In our series on micro adventures, Daniel Zuberbühler and Pascal Haltiner from Fajro show you what a micro adventure needs and present ideas for excursions. In today's post we explain what basic equipment you need and how easy it is to implement a micro adventure.
A contribution by Daniel Zuberbühler and Pascal Haltiner from Fajro - with the support of Seat to Summit
During the corona lockdown, many were forced to stay at home or avoid long trips. Suddenly the Facebook and Instagram timeline showed pictures of camping trips at the forest edge of the place of residence or overnight bivouacs on the Gurten. The surrounding area took on a whole new meaning.
Micro adventures require little time and money and are sustainable!
Many have noticed: it doesn't always have to be the ascent with pimples and crampons to Cerro Torre, the ascent to Khardung La by mountain bike or the ski descent to Lofoten. The wild world of micro adventures starts right on your doorstep. Everyone can experience micro-adventures, because it doesn't need experience, a lot of time or money and they are sustainable on top of that.
Alastair Humphrey and the invention of micro adventures
The creation of words and the concept of micro-adventures goes back to the British Alastair Humphrey. Alastair was named National Geographic's Adventurer of the Year in 2012. Not for his circumnavigation of the world by bike, nor for the rowing crossing of the Atlantic, and also not for walking across India on foot.
The micro-adventure is about transforming your direct living environment into an adventure playground.
Alastair received the award because he encouraged people to break out of everyday life, go outside and experience adventures that are right on their own doorstep - micro-adventures in other words. It is never about success or outstanding achievements, but about a change of perspective and the associated question of how you can transform your everyday living environment into an adventure playground.
This type of adventure is like so many things in life - the most popular are not necessarily the coolest and most beautiful. A multitude of adventures and very special experiences are at your feet and they start right on your doorstep.
This is a micro adventure - five rules
It doesn't take much for a micro adventure. The most important components are an idea and the spark. To make it a real micro adventure, here are our five rules:
- Micro adventures can be easily integrated into everyday life. They are short and last a maximum of 48 hours.
- A night out in nature is one of them. You sleep without a tent.
- Reduce yourself to the essentials. Micro adventures should be cheap or even free.
- Micro adventures leave no traces in nature. The only thing you leave behind is your footprints.
- For the micro adventure, you use a maximum of public transport - the private car definitely stays at home.
As you can see, it doesn't take much and one thing is clear: a micro adventure here and there lets you walk through life more light-footed and liberated.
Cooking outside is twice the fun
Why you should also incorporate micro adventures into your everyday life
The everyday life of many people is characterized by countless hours of work in front of the computer - when you are back home you might have family tasks waiting, you still have a meeting at the club or simply let yourself be indulged by the lure of Netflix.
Often there is little time for the really beautiful things in life and days, weeks, even months have passed without you noticing. Micro adventures are an excellent way to break with this everyday routine and use the power of adventure for yourself without having to make big jumps.
You are miles away from your everyday routine in just 15 minutes on foot.
Behind the micro adventures is the question "Why not today?" Yes exactly, why not today, because the nearest hill with a beautiful view of the mountains is only 15 minutes away and you are miles away from your everyday routine. If you then open a hammock, listen to the sounds of the night and wake up with the first ray of sunshine on your face, the world is perfect again.
This is what characterizes the fascination of micro-adventure - the simplicity, which takes us into another world and lets us return strengthened and inspired. If this becomes a habit once a month, then your life will be different.
This equipment is needed for a micro adventure
As already described in the introduction, the focus of micro adventures is on reducing to the essentials. This also applies to the equipment. The following five items are on the packing list.
1 sleeping bag
We recommend a 3-season sleeping bag. This is suitable for almost all situations. On our adventures, we rely on the Spark II by Sea to Summit.
2 sleeping mats
There's a hell of a lot of cold coming from the floor, so it's worth having something good here. A simple mat is sufficient for a single overnight stay. For colder nights or if you need more comfort, it is worthwhile to choose a version with air chambers (depending on the one with down filling). We sleep on the Ether Light XT Insulated Mat from Sea to Summit.
3 tarpaulin or tarp as a roof over your head
A roof over your head is always worth its weight in gold. Without a tarpaulin or tarp you have a wet awakening in the morning, and a roof protects you from the sun during the day. As a roof you can stretch any plastic tarp from the hardware store. If you want to be on the road regularly and easily, then it is worth buying a tarp. We use that Escapist 15D Tarp 300 × 300 from Sea to Summit.
4 cookers and cookware
So that you can enjoy your micro adventures well, you need a small cooking set, a heat source (i.e. the stove) and a water container. We cook with you Sigma pans and dishes and thanks to that Watercell X always have enough water with you.
5 First aid kit
Something can always happen and a first aid kit is simply essential for treating small bobos. Put together your own or buy a ready-made solution. Remember: Either way, your emergency case should be packed waterproof. The First Aid Dry Sack is always with us.
Series of articles with ideas and tips for micro adventures
Now it's your turn. Over the next six months, with the support of Sea to Summit, we will introduce you to one micro adventure each month and let you immerse yourself in the world of micro adventures. We will give you monthly tips for your outdoor excursions as part of our series of articles until the end of the year. Until then: Call your friend or delight your girlfriend, go out with your family and pack your backpack. Now is the right time for a little big adventure. We'll see you outside!
Fajro specializes in experiential pedagogy and action-oriented learning, nature coaching, accompanying development processes and jointly exploring new paths. We are outside and make use of nature as a living space of experience.
When we at Fajro speak of micro-adventure, we mean the pleasurable and playful immersion in nature. An immersion that will sooner or later take everyone, young or old, out of their daily grind - into a world full of voyages of discovery and deceleration. Micro-adventures should open up the little wonders that are often unseen on the doorstep and inspire individuals and families to go outside. Having time for yourself, with friends or for family is almost as valuable as gold in our current reality and if you don't have enough time for big adventures, then you should just make them smaller. With the series of articles we would like to invite you people to brave the outdoors and immerse yourself in many micro-adventures.
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Credits: Pictures fun and LACRUX
