How to Kick-Start Your Own Girl Camping

You see the trailer photos on Facebook and read about the camping-event fun everyone else is having, and you wonder:

How do I get in on this? When will there be an event near me? How do I get invited?

Answer:

You take a first step--which is to hook up or pack the tent, and go camping. Even if it's only for an afternoon, and no farther than a girlfriend's yard. With no other objective than to go do it. I'm serious.

Don't fall for the notion that desire alone will bring the Girl Camping opportunities to you. That puts the goal out of your control, and can leave you waiting forever. But you do have control over the actions you take, and that's where opportunities lie--with actions.

Some of the best of my Girl Camping times have occurred when I've been all by myself. Or with one friend at a time. Or with a handful of gals who do nothing more all weekend than hang out, laugh, and enjoy one another.

In fact, I seldom attend what you'd call an 'event,' or rallies with scads of people and a program of activities. Instead, I do most of my Girl Camping with a small network of drive-distance friends.

The secret: I found my tribe (as the cliche goes) by starting as a tribe of one. I learned, almost immediately, that practicing your passion draws others to you. One turns to two. Two turns to four. And so it goes from there. It's not just your tribe numbers that grow. You also end up with more chances and places to go camping--because action breeds motivation for more action.

Proof: The Girl Camping page on Facebook, which I launched and still maintain, has close to 20,000 followers. The weekly reach has been as high as 3 million. It's probably how you found us.

Yet the Girl Camping page, and spread of the term and concept (use this link to join our group-discussion site on Facebook), started as nothing more than a way for me to 'talk camping' with the first five gals to spend a weekend at my Girl Camp property. The page took off from there all on its own, with no paid promotion or sponsorship of any kind.

The interest was greater than I ever dreamed. I've never experienced anything else quite like it.

Call it a Girl Camping tribe, a clan, a gang, a family, or what you will. You do have one, and you will find it.

Hit the kick-start. Just go camping!

'Girl Camping Girls' Added to Facebook Groups

An announcement!

Girl Camping Girls, hosted by yours truly, is now a bonafide Facebook group and as such, provides a broader yet more intimate way for us to meet one another, make new camping friends, and plan campouts and adventures in our respective areas.

Here's how the group works:

* It has Closed Group status. This level of FB privacy means that anyone can see who's in the group, but only members can see the posts and respond to them. Your posts and photos to the group won't appear to the FB public, and your non-camping friends won't see them in their news feeds.

* To join, click the Girl Camping Girls link. Once on the main page, click the Join button to be approved. After you have been approved, you can add any other FB friend you wish.

* When you have a campout planned, use the Events tab to announce it and keep track of attendees.

* Any member can add photos--and please do! No one can ever get enough of seeing your trailer, camp setup, decor ideas, and rehab shots. (Trust me on this!)


Over 100 happy Girl Campers got onto the new bus within the first 24 hours, and there's room for plenty more. It's already turning out to be a pretty fun ride, and all you need for a ticket is an account with Facebook.

As the Camping Season Draws to a Close

With a nod to our southern and southwestern friends, who have some of their best camping weather  coming right up, we northern folks are starting to tuck our trailers, campers, and tents away for the upcoming winter.

You may all join Girl Camping Girl in a loud chorus of BOO-HOOs. (And if you can manage to squeeze in one more outing or two, even if just to a gal-pal's back yard, the advice from here is go for it.
Spring will be a while in coming back around again.)

To keep spirits up once the curtains are drawn on bonafide camping, we can recommend:

* Campfires on the patio! The smell of woodsmoke is good for your soul, any time.
* A nice bottle of Happy Camper wine, preferably shared with a camping friend. (Call her, if nothing else.)
* Display of a favorite camping memento (we even top our Christmas tree with a trailer ornament).
* Getting next year's camping dates FIRMLY on the calendar, so you have times to look forward to.
* Establishing the 2012 Girl Camping Piggy Bank, and making regular deposits to it.

How else will you be passing time until your next chance to hook up and head down the road? All ideas welcome, and hey, you can always stop by here or our Girl Camping page on Facebook for a few minutes of camping in your imagination.

:)