Well, it is finally here! Summer has dropped right in our laps and it is welcomed! We have been pretty busy getting ready for it. We are ready! Are you?

Summer is a great time to get out of town and go and do something different. Rehoboth is the place that many people get away to and I love the influx of smiling, happy boys and girls coming to have a good time in our wonderful town. But sometimes I like to head to the mountains and go backpacking. I love to backpack but did you realize you can do it right here in Rehoboth? Caught you off guard!! I am talking about two different kinds of backpacking!!! I love to do both!

With the swelling of our summer population, my job gets a little busier. I have to hit the pavement and talk to folks about safety—personal safety. I am always pleased by the numbers of men who listen to what I have to say but I continue to be worried about people who miss it completely. Guys, barebacking is simply not safe. It is especially unsafe with someone you don’t know so well—like the guy you just met this afternoon on the beach. Remember though, it is about personal choice and personal safety. So you have to make the choice about backpacking or barebacking. Make a good choice.

My buddy Dave is a good backpacker. Now I never have gone hiking with him but let me tell you about his backpack. Inside his backpack are an assortment of things that make safer sex fun, easy to do and easy to get to. He has an assortment of condoms. There is plenty of good-quality water-based lube, some personal wipes and a few other things that make for a good time. It seems that there is always a surprise in the bag too. Every week it is something different! Wow! If you need it for safe fun, it is there!

Backpacking and being prepared is a terrific way to show someone you care—about yourself and about them. That is pretty powerful stuff! If you may be looking for Mr. Right and not necessarily Mr. Right Now, this is a good way to get started!

It is so much easier to be spontaneous and safe when you are always prepared! Remember what they told you in boy scouts...be prepared! If I have to put on my boy scout uniform to get this point across, I will! But you need more than condoms and lube to be prepared. You will also need some knowledge. I can help with both!

Please be a backpacker and not a barebacker this summer. If you will get a backpack and come and see me, I can help you stock it. I can help you be prepared. I can give you the tools and the knowledge to be prepared and safe. While being gay is neither a lifestyle nor a choice, being safe is! Make the choice to be safe! Make it your lifestyle.

Be safe. Be happy. Be smart. Have fun! Come see me if you need me. I’m in the CAMP Rehoboth office, on the beach, on the internet. CAMPsafe is here for you!