How To Introduce A Reluctant Person To Camping
Camping is not everyone’s cup of tea. Some people love it, some people hate it, and others just haven’t had the chance to experience it and are put off by their idea of what camping involves.
My family didn’t do a ton of camping we were kids (that I can remember, anyway), but I do have memories of my dad excitedly packing for trips and having so much enthusiasm the entire time. I do remember fishing and catching minnows. The tent setup always seemed to be a pain and the poles seemed like such a headache to match-up, and they weren’t the best in rain. My last memory of camping from childhood is when my mom had enough on one trip, decided to sleep in the truck for the night, and declared the trip over. Not long after that I got into horses and every summer after that was spent at horseshows.
To say I thought fondly of camping would be a lie. I fell into that “I’m not going anywhere without indoor plumbing” mindset and decided I wasn’t missing anything. Then I met Darrell and he somehow managed to convince me to give camping another go. He turned this reluctant camper into a camping enthusiast, and I thought I’d share some of things that he did that worked so well.
GIVE THE OTHER PERSON AN OUT
Don’t take a reluctant camper into such a remote area that you have no choice but to finish your entire trip. Go somewhere close enough to home that you can pack up and leave if that person wants to. They might really hate camping, or they might be too cold or too hot or getting too eaten by bugs. Or maybe it’s raining non-stop and they’re not having fun. Always give them the out so they don’t feel trapped. We have packed up early from a couple of trips when the rain flooded out campsites or I just wasn’t feeling it anymore. Of course, start with short trips of only 1 or 2 nights is also a good idea.
DO ALL THE PLANNING/ORGANIZING/COOKING
If someone is reluctant to camp but has agreed to go with you, plan out the trip, organize and pack all the gear, and plan to do all the cooking. Definitely ask them if there’s somewhere they would like to go, or something they want to bring, and what food they’d like to eat, but don’t force them to give you answers. For many reluctant campers it’s enough to make the decision to go, they don’t want to do the rest of it. Tell them what they need to bring along (clothes, medicines, etc) and do the rest. When they’re comfortable doing more, they will. As someone who deals with anxiety, not having to worry about this stuff made a huge difference to me in the beginning.
GO SOMEWHERE WITH FACILITIES
Don’t take a reluctant camper away from bathrooms unless they’ve said they’re okay with that. It’s awfully comforting to have bathrooms and running water. Start with campgrounds with facilities so it’s less of a transition. When we started backcountry camping, I always preferred the places with a thunderbox than the places without. Even that made camping just that much easier. If you want to go car camping on crown land, consider getting some sort of potty to bring along. It makes a big difference.
BE FLEXIBLE
Maybe the camping trip is supposed to involve paddling, or fishing, or hiking. If your reluctant camper decides they don’t want to do it and would prefer to stay at camp and read a book, let them. Find an activity that you can both do and will enjoy. Be okay with plans changing.
PLAN FOR THE WEATHER AND CONDITIONS
This can be a little hard these days with the need to book campsites so far in advance, but do your best to plan for the weather and the conditions. Will your reluctant camper hate the heat? Don’t plan a trip in July or August. Will the blackflies make them miserable? Don’t go in May or June or head somewhere that usually isn’t too bad (do those places exist?). Bring rain gear and tarps and extra clothes and all the things your reluctant camper probably isn’t thinking about.
HAVE A GOOD ATTITUDE
This is really the most important thing about turning a reluctant camper into a happy camper. Smile, laugh, have fun. If something doesn’t work the way you planned, make adjustments and don’t get worked up about it. The first few camping trips Darrell and I went on together had a variety of mishaps – days of rain and a leaking tent, a phone call with scary medical news, a burning bilge pump in the boat, a lost anchor, forgotten and broken equipment. Actually, every camping trip still seems to have some mishap. The important thing is that early on, and to this day, Darrell always smiled and dealt with it. He didn’t complain or get angry, he just did what had to be done and didn’t worry me. These days we laugh and complain and deal with it all together, but because he had such a good attitude on those early trips, it resulted in a positive experience for me.
Not every reluctant camper will turn into a willing camper. It actually took me several years to be fully into it and help with the planning and packing. Now it’s usually me who tells Darrell to get ready because I’ve decided we need to go camping this weekend and I’ve booked a site or picked out some lakes to visit. I love planning the trips and doing the prep and setting up camp. Every person is different, but I do believe that if you want to turn a reluctant camper into a regular camping buddy, you need to take it slow and cater to them a little. Don’t be too hardcore. Or go find someone who really loves camping to join you. Whatever works!
argosgirl
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