Camping outdoors is not for everyone, but without a doubt, it’s something that everyone should experience at least once in their life. As a child, I camped out in my parents’ backyard almost every summer, and my parents took my brother and I camping at various park campgrounds located throughout the state. 

As I grew older, my friends and I became more adventurous and started camping by ourselves in the woods near my parents’ house. 

In this day and age, camping has become a bit more sophisticated. There are all sorts of gadgets and devices on the market geared towards making a person’s camping trip as civilized and comfortable as possible. 

I like camping the old-fashioned way and try to leave as much of the comfort of civilization at home as possible. 

Of course, the one exception I’ve made to this rule is mosquito repellent. I enjoy roughing it as much as the next person, but I draw the line when it comes to being in the great outdoors, listening to the sound of mosquitoes as they fly around my ears, looking for the next landing site on my body. 

A little piece of civilization can be a fine addition at a time such as this. 

When I camp, I first have to find a good spot to set up the tent. For me a good spot consists of a flat piece of ground that is free of big tree roots so that sleeping on the ground will be as comfortable as possible. 

It should also be an area that is somewhat shady to protect the campsite from the heat of the day. 

Camping under a pine tree is always a good choice. 

The layer of pine needles on the ground makes for a soft bed to sleep on at night, and the branches of the trees provide just the amount of covering for shade. I do have to contend with the pine sap now and then, though.  Pros and cons to everything I guess. 

A reminder to make sure there are no old, dead trees nearby. You sure don’t want one to fall on your tent. 

After having found a good spot to camp, then it’s time to set up the tent. Even though there are many different types of tents available, I prefer a smaller tent since it’s lighter and I only need space for myself. 

Gathering firewood is next on the agenda. Starting campfires is essential for camping because this is the means by which you will cook the hotdogs and marshmallows that you brought along. There’s nothing like the taste of wieners and marshmallows cooked over an open fire out in the woods.

 In the evening after the camp has been set up, the darkness begins to descend over the earth. It’s time to sit down by the fire to swap traditional campfire tales with other campers. 

As the logs on the fire pop and crack and the smoke rises into the sky, the scary stories are traded back-and-forth.

 They are designed to make the listener more fearful than the last one until finally, the chills begin to run up and down one’s spine and the little hairs on the back of one’s neck are standing up on end. 

When it’s finally time to turn in for the night, it’s suddenly as if the wilderness outside the tent has come alive with sound. A stick on the ground snaps under the weight of some unseen predator as it‘s rummaging through the trash can outside the camp. 

There’s a sound of an owl hooting in the distant forest as the wind rustles through the leaves on the trees. 

The shadows of the branches can be seen dancing along the sides of the tent as the full moon rises in the black velvet sky. It is now very apparent to the inhabitants in the tents that the campfire stories have done their work. An extra blanket comes in handy at a time like this.

 Regressing back to childhood habits of hiding under the blankets from the invisible creatures of the night leaves one with very little pride but with a feeling of security all the same. 

When the fires of the night finally begin to slowly burn down to the place of dying embers, the sky on the eastern horizon comes alive with colorful hues of pink and orange as the morning sunrise makes its presence known. It’s the time of the morning when the first light comes and it brings with it the new day. That’s the time when life begins anew for all of us that inhabit this earth that we call our home. There’s something special about waking up outside in the woods in the early morning hours. 

Things always look different in the light of day. The campfire monsters are long gone, and you find yourself alone in the light with your thoughts. The air smells fresh and clean, and the birds are singing. The day is filled with promise. 

That’s what going camping is all about. It’s just you and the morning and the great outdoors. Does it get any better than that?