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Through canoeing, I met a Scout leader in Canada who routinely takes groups of teens into the wilderness.  As we talked, I was pleasantly surprised that his group was made up of quite a few girls, and was very impressed by some of the trips these girls (and boys) had completed.  I was really glad to be able to interview one of the girls, Shannon.    It was fun reading her answers and she has some sage advice for beginners, so…read on! 

Shannon

Campgirlz:  How did you get interested in canoeing and camping?

Shannon:  I was in Cubs for 3 years and I was in Scouts for 4, and 1 year in Ventures. We always went canoeing and camping all the time. So, after Cubs I went to Scouts because you got to do more canoeing and camping.  I love that. 

What is your favorite part of canoeing and/or camping?

I think my favorite part of canoeing is being in the middle of the water and just looking at the water and the sky and how beautiful our world is. I also love when I go camping to go for a night walk, and lying down on the ground and looking up at the stars.

You canoe with your sisters-do you all get along on trips?  : )  Do you all like the same things about tripping or different ones?

I canoe alot with my sisters and we don’t get in fights. There is nothing really to get in a fight about. We all love the outdoors and we all love canoeing and we don’t to fight when we are on this trip because we can do that at home.

What has been your favorite trip so far?

I think my favorite trip would have to be my first canoe trip in Scouts. I was thirteen.  I went to Algonquin for 4 days. It was amazing. For most of the people that went with me it was our first time on a 4 day canoe trip. We had some great moments and some things we did wrong which were really funny. There is this boy that went with us on the canoe trip and he didn’t bring a rain suit and it rained a lot. Also another guy didn’t water proof his sleeping bag so it was really wet and he shared with someone else. So many great stories about this trip.  I just had the best time in the world. And one morning I woke up and I walked over to the water and the water looked just like the sky. It was such a beautiful morning and when I took a pic of it, you could not till which side was the water or the sky.

Wow!  That sounds beautiful!  I was curious, have you ever been treated differently because you were a girl?

A lot of times the guys in our group would not like us to do some things because we were girls. But we never listened to them and we tried 2 times harder to show them up. A lot of times I saw in our Scout group the girls were stronger and more go-getters than the boys. You don’t really see that much but our Scout group has more girls then boys.  Most of the time we treat each other the same. 

Have you had any scary experiences and how did you deal with it?

I don’t think I have ever had any scary moments when I was camping or canoeing.   But my friend always gets scared of the dark so I always have to sing or talk her through it when we are walking in the dark.

That’s awesome.  I am sure she appreciates that. 
What would you recommend to girls just starting out in camping?

I think girls can do what guys can do. It is amazing doing all theses trips. I would tell them to do it if they love it. Go for it!  Don’t stop believing  

Thanks so much for your time & thoughts, Shannon.  Looking at some of your groups tripping pictures, I am very impressed by your skills and determination.  Paddle on! 

We are doing some programs at a local nature center to teach girls the art of fire builing & outdoor ethics.  We do the candy campfires outlined on this website, talk about fire safety, and make our own one match fire.  In addition, we play with old time strikers & some more modern ones.

I like the kids to have success with the strikers.  Flint & steel can be too difficult for little kids.  So, after talking about the flint, steel, and char cloth,  we use cotton balls with a little Vaseline on them & a more modern striker that throws a pretty good spark.  Almost every child can do this if they keep trying!

Success!

Older girls can master the flint and steel.  Lighting a fire without a match takes a lot of effort, but the girls are so proud when they achieve it!

Contact me if you would like this program for your group or troop.

The girls love it!

Photos by our Technical Director, JJ.

How to plan a successful camp out for family or youth group

Before you begin, you might want to check our Progression Page at www.campgirlz.com/?page_id=15

First Timers

For younger girls, a backyard campout is a fun first step & very forgiving to beginning planners.  A backyard campout is basically a dry run for campout away from home, so you want to run through all the same steps listed below.  Obviously, the bonus for adults:  if you forget something, a girl is very upset,  or the weather turns, you are steps away from the solution.   Even though you are close to a phone, try to encourage all girls to stay the night & work through any fears or problems.  From working at many camps, I know most upset girls who are offered support, can make it through the night and feel very proud of themselves in the morning.  That is the way we learn & grow.

