Roughing it: things you miss & things you don't

In My Humble Opinion
1

Hey all–I’m writing (another) novel in which a lot of action takes place in the woods. Characters are getting by with some fairly rudimentary camping equipment.

I camped with the Girl Scouts a few times, but that was over twenty years ago, and since then my woodland experience has been confined to hikes. So, for reality’s sake, fill me in on what it’s really like.

What conveniences do you want, which ones don’t you want? What do you bring but never use? What might you bring that you’d end up using all the time? And how does your mindset change over the first few days you’re out?

Much thanks.

2

Swiss army knife

3

Heh, by coincidence I’m also writing a story where my characters are dumped into the wilds with no warning and will be out of range of civilization for some time. Fortunately for them one of them is a practiced camper and I was so generous as to allow her to have her bow and arrows with which to hunt. They also have a suitcase of spare clothes, a pocketknife, a lighter - and a nearly full box of tampons.

One thing they don’t have, though, is toilet paper.

4

The longest at a time I’ve camped in a primitive campground away from civilization is 2 days, and what I missed about it is toilets for defecation. I wound up propping myself against a tree because I take long enough that my knees start to hurt squatting. I did have enough toilet paper though.

I didn’t stay out long enough to change my mindset, but the end of both nights were very peaceful since it was very quiet and I knew there was no one around for miles, and I didn’t have to be at work, and I couldn’t use the internet. My worries melted away.

5

Reality TV has disenchanted me with the idea of bow hunting. People never seem to get anything with them. Of course, a modern bow is a different animal from the half-assed handmade POSs those people are usually using.

Sounds like your people will have a lot of cold, wet nights.

6

The character in question has been going on bow hunting trips for sport and food for several years now; they’ll do okay.

And I didn’t mention some of the other odd things they’ll have to help them, because they’re odd and wouldn’t really work as well outside of this particular fictional group. (They have a pickup truck with them which they can shelter in the cab of, for example.) The camping part isn’t the main point of the story - though there are aspects of it that need attention, thus the awareness that things like food are necessary and things like toilet paper (and tampons) would be sorely missed if absent.
Were my characters not in possession with their other odd supplies, I’d imagine a tent, an axe, and a spade/shovel would be very high on the list of things to bring for an extended stay in the woods.

7

I’d bring a knife, light-weight cooking equipment, gas burner in case of rain, a sleeping bag, tent, some toilet paper, extra clothes (especially socks!), a roll of plastic bags, tape, if I can fish - a rod, hooks, a bob and some smelly, hard cheese - pre-made emergency rations + some dried food, a plastic bottle filled with aquavit, tobacco, maybe some funny-smokes… I’m probably forgetting something.
ETA: an axe!

8

I’m not sure about the situation of your group in your story (cabins, tents, neither ?). But some things that come to mind.

Creature comforts:

  • toilet paper. Not just for wiping, but for blowing your nose, stopping bleeding cuts, etc.
  • drinking water. Depending on your location, sometimes obtaining water can be non-trivial. If you don’t have a purifier, you spend a lot of energy boiling water, etc.
  • bugs. In the city there tends to be a lot fewer pesky insects to bother you. Because…they’re all out in the woods !

Mindset changes:

  • Personal cleanliness. It takes about 3 full days to simply not care about not bathing. Going to sleep dirty and waking up dirty just become “okay”. People have a tendency to want to wash their face regularly, but everything else becomes optional. Even brushing your teeth becomes optional.
  • The day ends when the sun sets. Unless you have good lanterns and stuff, once it gets dark, your productivity drops dramatically. You end up going to sleep around once it gets dark instead of your normal 10pm (at home).
  • You have more “chores” that have to be handled THAT day: gathering firewood, obtaining/purifying water, repairing things (tent leaks), etc. If you don’t have food, then obtaining food gets added to the top of that list.
  • Personal safety. In the city, at home, you generally don’t need to worry about wild animals coming to visit. It happens, but you don’t generally concern yourself with that possibility. In the woods, YOU are the outsider that is “visiting” everyone (animals) else’s natural space. So it would be totally understandable for a bear or skunk to come check out your camp.
9

The main reason I don’t camp is the lack of a mattress. I find it impossible to sleep when camping because of the physical discomfort of the ground, even with a sleeping bag. Drop a mattress in the middle of the woods and I am all good. I can’t deal with the no shower and the lack of electricity. But not being able to sleep? Oh hell to the no.
please note, I also don’t sleep in cars, planes, or in chairs. Hell, even a bad bed can keep me from getting to sleep, so lumpy bumpy ground? Not happening.

10

I think if you’re in the wilderness for a long time, there are 2 things that you need to watch out for:

-self care: things like your feet, which can get blisters, which in turn can get badly infected, or other types of minor issues in civilization can become serious health concerns, or prevent you from reaching a goal until you reach your goal.

-environment, specifically flora and fauna; someone mentioned bears up thread, for example. Do your people know how to store food to prevent attracting animals? Do they know what to do when a bear arrives? Do they know how to prepare and cook an animal if they catch one? Bug bites can quickly become really irritating to downright lethal, depending on where you are. What about which plants can be eaten?

In terms of things you might miss, take a look at your phone and imagine you don’t have the power (or possibly the signal) to access any of that anymore. No map, no contact with the world, no entertainment (for example, you can’t even play cards with each around the camp fire), no idea what weather is coming (which could be critical).

11

A Dachshund.

12

A horse could come in handy.

13

want but can’t have – a hot shower
not want – a TV, radio or telephone (although calling it that gives away my age)

I carry a compass but rarely use it for anything and while I’ve never needed it (except for times when the use was planned) I do insist on having some sort of firearm with me.

