What is Cowboy Camping?

While plenty of folks immediately “get” our brand name of “Cowboy Camping”, there are a vocal few who have requested clarity on the outdoor camping practice behind our name. While it’s a much smaller amount of inquiries than our previous two brand names have inspired (Cnoc = the Gaelic word for hill and Diorite = a type of rock found in the PNW), enough folks have asked that we’ve decided it’s time to write a quick explainer on the practice of cowboy camping (also sometimes known as meadow crashing) and how it’s become so dear to the hearts of ultralight backpackers everywhere.

Quite simply, cowboy camping is the practice of sleeping under the stars without a shelter of any kind above you. Named after the practice of sleeping on simple bedrolls by cattle ranchers, it’s become a beloved practice in the long distance hiking community. Folks like it for a variety of reasons:

1. Long distance hikers are lazy - kind of

Long distance hikers work hard putting up miles all day, so when the evening comes around, they have very little energy to spare on getting camp set up. It’s not unusual to see a hiker that walked 30 miles that day complain loudly about having to walk a quarter mile to water. Cowboy camping allows for an extremely quick camp set up in the evening, making nightly chores that much easier.

2. Lightweight shelters can be cramped, uncomfortable, or not fully enclosed anyway

Many long distance hikers are carrying ultralight shelters - these can have very little room to spread out in, minimal breathability, or may just be a tarp without fully enclosing the occupant anyway. If there’s no rain in the forecast and a beautiful night ahead, it’s not hard to imagine why a hiker might be easily convinced to abandon their shelter entirely for the night. 

3. Looking under the stars is awfully nice

Sleeping under the stars is a uniquely primal activity that can really add to your outdoor adventure. Hikers work extremely hard to hike somewhere the stars are visible and shielded from light pollution but it’s not unusual for them to be in their tent by the time the night sky appears on a summer backpacking trip. If that sounds familiar, you may be missing out on a unique experience so many folks will never experience. 

How do I cowboy camp?

It can’t be easier to cowboy camp - you can pack for a trip exactly as you would for any backpacking adventure but choose to forgo the tent on an evening with a nice clear sky. All we recommend is a groundsheet, a more isolated camp location, and a dry time of year or locale. 

While Cowboy Camping gear can be used on adventures that exclusively feature nights spent in tents, you also don’t need Cowboy Camping gear to cowboy camp. The goal of Cowboy Camping was always to bring practices common in long distance backpacking and make them accessible to folks that haven’t discovered them yet. So get out there and give sleeping under the stars a chance - Cowboy Camping gear in tow or not!