Do Black People Camp

Do Black People Camp

Black in Denver, Colorado, Outdoor Activities, things to do in Denver, Uncategorized Michelle@SquareState
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You’re probably noticing a theme with some of my blogging content. Where I address some annoying stereotypes that seem to exist and persist in media. These are beliefs such as Black people don’t hike, bike, camp or ski. Because I know so many Black people who DO some or all of these activities I thought I would share some insights into participating in them and how to get started if you’re looking to experience something new.

In this post, I’m answering the question “Do Black People” camp? I’m going to approach this topic from a couple of different angles and hopefully you’ll be up for a camping experience sometime in the future.

* In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Please read my disclosure here.*

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7 Ways to Experience Camping

There are so many different ways to go go camping. I think that there is this idea that all camping involves a tent, bears and being incredibly uncomfortable. There are different styles of camping for different types of people. I’m sharing 6 ways to camp but there are actually 15 different ways to camp including biking across trails, canoeing or camping in your backyard.

  • Day Hiking-This is not camping LOL! But, I did want to talk about how day hiking is a great introduction to hiking. You get used to walking for long periods of time without technology. Day hikes provide a easy introduction to what it’s like to carry some gear up and down a trail. Finally, you get to see what it’s like to experience a trail in real time.
  • Camping in a tent-This seems to be the type of camping that most people are familiar with. I’ve typically gone “tent” camping and this may have involved a short-hike, reaching an area with tents already set up, or setting up my own tent that I’ve brought to the site. Here are some equipment ideas below.
  • Camping in a tent-This seems to be the type of camping that most people are familiar with. I’ve typically gone “tent” camping and this may have involved a short-hike, reaching an area with tents already set up, or setting up my own tent that I’ve brought to the site. Here are some equipment ideas below.
  • Backpacking-This is the other way that I’ve camped. Backpacking typically involves carrying all of your needed items into the wilderness over a period of several days and then hiking back out. The last time I did this was when I was invited to participate in the Fjallraven Classic Rocky Mountain trek as media. I love backpacking trips and like to do at least 2 or 3 significant backpacking trips a year. Yes, Black people hike! In addition to the equipment listed above you would also need:
  • Car camping-I like this type of camping because you’re not carrying anything in or out of the wilderness. Your car is basically the staging point for all of your wilderness activities. You may end up sleeping in your car, setting up a tent that connects to your car or setting up a tent at a nearby campground. In addition to the equipment listed above you would also need:
  • Cottage or Yurt Camping-In the US there are sometimes yurts that can be reserved for an overnight stay. You would then hike to the yurt and sleep inside it. Some yurts will have cooking facilities (indoor or outdoors) rudimentary bathrooms, etc. In addition to the equipment listed above you would also need:
  • Long-distance camping-I’ve included this type of camping because more people have begun learning about it. If you’ve watched the movie “Wild” you’ll know what this is. Basically, there are long trails that take weeks, to months to trek across. In Colorado we have the Colorado Trail.In addition to the equipment listed above you would also need:
  • Cabins-I almost didn’t include this one because I feel like it’s a grey area. But, for many people spending a night or two in a cabin out in the woods is outside of their comfort zone.
  • Glamping-You don’t need anything but to show up as your sexy self and get ready to be spoiled! I’m not really into glamping, but I do think that every couple of years I’m not opposed to having a princess/Queen experience in the outdoors. I thought I would share some examples:

5 Groups to Camp With

It’s my view that unless you have solid outdoors skills, it’s important to go camping with a group of people who do have outdoor survival skills. My first camping experience was at Camp Chief Ouray. It is a sleep away camp for young kids to teens and I was around 11 or 12 at the time. It was an incredible experience until I cut my finger whittling a piece of wood with a knife while enjoying a campfire.

GenX life.

Anywho, that was an incredible experience and I got to stay at camp for 8 weeks. They don’t make camps like they used to. Then, I participated in a program called “Outward Bound.” To this day, it’s one of the most incredible outdoors experiences I’ve ever had. I was with a group of about 6 teens and 2 counselors/guides as we trekked our way across the Rocky Mountains for 3 weeks.

If you’re thinking about camping for the first time, I strongly recommend going with a well-vetted group or community.

Here are some outdoor group suggestions

  • Women’s Wilderness-This is a Colorado based organization that has several different initiatives. The Trailblazers group would be the one that I recommend for Black and Brown women looking for a safe and inclusive outdoors experience.
  • Outdoor Afro-This is a community founded in Oakland, California with chapters across the world. The goal is to provide safe spaces for Black people and allies to recreate, enjoy and discover the natural world. *Click on the places tab to find chapters near you*
  • Meetup.com-There are a number of groups that are part of the Meetup platform. One of the best hiking experiences I had in the past 5 years was with a group that organized a trip via Meetup.
  • REI Adventure trips-While I think these trips are a teensy bit pricey, I do feel that participants are in good hands when participating in adventures with REI.

Do your research. There will likely be other organizations based in your geographic region that have the mission of introducing the outdoors to Black people.

What is Camping Like

Camping can be both an incredibly magical and challenging experience all at once. It is not for the faint of heart. Camping can push you past your comfort zone and then even further beyond that point. But, camping has also been one of the most magical experiences that I’ve had.

Looking up at the Milky Way and seeing shooting stars. The time in 2020 or 2021 when I was at the tail end of a 3 day backpacking trip and we saw two moose. Seeing some of the most beautiful sceanery in the world. And just proving to myself that I could complete the hike. Here are some more examples:

  • No fashion is happening. In fact, that’s why I chose the pictures that I did for this post.
  • You’re going to offline for basically 90% of your trip. I mention this because being off social media is hard for a lot of people.
  • Connecting with people in a completely different way as you make your way for hours on a trail.
  • Taking off your shoes at the end of a 9 mile-12 mile trek and soaking them in an ice cold pond.
  • Meeting interesting people along the way.
  • Packing and repacking your gear and having deep conversations about ultra-light packing vs. packing extra water “Just in case’
  • Being so happy when your batteries stay charged longer than expected.

At the end of the day, camping is an unexpectedly transformative experience. Whether it’s a couple of hours on an easy trail, all day steadily climbing in elevation or several days, weeks or even months out on the trail.

What About Wild Animals and Other People

We do need to have a conversation about wildlife and general safety while in the outdoors. There is wildlife living in the spaces that you are planning to hike.

We are in their neighborhood.

That said, I haven’t had a dangerous encounter with an animal while hiking and I’ve been hiking since I was a kid. There are a few things to keep in mind that I always do before hitting the trail (similar to the safety talk before a flight)

  • Review and update my knowledge of what to do if I run into a wild animal. The most problematic animals in my state would be:
    • Black widow spiders/other spiders/mosquitos
    • Mountain Lions
    • Bears
    • Elk
    • Moose
  • Always share your hiking adventure details with loved ones. Tell them the following:
    • When you’re arriving at the trailhead and plan to start your hike
    • What hike you’re going on
    • Who you’re hiking with and their contact details
    • When you should be done with your hike

I always carry pepper spray (with a laser so that you hit your target)or mace on me because I don’t have time to mess around with dangerous people. If people give you bad vibes…TRUST YOUR GUT.

Do Black People Camp

The answer is YES! We do camp and I love that there are so many people that we can follow on social media who share their outdoors adventures with the broader outdoors curious community. Be safe, use discernment and start planning a camping experience

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