The world has been overcome with the fear surrounding the contagion of the novel Coronavirus, and people have been forcibly restricted to their homes in many places. Many have stopped to ask, did this really help us during such a challenging time?
The thought of camping during Covid was quickly wiped from the minds of many as they opted to stock up on essentials, with toilet paper being one of the first thing to be stripped from the shelves (go figure), they locked their doors and doubled down on Netflix and working from home. This uncharacteristic form of social hibernation changed how we behave. Just watch how people step out of your path when you walk towards them. It’s feeling like a very different world now.
As the flow of the news seems to either be calming down, or we’ve grown desensitized to it, it seems that we are moving to a more stable situation these days. A welcome sigh of relief feels so close. Even though it is only been a short four to six months (depending on your part of the world), it feels like a lifetime for many.
I firmly believe that there is a beaming light of hope on the horizon. In many parts of the world, as you look around, the great news is that National Parks, Camping Grounds and all other outdoors areas we know and love are becoming more accessible again. We can, one more, go outside!
So as you rummage through the garage and dust off that much loved camping gear you may notice that something is in a state of disrepair, or it has been lost. Or it could simply be time to upgrade your survival kit and general camping gear.
Survival Gear for Camping
Regardless of your wants and needs are when it comes to survival gear for camping during Covid, you can find everything online. I found myself looking at a range of things that I know and trust for hiking in more rugged areas in my garage and thinking that some of it could do with replacing.
No serious Camper or Hiker underestimates the importance of reliable survival gear for camping, with or without Covid being a thing. Making sure that when you hit the trail, or blaze a new trail for the first time in uncharted territory, that you’ll be able to handle what Mother Nature and circumstances throws at you is imperative.
I’ve found that a few key things are always on my list:
Food
- A couple of packets of dried meals or field ready rations
Water
- A few bottles
- An emergency water filter system
Shelter
- A light weight tent
Warmth
Tools
- A reliable knife and multi tool
Emergency Equipment
- First aid kit
- an EPIRB
With these being the foundation, there’s an adventure ahead.
Camping During Covid
Regardless of what the future may bring, many of us are itching to get back outdoors, and rightly so. For many of us, it’s where we feel at peace.
Being able to breathe in the clean mountain air, take your boots off and get your feet on the earth, see the light change throughout the day, and catch some sun, all adds up to connecting with Nature. This is why many of us love camping and hiking so much. It’s the reality or living and being in the moment without any other distractions to just take it all in.
Camping during Coivd for me is a way to look after my physical and mental health. I prefer to head out to where it is quietest, where I’m not surrounded by the sounds of families clattering through pots and plates after they have had dinner. Don’t get me wrong, the outdoors is for everyone.
My paradise is a little further out that the family friendly areas where I’m more likely to experience the magic of wildlife curiously moving through my camp. A place where the sound of the wind moving through the trees is the most consistent and loudest sound I’m likely to hear. It is in this peace and quite that I find my own peace.
Being able to get away from all of the noise that has bombarded me in the past few months is such a relief. So much so that it often crosses my mind that I should just take up permanent residence in the wilderness until the craziness in the world subsides.
Either way, a short break or a longer adventure are both a very welcome change that I’m excited to be able to step in to as this is where I believe that I am meant to be.