Why we go outside (and more)

Why is it, that some of us have the deep seated desire to go out? Away from so what many still perceive to be peak human civilization. With only the ‘bare’ essentials and in a way that most other people would consider backwards. And yet,those that do enjoy it immensely. So, why do we go outside?

What drives us?

What drives us to go out and just be alone with the environment and the elements? Is it a baser instinct to go back to a time we have all but forgotten about? Or is there a deeper reason? One having to do with the high-paced society we live in today? As it’s impossible for me to say anything sensible about your reasons for going out, I’ll focus on mine…

Why?

I often get that question, after posting another set of photos on Instagram or Facebook of me, sitting under a tarp in front of a small fire. Or just a photo of the environment, mostly forest areas with as little people as possible. People don’t seem to understand why that’s attractive in any way. And yet, for me, it’s the pinnacle of peace. Just me and myself, sitting there or walking through, nothing on my mind with just the wind, birds and little else. No phones ringing, emails coming in, customers complaining, colleagues asking questions and the lot. Could it get any better? Well, it could be snowing. That would actually make it perfect, but as I live in the Netherlands, snow is very rare. But just being alone in the woods is already great.

Don’t you have kids?

So, why then?

Two main reasons; 1) I truly love it! And 2) it benefits my mental health greatly. During Covid and the whole working-at-home, staying-away-from-each-other, not-leaving-the-house phase, my brain got rewired somehow. When working at home became mandatory for everyone except for jobs deemed critical, I found it relaxing. It gave me the opportunity to do thing around the house while talking to customers and because my children were also home, I could spend more time with them. I really enjoyed it. But after a couple of months, that all changed.

I don’t know why precisely, but somehow, the whole working from home became a huge stress factor for me, up to the point of me taking days off to go out with my kids when my wife wasn’t home (she works in the hospital, so working from home proved difficult). I’ve been antsy ever since when I can’t go out that much. Me going out into the woods with only a small backpack and some essential items gives me the headspace I need to function properly.

Is that all?

Too be fair; since i started running long(er) distances, that too helped enormously. For that matter, my trip to the West Highland Way in Scotland, painful as it may have been, was great for my mental health. It doesn’t get more open, wide and alone than in the Highlands.

As much I need my head cleared sometimes, I do truly love the outdoors. Nothing makes me happier than sitting somewhere alone, a small fire burning and a freshly made cup of coffee while staring at nothing but my surroundings, reading a book or sketching a bit. It makes me feel at peace in a time where peace is no longer a commodity. The slow pace that is required of you when out and about (finding a spot, setting up a shelter, finding wood, making a fire, boiling the water etc.) is in stark contrast with today’s society, which is high paced, high-stressed, (over)crowded and focused on everything but mental stability.

Shouldn’t everybody be doing this, then?

For the love of everything natural, NO! While I would surely recommend it to everbody, I also know that, while a large part of my fellow humans would benefit from it greatly, they would pollute the environment to no end, simply because they don’t care or know any better. If you just take a look at the bushes in the park nearest to you, my guess’, you’ll be appalled by the large amount of litter left there by your fellow humans.

Those of us that go out with the environment in mind, try to keep the ecological footprint we leave behind to be as minimal as possible. No littering, no taking down living trees, no burning down bushes and whatnot. We try to live in the environment and with the environment. We take our garbage with us, we keep the fires at a minimum and we do everything we can to keep the impact to environment as close to non-existant as humanly possible.

The Netherlands officially forbids wildcamping. The state run forest services (Staatsbosbeheer), about a decade ago, decided to mark some places that allowed for wildcamping within certain limits (maximun number of tents, no more than two nights etc.). Unfortunately, those place no longer exists, because they ended up being abused for raves, parties, shooting porn movies and the lot. Avid bushcrafters and hikers were left in the dust when Staatsbosbeheer was forced to close those locations. Or, rather, never reopened them after Covid. Because of the reasons stated above. And that, without a doubt, is the reason I would rather not have everybody take up this great hobby.

Why we go outside: the conclusion

So, why do we go outside? Well, for one, it’s fun. And very beneficial for your (mental) health. Added bonus; go out with your kids to show them not everything has to be on a screen. Show them what you can do in a forest, on a hill, in the snow. Show them why we love to go outside! That way, we help to ensure the next generation will care about nature as much as we do. Or, at the minimum, try to preserve it for their kids, even if they don’t enjoy going out. True nature is very rare in a small and overpopulated country like The Netherlands.

It’s essential to preserve the little nature we have left, if only to make sure we don’t become a bad parody of the city-planet Coruscant from Star Wars lore. Future generations, more than ever, need the fresh air and nothingness to cope with the struggles of every day life. If that sounds grimm, that’s because it is. Our current society is basically geared towards implosion if we don’t find a way to slow it down and get back to the basics of living. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to achieve this (lofty) goal.

Afterthought: Is the future really that bad?

Truthfully; I don’t know. Nobody does. But the signs aren’t good. Ancient rainforests are disappearing at an alarming rate, not seen since the ninetees, microplastics have been found in the deepest places on earth and irreversable climate change is all but inevitable. As stated above, I don’t know what the future will bring (nor do I want to know right now), but I’m pretty sure that, unless we find a way to drastically change our ways, it won’t be pretty. So, it’s up to us bushcrafters to show everybody around us how to go about your business in nature and keep it preserved for future generations.