For older girls who are beginners, a backyard campout might not be appealing. Another first step for these girls is a skills day..  Separate skills are practiced at a local park before an actual campout. Some examples of activities are hang a tarp, set up a tent, start a fire, use a map and compass, and operate a camp stove.  The great thing about a skills session is the freedom to make mistakes without great discomfort!  Developing the skills into games or contests with prizes makes the day more fun.

• Tent or tarp race…have a race to see who can set up their tent or tarp the fastest
• Learn some basic first aid & then have a ‘pretend emergency’ where the girls have to treat the person using the skills they learned
• Cook a lunch using many different fuel sources, such as reflector oven, cook stove, and fire.
• Have a ‘one match fire’ contest
• Make a bracelet with beads while learning knots
• Fill packs with a variety of items & have relays.  ‘Oh yeah, all that stuff is a lot heavier than we thought!’

Always take time to address comfort level issues and any fears/concerns before the campout or trip.  Let’s face it, if someone is afraid, they are not going to have a good time.  Fear is generally a learned behavior & can be unlearned with patience and knowledge.    Talk is good!  Establishing a safe place where kids can talk & share is a critical step. Learn about what animals are in the area & talk about night noises before you camp out.  Have a night hike before the camp out.

One of the tricks for adults working with kids it to find that balance where no one in the group is left behind, but no one is bored either.  Tricky but challenging!

PLANNING AN AWAY TRIP:  After you feel your family or group is ready for a trip away from home, we still want to take progressive steps into wild places.  Some kids will be ready to go camping in any setting quickly, while some will be more hesitant.  The location & time away from home will vary depending on your groups’ skill level and comfort level.    Decide if you want to car camp, backpack or canoe trip.  Remember that all skills and experience build on each other & create a jumping off spot for the next level.

• It is very important the girls are involved in planning as much as possible. The more your child or group of children feel that they are planning & implementing the activities, the better the mood & attitude.
• It is better to have too many activities planned and not need them, than having not enough to do.  Also, some activities may not go over as planned, so you will need a substitute.
• Plan for down time & a reasonable pace.

• Learn about the area, including any animals or insects that may need special attention.  Secure reliable maps & local emergency contacts
• Have the kids make up a Trip Agreement that each participant will sign.  This includes good conduct and safety behavior.
• There are many examples of camping checklists for various trips available in books and on the internet.  It is okay to start with an established list & tweek it for your own needs.  Everyone has their own way of camping and their own opinion on what is necessary.   Before showing them a list, it is a good exercise to have the group mentally walk through their plan, jotting down items they will be using, because this encourages critical thought!  Always a good thing.  A great site on lightweight gear and travel is www.nessmuking.com
• Have the kids make up a menu for the trip & plan out a food list, including walking through any utensils they will need & how they will keep food cold.  Help them figure out portion sizes and how much food they will need.
• Work out a tentative itinerary for your trip & make sure parents at home have a copy.  It is also important to let someone know about day hikes and trips.  If an emergency would happen, someone not on the trip needs to know about where you are and what time you were expected back.
• Have the girls plan out a First Aid Kit.  Place your local emergency contacts, home emergency contact for girls, parent permission, and any personal medications in the kit.
• Review Leave No Trace ethics!  www.lnt.org

As noted earlier, as much as possible, it is great practice to involve girls in all these steps even for a backyard campout, making mistakes and the corresponding adjustments.

SAFETY: If you belong to a particular group, such as Girl Scouts, make sure you follow all the guidelines for your organization.  They have some excellent resources on safety guidelines.  Here are just a few general tips:

• Know the area & the potential risks
• Know the weather forecast
• Plan for emergencies & be prepared
• Make sure each participant knows what to do in case of emergency
• Girls should always take a ‘buddy’ if they have to leave the group.

Trip Time! During the camp out or trip out, as a leader, one of your jobs is to read your group.  How are they doing?  Bored? Tired?  Be flexible.  If that amazing activity you planned is bombing in real life, then feel free to scrap it & do something else.  Create an atmosphere of open communication & have group discussion times if necessary.  Let go of perfection..remember these are kids.  They may say or do things that create challenges for you as a leader.  Keep the mood light & upbeat.  Check out our tips for challenging days in , ‘Mood Meltdown!’ under the category ‘Camp Out’.

