river-in-autumn200x140 At times in our life we all experience a call to our self, to that space of inner freedom inside of us that is unconvinced and un-phased by exterior distractions where only we can take the reins. This can happen to us in relatively 'normal' day to day life as we question a sense of un-fulfilment and surrender, retracing the network of routes between our homes, work places and supermarkets, drinking stale treated water and breathing conditioned air...and we hear the call. For some, the moments are triggered by the seemingly uncontrollable chaos of the world around us. At these times when the so called comfort and safety provided to us by our country, city, town and even home loses its sense of security... we hear the call.

If we, our loved ones, homes and well being are threatened, this call becomes more persistent and if we listen carefully, even over the noise of ensuing danger…we will hear it.

A call to nature can be compared to a call to the self, it is a soft call, but it is a call to our well being and therefore to survival and preparedness none-the-less. So, in our free time we ‘escape’ with our loved ones to nature, often driving miles to reach natural places; the rivers, woodlands and meadows, lakes and mountains, to the picnic places, tamed for our comfort, with spaces cleared to make room for our cars, and fire places built for our safety and ease.

Sometimes, we venture further still into nature, where we can tread our own paths and build our own fire places, and the noise of the hectic modern world fades away.

In nature we rediscover our true home… and realize that with a deeper understanding of nature and how we synergize we can, not just survive, but thrive within it, safely, independently and with confidence.

'Readiness is everything. Resolution is indissolubly bound up with caution. If an individual is careful and keeps his wits about him, he need not become excited or alarmed....on his guard against what is not yet in sight and on the alert for what is not yet within hearing; we dwell in the midst of difficulties as though they did not exist.

- I CHING, BOOK OF CHANGES

The Winter Camping Handbook: Wilderness Travel and Adventure in the Cold Winter Months

Author: Stephen Gorman
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Co.
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