Philosophical Bushwalking Course..

by Roger Lainson, Yarrawood Bushwalking Club.

A what?? What is this person raving about?
Let me explain. To my mind, bushwalking as a social event makes a most interesting contrast with normal suburban social life. Most of us spend most of our time being competitive and dependent. We compete all the time - for road space, for jobs, for educational places, for desirable partners, for business, for social prestige ... the list goes on and on. At the same time, we depend on a host of other people - to provide us with food in the shops, to provide heating and lighting, transport, mail, and so on. Very few of us actually produce any of life necessities, and none of us produce all of life necessities.
A friendly bushwalking group has quite the opposite emphasis. Walkers are self-reliant, even if just for the weekend. They take pride in carrying all their weekend requirements in a manageable pack, and many get quite a kick out of this feeling of temporary independence. Members of the group also cooperate, by sharing the scroggin, slowing down for the not-so-fit in the party, pitching in to collect firewood for all, and generally looking after each other. This change of social emphasis is one reason why bushwalking is a different world.
And the course? Well, the Club to which I belong has for many years run a formal course which is an Introduction to Bushwalking and Camping. We don't give lectures on philosophy, but we do try to teach the practical aspects of bushwalking. There is so much for a beginner to learn ... Suitable equipment,
For example. We start by trying to tell people what they really need to go day walking and base camping: suitable clothes, how to choose a sleeping bag, what sort of tent to borrow and how to put it up, what a daypack looks like and what to put in it. We tell them what they don't need to buy. We try to help them sort out what they need as individuals. We don't tell them the philosophy (at least, I can't remember a leader actually raving on like this) but we try to show people how to be self-reliant as well as comfortable and safe.