What's new

Your version of being in the outdoors

Different strokes for different folks.

A corny phrase...I know...but I think this old '60's saying (think it was from the '60's, could be wrong).... can apply to a lot of different situations....even including.... what does being out in the great outdoors mean to you ?

There is a wide range of outdoor 'experiencing' to coin a word. I'm curious what the outdoors and outdoors experience means to different members who frequent this sub forum.

Some can probably go out with a knife, a canteen of water....the clothes (outdoorsy) on their back and figure out how to survive for a week or so.

And....at the other end of the spectrum are those who get their outdoor 'fix' inside....watching TV shows and not venturing much past the end of their driveway to get the daily paper.

BTW....I'm not being smug about this end of the spectrum. There are lot's of people who like the idea of the outdoors....or who once frequented the outdoorsy areas...but because of time constraints, health considerations or never having any prior experience....are more comfortable enjoying nature via the medium of TV, etc.

Then there are a whole range of individuals with varying degrees of outdoors experience and skills....between these two levels.

Where do you fit in and how do you enjoy the outdoors ?
 
I back country hammock camp. Throw a pack on my back with a few close mates and go to some naturalized wildlands or crownland as it's called. No one to help you if you get in trouble, but as away from people as you can imagine being within driving of a major city. Love it! The hike in and out can be hell but well worth it.
 
$article-2050494-0E6C23F400000578-831_634x445.jpg$article-2050494-0E6C23FE00000578-992_634x352.jpg$article-2050494-0E6C237B00000578-65_634x352.jpg$article-2050494-0E6C238A00000578-452_634x352.jpg$article-2050494-0E6C240600000578-318_634x445.jpg
 
I back country hammock camp. Throw a pack on my back with a few close mates and go to some naturalized wildlands or crownland as it's called. No one to help you if you get in trouble, but as away from people as you can imagine being within driving of a major city. Love it! The hike in and out can be hell but well worth it.

My son, his girlfriend and his buddy like to do this. They go out Crown Lands in the Canadian Shield. They drive (4WD) as far as they can go...then walk in the rest of the way. They love it....all by themselves in beautiful Canadian wilderness. They take a tarp...set up a lean to...try to get back to the basics as much as they can.
 

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
the great outdoors for me is doing anything recreational outside of my home. If I'm camping in my backyard.....great outdoors.
If I'm hiking along a trail at the state park....great outdoors.
If I'm fishing....great outdoors.

If I'm mowing the yard.. NOT great outdoors.

For me it is having fun outside of my home.
 
I don't do it regularly, but my fondest outdoors time (though very stressful and wild at the time) was sleeping bag, no tent in Alaska--off the Kenai Peninsula. Mosquitos, rain, bears, moose, some animal that stole my shoes and shredded them (at least put punctures through the sole and tore the uppers)--I think it was a bear cub, though my initial thought was a weasel or badger. (Not in the area, which I knew, it just seemed like a weasely thing to do). Yup, had just had a break up with a girlfriend and liked to eat psychadelic mushrooms. There, judge me. Was 18 years old.
 
My idea of being outdoors is short hikes around the family farm or along trails in the county recreation areas. I'm planning on expanding to doing some car camping in the county and state parks, but that's been the plan for a few years.
 
I call being outdoors hunting or fishing, or sitting at a camp fire.

I'm outside all day and ask the time, so when I get home, I want to sit on the couch and relax.
 
I'm on the good in the woods side of the spectrum. Grew up on a cattle ranch in the middle of nowhere, only child, no neighbors for miles. Ranch was on a river so I spent most of my spare time fly fishing and exploring with the dog. Parents had animals, mules and horses, so we also did a lot of packing into the alps.

Things haven't changed much. I don't have animals so no packing into the alps, but nothing makes me happier than standing waist deep in a river middle of summer fly fishing. With the dog of course. I try to go as much as I can.
 
Top Bottom