When you’re thrust into the outdoor adventure industry, for the most part, you never really know what you might be getting yourself into. From the perspective of a guide, this idea of the ‘unknown’ is what makes each and every day unlike the rest. There’s a certain thrill that creeps up on you every morning when you’re preparing to leave the site that you just spent your entire previous day getting to. This thrill is normal for a guide or anyone that goes backpacking frequently, the thrill of the chase. The chase being your next destination.

But for most people on a camping trip, it’s never really about the destination. What makes a trip memorable are all the nuances in between. It’s impossible to know what you might encounter on the day and these encounters add to that entire experience. These experiences are what drives the thrill. Knowing what animals you’ll encounter or the sites you’ll see or the fair but few souls you might encounter in between is complete guesswork.

Sure, you might be able to have a grasp of some of the things you’ll see during the day. And sure, you might even be able to have firm control of these things. But that’s not really what being outdoors is about.

The beautiful thing about being outdoors is that at almost every opportunity, it’s a time where you can stop and think to yourself, “Why do I do the things that I do?” Going for just a weekend of camping can really get you to notice the beauty in the way you do things. It’s a time to let your actions be an expression of who you are. This drives a passion in us that pushes us on each and every day we’re out on a trip; and eventually, it seeps its way into our everyday lives.

Carrying this on throughout a day of trip can really energize a group and get anyone to work together in ways they could have never imagined. Because of this there might be many times where you might be tempted to push a day to it’s limit. The constant pursuit of driving everyone forwards to their very ends. 

You’ll find in most cases though, for the benefit of a group as a whole, it’s usually best to stop and call it a day. For as much as people like to get things done, everyone needs a break.

There’s an art in knowing when to call it because there will always be another opportunity ahead.