Camping around Lake Tahoe is a great experience. This time of year, the weather is starting to change. The days are warm with clear blue skies while the evenings are cold and dry. Like with everything, camping brings with it change and challenges. Maintaining your recovery while camping doesn’t have to be hard or even overwhelming if you have the right strategies to help support you along the way.
On Friday, I headed to the campsite, a 4.5 hour drive from Menlo Park, California. It is an easy ride if you avoid traffic by either leaving before 12:00 or after 7:00 pm. We had 10 people in our group so we reserved two campsites and then split the costs 10 ways. The grand total for EVERYTHING..? Less than $50 including gas, food and campsite. If you are short on cash, love the outdoors and have some camping gear, camping is a great way to travel around affordably.
After camping this weekend it reminded me of all the things I automatically do now that help me stay balanced, mindful and steady in my recovery.
1.Bring Snacks:
No matter where I go, regardless of if I am camping or not, I always bring snacks. You never know when you might get stranded and not have access to food so it’s a good idea to bring a little something along to tie you over when you are low blood sugar.
2. Communicate your food needs to your group:
Everyone has food preferences and that’s okay. The important thing is communicating those preferences to your group. When you go camping you usually aren’t going alone so it’s important to talk about what will be the meals and who will be cooking them. This would also be the time to let people know if you have any allergies.
3. Prioritize your sleep:
I think this strategy often gets pushed aside. When you are with a great group of people you don’t want to go to bed early and miss out on the fun but sometimes it is necessary. Prioritizing your sleep with give you more energy for the daily activities. Also the more rested you are the easier it is to talk back to negative thoughts.
4. Drink water:
Drinking water is just a good thing to do no matter what you are doing. The recommended amount of water per day is eight-eight ounces glasses of water (this amount includes the water you get from your food intake).
5. Bring the right gear:
Bringing the right gear makes a world of a difference in your trip. Check out the weather before you go so you can dress accordingly and bring extra layers for sleeping and night-time.
6. Take 10 minutes a day to meditate:
I think meditation is a great way to find and create balance in your daily life. When you are camping, you are surrounded by nature; a great environment to meditate in. My advice? Take 10 minutes out of your day to go find a quiet place somewhere, close your eyes and just listen to your surroundings. Focus on the birds singing, the wind blowing or the leaves crackling.
7. Put your needs first:
This one is important! For many people, the fear of missing out on something, especially in a group, overpowers their inner voice telling them to take some time for themselves. But sometimes you just need some alone time to recharge. Honor that need because it will make the rest of the trip a lot more enjoyable.
8. Listen to your body:
This one is similar to the tip above but incredibly important. Listening to your body is super important when you are camping because usually you are more active than normal. Remember to take a break. For example rest if your body is tired on a long hike, drink water if you are thirsty and eat when you are hungry; regardless of what other people are doing.
9. Follow your daily morning/evening routines
As silly as it may sound continuing to brush your teeth and follow the daily practices you do when you are traveling, including camping, really does help give you a little more structure in your day.
10.Stay flexible
No matter how much you prepare, when you are in a group environment, things will change. Try to stay flexible with the schedule. Communicate what you want but also remember that ultimately you have to make a group decision. Some of my best adventures have happened when I let someone else drive.
Anton
Such beautiful pictures! Great tips as well! Camping season is so fun. Too bad the weather by me is going into winter mode.