Approaching Gear Zen
Some of you out there are neat freaks but many of us are honestly slobs - or at least moving too quickly to care. Translated to overlanding, off-road trips, and camping - this sloppiness leads to misplaced gear, forgotten gear, gear taking up too much space, and gear banging around the vehicle or trailer.
Maybe you have come to clarity progressively over time, or maybe it occurred in a moment of crisis ("Where's the effin' fire extinguisher Mildred! Dinner's on fire!!"). But we all reach a point at which our overlanding and camping gear is out of control and we realize it is time to regain control - for the sake of our sanity.
If you hang around the BROG shop long enough you will see we are kind of obsessed with what could be called 'Gear Zen'. Apologies to our Zen Buddhist friends for riffing on the concept, but we believe the best way to describe being fully present and at peace while taking adventures is...well...zen! Less cursing and arguing, lower blood pressure, smoother trips, greater enjoyment - the goal is to reclaim your journey. That's what gets us up in the morning. We believe it's an attainable ideal.
This all may sound somewhat gimmicky, and it probably is, but the pursuit of tranquility, focus, and 'flow' has been floating on the waves of popular culture in the West for some time (ex: ole' Jack's Dharma Bums, movie star Bruce Lee, Kung Fu (1972 tv series), 'zen and the art of...', Yoda and the Jedi, Marie Kondo's empty rooms).
Here in America, we are frazzled, stressed, and overworked. And often we bring all that chaotic energy with us when taking trips. In fact, the chaos of your overlanding and camping gear is reflecting the disorganization of your inner thoughts. You can start to reverse this negative energy by organizing your gear. Sounds simple, right? Maybe too simple. But that is the nature of wisdom, young grasshopper.
Organizing your gear is actually a way of living into your experience of your journey before you take it - a kind of hopeful anticipation matched with thorough planning - it is projecting into the future so you will be able to live in the present more fully out on the road / trail. There is no way to separate your experience of your journey from your experience with your gear - it is one and the same. That is why the School of Gear Zen is the pathway to being fully present in your overlanding and camping journeys.
The invitation has been made to walk this path. The only student is one who knows they are not yet a master. Be watching in the coming days for your next lesson.
