This Backcountry Life

A little intro, I lived in the bush for 5 years in a fitted out truck while my hubby worked away. Hes managed to join me now and but for a period I had to do mostly everything alone with 4 kids.

Being in the backcountry there are times when you lack access or the ability to get resources or assistance. At different times we had to deal with injuries, no shower, no washing machine, food shortage, water shortage, no power, leaks, and at times no transport. We lacked things most take for granted.

We persevered and we kept pushing through and now we are at a point where we are around 85% self sufficient. 

But looking back upon the period of hardship, I see this time as a great teacher. 

Lacking teaches 5 main things.

We were forced to make do. 
This means you prioritise what is essential and learn to be content even while you continue to lack. Doing without also means you have less to lose and when true scarcity comes you will absorb the impact more easily.

Finding new ways of doing things.
You are forced to find new solutions, true creativity seeps in. Ideas germinate, you evolve and learn. 

Being more independent
A spotlight is shone on your inadequacies. The need to be more independent and do things yourself is critical so you can get yourself out of situation. Determination to know how to do things is ignited and you will learn!

Highlighting where you are not properly prepared
There is nothing like going through a period of having no water to drive the reality home that you dont have enough stored water. It also gives you a realistic gauge of HOW not ready you are!

Learning to ration
This is a critical area as lack of self control will do you harm. Eat when you are hungry, don’t when you are not. This does have other benefits as you will be more in tune with your body, and its healthier and more respectful towards the body. Eating 3 main meals a day is false construct that came about in times of abundance. Periods of fasting is something our ancestors lived through.

While we are in a much better position now, we continue to live in the backcountry and work through issues as they arise. Always independence is needed and creativity. 

In modern society we take for granted our lifestyles and are more reliant than we realise. Critically to wean from this dependence to experience lacking in order to highlight where we were not ready is gold. Be it knowledge, money, resources, electricity, food, or water ….If disaster comes there may be no opportunity to correct areas where you lack.

But you know if we can do it, anyone can.