Experience is only available when you have gone through it, unfortuneately.

My experience with one-knife camping(and I have to admit, a pillow), makes it clear to me that it has to be for an extended period of time or else it is not worth the work I put into it. It turns into an uncomfortable hike with lots of sweat and little to show for it.

My first one-knife was unexpected as I was with a set of 'adults' going to a city two states away. I was left at the side of the road after one of the others had to barf. There was a swirl of people and garbage bags and water jugs and when I turned around, the van was leaving.

Now, I was in the middle of Illinois, on a country road, the last house I knew of was miles away, and I was 14. Yes, inexperienced. Yes, scared.

But I stayed where they dropped me off for 38 hours.

When they came back, my Mother was in the van with them, which she wasn't before having been in a different vehicle going to the event. The driver had a look on his face that was both relief and constipated.

When they found me, I had been able to make a small branch lean too, a fire and was munching on apples.

My Mother never let the driver of that van forget that time, and I never had a curfew that year. It was nice to have that trust.

Rena