Camping off the Grid
Laying in my tent with my husband beside me and my beloved pup at my feet. Listening to the white throated sparrow sing his morning tune and feeling the warm summer rays permeate the the tents fabric, reminding me to roll off my air mattress and make breakfast soon before it gets unbearably hot.
This is one of my happy places. Especially if there’s water. I have always felt a deep connection with water. I’m drawn to it, everything is a million times better when I’m on or near (or in) the water, whether it be a little creek or big Lake Winnipeg!
I’ve been camping pretty much as long as I can remember. If I think back hard enough I believe my love for tenting was seeded back in my Girl Guide days as a child and has only grown from there.
As the years wear on we find ourselves going further and further off the grid. Away from civilization, technology, noise, rules and regulations. Just us and nature. We try our best to only leave footprints behind.
My dog, with her face pressed up against the screen of the tent door, making it obvious that she must get outside and pursue that squirrel that’s been chirping in the Pine trees… finally gets me out of my cozy bed. Before sparking up a cooking fire I take a minute in my hammock enjoying and simply appreciating my surroundings. I love to cook on a fire when camping, it’s amazing how good the food tastes and how rewarding it is. Especially if I’m frying up some freshly caught fish, some wild mushrooms or adding hand picked berries to my pancakes. Depending how far off the grid we go affects how fancy I can get, but I always try to have at least one good old fashioned steak dinner over the fire.
If I’m packing light I like to purchase “just add water meals in a bag” from Cabelas or Canadian tire. There’s a lot to choose from and they’re pretty tasty! If I’m near a big lake I often disinfect the lake water for drinking using tablets that can also be bought at these stores, hauling water can be heavy!
Backwoods camping and crown land camping is great. There’s no reservations needed, it’s FREE, there’s no check in and check out times, you don’t have to worry about noise or having your dog off leash, or having noisy campers keeping you up half the night. I highly recommend learning about where you can camp off the grid in Manitoba. There’s no need to travel when we have a world of opportunity right here close to home! In Manitoba the law allows you to stay in any crown land campsite for up to 21 days.. get out there and seize the day!
I suggest putting together a camp list and a first aid kit. Purchase a life straw and water purification tablets. Bring bear spray, and always let someone know where you are and when you plan to return (especially where there’s no cell service). Downloading the “All trails” App or using a GPS are also great ideas!
