A brief discussion on the top ten common mistakes of outdoor beginners: learn more and avoid detours

I have come into contact with quite a few new people recently, and based on some of the mistakes that new people used to make, I have summarized the following characteristics. Of course, I am not very knowledgeable, and I welcome everyone to point out if what I said is wrong or incomplete.

1. Not daring to enter the outdoor circle, out of fear - you can’t play outdoors without money, and those who play outdoors have spare money.

Of course not. Outdoor activities are not for the rich. The rich have their own way of playing, and the poor have their own way of playing. As long as you give yourself a reasonable positioning and don't compare with others, you can still have fun and play at a high level.

In fact, the outdoor world is about mutual help and self-help. It's not that veterans don't like to accept newcomers, but that people have summarized their experiences and written articles, but you don't even read them. Of course, you may need to look for some targeted questions, but most of the time you will not have trouble finding them as long as you are willing. If this website doesn't have it, you can look for it on other websites. If flipping pages doesn't work, just use the search function. If the question is really hard to find, as long as you ask, the experts will think it is a good question and be happy to answer it.

In fact, I think the outdoors is like a subject. There are not many shortcuts to becoming a master. Students who are truly interested will take the initiative to look up information and do homework. They will also think about difficult problems on their own after class, so their level will naturally improve quickly. Students who are satisfied with just listening to a few words from the teacher in class will never become good students.

If you are really interested in the outdoors, you can find information on your own. We don't dare to go high-level mountain climbing by ourselves for fear of getting lost, but can't we go to corruption activities by ourselves? As long as you have some experience in self-guided travel, you can find the attractions. Don't go too far or to remote places, your safety is guaranteed.

Of course not, if you need to camp, you can rent equipment. If you really don’t have any equipment, you can also participate in a one-day activity, or stay at a fellow villager’s home and participate in a light-equipped activity. In this way, after you have some experience, you will know what kind of equipment you need and can purchase it according to your needs instead of blindly.

Of course, equipment can help us overcome difficulties and avoid pain, but having high-end equipment does not mean we can do everything, and not having equipment does not mean we can do nothing. The key to buying equipment is whether you need it or not, as long as it is enough. For example, some people know that 1500G down sleeping bags are good and soft. But have you thought carefully about when you can use it? Can you use it in summer? Even if you go to Xiao Wutai in winter, it can only be used for a period of time. And how many times can you go? If no one organizes you, you may not be able to go.

As for equipment, I think there are very few things that can be obtained all at once nowadays. Often the design of a piece of equipment has its own positioning. It is impossible to achieve perfect results with the same equipment for all types of activities. For example, shoes are divided into alpine boots, mountaineering shoes, trekking shoes, hiking shoes, river tracing shoes, etc. Some people want to buy a pair of high-end mountaineering shoes to meet the needs of all activities. I said it is not impossible, but in some terrains (mud ponds, crossing big rivers), wearing a pair of Liberation shoes may be more convenient and affordable than "waterproof mountaineering shoes with too tight grooves", and you won't feel bad about it. This is the principle of making the best use of everything. If you use a mountain tent for beach camping or quick mountain climbing in summer, firstly, it is too heavy, secondly, the ventilation is poor, thirdly, some mountain tents are single-layer or only snow-proof but not rain-proof, and mountain tents are too expensive and depreciate quickly after one use.

Usually when we see someone who is extremely well-equipped, very talkative, has been to many places, has great physical strength, and always engages in difficult activities, we think he is an old hand, and we admire him very much and vow to be like him. First of all, we oppose any form of personality cult. Personality cult can easily make people dizzy and will not have good results for either the worshipper or the worshipped.

In fact, everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. There is no need to worship anyone or to try to be like them. You must go to places they have been to, otherwise you will not be able to become an experienced person. If that's the case, you will never become an old donkey, but only a puppy following behind others, without your own personality and characteristics.