Post Camp Evaluate your trip.  How did we do? What would we change? What was the best activity?  Where do we want to go next?

Have ideas to add to the perfect camp out?  Email me at campgirlz777@gmail.com

Campgirlz.com received this email from Margo in Illinois.  I thought is was awesome!  Check out Maren in the tree. 

We have camped in our back yard for years and our grand kids love it. They pick the camp site and have several areas named by the trees there. The area with pine trees they call “Minnesota”; the area with the Birch trees is “Maine” and the area between the pasture and our prairie plantings, they call “Illinois”. Tree climbing is one of their fun activities. Maren’s G’pa made the mistake of telling her she wasn’t quite big enough to climb the big Hickory. She was well up into the tree before he knew what was happening.

Spider Nursery

Imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning, to find a new batch of eggs from the Momma Spider in my window.  My first thought was that the spider was slowly letting a few babies hatch, and then replacing the eggs in a cocoon.  I was wrong.  I read up on the house spider & it turns out the mother can have multiple egg sacs in a year…up to 19 egg sacs!  That is over 1900 babies.  Of course, most of them do not make it to adulthood.

Kinda cool…I have about 12 tiny baby spiders hanging out with Mom.  Two of them have moved to their own webs.  They start out the size of a pinhead.   The babies who have their own web are the size of about half a pencil erasure.   I can actually notice them get bigger within a couple of days.  We basically have a little spider nursery in the window now.

Mom is always busy!  She keeps a clean web, which requires a lot of moving around of debris & spinning the web. I watched her lower the remains of an unlucky June bug seven inches, to the ground, in about 5 seconds.

And, Spud, our Creative Director, has named the opportunistic spider.  You remember?  The  dark brown spider who moved in below our Momma House Spider to catch all the debris & insects falling from her web?  This spider is rather creepy looking, so I was sort of amused when Spud named it “Cinderella”.  Cinderella is doing quite well for herself!

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coccinella septempunctata

This sounds like a made up word or a really catchy nonsense song, but it actually is the scientific name for our much loved Ladybug.  Girls seem to feel a soft spot for ladybugs, because let’s face it-they are pretty cute!  Did you know that farmers and gardeners  love them,  too?  Ladybugs begin life as a larvae, a stage they live in for about 3-7 weeks.  During those weeks, the larvae can eat 5000 aphids EACH.  Aphids are bug that destroy crops, so farmers and gardeners love having this little beetle around.

When a Ladybug feels threatened, it might play dead.  It has another interesting line of defense. Secreted from the joints in its legs is a foul smelling substance.  In times of stress, the Ladybug secretes this substance, causing the potential attacker to say, “yuck!” and find a better meal somewhere else.

I asked my friend, Ness, if she would do an interview for campgirlz & she graciously agreed.  I met her on a message board dedicated to canoeing and kayaking, called paddling.net.  (where she routinely wins photo contests, by the way)  It is incredible how a love of paddling can bring friends together from all over the world.

Vanessa “Ness” W. has been married 26 years, has a grown son and stepdaughter, and didn’t really learn to be outdoorsy until she became an empty-nester. She now solo canoes and camps frequently with her husband, and several friends. Ness started out kayaking, learned to tent camp, graduated to canoeing, learned to paddle-in primitive canoe camp, and most recently has taken up whitewater canoeing. Ness lives in Western New York, and works full time. When she’s not paddling and camping, she runs several Yahoogroups on cooking, recycling, and paddling in WNY, and also volunteers to lead monthly singalongs for nursing home residents.

When did you first camp?

In the 1960s, my parents bought a huge canvas tent so our family of 6 could take camping vacations, as that was all they could afford.

What are your memories of that experience?

I don’t remember camping ever being what I’d call “fun”. There was little exploring or hiking, no splashing around in creeks, and definitely no getting dirty — my mom always wanted us to stay clean.  My parents weren’t outdoorsy types. They never seemed to enjoy camping. No wonder: the big, heavy tent, the huge pump-up air mattresses, the bulky flannel and cotton sleeping bags, plus cooking and watching out for 4 kids must have seemed like just more work for my squeaky-clean homemaker mom.

