Loner or grouper

[Frederick L. Simson]

I too, charge my psychological batteries alone. But I also charge them up in groups.

[b]I don’t fly.

This is part of why I am such an enthusiastic trailerite. Not unlike the trials of ascending to the status of Shellback while in the U.S. Navy, air travel today is an intense test of endurance for the privilege of being transported, like cargo, to some other place. Trailering harkens back to an earlier era, when the journey mattered every bit as much as the destination… or at least it does for me. While many rail against driving as “Sailing from Tedium to Apathy, and Back Again,” I celebrate my time behind the wheel.

Driving is my “alone recharging” time. With Robert in the car with me, we are like a captive audience for our own conversations. On long trips, we rediscover who we are. Rallies and Gatherings are my “group recharging” time. While logging in to this website is like a trickle charge, meeting many of you at Bandon, or Lake Casitas, or Lake San Antonio, or Quartzite is the high-voltage stuff!

[Gina D.]

I am more like an eel than a grouper. I hide in my hole and slither out when something interests me.

I spend most of my time camping alone, locally. I get my enjoyment of other people while on walks with my herd. Two, now THREE Beagles on a tandem/triple leash brings folks out of the woodwork. So does the trailer itself. These are brief but frequent encounters.

I have a low "company" threshold, and my limit is about 2 hours before I get antsy to recharge. At work, or at other peoples homes, I could get a quicky recharge by going out and having a cigarette as an excuse. Since I no longer smoke, it's weird, one must find a more socially acceptable way to excuse yourself for a few minutes. Folks socially accept "going for a smoke", but not, "excuse me, I must get out for a few before I explode".

So... no, camping alone does not bother me in the slightest, I do it all the time. I do not let the lack of prospect for a companion stop me, nor does it effect my enjoyment, one way or another.

[Roy in TO]

At work, or at other peoples homes, I could get a quicky recharge by going out and having a cigarette as an excuse. Since I no longer smoke, it's weird, one must find a more socially acceptable way to excuse yourself for a few minutes. Folks socially accept "going for a smoke", but not, "excuse me, I must get out for a few before I explode".

If it helps, a nurse that worked in the same building as me a while back used to call "going out for a smoke" respiratory therapy. She'd stick her head in the door and ask if I wanted to join her for some "respiratory therapy".

As for the Loner vs Grouper ... I lean towards the loner side. Small groups where you can actually carry on a conversation are much preferred over the large groups. That might have something to do with living in a big city and wanting to "get away from it all".

[Raya]

Isn't that true about cigarette breaks? I've never smoked, but I've had a couple of high stress jobs where I worked with smokers, and I really envied them that ten minutes an hour to just go outside and breathe deeply. Totally acceptable, whereas if I had said "I'd just like to stare into space and do nothing for ten minutes per hour to recharge my brain," they'd have looked at me like a space martian. Practically made me want to take up smoking.

Frederick, I'm with you on driving vs. flying. I didn't fly at all for years, and do precious little of it now. I absolutely won't fly if it's someplace I can get to by car or boat. And yes, that driving time is wonderful for thoughts, conversation, or really listening to music. I now live about a block from work, so I walk, and I kind of miss that morning drive for that very reason.

But a road trip is the best. Especially if you drive at night, when the car is your world

I can't wait to get out and do some trailering. A lot of driving and then social contact with my own pod to retreat to. Perfect.

Raya

[Roger C H]

Being all alone in the wilderness may be fun, but you have to be very careful. An accident that would be a minor annoyance in a group setting, could be fatal when one is by oneself. I am thinking of the fellow who got his arm trapped when a rock shifted and ended up having to amputate it himself with a pocket knife.

[ronsmith100]

Being all alone in the wilderness may be fun, but you have to be very careful. An accident that would be a minor annoyance in a group setting, could be fatal when one is by oneself. I am thinking of the fellow who got his arm trapped when a rock shifted and ended up having to amputate it himself with a pocket knife.

