Real Men is the name of the mens' ministry group at my church, and we had a mens' camp last weekend which is why I didn't write a 'celebrate' blog last week. I took the longest time to decide to go on this camp, and a mate of mine was in the same boat. Eventually we talked each other into it in the belief that God wanted us there for some reason: that, despite our reticence, it would be good for us somehow.
The campsite was only accessible by 4WD and there were no amenities. Apart from the abundance of equipment brought along by the BCF guys (that is everyone else) this was real camping complete with campfire on the beach. It was a weekend of many firsts for me. I had never driven along a beach in a 4WD for example, but there is one debut experience in particular which I want to share with you.
One of the guys returned from somewhere and drove a spade into the ground. It functioned as a giant toilet roll holder even though there was just one roll on it. After breakfast on the first morning, I grabbed the spade and toilet roll and asked some of the guys for some advice about doing what bears do. 'Dig deep and cover well,' was the pearl of wisdom I received.
To spare you the unsavoury details of my expedition to answer the call of nature, I'll just say this: I really appreciated my toilet when I got home. I'm also very thankful for toilet paper.
Aside from the overabundance of conversations about 4WDs and fishing, I really enjoyed the experience and I now know why I was there. It wasn't for me, but for my mate who I learned had good reason to be very reluctant to go camping. I applaud his bravery and I'm glad I was there.Have I converted to an outdoorsman? Am I now a BCF guy? No. Will I camp again? Probably. Are you a BCF person? Or do you prefer less adventurous forms of recreation?
* BCF There is a outdoor recreation store in Australia called BCF which stands for Boating Camping Fishing.
I won't stay anywhere that doesn't have walls and a roof and a toilet.
ReplyDeleteHa ha. Fair enough Patricia. A tent has walls and a roof though. And the toilet...well it's an 'outhouse' (or a tree, depending on you perspective). Thanks for taking the time to comment.
ReplyDeleteMy late husband used to go on guy camping trips - 4-wheeling and backwoods camping. They loved it...LOL!
ReplyDeleteYes, it's interesting that BCF-ing seems to be considered a manly activity. It's primal. I understand the appeal,but it's just not my thing although there are worse places on the world to sit and read a good book than a sunny river bank.
ReplyDeleteWe went camping a few times when the girls where young . . . must confess that now I enjoy home comforts too much! Sounds like you enjoyed your trip though and proves we can always face new challenges and adventures.
ReplyDeleteI guess for some it's a passion. For others it's a novelty, and the rest of us?...no thank you.
DeleteNot so much anymore. Once you have a truck camper with a tip out and all the amenities (bed, kitchen, bathroom etc.), there's no turning back, but I have endured/enjoyed my share of tent camping. Kind of proud of the time we backpacked 12 miles into the Hell's Canyon wilderness in Idaho. Another time we spent a week in a tent with two young kids in the pouring rain, JOBLESS. And yet another time, camped under the wing of hubby's airplane. Guess you need more comfort as you get older, but I do cherish the memories!
ReplyDelete(p.s. emailing you my book in pdf. Thanks!!)
Plenty of wonderful camping memories there Sharon. Thanks for sharing some of them with me. I'm not surprised though. You and your husband sound like adventurous types. Hell's Canyon? What a great name.
DeleteGood for you for stepping out of your comfort zone! The toilette escape does make our home possibilities seem much more appealing. I'm an outdoorsy friend w/o the fishing, mostly because of the kids. The experiences with them out in the nature and away from hotels are unforgettable in so many ways...plus, we have tons of stories to tell when we get back.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, I understand why people enjoy it. It's pretty hard to beat the great outdoors.
Deletei love camping!! - have travelled around oz twice.....and I have a BCF membership card which I think gets me about $1.00 off stuff if I spend over $10,000.00 (or if I buy the stuff they can't get rid of)
ReplyDeleteNo kidding...no shock to hear that you're a BCF guy. Sounds like BCF needs to tweak their rewards program a little...a little more in favour of actually rewarding their loyal customers. My last trip to BCF was in April at Bathurst. We needed a little gas stove for our road trip to Darwin. It's a little ripper. We still use it at home. Hotter than the stove and cheaper to run.
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