What other camping experiences did you have?

I cabin camped once in the mid 1970s (10th grade) with my high school group in the middle 1970s.  In the mid 1980s, I cabin camped with my husband and kids at a local state park.

Did you like it?

The high school cabin camper was fun because of the group of friends I camped with. But, I disliked the bugs, the ratty old CCC cabins, and the outhouses. And, a mouse in the cabin ran up my pants leg!  But I overlooked all that, because we were in a fun setting that resulted in laughter and good memories.

As for cabin camping with my husband, after two times, that was it! My husband’s habit of bringing everything but the kitchen sink, then leaving me to do all the child care and cooking and cleaning up while he sat back and had “a cold one”, left me fuming.   I also did not like the dirty cabins and the bugs * esp. the big black carpenter ants running up my son’s arms and legs while he was sleeping in the cabin! I also cleaned up all the dirty gear and stuff once we got home, as hubby was content to let it sit for days and possibly weeks.  Those were the final nails in the coffin on camping for me.

Why did you decide to give camping a try again?

In 2006, I gave camping another try because of paddling, my true passion, which I had been actively engaged in since 2004. But, this time it was tent camping, and it involved paddling as part of the whole experience. It was paddling that got me to camp again.

What was different this time?

I was invited to join a group of whitewater paddlers for a weekend on the Middle Youghiogheny River.  I had to tent camp to be able to paddle the river.  My first response was to being invited was, “I don’t camp, and I don’t do whitewater.” I definitely had the curiosity to try the whitewater,  but the camping part almost scared me off.  A very persuasive friend reasoned with me that many new places to paddle would open up to me if I camped.  So, I was talked into it.  My friend and even the group would help me if I needed assistance (such as setting the tent up).  Since my husband did not paddle at the time, and I did not want to travel 6 hours to my destination alone, I enlisted a girlfriend to come along.

Why did you like it this time around?

I was surrounded by a group of people who loved paddling, and camping.  And they gave lots of encouragement and advice, freely. They knew how to have fun. They didn’t criticize what I did, they helped me if I needed help, and they didn’t expect me to clean up after them! I also appreciated the support from the girlfriend who drove there with me, who was a more experienced tent camper than me. We shared a tent, but in future, I learned solo tenting is the way to go, at least for me.

Since then, I have taken many paddle-n-camp trips. I always combine camping with paddling, whether it’s paddling from a base camp on a reservoir, or paddling for a few days down a scenic river. And a few years ago, my husband got his own canoe, and joined me, too. Now we love to go to the Adirondacks together; we pack all our gear in our canoes and camp for several days.  However, the way to go for us is separate canoes, as well as separate tents (hubby snores!).

What skills have you learned as a woman camper?

I have learned how and what to pack for a trip:  clothes, food and gear, and how to start a fire, (but I can still use practice).  I can cook on an open fire, pitch my own tent, paddle my own canoe, and load it for a trip.  I am much more independent. I can now rely on myself, rather than someone else. I learned through trial and error, through advice and reading up, by talking to other women campers and paddlers, and by watching more experienced campers.

In your opinion, does the process of learning (to camp/ try a new activity) differ for women than for men?

Many women from my generation (I’m a Baby Boomer) were not taught to embrace the outdoors and sports the way men were. We were not taught to be independent, nor to explore. These were things we had to learn as older women.

Where do you see yourself going from here with what you have learned?

Some of my goals are to camp lighter, portage more, hike more while camping, and paddle-in primitive camp for longer periods of time.

What advice do you have for women who would like to learn to camp?

You can always learn something new. You can overcome your fears.  You can develop new skills. There are resources out there to help you. And never give up on trying something new, even if it takes more than a few tries.

Thank you, Ness for sharing your experiences with us so eloquently! 

Am I the only one who has so much fun watching spiders?:)

As I reported in March, I have been letting a house spider live in my window for over a year now.  It is very fascinating to watch one spider for so many months. I did not realize how carefully & methodically the house spider keeps her web clean, gently lowering any debris & moving things about.

