My life has recently changed. I am over 50, not saying how much over, but headed to the downhill side of my 50’s. I love camping and outdoors. When I told women I was thinking about starting to go camping more often and that I would be doing it alone, some would gasp. Several men told me to get a gun. Others just nodded their heads and smiled. One woman, I spoke to was planning a trip to the base camp of Mount Everest. She is 64 and a cancer survivor. I’m also newly single. For the first time in my life, I don’t have to account for or be accountable to anyone. That is liberating. Or at least it should be. If I lived in fear or with the idea that I could not do certain things without a group, or God forbid, without a man, then I would be greatly limiting my life.
Many women said they camped alone and loved it. Of course, Googling such a thing I have heard horror stories. Now, I’m not talking camping like “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail,” by Cheryl Strayed. No, I wanted just to travel and exploring this beautiful country of ours. I love state parks, and they have a lot to offer, including troopers that keep an eye out for you.
I am blessed to have a large Econoline E350 van with more seats than I know where to store. At this moment I have a seat in a shed, one in my garage and a third in a spare bedroom. I rarely use the other two and have the one back seat only because I am a grandmother and love having experiences with my granddaughter.
I decked out my van or prepared for this trip in many ways. The Coleman cot mattress is a great investment. It gets me off the floor and gives me lots of room under the cot to store things. I purchased two plastic drawers that fit nicely under the cot. I keep my clothes in these drawers.
I have had camping equipment from previous years. I replace my Coleman stove. I think I’ll hand down the old one to the kids. It has been in the family for years. I had a grub box that I designed and built with a former companion. It has a horizontal space in the top for the camp stove. Some spaces for food and dishes. It also has a pullout tray for sundries and a bottom section for pots pans and dishes. Originally, I was not going to take the grub-box, as it is heavy to load into the car. But decided it was good for organization and I put it in empty and put all my things in after. It will not come out of the van when I am camping alone, but when camping with the kids, they move it to the picnic table.
The grub box is handy, and the cooler is right next to it. I have my camp kitchen, and it is a delight.
For cooking equipment, I also invested in some simple small cooking utensils and eating utensils.
I ’m way past carrying around a ton of heavy pots and pans. I’m culling down and prepping for one. I also bought myself a camp spoon knife, fork set. I love it but think I would like to have more than one. Maybe even three. Because once I used my fork in the van while driving and have not been able to locate it. I ate breakfast with a spoon, and I bummed a plastic fork from a trading post.
The other investment was in these great curtains for the van. I purchased three, and that is enough to totally cover all of the windows. No one can see in, and I must open the curtains to see that it is daylight. I stayed in state parks, with electricity and water and hot showers. The hot showers were probably the only thing I was concerned about. I shower at night, so taking a shower in a campsite meant walking in the dark to the shower, and then showering in a place where anyone could come in. Going the bathroom was not a problem. Let’s face it we get to an age where we pee at night. I also drink lots of water so that does not help that problem. But I learned a large Folger’s can in my van was perfect! A “pee-can” was something I remember from childhood and camping in a cabin with the family in the woods of the Alleghany mountains.
I mapped out my travels, and in all honesty, my GPS on my phone is turned on and linked with my daughter. My daughter says that is important, so she knows where to send people to find my body. The technology might feel like it takes away some of the freedom, but I liked her knowing where I was. Camping has changed since I did it many years ago. And though I was doing it alone, I shared a great deal with my daughter and granddaughter through Facetime. The experience was an adventure which I’m glad I did and can’t wait to do again. Anyone can make their own adventure. Start to think about what you love, and embrace the possibilities. Make plans.
Communing with nature,
Pusche