Therapeutic Ultralight: Using Lightweight Backpacking to Help Troubled Boys

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My journey into ultralight backpacking was an interesting experience. I took one of my first ultralight trips with a group of emotionally disturbed young boys. I was in North Carolina working with Cameron Boy's Camp, a therapeutic wilderness camp/school for troubled boys. Getting these kids working together to take a backpacking trip is a big job... with many setbacks, limited gear, and almost no budget.

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Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)

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Jun 2, 2009 at 6:16 pm #1236761

Addie Bedford
BPL Member

@addiebedford
Locale: Montana

Companion forum thread to:

Therapeutic Ultralight: Using Lightweight Backpacking to Help Troubled Boys

Jun 3, 2009 at 7:58 am #1505507

Steven Evans
BPL Member

@steve_evans
Locale: Canada

Love it! This is really a great read. I can sense your emotions in the writing, you are a proud Chief…and so you should be! Good work.

A close friend of mine leads a highschool class in leadership. It targets troubled teens and puts them in all kinds of situations where they need to work together to accomplish tasks. They are a few years older, so he takes them backpacking, winter camping, route finding and such. It has been a great success at his highschool.

He told me a major obstacle for many of the boys and girls is going "#2" in the woods. Some of them (first timers) can't believe it when they ask him where the washroom is and he points to the woods :)

Jun 3, 2009 at 9:34 am #1505529

Luke Schmidt
BPL Member

@cameron
Locale: Alaska

Funny you should mention the #2 issue. We definately had it, and I had some funny experiences with "#2 breakes." Usually the new kids would wait till they had no choice.

Luke

Jun 3, 2009 at 10:55 am #1505545

Darren Johnson
BPL Member

@woodworkerfella
Locale: Blue Ridge Mountains, NC

What better thing to do than to invest in the lives of young boys and teaching them how to respect each other and how to work together to accomplish tasks! In your role as chief, you modeled for them how to be a man – a model that probably none of them had, hence their troubled behaviors.

I would love to do something like this too. I live in NC and would be interested in finding out more about working with boys like this. More so, I could even see myself changing careers and doing something like this full-time. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Anyone have any contacts, either in NC or any other state (out west preferabley), that you could put me in touch with?

Thanks,

Darren

Jun 3, 2009 at 10:57 am #1505547

Jim Colten
BPL Member

@jcolten
Locale: MN

Eric Hansen, in Strangers in the Forest reported that defecation was among the things he was unable to "go native" about. The semi-nomadic people he traveled with would just step to the side, drop pants and do their business and found his need of privacy in that matter to be an endless source of humor.

Jun 3, 2009 at 11:01 am #1505549

Steven Evans
BPL Member

@steve_evans
Locale: Canada

Usually the new kids would wait till they had no choice

LOL…my girlfriend does that now. It's still a traumatic experience for her. :)

Jun 3, 2009 at 11:32 am #1505551

Nate Meinzer
Member

@rezniem
Locale: San Francisco

Funniest typo ever:

Eric Hansen, in Strangers in the Forest reported that deification was among the things he was unable to "go native" about. The semi-nomadic people he traveled with would just step to the side, drop pants and do their business and found his need of privacy in that matter to be an endless source of humor.

Jun 3, 2009 at 11:36 am #1505553

te – wa
BPL Member

@mikeinfhaz
Locale: Phoenix

ha, Nate! as if he was letting go of last nights supper, the bowl of flying Spaghetti monsters.. lol

Jun 3, 2009 at 11:41 am #1505556

Luke Schmidt
BPL Member

@cameron
Locale: Alaska

Thanks Darren, camp was a great experience and I am very greatful I did it. If you're interested in learning more by all means contact me I would LOVE to point you in the right direction. I won't name names cause they're good people doing their best but there are definately some other programs I would be hesitant to work for. If you find one you're interested in let me know and I'll give you a few pointers on what to ask about. I know of one program in Virginia that you could check out.

Luke

Jun 3, 2009 at 11:48 am #1505559

David Olsen
Spectator

@oware
Locale: Steptoe Butte

Good on ya.

Any of those "Chiefs" work at Passport for Adventure out
of Kansas previously?

Jun 3, 2009 at 11:49 am #1505560

Tom Caldwell
BPL Member

@coldspring
Locale: Ozarks

An extremely self-absorbed buddy of mine was always disappointed that there were no THRONES out in the woods.

Jun 3, 2009 at 3:28 pm #1505620

Jason Calder
BPL Member

@utahsnowboardin
Locale: Pacific Northwest

I am a therapist for a non-profit co-ed therapeutic boarding school in Kalispell,MT and loved reading Luke's article because he is so right! We often take our students out on 4-8 day "challenge Trips" where they learn patience, self-discipline, communication and develop resiliency through challenges such as whitewater kayaking, rock climbing, backpacking, and mountain biking. Natural consequences (as long as they aren't deadly) can teach powerful lessons. And it's very rewarding to see young people push themselves beyond what they think is capable! Thanks for your great work Luke!

Jun 3, 2009 at 8:50 pm #1505693

Jim Colten
BPL Member

@jcolten
Locale: MN

Funniest typo ever: ..

More like mindless use of spell check.

I've corrected that.

Jun 7, 2009 at 7:59 pm #1506564

Jeffrey Dunning
Spectator

@boredomhero
Locale: Pacific Northwest

another wise move to make this article open to non-members. Thanks BPL and great work Luke!
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