Oct 19

Oct 19 CAMPING ADVENTURE

It is so soothing to be dwarfed by towering trees.

In Partnership with my Friends at MEC

To close the summer, MEC offered me and my guys the ultimate opportunity to test drive camping gear as a part of their "Good Times Outside" campaign.

I fancy myself an outdoor enthusiast, I can hike for days*, give me all the open air farmers markets, beach picnics, kayaking, etc., but the thought of sleeping outdoors seemed an unnecessarily uncomfortable homage to nature. In addition to the aforementioned activities, I also quite enjoy cozy mattresses, warmth and showers – camping (not glamping), to my knowledge, lacked in each of these departments.

Technically I had camped a couple of times as a teenager but those party-fuelled adventures didn't really seem to count.

Yet there was something appealing.

Why not?

A view of the Indian River from one of the hiking trails

So off we went. Packed up the Jeep and headed to Warsaw Caves a conservation area famed for its accessible underground caves, hiking trails and access to the Indian River.

Immediately upon arrival, Aaron and I braced ourselves to tackle our (ahem) "accommodations" but we had no trouble at all with the easy to set up tent that MEC had hooked us up with. Emboldened by our success we quickly settled in and arranged the rest of our site, with a sitting area and cook station and went for a walk to check out the grounds.

I was a little nervous about dinnertime but the portable gas stove was as easy as the tent to navigate and we had a beautiful meal.

As this was our first camping trip, MEC thought of everything from bowls and cutlery to sleeping bags. The right gear makes all the difference and, I dare say, we'll be doing it again next summer, Perhaps somewhere even a little more remote (what a showoff!)

A huge thanks to MEC for helping us to make family memories with Good Times Outside!