How to Harness the Health Benefits of Outdoor Camping

Outdoor camping counts as one of the healthiest activities you can do. Being out in the fresh air gives you a chance to unplug from everyday life in the city and to reconnect with nature, your friends, and your spirit. If you’re thinking about adding a little “healthy” to your next camping trip, here are four ideas to help you do just that.

If you go camping and still hang out on the Internet everyday, then you’re missing the point. Being able to unplug counts as one of the major mental health benefits of camping. Your time in the woods allows you to hike as the birds sing, sketch wildlife in your sketchbook, and drink coffee in the cool morning air. The Internet will be there when you get back. If you’re camping to take time away from it all, then take time away. 

While you may want to get away from it all, you still need a home base to come to each night. Regardless of whether you camp in tents or camper trailers, having this space is important. Not only does it give you a place to store food and camping gear, it also provides you and yours with a meeting place. Talking to and connecting with those you love is an important aspect of mental health. Your home base away from home provides you and yours with a place to reconnect at the end of the day and to share stories about your day’s adventures in the woods. 

Learning to build a campfire and cook over an open flame is a rite of passage for the serious camper. Unfortunately, camp food often consists of fare like hot dogs with lots of chips and a can of soda to wash everything down. If you learn to cook over a fire, then you can bring more healthful foods to your camping experience. To make campfire cooking a bit easier, be sure to bring along a Dutch oven as well as a grate that you can place over the fire. This set up more readily replicates a stove back home, allowing you to cook healthier food while you camp.

The Great Outdoors teems with wildlife, fragrant wildflowers, and lots of pristine mountain lakes, streams, and even waterfalls. Camping by the water gives you options for fishing and swimming, both of which are excellent ways to keep yourself healthy. Each activity encourages movement, an important aspect of health. Water is also important if you’re camping in an area that gets a lot of heat during the day. The water will keep you cool even as the temperatures rise.

Camping is an excellent way to embrace healthy living in the Great Outdoors. Between the opportunities for exercise in the fresh air and good and healthy camp fare, camping has much to offer. By heading out into the woods, you get the opportunity to unwind, reconnect with yourself and with friends, and to experience the health benefits that only the outdoors can offer.