You find below my entry to ROOPHLOCH [1]. It is presented as I typed it,
(including the formatting) except for the correction of two typos. It
is pretty OT in this phlog, but I guess it is marked clearly as such.
Sorry for the OT, but I have no intention of putting up another phlog
with personal stuff ;)

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I am typing this on my smartphone (don't ask make
or model since I have no clue about). I am in a
tent somewhere in East England. Don't ask where
since it doesn't matter. what matters is that I
am in the woods with a tent after almost 10 years
and it's so refreshing. I have always loved
camping. If done properly, it is a great way to
get back in touch with nature. What do I mean
by "done properly"? Well, I just mean campibg with
as little technology as possible. And I am not
talking only if IT. I really mean *any* technology,
from superfancy stoves to inflatable matrasses.

If done properly, i.e., by giving up on most of
the comforts of our modern life, camping is the
best way to reflect on our lives as naked apes,
and on the utter fragility of our existence.

The only things I have accepted (but only because
I am not camping alone, and these things are
somehow needed for the comfort of the people I am
camping with) are a tent where one can actually
stand, a small gas stove (it stays in my pocket
when folded) and a foldable chair. I could
definitely give the chair up though, and I would
rather cook using a proper fire. As for the tent,
I miss my small 2-person dome-tent, which I used
for backpacking.  For the rest, the cheapest
sleeping bag, a military foam mat, a rucksack, a
knife, a small torch and two dozen meters of
braided rope.

Rope is a great tool. If you learm just a few
dozen knots you can make literally anything out
of rope. I think knots are the essence of
camping. Well, nowadays there is a lot of fancy
camping stuff you can buy fron specialised
stores for a few quids, but building your own
versions of chair, tables, benches, shelves, etc.
is a totally different story. Rope and wood, and
knowledgeable hands: this is what it takes to
make yourself a shelter and transform it into a
comfortable den. Only by using rope to build
yourself basic tools you realise how fragile we
are, in the end. If you are in a good weather,
everything is fine. But have you tried to tie
or untie a strong knot at night, with a chilly
wind or under heavy rain? Then you understsnd how
useless our knowledge and our tools can be.

I guess everyone should try camping at least once
in their lives. But I mean "proper" camping. Just
get a friend who knows what I am talking about
and who you trust and give it a try. When you
come back you will know how many things we
normally consider *indispensable* are, in the
end, superfluous. I guess camping had a large
role in shaping my character and my preferences.
Camping taught me to rely on myself, to never
give up, to not complain, to respect the
environment and to value the people that pitched
their tent next to mine. After all, they are
pretty much the same as you.

This world would probably be a better place if
everybody had the opportunity to try camping.

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[1] gopher://zaibatsu.circumlunar.space/0/~solderpunk/phlog/announcing-roophloch-2019.txt