This is part one of a three-part blog written by three backpackers (Dane, Rob and Lance) all answering the same question:
“How Do You Find Time To Go Backpacking?”
Make the Time to Do What You Love
By Lance (OutLan) (guest blogger)
I have always loved camping and hiking. Since I was a little boy, my favorite thing to do was to go on hikes with my family on the trails around my hometown of Dayton, Ohio. I wanted nothing more than to go camping, though my parents were never really the “outdoorsy” type. Their idea of roughing it meant getting a hotel room each summer in Gatlinburg near the Great Smoky Mountains. At the age of 10, all I wanted to do was explore those mountains–to hike, camp, and spend time deep in those woods. Backpacking, I thought, would be the way to really do it. To me, that was the answer. Unfortunately, I never got beyond the planning stages.
Fast-forward to five years ago, after many years of getting tied to desk jobs, starting a family, and not being out in the woods other than car camping, my friend invited me to an overnight “survival” camping trip in November. My gear was old and not up to the task of the snow, sleet, and 18 degree temperature I experienced that night. It was both a horrible and exhilarating night, and I knew I wanted to make a regular a habit of getting outdoors. I wanted to get into backpacking. This would mean getting all new gear, gaining the experience, and making the time to do it. This, I thought, was not going to be easy.
My kids were just two years old when I came to this realization. My wife realized how badly I wanted to make this a part of my life, and reluctantly supported my crazy expenditures and weekend trips out in the woods. Being the father of twin boys, it never really felt right to leave her alone with two babies, but my wife let me go anyway. I know she was not always happy with me going out to the woods, but she also I knew it’s what I loved and was my release from the everyday stresses.
These days, there are multiple things that pull at me on a daily basis. Though my kids are older, it is just as challenging – if not more so – to get away. I have work responsibilities tugging at me almost 24/7, the kids have school and extracurricular activities, and there are the common but important household responsibilities and chores that every husband and father has to deal with. It is never easy to find the time to go backpacking, so I have to make the time. This starts with strong communication with my wife, letting her know when and where I’d like to go, and making sure there are no conflicts in our schedules. She is disinterested in backpacking, and is fine with me going off and doing it alone or with friends. To keep our schedules aligned, we make use of available technologies, like mobile apps, to sync our schedules. There is never really a convenient or “good” time to do it, but certain times are better than others, and it always comes down to timing. Not every trip comes to fruition, but the ones that do are always great.
Time is the most valuable thing we have, and though it’s sometimes hard to balance all of our priorities, it’s still important to make some time for ourselves. This year, I encourage you to try making getting outdoors a priority. Get out there, explore creation. Hike, camp, backpack, and just take in the beauty that’s around us.
Connect with Lance at The Outlan Channel or on FaceBook and YouTube.
Lance enjoys hiking, camping, backpacking, and a wide range of outdoor activities and gear. He discovered YouTube a few years ago as an infinite resource filled with other people who love the same things he does. He decided to turn his passion for photography and the outdoors into an official channel and it has become an addiction for him. He is striving to consistently produce more high-quality content and gain a larger subscriber base from whom he can learn from as well as instruct and entertain.