Enjoying Outside, Inside: When You'd Rather Be Camping
Eliana Thompson • September 24, 2021
If you’re a fan of hiking, camping, and backpacking like me, you can probably relate to the antsy feeling of being stuck inside. Of course, there will always be times when we have to say home, whether it’s due to scheduling, responsibilities, finances, or weather. Whatever the case may be, here is a list of fun and productive things to help you prepare for your next adventure, all from the comfort of home.
- Clean out and reorganize your camping bins or gear. You know the bin- maybe it’s in your garage, or tucked away in the back of a closet, but take this as a sign that it’s time to dig it out and see what’s inside. Use any food that’s close to expiring, update your first aid kit, patch any holes in your tent or sleeping pads, and give some items a good wash.
- Test out some homemade backpacking or camping meals. Store-bought dehydrated backpacking meals can really add up and aren’t always the most nutritious. Making your own can be a fun, money saving activity that allows you to get as creative as you want with your backpacking meals. These dehydrating tips are a good place to start. When camping, take advantage of the additional ingredients and kitchen tools to try something new (or even, dare I say, gourmet?). These recipes from Fresh Off the Grid put a fun spin on camping classics, and these recipes from Bon Appetit look restaurant worthy.
- Plan your next trip primarily using a paper map. While virtual mapping and route planning resources are amazing and have made backcountry exploration much more convenient and accessible, they aren’t necessarily a replacement for physical maps. Improving your map reading skills using physical maps can help improve your trail navigation, give you a better feel for the landscape, and act as a safety measure. Here’s a helpful guide on how to read a topographic map, and a backpacker’s guide to maps to get you started.
- Take a wilderness first responder course. It’s important to recognize that when we get a little distance from civilization to immerse ourselves in the natural world, help isn’t always readily available when bad things happen. Being prepared with safety skills in the backcountry means you’re taking responsibility for not only your own life but also those you’re with. Sierra Club offers a Wilderness First Aid Class and National Outdoor Leadership School offers a Wilderness First Responder Course.
- Make some Do-It-Yourself camping tools. This is a great activity to do with kids and can save both time and money. There are tons of camping DIYs online, but a few I like include this homemade citronella candle, this hot food cozy, and these fire starters.
- Take a virtual tour of a National Park. While it’s always better to experience our nation’s natural and geologic wonders in person, today’s technology allows us to see some of these glorious landscapes without even getting in the car. Since it’s unlikely that most of us will visit every natural wonder we want to, this is an amazing opportunity.
-Eliana Thompson; ethompson@tuleyome.org
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We are excited to announce the dates for next year's Certified California Naturalist courses! Our multi-week course will be held Fridays, January 16 to March 6 with three field trips held on Saturdays. Our one-week immersive course at Wilbur Hot Springs Resort is April 12 - 17 . Tuleyome’s Certified California Naturalist (CalNat) program trains members of the public to become California Naturalists. No advanced degree or previous naturalist experience is required – Tuleyome teaches you everything you need to know to become certified. Our course is focused on the northern inner Coast Range mountains, specifically the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument region. The program, developed by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, is designed to introduce Californians to the wonders of our unique ecology and engage the public in study and stewardship of California’s natural communities. The California Naturalist program uses science curriculum, hands-on learning, problem-solving, participatory science, and community service to instill a deep appreciation for the natural communities of the state and to inspire individuals to become stewards of their local resources. Courses combine classroom and field experience in science, problem-solving, communication training and community service, taught by an instructor and team of experts. Check out the Certified California Naturalist page for more information. -Nate Lillge (nlillge@tuleyome.org) Tuleyome Adventures and Engagement Director Certified California Naturalist
Tuleyome thanks Kim Longworth for her work as part of Tuleyome’s volunteer Board of Directors. Kim joined Tuleyome’s Board of Directors to advance our mission to conserve, enhance, restore, and enjoy our public lands in Northern California, specifically the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument region. She took on many tasks during her tenure on the Board including assisting with grant writing and educational programming. Although Kim is stepping down from the Board, she is not parting ways with Tuleyome. She will continue to support Tuleyome’s mission as an event participant and in other ways. Thank you, Kim! -Bill Grabert (Volunteer Tuleyome Board Member) and Nate Lillge (Adventures and Engagement Director)
As the tenth anniversary of the establishment of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, July 10 th , approaches, I find myself reflecting on how we got here and what our public lands mean to us as individuals and as a nation. Our lands defined, and define, our nation. “O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!” At a time when our nation is getting more partisan and we see more anger in the news, it's important to remember that our public lands are not a partisan issue. They belong to all of us, they are important to all of us, and they are for everyone. Our public lands are for hikers and bikers, hunters and photographers, people and puppy dogs, wheelchairs and OHVs. They are for Republicans, Democrats, Independents, decline to states and folks that don’t care about politics. They are for people of all colors, genders, religions, shades and stripes. They are for citizens, immigrants and visitors. They are for mountain lions and tadpoles, bears and hummingbirds, otters and spiders. They are our public lands. The belong to all of us and we belong to them. Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument represents America – a diverse community of people with different interest and beliefs who came together to protect something special. It started out as a mere idea. First, it was just a handful of kindred folks but then more and more joined in soon creating a crescendo of motivated and united voices. It grew until it was a community, a movement, fighting together to protect a place that we all love. We all fought for our Monument. People from all walks of life: hunters, politicians, decision-makers, conservationists, recreationists, scientists, businesses, veterans, community and tribal leaders. Government officials from all levels of government and all parties joined us. Dreamers and planners, lovers and fighters locked arms. We all stood together and fought for Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and Molok Luyuk. And look at what we accomplished together! We protected 344,476 acres in the heart of the Northern Inner Coastal Range. We protected a place whose geology and botany are so magnificent that people come from the world over to see and study them. We protected a place so beautiful it takes your breath away with its rare wetlands and meadows full of wildflowers, its vistas that last for hundreds of miles and its night sky that illuminates every detail of the Milky Way. We protected a place where major rivers flow and streams wander throughout the countryside. We protected tule elk, bald and golden eagles, perch, frogs, bears and salamanders. We protected a place steeped in millennia of Native American culture and history and that is one of the most linguistically diverse in California. We protected our special places, our public lands. And we did it, all of us together. This is what we can do when we remember that despite all of our differences, we are one nation, indivisible. America the Beautiful O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea! O beautiful for pilgrim feet, Whose stern, impassioned stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness! America! America! God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law! O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved And mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine, Till all success be nobleness, And every gain divine! O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed His grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea! by Katharine Lee Bates Happy 4 th of July! -Sandy Schubert Executive Director