1. It will be fun! Being on a trip is more challenging than time spent in camp, but trips also offer great opportunities for growth and a real feeling of accomplishment, as well as an up close and intimate connection with the natural world.
2. Typically, campers will find out about their trip a few days before it leaves. Sometimes they’re grouped by cabin and sometimes campers sign up for their first and second choices. When picking trip groups, we pay careful attention to the individuals and their personalities to increase the chance of a happy and harmonious group.
3. Just before the group hits the trail, maps are examined, compasses oriented, GORP (trail mix) sampled, and the plan for the day is explained. Water and snack breaks are frequent, especially for new hikers (or canoeists). Lunch might be peanut butter and jelly on pita bread and an apple or cheddar cheese on a rice cake with cucumbers.
5. When the campsite is reached at the end of the day, everyone gets busy. Some people filter water, some start cooking dinner, and others set up tents. After a surprisingly tasty meal of spaghetti or black bean burritos, the dishes are washed, and the food is hung high up in a tree. At this point, the day is nearly done. What happens next is some quiet conversation, a group check-in, and maybe a campfire, soon followed by the pleasure of getting into sleeping bags and resting the body that has achieved so much in one day!
6. Upon returning to camp, packs are unpacked, group gear is washed, dirty clothes go into the laundry bag, sleeping bags are aired out, and everyone is given the opportunity to take a long, hot shower. After a few days on the trail, life in camp seems quite luxurious!
If you have any questions about trips at Farm & Wilderness or anything else, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 802-422-3761.