Outdoor Kids in an Indoor World
The Turning Feral Devotional - Day 61
Day 61 - Welcome to 2024! It’s a new year and we at the Hanson cabin are doing the same exact thing(s) as last year. No new crazy resolutions. We are doing what we do best… learning, often the hard way. But, despite the lack of new fitness or diet routine to glom on to, we did ring in the new year with style.
To celebrate another full revolution around the sun, my daughter and I decided to cold camp out in the woods! Now, my 2.5 year old is an absolute wild child. She loves to be outside and enjoys running traplines with me, but ever since her mom went on a camping trip with some girlfriends this summer to a high-mountain lake, she has been obsessed with the idea of camping (and eating s’mores). So, I wanted to surprise her with the chance to get out in the woods to ring in the new year.
Getting a campsite set up that can accommodate a 2.5 year old was a new experience for me, too. I ended up choosing a spot that wasn’t too far from our cabin (about a ½ mile) and spent the day prior getting everything set up. I ended up erecting our borrowed Seek Outside tent and wood stove in an area with about a half a foot of frozen snow, which took way longer than I expected to clear. But, once I had it situated I went about equipping our space with everything I thought we may need. I brought along an extra pad to put our sleeping bags on, plenty of snacks and water, wood for the stove, and the most critical element – a portable toilet.
On the night of, my daughter and I sledded in the dark down to our campsite. She was elated as we built a big fire outside of our tent to cook some s’mores, and though this is a memory I will cherish forever, the rest of the night was marred by that joyous ingestion of sugar.
Once we were done with our snack my bossy daughter instructed me to go inside the tent because it was time to go to bed. I was pumped thinking she would actually follow her own advice, but what followed was a frustrating (and adorable) back and forth for the next several hours of singing, jumping, and climbing in and out of our sleeping bags. The poor girl was so hyped on sugar and excitement that she couldn’t sleep in the new environment. Several times we would briefly doze off before I would wake up to her sitting over me whispering that I had a nice mustache and that “the wolves were her friends.”
So, after about three hours and one cold poop later I decided to call it. We both got dressed and decided to head back to our cabin for her to get a proper nights rest. As we walked away from our tent in the dead of night she teared up and said good night to her short-term dwelling. Once home she was gushing about how much she loved camping and it was hard for me to remain frustrated with the outcome for long. Though I had hoped to spend the whole night out there, she walked away excited and ready to try again soon which is all I could ask for… Though I had low expectations going into the experience, I walked away with a new found respect for my child's love of the outdoors!
Writing Prompt: What activities are you nervous to do with your kids or S/O? What’s holding you back from trying?:
Motivational Passage:
“Fear prevents engagement; lack of engagement builds into a habit of avoidance; and pretty soon it’s just your family stuck inside four walls, where perhaps the biggest obstacle of all—technology—abounds.”
― Steven Rinella, Outdoor Kids in an Inside World
Rewilding Action: It’s winter in an El nino year which means we have had limited precipitation and warmer than usual weather out West… The small amounts of snowfall coupled with undulating temps means that the only thing abounding around our home is ice… lots of ice. So, in order to keep from busting our butts (which has already happened to me twice) one of our go-to tools are Yaktrax boot covers. Essentially these are rubber crampons that go over the toe and heel of your shoes and act as a mini-traction device. Truthfully, these are a lifesaver and are great to keep at home or in your car if you live in an ice prone area!