After years of city noise, it takes a moment to realise that the only thing missing is the background hum. The silence of camping in the desert feels unfamiliar at first, but it feels good.
Switching the city streets for a weekend on dirt paths has given Nelson ZêPequéno a chance to step outside the small-scale ecosystems he’s learned to cultivate at home, and into something far less containable.
“Escaping the city has become my way of recharging from the “grind”. Living in one of the biggest cities in America has its benefits, but it all comes with an exhaustion that hits each of us on a cellular level.”
A new experience
For Nelson, stepping into the desert meant entering both an unfamiliar and challenging environment that demanded adjustment. Heat, sand and exposure need to be managed and nothing comes as easy as it does back in the city. This new territory brings its challenges, but also offers simplicity beneath. Out here the pace shifts naturally, giving Nelson the space to slow down and notice what would otherwise go unseen.
The trip
A few hours away from the glow of Los Angeles, the air becomes clean and crisp. For Nelson, there was no better place to point towards than Joshua Tree National Park.
“I drove my Dometic rig out to Joshua tree. The National Park is located 2-hours outside of Los Angeles with a scenic drive that I believe everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime.”
When the asphalt turns to dirt, the ride gets rough. With his gear strapped down and windows rolled up, Nelson cruises down the trails arriving at Indian Cove Campground. It's one of those places admired in the magazines. A classic off-grid camp site surrounded by wind blown rock, sporadic vegetation and hiking trails winding off in all directions.
“During the day I visited iconic local shops in town, scrambled up the rocks at Coyote Hole Canyon for a view of the sprawling desert and distant mountain peaks.”
Small moments, Big experience
As Nelson settled down into the rhythm of the desert, he started to figure things out. While life in the city is filled with distractions and comforts that are easy to take for granted, out here, everything is stripped back. Cooking, carrying water, and setting up a place to sleep become part of a simpler routine and one that quickly starts to feel complete.
“During sunset I ventured out into the Desert View Conservation Area to watch the stars move across the night sky, unencumbered by light pollution. Back at my campfire, I ate an ungodly amount of s'mores before climbing into my rooftop tent to read.”
Camp life
Surviving in this sort of environment is more about carrying the right equipment, than a lot of it. The vehicle Nelson is exploring in is fitted with a range of carefully selected Dometic camping gear.
Time proven essentials such as the Dometic 2 Cook 3 Pro Cooker offered new inspiration even on this first time experience.
“I made one of the best steaks of my life in the desert. I've been practicing my sear and was able to perfect it using the Dometic cooker.”
And the best pieces of camping gear easily go unnoticed. Vital to surviving in remote areas such as the camp grounds around Joshua Tree National Park, is the need to carry and preserve your food and water properly.
“While the Dometic camp kitchen brought a level of comfort to the camping experience that I've never known before, having access to fresh food protected by the Dometic CFX5 portable fridge made my solo stay manageable, stress free and refreshing.”
For Nelson, this was a chance to step into the natural environment which he knew was there, but needed to reward himself with the time to go and experience it first hand.
The desert offered something rare. Space to slow down and notice the small details. From scrambling through rocky canyons to spotting desert plants in their natural habitat, each moment was a gentle lesson. Experiencing the stars from his roof-tent, far from light pollution, made the scale of the world feel larger than life. Taking these discoveries back to daily life, Nelson knows that connection to the natural world, and to himself, doesn’t have to be bigger than a weekend adventure across state.
Follow Nelson: @zznelsonzz (opens in new tab)