On May 29, I woke up to about 40 tiny eggs scattered about the egg sac. They were a bit smaller than a grain of salt.  It looked like the mother spider had suspended them in webbing.  A few days later, they were gone & the egg sac had been dropped out of the web.  I was puzzled because I did not see any baby spiders.

Tonight, there are 2 baby spiders tending the web with Mom.  I am not sure where they have been or where the other babies are! 

Interestingly enough, a smaller spider built a web under Bobette’s web a few months ago. He catches all the rejects from the higher web.

Well, back to watching Mom & her babies!

During the recent Campgirlz.com photo contest, I received an entry from Sara who lives in Shiraz, Iran & teaches English. I love learning about other cultures, so I asked Sara a few questions about camping in Iran. It is amazing to me that through the internet we can communicate with people from all over the world! Her interview is very interesting, so I hope you will check it out & look at her beautiful photos!

Below is a picture of Sara and her friends hiking

The following are the comments from Sara:

People here go camping a lot & mostly during Norooz (our new year) that’s ending tomorrow with a great camping tradition all over the country. There are lots of beautiful campgrounds around the city & people choose where to go depending on the season. In the summer they choose cool places and travel north to SEPIDAN, GHALAT ,CHELLEGAH, BEHESHT GOMSHODE (which means THE LOST PARADISE in English), … & in the winter the warmer places or the snowy parts are the two selections people make. But spring is the best season for camping. You won’t get enough of it.

People mostly prefer to camp out of tents unless they are going to stay overnights. In that case they’ll put up tents to spend the night outdoors. Women usually go camping with their families or friends, in large groups or
small ones, but all in all they try to make the best use of their time. It is the same about our group. We are all English teachers and we make it to
campgrounds anytime we are free in a group of 20 or more colleagues.

When we feel exhausted by overworking, we decide on a camping. Sometimes we take lunch from home, some other times however we go to the restaurants in the place. They mostly serve delicious foods. Our favorite is KEBAB that is served with rice, salad and cool drinks. We take our favorite music CDs and we just enjoy ourselves a lot.

Thank you for sharing your camping story, Sara! 

On Saturday, campgirlz.com set up a table at a local Gander Mountain & passed out pencils & information.  It was great to meet everyone & the winning number for the door prize was 6! If you have the winning number, email me at campgirlz777@gmail.com.

While attending Canoecopia, I visited the booth of TEAMSurvivor Madison. This very important group is a resource for women who have been affected by cancer and part of a national organization. Please read the following interview with board member, Teresa Sprecher.

How did TEAMSurvivor begin?

TEAMSurvivor Madison, Inc. is an affiliate of the TEAMSurvivor national organization. TEAMSurvivor Madison, Inc. formed in January 2003 as an organization to provide fitness activities and events for women affected by cancer. We provide free or low cost fitness activities and health education programs for women with a past or present diagnosis of cancer. Our fun and supportive programs offer women the opportunity to reclaim their fitness, gain a sense of accomplishment, build a social support system and achieve renewed comfort with their bodies and their health. TEAMSurvivor Madison, Inc. is organized as a not-for-profit (501) (c) (3) corporation.

Do you believe the natural world has a healing quality?

I grew up camping with my family and was a camp counselor in my early twenties. I have a place in northern Wisconsin that’s tucked into the woods and is on a small lake. The woods have always had a nurturing/healing quality for me. After my cancer diagnosis and treatment I spent a lot of time watching the birds and red squirrels, paddling around a lake and watching the loons helps me to regain by “center”.

What has been one of your favorite memories with the group?

I joined TSM because I was intrigued with the dragon boating portion of the program. I love the sense of team when we’re racing in the festival and the comradeship on the bus when we’re traveling out of town. I’m not a triathlete, but I’ve cheered on my teammates that are. Watching someone (that didn’t think they would make it) cross the finish line is inspiring.

Dragon Boat

What impact has the group had on you personally?

I believe in the organization and the mission. I believe in it enough that I became a member of the board. I find inspiration from my fellow members and teammates – their personal stories, their strength and their courage. As our cheer goes, “Who are we? TEAMSurvivor! What do we do? Have fun!”

Thank you, Teresa! 

www.teamsurvivormadison.org

“Together, Women with Cancer

Achieving the Extraordinary”