Camping provides a fun chance to connect with nature and admire the beauty of the outdoors. It enables you to not just surround yourself with nature but also learn about the environment and its many facets. While camping, you can observe weather patterns, diverse flora and fauna, and learn how to navigate using the sun and natural landmarks.
Camping can also be spiritually enlightening. When surrounded by nature’s beauty and power, one can feel very small yet incredibly appreciative.
Many people have tried camping at some point in their life, but not many continue to do it on a regular basis. Unfortunately, they are missing out on many benefits of camping.
For this article, we will discuss several physical benefits of camping that will help you feel better about yourself and your environment.
Camping can help you become more comfortable with being uncomfortable. Many people feel anxiety about spending time in nature, away from the comforts of modern life, like electricity and running water.
You may worry about getting enough sleep because you’re unused to the sounds of the night, or you may worry about how you’ll keep clean without access to showers and clean water.
These fears can stem from a lack of knowledge about how to camp. You may know how to camp in theory, but actually spending time out in the wild requires some hands-on experience.
Camping forces you to be more mindful about your surroundings and how you interact with them.
You have to be aware of what wildlife is in the area, what weather is coming, and how to manage your environment.
This includes putting up a tent, knowing where clean water is, and knowing how to cook good food using a camping stove or grill.
Camping also requires you to pay attention to nature. You learn about the animals that come out at night, hear the different sounds, and notice the changes in nature.
By paying attention to all of this, you gain a greater sense of connection with it all. You become more aware of your place in the world around you.
While you are camping, you will likely be doing more than just sitting around and watching the fire. There are many activities you can do to have a good time while getting some good exercise.
Many campers spend time hiking through the woods, along trails or across fields. This can be a very fun and exciting experience, especially if you aren’t familiar with the terrain.
Others prefer to fish in the lake or river near the camp site. This requires sitting still for long periods of time, trying to reel in the big one!
Still others enjoy spending time outdoors playing soccer or another game. Whether it’s lawn games like horseshoes or more structured games like tennis or basketball, there is plenty of opportunity to move around.
You learn how to deal with difficult situations
Camping can be a great way to spend time with your family. It is a way for you to get to know each other better as well as to get away from the everyday distractions that pull you apart.
Family camping trips are more than just laying out a blanket and sleeping under the stars. You get to learn about each other when you have to work together to set up the site, take down the site, and when you have to manage situations such as weather changes or wildlife encounters.
This is an important quality of camping- you learn how to cope with changing circumstances. When you camp, there’s a good chance you’ll experience bad weather, which can be stressful. You learn how to keep a cool head and continue with your activities despite the situation. This skill can carry over into other areas of your life.
You have to go on hikes to find good places to camp, you have to set up your camp, and you have to maintain your health by keeping clean and hygienic.
Besides these requirements, you are forced to get off your phone and into the nature around you. You must take in your surroundings and appreciate them, which is an added bonus.
Camping also brings a group of people together which creates a healthy social environment. You get to know people on a more personal level which has health benefits itself.
Lastly, camping brings people of all ages together which helps foster development in younger individuals.
Improve psychological well-being
Camping has a very positive effect on your mental well-being. Spending time in nature has been linked to higher levels of happiness, lower levels of anxiety, and a more positive attitude toward life in general.
Many people spend too much time in urban environments and don’t take the time to experience nature. However, with the growing awareness of the importance of environmental conservation, more organizations are offering opportunities to experience the beauty of nature.
Camping clubs and organizations offer you the opportunity to experience the beauty of nature for yourself while also giving you the independence and freedom that you desire when camping.
You have the freedom to set up your camp however you wish, you have the freedom to explore whatever areas of nature that interest you, and you have the freedom to take as long or short a break as you wish during your camp.
All of these things help put your mind at ease and enable you to focus on yourself instead of worrying about outside distractions.
Learn to deal with difficult situations
When you’re camping, things don’t always go as planned. You can’t just run into a store and replenish what you’ve used.
Whether it’s the food you’ve brought or the clothing on your back, everything you have is what you get. There are no refunds or exchanges!
The fact that you’re going “barefoot” in nature also adds to the difficulty. You have to learn to deal with things like bugs, thorns, and cold water- all of which can cost you your comfort, but may also help strengthen you.
Camping allows for a level of vulnerability that few other activities offer. You have to work together as a team to feel comfortable, safe, and satisfied with your experience.
Builds confidence
Camping makes you more confident in many aspects of life. You learn to be more independent, you learn to manage your time, you learn to manage your resources (time, energy, money), and you learn to be creative with what you have.
You spend a significant amount of time alone, which gives you time to think and re-evaluate what you think you know. You get to try out new things like cooking new foods or making new items such as makeshift towels or bags.
Camping makes you feel powerful as well as connected to nature around you. You physically invest in yourself by strengthening your physical skills such as setting up a tent quickly and comfortably.
Budget camping is a great way to test out if camping is for you or not. You can do it for a night or two and see how you feel and what benefits you receive.
Olivia is the Editor in Chief of Laienhaft – a website dedicated to all things outdoor and camping. If you’re looking for the best tent to take on your next camping trip, or need some advice on how to get started with recreational camping, Olivia has you covered.
