Thoughts of a Modern-Day Mountain Man:A Field Guide to Leadership in the Great Outdoors Chapter 14

This is the fourteenth of a weekly blog series that will focus on leadership in the outdoors and how to get the most from the least. Even though the title is called, “Thoughts of a Modern-Day Mountain Man”, it will hopefully cover topics that are useful to everyone.

Chapter 14: Spend some time smoking your pipe.

“The first thing you should do in an emergency situation — once you know it's safe — is smoke a cigarette.” -Paul Petzoldt

This chapter is certainly not intended as an endorsement or promotion of smoking of any kind, whether it is a cigar, cigarette, pipe or some other modern conveyance of tobacco like substances, rather it is a thought of slowing down and taking your time to assess what is important, enjoying life, or taking an intentional break from the sometimes monotony of everyday tasks in life. The famed adventurer and educator Paul Petzoldt always advocated stopping to smoke a cigarette in times of emergency or high stress. The idea was to slow down and collect your thoughts, think things through, talk it out with your fellow leaders and process every detail of what was happening, with the end goal being to make a well-thought-out and wise decision to keep the situation from possibly getting worse or making a bad decision compound an already bad situation. In his later years, when smoking had fallen out of favor in most social situations and contexts, he still made the same recommendation, but instead of an actual cigarette he recommended smoking a “mental cigarette.”

In the mountain man’s time of yesteryear most of the men chose to carry and smoke a pipe. It was carried in his possibles bag, where his most important items and tools were kept. Tobacco was one of the most prized and expensive possessions that was traded for and sold at the mountain man’s annual rendezvous. During the mountain man of yesteryear’s time period smoking a pipe was in fashion and working in a profession that was very high risk from day-to-day, being a pipe smoker gave all of the men in a company, from many different backgrounds and circumstances something to share. Being a trapper and trader in the early 19th century in the Rocky Mountains was hard, dangerous work that required extensive travel, usually on foot. Taking the time to stop on a journey or while completing a task to have a smoke of your pipe gave the men a huge morale boost and provided time for fraternization and discussions. Often the amount of time or distance traveled was measured by the needed pipe smoking breaks among the men. This was one determining factor that all of the men shared and put all of the company on an equal social footing. Having a pipe was also used as a very important symbol of friendship and camaraderie with the native populations, rarely was business conducted before lighting the pipe.

Far too often in the camping and conference business, we forget to take time throughout the day to pause and reflect and build friendships that our heroes of yesteryear would have done during a smoking stop. Many famed writers and intellectuals of a bygone era would not have been caught without their favorite pipe or their favorite blend of tobacco. Many great discussions and debates occurred during pipe smoking sessions with their fellow thinkers. Some of the most famous writers and intellectuals that would fall into this category were the “Inklings.” If you don’t know who these gentlemen were and the profound effect their work had not only on Christian thinking and writing, but the entire world, please be sure to do more reading on this illustrious group. Many volumes and books have been written about them. Their meetings and discussion groups always centered around sharing a pipe smoking experience. Over the sweet smell of burning pipe tobacco, they would discuss very profound matters and subjects.

Take the time to enjoy great things.

Again, I am not advocating in any way for someone to smoke a pipe, cigar or any tobacco product as there are certainly many negative health and social effects, but in a world where so many real connections are rarely made in a way that is profound or meaningful, we often forget to take the time to be intentional to have an in-person discussion with our fellow man. Perhaps we should head Mr. Petzoldt’s advice and smoke a “mental cigarette,” or maybe a “mental cigar or pipe.” I am, however, a firm believer that great things like a fine wine, whiskey, cigar or pipe blend is something that is an all-natural gift from God and is meant to be enjoyed and cherished from time-to-time. Everything in moderation, of course.

I have had the pleasure of working in many different capacities, in many different career fields throughout the years. I remember one summer working with several older gentlemen that I respected, most of whom smoked and took smoke breaks throughout the day. I didn’t smoke, but I still went out of my way to take smoke breaks with them. The conversations weren’t always of the highest intellectual quality, or family-friendly, but it gave me a chance to get to know them and have discussions away from the drudgery of the job at hand.

We are bombarded non-stop with technology, social media, digital interactions of all sorts and an ever-growing expectation from many employers to work more and more hours with little time for reflection, with the only perceived benefit going to the employer. This is not a call for laziness on the part of an employee by any means, but to have an intentionality to slow down, connect with your fellow man and enjoy the great things in life, perhaps over a pipe or a fine cigar.