that I think encompasses a lot of the great advice that Danielle and Jalyn have given us. Remember that being in the outdoors and being in nature means that you're participating in a community. It's really important that everyone who decides to be outdoors, even just as a beginner, needs to remember that it's not just about you. That goes for people and the environment.

Treat the environment with respect, stay on trails, and leave your campsite clean. And I know that you're not about to go feed wildlife or carve your initials into a tree, so I'm not even going to mention that, okay? Okay. Also, remember to use a bear box or lock up any food that you have in your car overnight. You don't want bears. So when it comes to sharing the trails with other campers, make sure that you're respecting their space and their experience. I think a big part of that is creating space mentally to realize that not everyone has the same exact experience as you do in the outdoors. This is a really important thing to remember, and it's a big part of the reason that Danielle and Jalyn started the online communities that they did.

Camping is about community, and that aspect should inform all of the things that you do, both on the trail and off of it. All of that, which exists in the culture, which exists in society, it doesn't magically disappear when it comes to the activities we love to do in the culture which exists in society it doesn't magically disappear when it comes to the activities we love to do in the outdoors we're people we bring all of our baggage with us for better or for worse so i think it's important to create that space mentally to where like even if you don't understand okay i'm gonna try to understand i'm gonna listen to the person next to me who doesn't feel like they can hike the same trail that i love right because they're visibly queer

or because they're with the same sex partner and they don't like getting harassed right so instead of telling them that they just need to stop complaining or they're being too sensitive or they're overreacting or they just need to be more positive or nature doesn't see sexuality or whatever, right? This is good to remember even if you're camping with a group of your closest friends. You want to really over communicate so that everybody's on the same page. And this is especially good advice right now during corona times. The more you check in not only about what safety precautions you're taking, but how those precautions are going to be used, the easier it is for everybody to feel safe

and comfortable. I gotta say too, there are a lot of really good reasons to take this moment to normalize uncomfortable conversations. If we make it easy to say like, hey that doesn't work for me, we're all going to be more comfortable. So campers, listen to your old pal camping Julia here. We're going to be prepared. So I'm going to send you off into the woods with a little recap of all our takeaways just so that we're very clear. First of all, check in with yourself. What parts of car camping are you excited about and what are you not so psyched about? What might be difficult about it? Knowing your own limitations is key. Second, do your research.

Make sure that you know where you're going, what the weather is going to be, and whose land you're going to be on. Third is be intentional when you pack. Have a plan for packing and for eating. And don't worry about buying all kinds of expensive gear. You can borrow or rent gear to start off. And make sure that you know how to use all the gear that you're bringing with you. Fourth is really simple. Make a plan for your food, water, and how to dispose of your garbage. Leave no trays, kiddos. And finally, remember that camping and being outdoors means

being part of a community. Don't presume that another person has the same experience as you, and when in doubt, over-communicate. And you know what? I just gotta say it, in case it's necessary. If you try out camping and it's not for you, that's okay. You can just be like Antonio and reject the entire premise of camping altogether. You should travel. Yes. In as much luxury you can afford. That's my view as far as traveling. For more NPR Life Kit, check out our other episodes. I did a series about friendship that, you know, maybe you'll like it. You can find those at npr.org slash life kit.

And if you love Life Kit, which I know you do, and you want more, subscribe to our newsletter at npr.org slash life kit newsletter. And if you've got a good tip about camping, leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823 or email a voice memo to us at lifekit at npr.org. This episode was produced by the wonderful Audrey Nguyen. Megan Cain is the managing producer. Beth Donovan is the senior editor. Our digital editor is Beck Harlan, and our editorial assistant is Claire Schneider. I'm Julia Frillon, and if you want to reach me, I will be outside in my tent. A Minneapolis business owner's daughter is called out publicly for racist, anti-Black tweets. Fighting to save his business and trying to make amends, he calls on a prominent Black Muslim leader for help. He's an Arab Muslim. I said, Brother Makram, I'm here to learn.

Tell me what to do. To hear what happens next, listen to Code Switch from NPR.