Indeed you are right Roger there is risk. Heck there is risk in everything though.. even driving to get there. The guy who cut his arm off was a high risk taker being way out in canyonlands hiking by himself. The year before he was out by himself and got caught in a snow avalanche. He was risk taker.
For myself I don't set up too far off the main road and I never go hiking by myself... and I have a CB and a cell phone.
Which reminds me. If ever you get way out in the boonies on BLM land it will probably have grazing leases and the ranchers will mark the places where they have cell access. Like at the top of a rise. Look for those little piles of rocks, whatever they are called.

[Karen B.]

I am more like an eel than a grouper. I hide in my hole and slither out when something interests me.

That's such a great image! I love it!

[andy s]

Laura and I are always together. But as a couple we prefer to be loners out camping. We try to find the most remote spots where we do not have to see anyone else. We also hike as a couple as far from others as possible.
We are not anti-social as we do have lots of friends and we do have get togethers at our home.

[Raya]

On the rockpiles: Cairns?

If so, that's an amusing juxtaposition of using a really old symbol to mark something so modern (cell phone reception places).

Hee!

R.

[Greg A]

Being all alone in the wilderness may be fun, but you have to be very careful. An accident that would be a minor annoyance in a group setting, could be fatal when one is by oneself. I am thinking of the fellow who got his arm trapped when a rock shifted and ended up having to amputate it himself with a pocket knife.

I wouldn't recommend solo hiking or camping in wilderness areas for an inexperienced person, but if you are seasoned and follow established guidelines and practices, there really is no more "risk" than group hiking. There are many instances where even though hikers or campers were in groups they didn't react correctly and one or more of them died as a result of the groups actions. Usually, when a serious accident occurs whether alone or in a group you will find out it is because someone did something "high risk" or outside safe guidelines.

As Ron says, there is risk in everything you do but it either is "acceptable risk" or you stay in bed, but there is even a risk in staying in bed.

[Karalyn]

I like the small group thing where you go with another person/couple or family and we camp side by side or close by each other. I do NOT like to go alone and sit by myself all weekend. (I will not go eat in a resturant or go to a movie alone either). I definately am not a loner.
I enjoy sitting by the fire, and relaxing, but I want someone to be near by that I know so that I have someone to chat with.
The loner thing scares me. Just traveling alone scares me. I guess I believe in the "buddy system" in case of a problem.
Then on the opposite side of things, joining in with a big group, I feel lost in the crowd and don't really feel comfortable there either.
I do not want to be alone, yet I do not want to be in a crowd, so----------maybe I am a "small grouper?"

[Lisa M.]

Yeah, Karalyn, that's me! I'm a small grouper! On that note, I understand that groupers (the fish) are very friendly when you are deep sea diving--though I think they hang out more on the coral reefs. My brother-in-law used to talk about particularly friendly groupers at some place he used to dive.

I like the small group thing where you go with another person/couple or family and we camp side by side or close by each other. I do NOT like to go alone and sit by myself all weekend. (I will not go eat in a resturant or go to a movie alone either). I definately am not a loner.
I enjoy sitting by the fire, and relaxing, but I want someone to be near by that I know so that I have someone to chat with.
The loner thing scares me. Just traveling alone scares me. I guess I believe in the "buddy system" in case of a problem.
Then on the opposite side of things, joining in with a big group, I feel lost in the crowd and don't really feel comfortable there either.
I do not want to be alone, yet I do not want to be in a crowd, so----------maybe I am a "small grouper?"

[brian m.]

[Lisa M.]

Yeah! An unexpected group trip came up for the last weekend in March! I'm all set--a trip each month through May! Still wondering about June...maybe just a trip with my son and I?

