Camping Degree

I graduated from Union College in Lincoln NE in 2011 with a BS degree in International Rescue and Relief (IRR). It was a great degree for me: international experience, networking with lots of like-minded people, met my pre-medicine requirements, and had exciting classes like ocean survival, high angle ropes rescue, and a semester overseas.

But the thing that sticks out in my mother’s mind is how much time I spent outside of the class room. She affectionately calls it my “Camping Degree.” If I ever come up with an unexpected solution or have some strange trivia at hand she will ask, “Oh, did you learn that from your camping degree?”

There have been several experiences recently that have brought this back to mind.

Prior to COVID, we would carry our laundry to the hospital every Friday and Ami would use those facilities on our clothes. But another solution needed to be found now with the hospital’s functionality limited. So I set out to hang a clothes line on our front porch. The pillars are far apart and maintaining proper tension for an entire wet wardrobe was difficult. So I designed a mechanical advantage system using carabiners, paracord, and some hammock straps. Unfortunately, I was one carabiner short. Here’s a picture of my ultimate improvised locking carabiner:

The Most Secure Clothesline on the Block ™

Access to running water is always a struggle here. The international travel and survival training helped me prepare for living in Sierra Leone. The other night it was raining hard and there was lots of water coming out of the newly installed gutter on the house. So I seized the opportunity and had an unlimited water shower with excellent water pressure.

Lastly, it’s always nice when dreams from the past come true. While I was purchasing gear for IRR it was easy to dream big. ‘I might need a 0 degree bag if I ever climb to basecamp on Everest.’ Or ‘I might need this expensive headlamp if a natural disaster destroys the power stations for weeks on end.’ 

Most of the rationale that I used for expensive gear never (thankfully) came to fruition. But in this instance it did. When shopping for a backpacking stove there were several options. The two I was torn between was the MSR Whisperlite and the Wisperlite International. They are basically the same except the international version can burn more than just camp fuel. It takes camp fuel, or petroleum, or diesel, or kerosene, etc. I thought to myself, ‘Who knows? Maybe I’ll be stranded in Africa somewhere and be super hungry. This could really help!’ And just like that, I bought the more expensive one.

Well, last Sabbath the natural gas for our stove finished and the backup was empty. As I filled the camping stove with fuel from our generator, I happily reminisced about my time at Union. I had proved once again, that my so-called ‘camping degree’ provided me with more than just happiness or meeting pre-med requirements, it performed as promised and prepared me for the future.