I think that a real old donkey first has excellent moral character, for example: willing to help others, always warmly welcoming new friends, indifferent to fame and fortune, not proud, not pretentious, not caring about trivial matters, and having opinions on big issues. Know what you can do. He has the demeanor of a general and is tolerant of people and things that have different ideas from his own. Secondly, it depends on how much experience you have in outdoor activities (not just theory talk), your understanding of outdoor concepts, etc. In short, if you want to become a hiker, you must first have a high and lasting passion for the outdoors, and secondly, be diligent in using your brain, and continue to learn and practice.

Corruption generally refers to activities involving eating and drinking well, being comfortable, and enjoying oneself. Self-abuse usually means that one requires oneself to engage in activities that are high in intensity and dangerous. After the activities, the body feels very tired, but one can often experience a sense of pleasure after venting. Of course, the scenery is often also beautiful that people with average physical strength cannot see. Some people think that only self-abuse is the real outdoor activity, corruption is boring, and they look down on those who are always corrupt. They will not be old donkeys.

This view is obviously biased. Outdoor sports cover a wide range. I believe that as long as sports are done outdoors, they are outdoor sports. There are many forms of outdoor sports, and there is no distinction between high and low. What kind of activities to participate in is the result of an individual making appropriate choices based on his or her actual situation. There is only suitable ones, not the best ones.

Now, the code of conduct for middle school students has been changed. Hard work is no longer encouraged, but simplicity is still promoted, and extravagance and waste are opposed at all times. Often, newlyweds have a strong concept of saving money, but the more they save, the better. Sometimes we talk about ticket-dodging techniques and take pride in them, we talk about our experience in bargaining, we disclose the costs of certain merchants, we buy goods from the source and want to buy everything in bulk. Is this a good thing? I don’t think it’s always a good thing. What we advocate is saving, and we oppose arbitrary charges and businesses making excessive profits. This is correct, but we should not go too far.

I hope that tour leaders who organize activities in the future will consider this: if someone evades the ticket and something dangerous happens in the scenic area, the management department cannot be held responsible. There was originally insurance compensation on the ticket, but because of evading the ticket, there is no insurance. In addition, for some places that rely on ticket sales to maintain their salaries, if the ticket collectors run away, will this lead to a lack of management in that area in the future, which may be detrimental to environmental protection work and other aspects?

"Saving" is reflected in many aspects, and it is not easy for us to distinguish which one is good and which one is bad, but I hope everyone will consider it with a long-term perspective before deciding what to do.

For example, small groups are naturally exclusive, which may keep you away from other activities and other friends. Focus on the interests of small groups and ignore the overall interests of households. I have never joined a small group, but I have actually wanted to join one (it would be so nice to have organized care). These two points are just to nip the problem in the bud. Anyway, you should be cautious when joining a small group or forming a "party", haha.

The team leader is the overall coordinator, just like the general manager or class teacher; he is the person who controls the general direction. A team leader does not necessarily have to be an expert in a certain area, and is not equivalent to a guide, porter, accountant, planner, or team collector, but he can perform all of these roles at the same time.

After understanding these things, the team members should not have too many demands on the team leader. The team leader does not necessarily have to be the person with the best physical strength. It is generally enough for him to be above average in all aspects. The most important thing for a team leader is to have outstanding leadership skills, appeal, judgment, and the ability to make decisions at critical moments. Of course, if the tour leader has not appointed other full-time staff to do things like guiding and collecting the team, you will still have to find him if something goes wrong.

Teams participating in outdoor activities are often formed on an AA basis, so not only should the cost of the activity be shared AA, but responsibilities should also be shared AA. For example, team members have the obligation to manage garbage well and pay attention to environmental protection. Capable team members help those with less ability and take the initiative to apply to the team leader to take on certain tasks and share the team leader's pressure. When encountering difficulties, don't panic, listen to the leader's arrangements, and make reasonable suggestions when appropriate.

As new members participate in more AA activities, they tend to develop a mentality that this kind of activity is great because it saves money and does not require them to worry about anything, and that the team leader’s role is to serve the team members. In this case, the team members will never use their brains, and not only will they not improve, but if the team leader is negligent at any time, the team will put all the blame on the team leader. You must know that the team leader is also an ordinary person, he does not owe you anything, and your behavior is ultimately the result of your own choice.