I'm obviously the odd-woman out! I am a people person and recharge my batteries by being in groups! I've been camping by myself (with the dog), but I find it to be a bit lonely, especially in the evening. I'm fine just going with my son, but I really enjoy it when several RV's/Tents or more go together. I love group campouts and rallys! I have two group campouts and one rally on the calendar between President's Weekend (Ladies Only Egg Get-Together at Madonna County Park in CA) and Mother's Day (San Antonio Lake Rally-CA) and a third group one in the making. Four in three months--not bad! No plans yet for June--anyone got any ideas???? Oh wait, you're all loners, you're not the ones to ask!

[Mike Magee]

Nothing better than quiet time away from everyone, in the middle of nowhere. Peace and quiet, enjoy the scenery, smell the outdoors. I grew up in the country but live in the city, so to me camping in a CG full of people is like trading one city for another. An empty CG is invigorating, a secluded boondock site even more so. YMMV, no doubt.

[Alf S.]

Hi: All... I'm always loaning things 'cept the trailer... Maybe thats why it's still here!!! As for Grouper it's ok... but I'd rather have Salmon off the BBQ in any campsite. I love our Provincial Parks as the sites are usually big an' private... but close and neighbourly. Come on up and try them sometime.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[April Wilcox]

I would say that most of the time I am a loner, but I can appreciate getting around groups when I feel the social bug bite. I tend to go in cycles, where I spend lots of time away from most people, then I go to shows or festivals or get togethers once in a while. I guess being in a largely populated city keeps me saturated with people around, so getting to be alone is cherished and much appreciated. I spend most of my time with Kirk, as we live together and both work from home, but we still both need our space and willingly give it. I like camping out away from the masses, but if I am to go solo, I would definately take a dog along for a little company and security.

[Pete Dumbleton]

The thing I like about camping in the rustic campgrounds, like National Forests, etc., is that I can be reclusive if I choose or I can stroll around the campground and socialize with other campers and the hosts (usually very friendly people).

When in mixed (Bulgemobile and tent) campgrounds and parks, I notice that the Bulgemobile people may tend to keep to themselves, so I prefer to camp with the pop-ups and pitched tents (although some CGs, even Natl Parks, will put all trailers, large and small, in with the Bulgemobiles).

BTW, I am not knocking the Bulgemobilers as friendly/unfriendly per se, but they tend to be noisier, esp in CGs with no hookups where generators are in use.

I also tend to avoid being near the water in any CG (lake, stream, what ever) because the Party Hearty crowd with noisy stuf like sound systems, generators, motor bikes, etc., tend to congregate there and things get noisier when there is beer involved on holiday weekends -- This is esp true on holiday weekends in Summer -- Time for Full Timers and Frequent Campers to hunker down!

My tastes have changed, of course, since I retired because my weekends are no longer a necessary get-away-from-it-all retreat from a stressful work week, so I am more likely to want more socialization than in my former lives.

[Carol Ann in TO]

I also tend to avoid being near the water in any CG (lake, stream, what ever) because the Party Hearty crowd with noisy stuf like sound systems, generators, motor bikes, etc., tend to congregate there and things get noisier when there is beer involved on holiday weekends -- This is esp true on holiday weekends in Summer -- Time for Full Timers and Frequent Campers to hunker down!

Many of the parks in Ontario have started to set aside areas that are designated as "Radio Free". We've begun looking for those campgrounds specifically to avoid the Party crowd. They also tend to be without services (electricity and water) and more rustic in nature.
It backfired quite badly once though. The next site was booked by a large group that was deaf. They had no idea just how loud they were.
And we stay in the city on holiday weekends. It's remarkable how quiet a city of millions can be on a holiday.

[james kent]

I enjoy camping by ourselves. The closeness of two people sharing can renew the batteries.
I also enjoy going to FG gatherings. I prowl the campground camera in hand looking for that special photo that I can at some time in the future bring back to put on vue here and share a memory. Even then I am often alone except for a few minutes of sharing at one trailer or another. And if I get too tired of it I can always go back to my own site and hide away until the urge comes once again to venture forth into the lives of those around me. Isn't this what it's all about? We come together, we go our separate ways and then we come together again only to leave once more, until the next time.
Jim