"There will be no electricity. There will be no running water. There will be no 'facilities'. And there will be no whining.
This is Man Camp - not pamper camp."
I'm a youth pastor at a church near Bangor, Maine. Each year I take a group of Jr. and Sr. High boys on a short but rugged weekend camping trip that I've dubbed "Man Camp." These are not boy scouts, and for many of them this is their first experience camping in the woods (campgrounds do not count). We learn new camping skills and build something to add to our outdoor gear collection.
No, it's not hammocks this time - maybe next year.
This year we're building a minimalist kitchen set, and they'll all be cooking their own food for the entire trip. I am so excited! I just got a box of (15) IMUSA 12cm Aluminum cook pots from George at end2endtrailsupply (great guy, excellent service and shipping!). I felt like a little kid again at Christmas, diving into that box.
Here's the kitchen set the kids will build:
- IMUSA Aluminum Cook Pot, 12cm
- Pot lid (aluminum bake sheet)
- Windscreen (aluminum flashing)
- SuperCat alcohol stove
- Ziploc Twist'n'Loc Mug(sm) w/cozy (reflectix)
Two years ago we built survival kits, and last year was soda can jet alcohol stoves. I'm really looking forward to this year. I also put a 35lb weight limit on their packed in gear, including food and shelter. Last year it was horrendous how much stuff we carried in. This year we add a minimalist element (only an element, mind you).
So, relating to our forum... the kids will be sleeping in tents. Meanwhile, myself and a few of the other adults will be snoozing comfortably in the air. I was converted a few years ago by a good friend and now I've converted a few others myself. I think, after this trip, the kids will all be wanting to build hammocks for next years "Man Camp."
I'll be sure to update after the trip, and feel free to toss in your ideas on how to effectively and very cost efficiently get a DIY Hammock thing going for next years trip.
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