"Man Camp"

**sclittlefield** · 08-03-2009, 14:43

"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.

**Perkolady** · 08-03-2009, 16:32

That sounds like a great time!

I like your kitchen set idea. I have both the larger sizes of the Imusa pots/mugs and I really like how light my kit is with everything included.

I bet they will really like putting that together for themselves!

One idea- I took some pliers and bent my handle to make it flatter and a bit closer to the pot itself. It really saves space.

I think making their own hammocks would be a blast!!

**VegaMike** · 08-03-2009, 16:53

Great idea! I'm going to use this idea with my Boy Scouts.

Thanks for the reference to end2endtrailsuppy, a new source for me. Didn't realize the Evernew Water Carry has a shock cord to roll up empty bottles and cap keeper to eliminate lost caps, cool!

**UncleMJM** · 08-03-2009, 19:34

Great to see what you are doing. I am a Youth Minister in Texas and one of our craft projects at a recent retreat was DIY Risk Test Hammocks. Now all the kids want to hammock camp.

That's the good news. The bad news is now I have to find more spots with more trees.

I really like the "Man Camp" concept. Most of my kids are girls and they are not so interested in facility free camping.

One more plus for the youth worker world is that when leaders hammock, there is no creation of any questions about adults and kids in a tent together.

I hang at nearly all the events, sometimes even those with cabins.

**CoyoteWanderer** · 08-03-2009, 19:47

Just to comment on UncleMJM's note,

Scouts Canada is a co-ed organization. The troop I had last year was more than 50% girls. With only a couple of exceptions, they were just as interested as the guys in "facility free" camping. I bet you would be surprised by your girls, (Unless you live in an area that socializes the girls against that sort of activity).

That being said, neither gender of youth is very interested in "no outhouse, dig catholes camping".

**gunn parker** · 08-03-2009, 19:50

Originally Posted by sclittlefield

Ziploc Twist'n'Loc Mug (sm) w/cozy (reflectix)

This link does not seem to work.

**angrysparrow** · 08-03-2009, 19:53

The link should be corrected now, in all instances.

**climberslacker** · 08-03-2009, 20:35

Originally Posted by CoyoteWanderer

That being said, neither gender of youth is very interested in "no outhouse, dig catholes camping".

HEY!! Im 15 and i have absolutely no problem with facilities free camping! I love backpacking all the more when we have it, and love it even more when there is no trail to follow when im backpacking (big fan of pristine wilderness here!) And for those of you who are scout leaders im a life scout and SPL just finishing my second term! :P

-CS

**VegaMike** · 08-03-2009, 21:13

Originally Posted by climberslacker

.. And for those of you who are scout leaders im a life scout and SPL just finishing my second term! :P

-CS

Hey CS,

Glad to hear you're a Life Scout and like backpacking, I wish I had more like you in my troop. Trying to get some of these guys out to the wilderness is like pulling teeth (they're car campers