Daniel Rzadkowski, a senior majoring in finance at Drury University, is an outdoor enthusiast who loves camping. Rzadkowski hails from Suwalki, Poland is part of the Drury Panthers Swim Team. His plan after graduation is to earn his masters in business and travel throughout Europe.
“Visiting places and exploring the wilderness up close and personal is something that some people do not find interesting. The wilderness gives a sense of freedom to me, with a touch of beautiful scenery that is not touched by man. Camping and exploring the outdoors is something that always brought an interest to me.¨
What has been the best camping place you have been to, and describe what the scenery looked like?
The best camping place I have ever been was in Croatia. I went there with my parents in the summer about 10 years ago. We decided to set up a tent in Plitvickie Jeziora which is a set of multiple waterfalls, falling from one lake to another.
Do you prefer camping in an area that has been created for camping or do you prefer to go somewhere that hasn’t been touched by man and create your own place to camp?
In my opinion classic camping is not as interesting as camping in the wilderness. Setting my tent up in a place that has not been touched by man lets me feel more free and relaxed. It is also more challenging because there is no electricity as well as utilities and fresh water. Even if it’s more exciting and feels like I am closer to nature sometimes it is more dangerous and brings negative consequences.
So what have been your bad camping experience?
It was fall of 2015 when my three friends and I decided to go for a wild camping trip at a national park in Arkansas. After the first night somebody woke us up, it was a forest ranger pointing a gun on us telling us to evacuate the tent slowly with our arms raised over our heads. When he realized that we were not armed, he calmed down and told us a story that he had heard gun shots and he thought we were the source of it. We got a ticket of $125 for off-road driving in a national park. We were lucky that we did not get second ticket because he did not see the bonfire that we had made, which is also illegal in national parks.
When you go camping how long is the usual stay and why?
My trips are a maximum of three to four nights long.
What do you usually cook while you´re camping?
I usually grill barbecue and cook one and a half gallons of soup on the bonfire which is enough food for two to two and a half days. I also use a propane stove to boil water to make coffee and heat up milk for the oatmeal.
What are activities that you do while camping?
When I am picking a location or a place to camp where I want to set up my tent, I usually do some research before and look for hiking trails, and other adventurous activities to do while I am camping. Another thing I look for is threats that I could face, for example what wild animals live in the area. I also Google pictures of the views beforehand to decide if it’s worth it to travel to that location.
What would be your dream experience about camping?
In the future I would like to buy an RV. Hopefully I will be able to save enough money to buy one after graduation and take a gap year to visit most of the European countries. I like the idea of having a motor house because you can wake up every day with a different view.
