Hi! My name is Al. I was born and raised in NYC and started camping late in life. And over the years, I've camped a lot. Sometimes on my own. Sometimes as part of a group.

But here's the thing. When you go with a group, you're sometimes forced to deal with people that if you knew were going to be there, you would have canceled. People like the leader of a camping group my friends and I ran into recently.

When he sees our dope little fire, this guy complained that we had set up his fire for him and his group. When we told him that it was small on purpose to avoid a fire hazard, he said it'll be bigger shortly (no need to compensate, bro.)

After he sets up his tent, he invites himself to sit where our dog was chewing his sticks without asking permission to join first (like who raised you, bro?) And before asking us our names, he interrupts our conversations to pitch us on joining his camping group (buy me a drink first, bro.)

He eventually gets around to asking us where we're from and what we hiked, only to brag about how many miles he and his group just hiked and how many camping trips they do with their pricey gear.

And before the night was over, dude just made himself at home with his group and took over our fire, as if to make it clear that we did not belong there (colonizers gotta colonize, I suppose.)

If you're thinking, "Wtf, who this dude think he is?" then imagine how we felt. His behavior is so common that it's the #1 reason why campers who don't look like that dude don't go camping.

Don't let dudes like this define what camping is. I launched this Meetup so that we can show up on camping trips and create spaces where everyone will be like you, awesome, chill, respectful and courteous to others.

See you out there, bruh!

P.S. Camping is not a hobby or a side hustle for me. It's my main hustle. Yes, I earn a full-time living by planning and hosting outdoor experiences.

Signing up to my trips means you're getting a professional, beginner-friendly camping experience at an affordable price, with camping gear accessible if you need it, with roundtrip shuttle van available in most cases from convenient NYC pickups if you want it (separate fee), provided by a fully-insured outdoor company that happens to be owned and operated by a person of color. Word. ✌🏽

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