I’ve turned 40. Quite uneventfully. I did get an awesome gift, however: participation in a 24 hour Survival Challenge – in November, with no equipment except a flimsy rescue blanket.
In the mid of November (8 °C rainy weather), we were released into the wild to fend for our own using a map and a compass. Which posed no trouble whatsoever, except when we went off path and through the woods. Part of the challenge was also crossing a stream – a very muddy stream. ~40 cm water plus another ~40 cm of mud made for a cold experience up to the belt line. But worry not, at least we got quite dirty as well! And no towels, of course.
Anyway, onwards to find a camping spot and build a shelter – an incredibly impressive shelter, if I say so myself. We built lean-to shelters with our rescue blankets, put them close to a long log fire (6 meters in length) and spent a comfy night with a clear sky at 3 °C. And I slept like a baby – meaning in stints of one hour or so.
Well rested, we had to rescue one of our own who had imagined a broken leg. We built a carry system and carried the dude 2 kilometers (navigating with map and compass again) to the extraction point. That was actually the hardest part – wooden beams are hard on the shoulders.
What surprised me first was the mindset of everyone. With the right skills, this Survival Challenge became a comfortable holiday. But secondly, being this close to the elements, sleeping in the forest, is a deep experience for me. Every single time.
Sleeping and waking up within nature provides more motivation to protect it than my rational brain could ever come up with. If you live within nature, you care for nature. Contrary, if you live in the city, it’s harder for the brain to understand the reality of nature – and to understand the need to protect it.
I hope y’all also sleep outdoors once in a while!