People usually have one of two reactions to camping: One group looks at camping with a mindset of fun and adventure, and often they have done it. The other group looks at it as inconvenient, something beneath them, and often these are people have not done it. Just like “fishing is not always about catching fish”, some people don’t realize that camping is really about adventure beyond your daily routine and sharing those experiences with friends and family. There is so much more to camping than just sleeping at a camp site.

Here are some things I learned from camping:

We all normally have much more than we need: Just the preparation for camping forces us to think of essentials we need to live. Basic shelter, food and a way to cook it, beverages, clothing, firewood, any games for entertainment, and books for reading usually are on the list. I have noticed after camping for 2-3 days you become adjusted with having just the basics for living.

Fun can be had with less technology: What makes camping unique is doing things you would not do at home. Read a book, play cards or a board game, or pass the time with playing corn hole or horse shoes. Spend some time together and chat around the fire, take a hike together, or enjoy some pool time if the campgrounds has one. And of course there are smores made with freshly roasted marshmellows from the fire.

Camping forces you to be humble: You will sweat. You will wear bug spray. Your clothes will be wrinkled and become dirty. Your bathroom is likely somewhere you have to go to outside camp. But here is the great thing: So will everyone else. It teaches you to live with your circumstances and limitations. Camping is a great equalizer and will focus you more on relationships, and less on being comfortable and material things.

Dealing with things you can’t control: If you wait for the ideal weather to go camping, you won’t ever do it. What are the odds of two days together that are dry, and are at a comfortable temperature, and are on a weekend (if you can’t go during the week)? I would not plan a camping trip if the forecast is totally all day rains, but you will be surprised what you can work around. Pick some time and plan for it, and keep it clear of other “drop in” activities. Also you will realize how sunrise and the birds will be your alarm clock in the morning.

It binds people together: Camping is all about relationships, whether it is some fun activity during camping, or working together to set up camp, or even doing nothing and sitting around the fire talking. There is something about doing all of this outdoors that is special. I just made a trip to visit my children in Tennessee, and in the past I would stay in a hotel, and we would do the standard go out to dinner activity. This time I chose to go camping, set up some tents in a nearby state park, and we would visit together and do things there. I was not disappointed as we cooked out, camped, hiked, and visited. It was a very special time that I will always remember.

We still have a few weeks before school starts back up. If you have camping gear and know a family that does not, why not host a camping weekend for them? Help them set up camp, and even camp with them if you have enough equipment. If it is a family that does not have the financial resources to camp, maybe you set them up with a pre-paid campsite, coolers stocked with food and drinks, and even have firewood supplied for them. Helping then with camp tear down at the end will also be appreciated. Giving them a memory with their family is priceless.