In LEGO Fortnite, Valheim, Grounded, Ark and even the fluffy Palworld there is a consistent mechanic available: survival. This spring, if you’re a fan of survival gaming, consider doing something considerably more immersive: going camping outdoors. Very similar to the gaming counterparts, surviving in the wild comes with all of the mechanics you love from your favorite video games with the danger that exists in popular Isekai anime, manga and manhwa.
Camping in our modern world is very accessible and affordable, with only a few required supplies and lots of places to explore. In this article we’ll look at how you can go from building a hut in Minecraft to actually thriving outdoors in the true wilderness.
Embark on a Camping adventure and explore the beauty of the woods.
Camping – Is it right for you?
Camping has a lot of safety requirements involved and some minimum mobility requirements that you’ll have to take into consideration. Take into account an inventory of things such as how far you walk, how many calories you need in a day and how much physical exertion you can apply at any given time. This is an absolute requirement to size up what your camping trip is going to look like.
Experience in the real world equates to actually having done the task, ala Runescape. If you’ve never built a tent, then you may want to consider a workshop at a local camping supply store (like REI) where they’ll teach you the basics of safety and setup. This lets you get some tutorial practice before doing the real thing.
Once you have an inventory of what you can do, it’s time to start planning your trip and gathering the required resources.
Caution: Camping outdoors is a serious business. While we make light of the comparisons to video games, make sure you take safety as your number one priority when you go outdoors camping. Remember there’s bugs, wild animals and the weather as just a few of the major concerns you’ll have on top of keeping your stats like hydration and satiety up.
https://www.recreation.gov/ is a wonderful resource for Americans on getting started with camping.
Campsites
You’ll need to pick a campsite; it’ll need to be legal for you to camp there and there is usually a large variety of types and locations of campsites. Some campsites require long hikes and others you literally drive up to them. If it’s your first time, then a campsite you can drive up to will likely be the easiest way to get started. There’s also, for those lucky enough with big backyards, doing something at home in the backyard as well.
You’ll want to use your local state’s campground finder or another service to locate a campground that will meet your specific needs. In addition, temporary rental services like Airbnb and other sites often host rentable glamping tents all the way to small cottages in the woods.
No matter your location, make sure you pick something that has everything you need in consideration:
- Accessibility
- Pets
- Setup for your Camping Equipment (RV, Van, Tent, etc.)
- Occupant Size
Survival Stats: Food, Water and Exhaustion
Just like in Pal World, you need to eat and just like in Grounded you need water to survive. When you’re not near indoor plumbing and your refrigerator then these can become very important very fast. While camping you can consider many of your comforts stats that you should be tracking. You’ll need to stay hydrated, have plenty of food available and not overexhaust yourself.
While starting, you should avoid hiking to a spot and instead go for something more similar. Professional workshops can also help you prepare, along with a wealth of information online for the kind of camping you want to do. Work your way up (level up!) from camping at a local drivable campsite to hiking deep into the wilderness and setting up camp out of a backpack.
Unlike Minecraft / Valheim / etc. you can’t fell trees that easily and turning things into buildable materials (and buildings that function) isn’t really feasible. Packable tents will be your shelter more often than not, unless you choose the luxury of shelter on whells (convertable van, RVs, etc.).
Gaming in the Wilderness
Of course, being outdoors doesn’t mean you can’t game as well. There’s a plethora of campers who showcase their mobile gaming rigs in their tricked out converted vans. The easiest way to game outdoors is to bring a gaming laptop along with a portable battery backup, like Jackery or another similar brand makes. These portable batteries aren’t ideal for lugging into the countryside, but if you’re at a drive-up campsite without power plugs, they can keep you going for long.
Of course, you can drop the video games all together and enjoy everything the outdoors has to offer: beautiful sites, fresh air and getting a change of scenary too. It’s truly up to you what you decide, but remember, gaming laptops are very heavy. If you’re traveling any distance, they’ll be a much bigger pain than you consider.
The Joy of Camping
Hopefully this article has sparked some joy within you to explore what the outdoor world has to offer. Camping outside is just like playing a survival game, except you get to be immersed in the experience. Proper preperation can make a cool spring night outside better than any chicken dinner Fortnite has to offer and while we often only talk about video games, it’s important to consider the outside world too.
Let’s not forget the joy Pokemon Go brought the world in exploring the outdoors! There’s so much more to the world of camping, from concert events where everyone camps and stays for days to beautiful mountain views from several days of hiking. It all starts with that commitment to get started, today.