I’ve gone out sometimes for weeks at a time solo and in small groups and the first couple days are adjusting to having no real schedule. One of the unfortunate things with modern life is “what time is it” becomes hardwired to our brains. After a couple days though I find I relax and enjoy the experience. I try to play it semi-safe if I’m seriously remote (like the Bridger Wilderness Area) but I do find ad time goes on the acceptable risk level rises ---- or falls depending on your viewpoint ---- and I have to start being more aware that not everything that sounds like a good idea is.

14

This is all helpful, so thank you, everybody. Lots of it confirms things I’d guessed or heard elsewhere. One particular question, though…

Sometimes I hear a story about how when you stop using deodorant, soap, and perfumes, your dermal flora eventually “stabilizes” and makes your natural body odor somehow less offensive. Has anyone here experienced this? If so, can you describe the difference in odor?

Characters’ situation is traveling long-distance through woodland. One of them is fresh out of civilization, the other has been back-to-nature for several years and has established shelters and hoards along the way.

15

Things missed:
Part of it is going to depend on the age/generation of your characters.
For a younger set, being without an internet connection, or access to music all the time, may be an issue.
For an older crowd, the middle of the night piss can be really annoying, especially for women. (having to get out of your sleeping bag, find shoes, walking across wet grass, etc.) That’s about the only time I’ve ever wished I was a guy.
Quiet - I’m serious. You’d think that the wilderness is quieter than the city, but dang those bugs, frogs and birds can be loud. At night, a small animal rustling in the weeds can sounds like a bear. And coyotes howling is both cool and creepy.
Dry - If your characters are camping in rainy weather, you soon wish for dry things. Tents don’t dry, your shoes stay damp, the cloths you are wearing are clammy. Trees dump loads of water on your head, even after the rain stops. Cold damp blue jeans are a bear to get on.
Mental state:
As mentioned above, getting use to running on a sun driven, as opposed to clock driven, schedule takes a few days.
I find that when I’m camping, I’m much more likely to lean back and watch how the sunshine comes through the leaves of a tree. Or to watch the flight of a butterfly.
Talking as entertainment. We all watch TV, read, surf the net, go to restaurants, etc, to fill time. When you are camping you don’t have those things. So sitting around the campfire at night just talking is rather a change.
Bring and don’t use:
I almost always bring a book when I go camping, and I find I rarely read it. I’m watching those butterflies instead.

16

Toilet paper eh? IIRC from his television show, Les Stroud made do with leaves.

17

…and how a bear got them on, I’ll never know.

18

My wife and I have lots of experience camping. I miss long showers, because the RV water heater is small. I also miss our home entertainment system because the RV’s is only a 38 in. flat screen / 8 speaker model. Also, the washer/dryer is…
Ooooh! You meant that kind of camping.
Seriously, I’ve spent a week in the Grand Canyon, and another week fly-fishing in Colorado, both with only backpacks. To be honest, I missed having a damned chair more than anything on backcountry trips.

I don’t know how authors typically get ideas, but I’ve been reading a book about a hiker who is caught in an end-of-the-world scenario and must make do with only her backpack and the few items salvageable from her car. Minor spoil* I guess, but whatever caused the EOTW involved burning everything for days – she was exploring a cave and managed to go deep enough to avoid getting killed. The book goes into a lot of detail about her attempts to survive in a burned out forest and MacGyvering stuff to locate/capture food and survive the growing cold. The character is painfully aware of what she misses and needs most.

I don’t know if authors read other works for research, but it sounds like a pretty good source for backcountry survival and equipment. The first volume is mainly about her immediate survival with the available tools.

It’s a 3 volume set by Lou Cadle called Gray.
*This information is in the Amazon summary, I’m adding little to it.

19

All right. I’ve been on FTX and bivouac.

Pillows. You really want a pillow; those tiny camping pillows are worth having if you are going on a trip, and don’t want to use your backpack for a pillow. But if you don’t have one, you have to put something under your head.

If you are not going to be able to shower, take baby wipes with you. Being able to wipe off your face, hands, feet and twat helps an immense amount. Having a comb or brush for your hair helps a lot too. Also, if you are going out into the woods, and have an idea you might miss a shower, make sure you wash your hair before you go, if you are a girl who does not wash your hair every day. The dirtier your hair gets, the more your head starts to itch.

You don’t really stop caring about showering. You care all the time, but I imagine if you are lost or stranded in the woods, as opposed to being on a long training, you stop thinking of it as a priority.

Earplugs. You could get a tentmate who snores. You do not get used to this, and it can drive you to sleeping outside the tent in a hole in the ground.

Pack clothes for colder than you think it is going to be. I don’t care if it’s August. The woods get cold at night. If you didn’t get to pack, of didn’t know what to pack, you are going to be cold.

It’s hard to sleep in the woods, and you are tired all the time.

If you have pyjamas, you stop worrying about changing into them, because you are getting awakened for duty a lot. I’m not sure how this applies to civilian camping-- I don’t no how often you wake up. But I imagine if you are not bathing, changing clothes falls by the wayside before long. Maybe you keep changing underwear.

20

I used to do ecological field work. I’ve spent plenty of time living in the outdoors, in a few different areas of forest.

Forests differ dramatically across the world, so I’m not sure what your character’s experience might be. Where is the forest, and what’s its altitude? How flat or mountainous is the forest? How much water is there, and what form does it come in? What time of year is it? How far is it from a coastline? How old is the forest? Are there natural caves? Are there railroad tracks, abandoned fields, etc. nearby? How much contact would your character have with other people, and who might those other people be?

Then, of course, there are the issues of your character’s knowledge of the environment. Can your character recognize wild food plants? Hunt, fish, and/or trap? Build shelter? Make a fire without a match? Speak the language of anyone else who might use the land? That stuff would have an enormous impact on your character’s experience living in the woods.