Get Out There: A Quick-Start Guide To Amazing Days

Nature’s call is powerful.  So powerful that in Korea, Seoul’s urban-weary residents pay for 15-minute strolls in a forest park.  Manhattan’s Central Park, an astounding manmade creation replete with lakes for boating and rocks for climbing, likewise is a magnetic oasis for Gotham’s residents.  

How much more beguiling are the trails and campsites nestled in county, state and national park lands.  The call to soaring heights brings hikers in tennis shoes – and even motorists in high heels – to Colorado’s famed 14,114’ Pikes Peak.  Arizona’s Grand Canyon, visited by close to 5 million each year, reveals greater wonders to the relative few who descend below the Rim.

Wherever you land on the hike-camp-pack continuum, three elements transform your trips into days of wonder, lasting memories rooted in deeper connections with nature – and each other.

Element #1:  Know what matters to each traveler

Staging a remarkable outing requires understanding each other’s expectations. Maybe lifelong friend Dave pushes hard on mileage only to halt for extended sessions.  Another companion, Eric, maintains a solid pace until camp; short sorties follow as he explores the surrounding area before nightfall. 

Dominic is an ambler seeking 15-30 minute diversions along the way.
Krista wants to pick marshmallow fragments off her lips after her third s’more.  Sarah relishes the smell of morning coffee as she emerges from a dew-sparkled tent.  Ken’s out to tell, and hear, humorous stories of wilderness exploits.

If you’re at a campsite for more than one night, let group members explore their own interests instead of locking everyone together 24/7; the nature lover watches birds, the cook attempts some Dutch oven baking and the angler wets a line nearby. 

Element #2:  Walk past the obvious to reach the amazing

Don’t be afraid to push past well-documented, frequently travelled destinations and epic landforms. The spring blooming rhododendrons of southern Appalachia are extraordinary to hikers, campers and tourists alike; visitors come all the way from Asia for the huge explosion of mountainside color. The same is true of Colorado’s fall riot of turning aspens near Independence Pass.

Watching a moose feed in the river near Yellowstone can be as stirring as the eruption of Old Faithful or dodging bears along well-traveled roads. The February migration of sandhill cranes through Nebraska or the fall jump of hundreds of thousands of geese via Wisconsin’s Horizon Marsh are noteworthy experiences around which a trip can be built.

If natural surroundings prove more mundane, making up games is a fun way to relish being together.  Toss pebbles to land them in a cooking pot (cornhole redux), race sticks down an icy stream or count shooting stars.  Any of these adds a memorable competitive element to the trip, reducing the pressure to talk all the time (or to never talk at all).   

Element #3:  Cover the basics before you begin

Don’t underestimate the importance of hydration to your performance and enjoyment – even of day hikes.  Carrying a lightweight UV system (pen or bottle cap version) or Lifestraw makes drinking convenient rather than rationing water – and drinking too little as a result. 

Snack lightly and steadily through the day with fruits, nuts, complex carbs and jerky (turkey, pork, beef or vegan).  There’s no reason to ride an energy rollercoaster to arrive in camp famished – only to overeat before bedtime.

Keep a lightweight wind or rain shell always at the ready, even to protect against blazing sun.  A neck buff is another adventure essential that helps between wind, sun, heat (particularly when dipped in water) and cold.

Carry a warm hoody or puffy, ready to pull it on as soon as you stop hiking or backpacking.  This prevents core temperature from dropping quickly as you cease vigorous activity. Experienced trekkers and adventurers even pull an insulator over their hardshells in emergency situations. 

Know the fire regulations.  Recognize a lantern might serve as your campfire while marshmallows roast over a gas-fired stove.  Factor weather days into the plan to avoid cutting it too close.

Bury an extravagant treat in your provisions as a reward for enduring the grit and grime of outdoor life together.   Chocolate, gourmet coffee or a small flask of well-aged spirits is a welcome celebration.  Even licorice whips can re-energize the enterprise.

Amazing days are within reach.  A little practical planning in these three areas improves your chances of positive memories and sparks a desire to get back out; sooner rather than later.