Camping in Nature: Single Moms Edition

My 9-year-old daughter and I are nature enthusiasts. We love the great outdoors! We take several yearly trips to hike, explore, learn and appreciate the beauty of the land. As a single mama, it has taken me quite a few incremental steps towards gearing myself up with maps, tools, supplies, know-how, and courage, in order to gain the confidence and the wisdom to go on these expeditions! But truth be told, after a long day trekking gorgeous terrain in the wilderness, we have always found solstice in checking into a nice hotel with a pool for the kiddo and a hot tub for me! There is nothing wrong with this scenario. However, as I said, I have slowly been acquiring the gear, the knowledge, and the guts to full-on camp in a tent, under the stars, in the woods, with my kid. This year that happened.

I wanted to start with a more primitive camping setup. The reason being, this is the purest form of camping with little to no-frills, and we can always add on from there. However, if you start camping at one of those touristy campgrounds with the arcades, mini-golf courses, bouncy houses, and all the amenities, a kid would come to expect that and likely be reluctant to ever downgrade and try good old fashioned primitive camping! Pro tip: do the first campout near home. It is far more comforting to know the area you’re in, to know the types of wildlife that live there, and to know that you could pack up and go home, if need be.

So, what to pack?

The first order of business was purchasing a tent. And not any old tent, as I am not exactly handy. I can recall my own childhood camping memories with my family and my not-exactly-handy father being incredibly frustrated. He would be swearing, wrestling the tent, as he tried to get it set up for us impatient, not-exactly-helpful kids! Knowing that I would be going it alone with my child, I decided to do hella research on pitching the tent! Which led me to purchase a Quechua two-second popup tent. It did exactly that. Literally, I just had to push the button, and presto! The tent is up! It worked out beautifully.

The next thing we needed was light! It is intensely dark out in the forest, away from all the light pollution of civilization. We didn’t have access to electricity. So, we had to get some flashlights. Do not go cheap on this! I made the mistake of buying very small, very portable, lightweight flashlights that didn’t illuminate diddly squat. Get some quality flashlights! Headlamps are nice too. You want to be able to see in front of you when walking the grounds after dark.

Which brings us to the next stage of the adventure, which is building a fire. Fire provides light, warmth and it helps to keep critters and wild animals from crashing your party. When I was a kid, this was another “dad job” that I gave no mind to. As a single mom, I made sure I knew how to do this myself before going out there. I consulted a friend of mine, and he gave me the low-down and trained me hands-on. We picked up dry, thinner, smaller sticks to stack in the center, into a semi even pyramid, and then used larger logs on the outside to cover and insulate. Light a match and toss it into the center of your firepit. Voila.

Tent pitched; check. Fire going; check. Time to cook some food over the open fire! We brought an array of snacks to keep us nourished, but you can’t go wrong with hotdogs and smores (or in our case, veggie dogs). Time to find some more sticks! Stick the hotdog on the stick, stick the stick in the fire, and rotate it until it cooks. Get your grub on!

Fed, warm, and with shelter ready, we were doing great. But… what if… ahem, nature calls?! Well, thankfully, we were prepared to handle that! This, of course, was neither of our first times peeing in the woods. But again, this is where the flashlight is invaluable! You don’t want to pee in the dark! And should anyone need to do…ahem, number two… have a small shovel on hand. Yes, that’s right, you’ve got to dig a little hole, away from the trail or anywhere others may be walking. And I’m sure you can figure out the rest! Bury your droppings. Leave no trace behind.

Now that we covered the basics, have some fun! Make up stories, whittle, sing songs, cuddle, create art out of whatever you can find. I love to make mandalas out of twigs, rocks, flowers and pinecones. My daughter and I played “nature ball” using a large stick as a “bat” and acorns as a “ball”. We played tic-tac-toe using sticks, pebbles and blades of grass. The point is to be creative with what you have around you. See what you can come up with!

Have fun! Do what you can to prepare, but don’t get overwhelmed. Handle the basics- tent, light, fire, food, water. Then make it an enjoyable experience. Create memories. That is really what the whole thing is about. Our first campout was a few years in the making of my hemming and hawing, but we finally did it and it was a success! I am glad I got out there and showed my daughter, and myself, that we could do anything! With a bit of prep work and a lot of imagination, we got our very first primitive tent camp out on the books! Our little overnight trip nurtured so much growth, confidence, and skills for life. We are both excited to do it again.

There is an incredible value in leaving the modern comfort zone and creating experiences in the wild. We all truly are a part of something bigger than ourselves. Camping under the stars in nature creates a bond, not only between parent and child but with nature itself.