'Are we raising a generation of nature-phobic kids?'

My daughter is going to a daily girl scout's camp this summer and they don't allow the kids to bring iphones. They also go swimming twice a day and a slew of other outdoor activities. She bitched for the first couple of days because she said she was bored on the bus -- and of course it was because she didn't have her phone. So I told her to bring a book to occupy her time. I wish school in general would ban phones, though I know that's not really practical. But hopefully she's learning the benefits of unplugging.

 

The Beach Sucks

 

Grew up in the Pacific Ocean, attended and was counselor at Jewish summer camps deep in the woods of Malibu ... glad I did.

It's not that hard to break the daily rut and spend some time outdoors.

 

I camped tons as a kid and actually have some outdoor skills thanks to being a Boy Scout.

My wife refuses to tent it and at my age now I probably agree. We are looking for a small camper to get in to the outdoors, fortunate to live close to many amazing outdoor spots.

We take the kids on small hikes and they love it.

This is sort of timely as yesterday we were having a weenie roast at my in laws farm and after I roasted a marshamallow for my 8 year old daughter she said she didn't know how to eat it.

Kids will be camping next summer.

 

In general, people are not phobic, just lazier and more used to comforts and conveniences, and because of the proliferation of computer-based work and of electronic/digital fun, they are less exposed, than they used to be.

Your usual Joe Blow is not an outdoorsman. It's not until you actually learn some active skills, such as an outdoor sport like sailing, fishing or (outdoor) rock-climbing, or gain some true camping, orienteering or survival skills/experience that people become what I would consider an outdoorsy person.

 

Performance anxiety about relaxing. Haha. Great article.

 

Depending on how many there are in your family, I'd suggest looking at a teardrop camper. You and the wife can split a queen bed inside it. You can put a rooftop tent on one for the kids or just have them pitch a tent right outside the door.

 

I'm not a huge fan of campers. Defeats the purpose. We camp with friends at the Indy 500, and half the people just retreat to the camper half the time.

 

That's where the teardrops split the difference. You can sleep inside it, but that's about it. Everything else has to be done outside.

 

I live about 25 minutes from the gate of a national park and about 60 minutes from a giant sequoia grove.
Done a lot of easy day hikes, but not in a long time.
And I've never been much of a camper.

I'm what they call indoorsy.