> I lack the outdoorsy know-how and wisdom to feel at ease on the backroads of the desert southwest
Please don't let this stop you. It's like people saying they can't go hiking because they can't afford "hiking boots". Whatever shoes you already wear every day are fine enough to get out there to start!
Throw a tent, a little stove and a box of food in your car and get out there. Maybe stick closer to bigger roads to start so you can always walk back if you car breaks down, but please get out there!
You'll figure out how to put your tent up after a few tries, and as long as you've got some food and water, you'll be fine.
Be careful with this kind of advice. I'm an experienced camper/backpacker. The wilderness can be a dangerous place for beginners, even if they are just "car camping." For example, the Mohave (where I backpacked/camped/rock-climbed for seven years) has 18 species of rattlesnakes, and one of those is the Mohave rattlesnake, which carries one of the most lethal rattlesnake venoms in the world.
Food, water and shelter aren't enough for camping. You also need: flashlight with spare batteries, a map of the surrounding region, a compass, extra clothing, sun protection and a first-aid kit. It's also a good idea to know where the nearest ranger station is so that you can haul ass there in case of an emergency.
You're discouraging people from even starting. They don't need all that gear and experience to get out and try it - in all honsety their first night will be just off a road next to their car - are they really going to get in trouble from not having a flashlight and map and compass? Just sleep in the car.
> the Mohave (where I backpacked/camped/rock-climbed for seven years) has 18 species of rattlesnakes, and one of those is the Mohave rattlesnake, which carries one of the most lethal rattlesnake venoms in the world.
Awesome! how many times did you see one? How many times were you in danger of being bitten? Quoting facts like that doesn't help teach people the realities of camping. Chances are the vast majority of people will never see one.
For reference, I'm from Australia, and lived in the Yukon for 4 years, hiking, camping and canoeing all over remote Yukon and Alaska. I've been face to face with bears about 10 times, seen tons of deadly snakes, waded across waist deep glacier melt rivers, etc. etc. I camped most nights from Alaska to Argentina, and now I'm camping my way around Africa. I've hiked many of the worlds most famous multi-day hiking trips. I've spent something like 1000 nights in a tent in my life.
Stop discouraging people from trying. Soon you'll be telling people they can't try swimming without buying goggles, they can't try golf without buying clubs and thousands of dollars of lessons from a pro, and they can't learn to drive without buying their own $30k car.
Encourage people to try something new. They don't have to start out in a store - they have to start out doing.
Maybe the best advice is to start slow. If you are a complete tenderfoot, going on a 15 mile hike that bags three 4000 ft peaks is more likely to be a bad time than a three mile hike that summits once. Backpacking the 100 Mile Wilderness requires a little more planning and confidence in your gear and skills than an overnight where you have cell service throughout. Hiking on the east coast, where water is plentiful and you pretty much can't walk more than a day in a straight line without hitting a paved road, is a different beast than places out west where you can easily die of dehydration or bumble off and never be seen again.
are they really going to get in trouble from not having a flashlight and map and compass?
Perhaps not, but that equipment is recommended by pretty much every recognised outdoor association.
It's true to say that many routes wouldn't need that equipment, but many routes would be dangerous without it.
Asking people who, in this context, have little or no experience with outdoor trekking, to appropriately identify the necessary clothing, footwear, or safety equipment for a hike, is inviting accidents.
Mountain Rescue regularly picks up people from Snowden who are lacking the appropriate kit, such as hikers attempting it in winter wearing shorts and trainers [1].
I am fully in favour of encouraging people to "get out there and do it", but with appropriate guidance: advice from an outdoor shop, a rambling guidebook, a knowledgable friend…something that can steer them towards an activity that's appropriate for their fitness level, experience, and equipment.
In addition, the assumption is that you're camping in an area where the area itself is inhospitable to life. There's a ton of camping and hiking opportunities on the east coast, and unless you break a leg or something, you can pretty much just pick a direction and walk ten miles and end up in somebody's back yard.
You should be able to walk through the woods for a few hours without having to gear up at the local outdoor's shop.
(Of course, that's not to say that there isn't a lot of damned good reasons to tool up, or that folks don't get dead even on the east coast. There's just a level of awareness that's involved in being outside that shouldn't come as a surprise to most. Our species is bred to be outdoors. Take it slow. Pay attention. It'll work out.)
No, I'm discouraging people from starting unprepared. Big difference.
>>Awesome! how many times did you see one? How many times were you in danger of being bitten?
I personally saw one maybe a dozen times. Camping mate got bitten by one because he didn't see it. He woke up at night, got outside the tent to take a piss and in the dark stepped on one. Within 30 minutes he was vomiting and foaming at the mouth, and had started losing sensation in the leg he was bitten in. The only reason he's alive today is because we remained calm, applied first aid and were able to rush him to a nearby hospital.
This happens to people rarely. But the point is that it can be fatal for someone who isn't prepared to handle the situation. In general, thousands of people die every year in the USA because they underestimate nature, don't understand the risks of the adventures they undertake and don't prepare accordingly.
Besides, think about it this way: if someone starts out unprepared and has a shitty experience as a result (e.g. they forgot to bring extra clothing and couldn't sleep at night because it was cold), they are unlikely to try again. Being prepared helps them enjoy the activity more, which in turn makes it more likely that they will do it more.
People absolutely should try, and the price of entry is really tiny, but the price of getting it wrong can be fatal. What's also possible is people simply being unnecessarily uncomfortable due to a lack of preparation and then never doing it again.
Heck, I had the latter experience myself: I'd been camping as a kid and got training at school and all that, but the first time I did it as an adult after a gap of ten years I was uncomfortable because I'd forgotten that nights are cold in summer.
We're talking about driving down a road with a car and camping near it for a night or two. Maybe going for a short walk. Like, you know, walking to the store. To say that the consequences of doing that can be fatal is exactly the same insane hyperbole as saying choking on lettuce can be fatal.
Yes, both can. The chances are remotely slim, and you shouldn't scare people off by mentioning it constantly.
As an experienced wilderness traveler, I consider teaching people about the potential risks to be the responsible thing to do. It might scare them off but that's better than them getting hurt or worse.
Besides, in my opinion being aware of the risks, no matter how minor, is considerably less scary than not being aware of them. People who are prepared will be more at ease and as a result they will enjoy the activity more. We are not talking about taking a six-month course on wilderness survival. We're talking about having some basic knowledge and equipment, neither of which is expensive or time-consuming to acquire.
I'll hop on the bandwagon attacking you, at least a bit.
Food, water, and shelter are plenty for car camping in most places.
Car camping in Death Valley in August? Or in the Colorado mountains in January? Of course not.
Know the environment, have some lighting, and go on. You're not wrong, but you're overselling the danger. Common sense and a general awareness of the climate will be enough to make a judgement on safety.
The most important thing about being out in the wilderness is this: it's better to be over-prepared than under-prepared. This holds true regardless of experience level.
It's true that car camping is considerably safer. But, in my opinion, making sure you have the "ten essentials" I listed is about forming the right habits. You may not need the extra shelter since you can sleep in your car, but when you decide to upgrade to tent-camping, you'll know to bring some with you.
Please don't let this stop you. It's like people saying they can't go hiking because they can't afford "hiking boots". Whatever shoes you already wear every day are fine enough to get out there to start!
Throw a tent, a little stove and a box of food in your car and get out there. Maybe stick closer to bigger roads to start so you can always walk back if you car breaks down, but please get out there!
You'll figure out how to put your tent up after a few tries, and as long as you've got some food and water, you'll be fine.