As Hurricane Bertha crept up on us and then slinked away without too many people noticing, our thoughts were drawn to all those hundreds of families who were heading off on their summer holidays, camping.  Braving the elements with just a thin piece of canvas to protect them, why do it? With the technology and home comforts that are available to us now, camping has been and still remains to be such a popular way of spending time together.

There is something quite special about going back to basics, the simplicity of living with just the essentials and using all the gadgets and gizmos to help us do just that.  The thought of having to trudge across a cold and muddy field in the middle of the night just to get to a bathroom seems a hideous thought when we’re lying in our warm beds in a cosy home, but when you’re there, it’s an adventure.  Feeling around for a torch, struggling to put your shoes on over 3 pairs of socks (checking them for insects first of course), then fiddling around with the zip and crawling through the gap so as not to make too much noise that you wake everybody else in the field.  You then have to navigate your way to the bathroom in the dark – it was so much easier in daylight – whilst avoiding tripping over various guy ropes on the way.

It’s the sights and sounds of camping that can make it such a memorable time and on hearing them again you are whisked instantly back to those holidays with a big smile on your face.  Waking up, either with the sun beating down on you so you just need to get some air, or the sound of the rain beating down on the canvas.  You can hear people around you starting their days, the chatter, the arguments and the laughter, the smell of the bacon sizzling in the pan on the stove and the kettle whistling away to let you know it’s ready for that first cup of tea.

People get dirty and muddy; it doesn’t matter, clothes and belongings get a bit damp; it doesn’t matter, you’ve worn the same jumper every day for a week; it really doesn’t matter.  In our ordinary day to day lives, we spend so much effort getting these things right that sometimes it’s liberating to throw caution to the wind and just let it be.  Everyone is in the same boat and no-one is going to judge you for wearing a t-shirt that is so crumpled because it’s been at the bottom of your bag for four days.

All these small things are great, but it’s the quality family time that counts.  Without TVs, games consoles etc people have to amuse themselves in other ways – outdoor games in the sunshine or monopoly under cover in the rain. Spending time actually talking to one another and using that time normally spent behind a screen or on a phone to get to know or laugh with one another properly.  It’s so precious and although it may not be obvious at the time it will be valued by all involved for years to come.

Sometimes this is what we need to do in all different areas of our life and work.  So whether it’s planning your next creative campaign, considering a rebrand or taking your company through a new marketing strategy, why not take those risks – strip it back to the basics, assess the most important aspects and throw caution to the wind.

Let’s get grubby.