Written by: Jessica Bolts
Some activities and hobbies have an entire sublanguage its faithful fan base knows and follows. Camping is no different. There are terms experienced campers, hikers, and mountain tamers use to identify equipment and duties, and then there is plain old slang. Some slang words have a double meaning to words in the everyday world, while others will give you a new term to use in daily life. Some will just make you smile. After sifting through a plethora of camping jargon, here is a short list of crazy, yet useful, outdoor lingo that will ensure you sound like a seasoned camper.
- G.O.R.P.- an acronym for “Good ol’ Raisins and Peanuts.”
This term could be used to describe traditional trail mix or another homemade take on the summertime snack. Shoreline Inclusive Camping offers furnished campsites so all you have to do is bring your mix and the snack bowl will be provided. Sharing optional.
- Pup Tent– a small tent meant for two people.
This tent calls for a cozy night with someone you are comfortable snuggling up with. Shoreline Inclusive Camping’s couple packages include your own personal pup tent, which is perfect for two love pups in need of a romantic night. It’s up to you whether you’d like to relax on land or sway with the rhythm of the wind in the suspended hammock tent for two.
- Siwash– to live off the bare minimum of the land.
Examples of siwash could be catching your cod dinner with your bare hands to making a moss pillow for sleeping under the stars. Luckily, Shoreline Inclusive Camping allows you not to have to experience siwash by providing a furnished campsite for all ranges of camping comfort.
- Tinder– highly flammable materials found in nature, such as small twigs, wood shavings, or dry leaves.
You don’t need to swipe right for this type of tinder, but you still need a match to make sparks fly! SIC makes igniting the flames easy with its fire pit set up which is perfect for roasting ‘mallows.
- Yogi-ing– to offer food/amenities to others you encounter.
In a yogi-ing instance, you could offer a passerby a handful of G.O.R.P.- or a Wisconsin native could use their inherent yogi-ing nature and offer you a cold one fresh from the cooler. With boat shuttles along the shoreline, there is potential for many yogi-ing opportunities from neighboring campers.
These terms are merely a fraction of all the camping related jargon that encompasses the hobby, but these are the few that stood out as interesting. Whether you enjoy using terminology that flies over your friend’s heads or you would like an inside joke for the duration of your trip, hopefully, this list helps. Happy camping, you pup tent-living, tinder-finding, G.O.R.P-eater.
