5 Life Lessons I Learned Pitching My First Tent ∙ Guest Post
I was honestly shocked. There I was, standing in the woods of Wisconsin in front of the tent and realizing that I had just set it up without the help of an instruction manual. The feeling of accomplishment outweighed all the struggles of pitching my first tent.
GUEST POST by DYLAN L.
Meet Dylan L.
16 years old ∙ SoCal native ∙ basketball & volleyball enthusiast ∙ first-time camper
Being a 16 year old kid from Orange County, California, I was baffled at the idea of pitching a tent without any outdoor background at all. This was my first time camping and I was initially not mentally prepared to take on the great outdoors. I wasn’t ready for all the dirt, insects, or even sleeping in animal territory. And looking over the deconstructed tent, I had no clue where to begin.
Though I started off unconfident, I realized that I was capable of finishing a difficult assignment.
Successfully pitching a tent for the first time taught me lessons I can apply to solve any problem in life, lessons like:
Be aware of your resources
Before my siblings and I began to pitch our tent for the first time, we were given a list of all the necessary tools and items we needed to pitch the tent. This allowed us to know which items we still needed to use to ensure that the tent was made correctly and no missing piece would make the tent fall.
Before starting anything, it is important to make an inventory of all the items needed.
Visualize the end result
In my experience, I visualized what the tent should look like at the end and imagined where each part should be placed. This gave a foundation of where to start when seeing the materials for the first time.
Life may be unclear, but if you can envision the end result, you are able to begin to draw up a path toward your outcome.
Communication is key
One of the key pieces of pitching a tent is working well with others.
Being able to cooperate with peers can alter the amount of time and effort that is taken to complete the task at hand. This skill will help the process move quicker, whether it's asking for a second opinion, or asking for a bit of help.
Learn from your mistakes
Making mistakes is inevitable when creating something from scratch. While pitching the tent, we made too many mistakes to even count!
I’ve learned that making mistakes is perfectly normal; however, you must learn from your mistakes or you will completely stop your progress toward your goal.
Ask for help when needed
During my experience pitching a tent, I had the guidance of my very outdoor-experienced aunt and uncle. I didn't ask questions often because I believed it would be better for me to work through an obstacle independently.
When doing something for the first time, it’s okay to be a little lost or to be a bit unsure. In life, a mentor who has past experience in whatever you are doing can especially be convenient during your struggles.
Have you had any great life revelations deep in the woods?
Tell us about it in the comments!
Check out our other Guest Posts in this series:
- 5 Tips for First-Time Campers from a First-Time Camper - Guest Post by Justin
- 5 Life Lessons I Learned Building a Campfire - Guest Post from Lauren
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