Winter Adventures Camp

For children in Grades 3-5

Do you like to play outside? Want to try something new on your day off from school? We need you for this winter adventure!

During the day, we will trek around the park – playing games and searching for cool things.We will take advantage of what nature provides for us – whether it is snow and ice or driftwood - and try shelter-building.

Fire is important in winter for keeping warm and for cooking, so we will practice different fire building techniques – and put them to practice cooking our dinner.

Our awesome day will end with a frosty night walk, followed by a campfire and s’mores. 

Don’t worry about getting too cold – this camp will include indoor, as well as outdoor activities with plenty of hot chocolate and warm fires.

The overnight will be in the education building.

Dinner, breakfast, and snacks included. Lunch is not provided.

Location: Flag Ponds Nature Park

Online registration is not available at this time.

Space is limited to 10 campers.

Fee is per child.

$45 for BCNES members

$60 for nonmembers

 

WHAT TO BRING AND WEAR TO WINTER CAMP--

What to bring – in a duffel bag or separate backpack

___extra socks

___extra pair of gloves or mittens

___extra hat

___extra full set of clothes (pants, tops, and underwear)

___extra long johns (top and bottom –if you have them)

___plastic bag for wet clothes

___pajamas

___slippers for wearing inside the building

___flashlight

___personal toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste...)

___medications (if needed)

___Extra shoes – could be sneakers

___2 plastic small bags for feet (like bread bags, to put on over dry socks if shoes are soaked)

___black T-shirt or sweatshirt for decorating with glow paint

___sleeping bag and pillow

___sleeping pad (optional)

**tents will be provided**

 

Day Pack - for carrying gear for Saturday’s  hikes with the following packed inside:

____ lunch

____water bottle

____a small trail snack – like GORP or granola bar

____sunscreen
____chapstick

What to wear -

 

Head:
_____Warm hat – one that covers your ears

_____Scarf or neck gaiter

Upper Body: wear layers – avoid cotton if possible

____ Long Underwear shirt, turtle neck or other long sleeved shirt (a fabric with as little cotton as possible, could be 50/50 blend)
_____ Wool/poly fleece or sweater (not a cotton sweatshirt)

_____Warm, winter coat

Hands:

_____ Wool/Synthetic gloves or mittens

Lower Body: - avoid cotton if possible (jeans will get wet and be cold)
_____ Long Underwear pants (tights work too)
_____ Poly fleece pants
_____ Wind/rain Pants – nylon/Gore-Tex – if you’ve got them

 

Feet:

_____ Wool/synthetic socks (heavy, warm ones or 2 pairs of thinner ones, no cotton)

_____Boots – winter boots if they are comfortable to walk in or hiking boots if they are treated with water repellant spray

 

Shell Layer: optional

_____ Waterproof/Breathable Jacket or rain poncho - - must fit over the other layers
_____ Rain Pants - nylon, Gore-Tex - must fit over the other layers

 

**tents will be provided, we will be sleeping inside**

Take the Unplug challenge!  Please do not bring electronic games or MP3 players.  Cameras are OK – but camp staff cannot be responsible for them

 

Why Not Cotton Clothes?

Once wet, cotton clothes tend to stay wet.  Wet cotton clothes will not insulate and do their job of keeping the person wearing them warm.  Jeans and cotton sweat shirts will not make great winter camp wear.  While we will not be doing extended wilderness hikes, we will be spending a good portion of the camp outside – and it will be chilly.  Campers will, of course, be much happier if they are comfortable and warm.  Here are some other fibers to consider - 

1. Wool - derives its insulating quality from the elastic, three-dimensional wavy crimp in the fiber that traps air between fibers. Depending on the texture and thickness of the fabric, as much as 60-80% of wool cloth can be air. Wool can absorb a fair amount of moisture without imparting a damp feeling because the water "disappears" into the fiber spaces. Even with water in the fabric wool still retains dead air space and will still insulate you.

2. Poly Fleece fabrics - synthetic material often made of a plastic (polyester, polyolefin, polypropylene, etc.). This material has a similar insulative capacity as wool. Its advantages are that it holds less water (than wool) and dries more quickly. Poly fleece is manufactured in a variety of different weights (thicknesses) offering different amounts of loft and insulation. This allows for numerous layering possibilities. The disadvantage of pile is that it has very poor wind resistance and hence a wind shell on top is almost always required.