My first time camping was with the CCF (=ROTC, but compulsory) in my Lord of the Flies all boys' high school. All the other kids had nice light packs. I had to use an army issue exterior frame pack with a couple of canvas rucksacks attached. Weighed about 20 pounds empty. And my uniform boots, because I didn't have hiking boots. And it rained. And it was boggy. My feet got soaked.
It was a solid 25 years before I went camping again.
Last time was with 1000 of my closest friends in a parking lot for Oregon Ragnar Trail 2022 at Mt Batchelor on a recovering broken ankle.
Iām sorry you had such a bad experience. š I loved summer camp growing up but we were in cabins and got to ride horses. (Camp Marydale. Yay Girl Scouts!) I was a camp counselor/riding instructor too all through college and can confirm if the teenagers in charge werent lesbians they were def flirting with the only male (usually a lifeguard or guy that mowed the lawn) and he was never hot. Yay hormones. Also drinking happened off camp. Every weekend. That seems to be across the board. I do remember going on all overnight horse ride. And they shoved 4 of us in 2 person tents. While wearing jeans. In Louisiana summer. That was prob the worst of it. I could be blocking out a lot though š
I only went to summer camp 3 times as a kid, twice in Girl Scouts and once to a Lutheran Church camp, each of them one week. The Lutheran Church one was miserable in so many ways I still don't eve like thinking about it. Haaaated it.
Glad you got to get out on the Missouri this summer! I don't do river travel much, but do love camping -- as long as it's not church camp.
Chris still marvels at how quickly kids at camp can be turned into bitter rival factions based on nothing but being randomly assigned to a team/side/color. I'm sure there have been whole psychology articles written about it. And camping on a flood plain with a storm coming? Dang, that some poor camp counseling. When my family went camping in Oklahoma & New Mexico, my parents instilled in me a great fear of being caught in a wash during a flash flood. I used to be afraid to even linger in a wash--much less camp in one!
My goodness. We went camping with the Y once, and slept in a cabin in cots. I often felt jealous of scouts but never the kids who went to summer camps. The stories are always terrible and this may be the worst I've read in a while. I'm so sorry. The color days... They just sound like a recipe for horror. What are they trying to teach kids?
A sad camping story (regrets from your mom about not realizing how bad it was). Maybe you'll compare it with the "Burning Man" experience long afterwards. As always, provocative prose.
My first time camping was with the CCF (=ROTC, but compulsory) in my Lord of the Flies all boys' high school. All the other kids had nice light packs. I had to use an army issue exterior frame pack with a couple of canvas rucksacks attached. Weighed about 20 pounds empty. And my uniform boots, because I didn't have hiking boots. And it rained. And it was boggy. My feet got soaked.
It was a solid 25 years before I went camping again.
Last time was with 1000 of my closest friends in a parking lot for Oregon Ragnar Trail 2022 at Mt Batchelor on a recovering broken ankle.
I'm overdue a fun hiking trip!
Iām sorry you had such a bad experience. š I loved summer camp growing up but we were in cabins and got to ride horses. (Camp Marydale. Yay Girl Scouts!) I was a camp counselor/riding instructor too all through college and can confirm if the teenagers in charge werent lesbians they were def flirting with the only male (usually a lifeguard or guy that mowed the lawn) and he was never hot. Yay hormones. Also drinking happened off camp. Every weekend. That seems to be across the board. I do remember going on all overnight horse ride. And they shoved 4 of us in 2 person tents. While wearing jeans. In Louisiana summer. That was prob the worst of it. I could be blocking out a lot though š
I only went to summer camp 3 times as a kid, twice in Girl Scouts and once to a Lutheran Church camp, each of them one week. The Lutheran Church one was miserable in so many ways I still don't eve like thinking about it. Haaaated it.
Glad you got to get out on the Missouri this summer! I don't do river travel much, but do love camping -- as long as it's not church camp.
Chris still marvels at how quickly kids at camp can be turned into bitter rival factions based on nothing but being randomly assigned to a team/side/color. I'm sure there have been whole psychology articles written about it. And camping on a flood plain with a storm coming? Dang, that some poor camp counseling. When my family went camping in Oklahoma & New Mexico, my parents instilled in me a great fear of being caught in a wash during a flash flood. I used to be afraid to even linger in a wash--much less camp in one!
My goodness. We went camping with the Y once, and slept in a cabin in cots. I often felt jealous of scouts but never the kids who went to summer camps. The stories are always terrible and this may be the worst I've read in a while. I'm so sorry. The color days... They just sound like a recipe for horror. What are they trying to teach kids?
A sad camping story (regrets from your mom about not realizing how bad it was). Maybe you'll compare it with the "Burning Man" experience long afterwards. As always, provocative prose.
Love,Mom
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