Enjoy camping with friends on my mountain

｜The reason I started camping

Since I was a child, my family often went camping, and that's how I came to love playing in nature.

I hardly camped from middle school to university, but in my first year as a working adult, I discovered the camping gear I used to use in my parents' attic.

Since I was just talking about camping with my friends, I tried it again and remembered the fun from the past and got hooked.

I still use the Coleman gasoline lantern that my father bought about 30 years ago.

｜My camping style

Basically, I enjoy camping with a few friends.

I love sitting around the campfire with friends, enjoying delicious food and drinks, and having various conversations.

It's strange how I can openly express worries that I usually can't talk about when I'm around the fire. Haha.

In recent years, my camping friends have been increasing, and sometimes each person sets up their own tent to sleep. I enjoy the camping style of having fun with friends outside and then enjoying my own time when sleeping.

Also, when I go camping, I always bring my hobby, a DSLR camera, and I love to take pictures of the camping scenery, gear, and everyone having fun.

My favorite campsite is definitely the Fujinomiya Campground.

The vast land and the towering Mount Fuji in the background are breathtaking no matter how many times I see them, and they move me.

The night sky is beautiful and moving, but when I see the sunrise, I truly feel alive.

｜Morning coffee is the blissful time.

The time I feel blissful while camping is during the morning coffee time.

I always bring coffee beans and a grinder, and I serve coffee to my friends.

Drinking coffee in nature is of course the best, but seeing my friends enjoy the coffee I brewed is also a blissful time.

｜Favorite ZEN Camps gear

“Lifetime item” fire-blowing stick

My first favorite gear from ZEN Camps is the "fire-blowing stick."

Until now, I had only used cheap collapsible fire-blowing sticks and didn't feel the need for one, but using the fire-blowing stick from ZEN Camps changed my mind.

This "lifetime item" fire-blowing stick is sturdy and long-lasting, with a perfect fit at the mouthpiece and just the right pressure when blowing air, allowing you to revive a fire that was about to go out in an instant.

I didn't know that a fire-blowing stick could be such a useful piece of gear.

Also, while it has a sense of heaviness and luxury, the combination of brass and aluminum makes it lightweight, which is a nice bonus. I first fell in love with its cool appearance.

After use, the parts can be disassembled and washed, so it can be managed cleanly.

This is truly a fire-blowing stick that deserves to be called "a lifetime item"!

｜Mountain development and campsite creation

In 2021, a few friends who love nature purchased a mountain in Tokyo and are developing the mountain and creating a campsite with our own hands.

We are active in creating our favorite places and want various people to use such places and experience nature with all five senses that they usually cannot feel.

In modern times, there are many people in the city who are stressed, and I think there are also many who are increasingly distancing themselves from nature due to their busyness.

I want people like that to spend relaxing time in nature and create opportunities to face themselves and their loved ones.

｜Interviewer information

Name: Yuji Ishiyama

Age: 33 years old (living in Tokyo)

Favorite things: nature, camping, camera, coffee, curry

January 17, 2023

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