Overnights: Nights to Remember
Come to Johns Island on the right afternoon, and you’ll encounter waves of campers and staff gathering behind the Lodge with packs of camping gear. These groups are preparing to head out on their weekly night away from main camp.
The Wayfarers went on a two-night Service Overnight to Lopez Island this session. They worked with the Lopez Community Land Trust.
Campers (and staff) learn how to exist comfortably in nature on overnights. There are a lot of skills that those of us who regularly spend time outdoors take for granted. Campers learn how to comfortably and safely cook, sleep, eat, clean, go to the bathroom, and relax outdoors. Even before leaving their unit, campers begin to explore the how, what, and why of packing for an outdoor adventure, another skill they can carry throughout their lives.
A properly packed backpack can make a big difference in your adventure.
It’s never too early to learn how to stuff your sleeping bag!
Like sleeping bags, its can take some time to figure out how to pack up a sleeping pad.
Overnights are a central part of Camp Nor’wester’s programming. Like our other activities, overnights are based on a graduated system. Each year campers return, they get a new overnight experience and build on the skills they developed in previous summers.
The youngest units stay close to home and camp in familiar locations. The following year, units have one off-island overnight when campers are transported to a nearby island in motorized Nor’wester’s boats. After that, units begin going on two-night overnights and transporting themselves via canoe, kayak, or hiking. The overnight progression builds to four and five-day trips for the oldest campers.
Washing dishes and group gear upon return is also a pivotal part of the overnight experience.
Each on-island overnight location is unique and beautiful and provides something that the central areas at Nor’wester may not. These nights are an opportunity to spend concentrated time with your unit. Staff often plan a group activity or provide space for reflection and quiet. Looking back on their Camp Nor’wester years, former campers often recall overnights at some of the most memorable moments from their time at camp.
Most of the Troubadours have been on MANY overnights throughout their years at Camp but each one still brings new adventure.
