Bush Camp: Setting yourself up for Success

Working and living out side, especially in the early spring can take a toll on your body. Please come prepared. I’ve outlined a few general topics and bulleted some major components and the “why” you need to make these priorities for your health and preventing injuries. To some of you, these may be simple no-brainers, but the amount of time I’ve seen people come to planting un-prepared and then later see them injured or battling mentally and physically because they have neglected a basic of being human. At the end of the day, your are tree planting to make money, let’s set you up for success!

Your Central Nervous System (CNS) prioritizes safety over everything. It is constantly looking for potential threats. This can include threats to basic needs like: stress, staying warm and dry, have the proper nutrients in your body, hydration, safe spaces, physiological, psychological, etc. And can also include actual physical threats like someone attacking you.

There are 2 stress responses that our systems go through:

1. Sympathetic (Fight, flight, freeze, fawn)
2. Parasympathetic (Rest & digest)

Your nervous system needs to feel safe. You cannot heal or recover if you are in sympathetic (fight or flight). You rest and heal when your body is feeling safe or parasympathetic mode (rest & digest). If you do not provide the basics of safety to your nervous system, it will start prioritizing for you. For example: staying warm. If you don’t have the proper clothes and tent set up to stay warm, your body will begin to conserve energy to your core organs for survival, taking blood flow away from extremities. So when you go out to plant trees, your wrist and extremities are cold and have decreased blood flow, but you are asking them to work cold and in the cold. This will drastically increase your chances of injury to those extremities.

There is not one thing on this list below that is more important than another. They are all equally important in the role of keeping your nervous system feeling safe, and along with that; injury prevention and the ability to rest and recover.

At Camp:

Camping Gear / Set-up:

• Have a good tent that will keep you and your things warm and dry.
• Pick a camp spot that won’t get flooded/retain water, or is too much in the sun/shade or exposed too much into the elements (wind or near roads, etc).
• Consider getting a proper tent footprint and also a good quality tarp to protect from the elements.
• Have the extra things your need to decrease stress like: alarm clock, flashlights/headlamp, extra rope/string to hang things, folding chair, dry towels, etc.

Sleep & Rest:Very important component for mental and physical recovery and processing. Remember you will be out there for 2-3 months.

• Good sleeping pad/foamie
• Warm sleeping bag / blankets (even extra)
• Proper pillow
• Put base layers in sleeping bag so they are warm in the morning
• Go pee before you get in your tent for the night for uninterrupted sleep cycle
• You should not over dress or have too many blankets when sleeping. Although it’s important to stay warm, you don’t want to get so warm that you end up sweating. This cycles into cold/hot sweats which is not ideal for recovery or sleeping outside in the spring.

Camp / day off Clothes:Important to be dry and warm after work and into the evening.

• Get out of crusty/sweaty/damp/wet clothes and into dry and warm clothes for your body to feel safe and begin to enter into recovery mode
• Gum boots for around camp when it’s wet to keep feet warm and dry
• Toques and mittens, base layers and wool
• Have a set of warm clothes to sleep in

Hygiene:Important for your health to prevent illness and infections.

• Wash hands often
• Brush teeth everyday
• Wash clothes often or have enough clean/warm/dry clothes to get you through a few shifts.
• Wash your bedding regularly
• Shower often, if not every day
• Wear shower sandals to help prevent athletes foot and other types of infections – keep your feet clean and dry, remember they are stuck in boots at work all day, they need to air out!

Mental Health:This is crucial to living outside and in remote areas. Yes you will have lots of social activities, but sometimes you need to rest and recover solo. As we all know, mental health is a huge component of living outside, working alone and recovery.

• Bring things that you enjoy like a books, computer (movies), boards games, cards, etc.
• On the block, bring music or podcasts with you
• Journal and pen
• Help out fellow planters/workers in your camp. Learn to recognize and ask if people need help. Create an inclusive environment that is accepting and open.

Hydration:Depending on your weight and size, weshould all be drinking around 2L per day on a normal day. Add in exercise and you can easily be at 3-4L/day. During the planting season: 4-6L/day.

• Have at least a container that hold 4L of water. Have a spare incase you lose it or it breaks or need to bring more water with you to work
• Consider salting your food or supplementing with electrolytes to retain more water
• Hydration is super important for all your muscles, joints and especially tendons to function properly. If you are not hydrated, the tendons cannot slide and glide against each other, then they get stuck and pull on each other and create tension, adhesion and inflammation – resulting in increase chances of injury.

Nutrition:It’s very important to eat a well balanced diet to give your body the fuel and energy it needs to perform at work and to recover after.

• Make sure you are getting enough carbohydrates, protein, fats through good foods like meats, vegetables/fruits, and grains.
• Keep alcohol and other inhibitory substances to a minimum. They are low in nutrients, high in calories and can have a negative impairing effect on mental health. Not to mention they dehydrate you. These impairments can last for a few days may inhibit your recovery.