Today we’d like to introduce you to Jocelyn McCants.
Jocelyn, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Cayela (one of the three co-founders) has been camping since she was a kid. Her family went camping at the state parks and Cayela fell in love. Well, for Shunté and I, let’s just say it took some persuasion by Cayela. Cayela would host weekend camping outings, but I would never stay overnight. You see, I was a “day time” camper! This went on for a while until Cayela convinced us to go on a trip with her without the crowd. She boasted about a peaceful night’s sleep, cooking over an open fire, and a fun day of tubing down the river. After several “it’s time” calls, we gave in. Never could I ever imagine how peaceful camping could be. We cooked, we fished, we laughed, we spent that Saturday afternoon tubing in Helen, GA. Our connection with each other grew because we had interrupted time to talk and relax. That Sunday morning, after we packed up, I looked back on the extinguished campfire and thought about how many weekends I could have enjoyed if I would have embraced camping sooner. The ladies and I decided right then that we needed to create an experience to help people of enjoying the outdoors.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
We are going into year 5 for providing curated camping experiences. We have outgrown after year 3, we outgrew the campground where we started our events. We ran into problems with some state and privately-owned campgrounds willing to rent out an entire campground for a weekend even when though we were prepared to pay. We were blessed that D&D Outdoor Retreat (owned by a young black couple) in Wrightsville welcomed us. We have outgrown that property (they will be clearing more acres in the future) so we’re now moving to Cordele, GA.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Melanated Campout is a Black and women-owned company that’s inspiring more people of color to camp and enjoy outdoor adventures. POC tend to spend less time in the natural environments that can produce a sense of calm, joy and connection. We create an environment to help new and experienced campers feel safe, comfortable and that they belong outdoors. We offer outdoor survival skills, fishing, yoga and meditation, as well as providing social activities (kickball, line dance workshop, comedy show, night parties and more!
The most rewarding part of hosting Melanated Campout is hearing the testimonies from campers. We are humbled by our reach to our camping community. Several of our campers told us that they “needed the Melanated Campout experience.” They were excited to share the news of new friendships, camping skills learned, and the fun they had participating in our activities.
We had campers who…
– had lost a loved one;
– chose to have a family meet-up at camp to spend time with a terminally ill family member;
– were recently divorced;
– were Veterans with PTSD;
– were recently an empty nester;
– were single parents taking time for themselves;
– were celebrating a wedding anniversary;
– were celebrating a birthday;
– were looking to relax in nature & connect with friends.
Seeing those smiles all weekend long is priceless!
What matters most to you?
We would like for our brand to be known as industry leader in the black outdoor movement, curated experiences, collaboration, and self-care activities. Melanated Campout meets campers where they are, offering camping opportunities for all comfort levels ranging from experienced to new campers. Our aim is to ensure that every camper has a healthy and enjoyable experience, leaves camp with an appreciation for the wonder and beauty of the natural environment, and feels inspired to encourage their family and friends to connect with nature by taking the Melanated Campout plunge! Activities include: tent and RV camping, fishing, hiking, yoga, field day, comedy, themed parties, single and mingle games, couples game show, empowerment speakers & more!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.MelanatedCampout.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/MelanatedCampout
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/MelanatedCampout
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelanatedCampou?t=Wj3WZQp8ad0vtqc5e6hMAg&s=09
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/MelanatedCampout
- Other: tiktok.com/@melanatedcampout
Image Credits
Michael Rhea’s Photography and A Very Worthy Production
