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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! 

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.