The essay below, in response to Pod’s question about “Have you ever camped alone?” has appeared on the Zone before, but I couldn’t locate it with the search function and I felt it was relevant enough to resubmit. I apologize for wasting memory, but it seemed important to find it and publish it in response to Pod’s question. It is also a published piece, my third submission to Good Old Boat magazine and one I’m particularly proud of. It took me a while to find it in my archive CDs.

Yes, camping alone, in a true wilderness, can be scary. I’ve never done it again. But I’m glad I did it at least once. When you’re with others, even if they are total lubbers and of no practical use in an emergency, you still feel you have some backup. You can always say; “Here, hold this rope!” while you rush off to deal with some minor emergency. But when you’re by yourself out in the bush you really realize that we are all really alone in this terrifying and heartbreakingly beautiful universe. All I needed was one time to remind me of that to last me for the rest of my life.