Camp Information
Thank you for reviewing all of the information below in full before coming to camp.
Camp Contacts
Our On-Site Camp Staff Line is (973) 306-4346. You can reach our on-site camp staff directly with updates.
Please only contact the number above if you are running more than 15 minutes late or will be absent. Otherwise, you may call our Member Services line at (973) 306-4130 for any other questions or issues.
gear list
Warm Weather:
Dress
Dress:
This is an outdoor experience; your child MUST be dressed adequately or they will not be allowed to participate in the program. Long pants, closed toe shoes and socks are strongly encouraged. It is better if your child packs too much clothing that they end up not needing than not packing enough. We completely agree with the statement: there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.
If rain is forecast make sure your child dresses warm and wears rain gear, i.e. waterproof jacket, pants and boots (not thin emergency rain ponchos). Avoid cotton when possible. When cotton gets wet (from rain or sweat) it robs the body of heat. Wool or synthetic materials like fleece are acceptable. That goes for socks, pants, shirts, hats, etc. (In wilderness survival circles, cotton is actually known as the "death fabric"....go figure!)
Inclement/
Extreme Weather
Our nature programs are grounded in an outdoor experience that produces a love and affinity with nature and the elements. We will not cancel classes when a mild to moderate amount of rain or cold temperatures is called for in the forecast. However, we will cancel classes for the day if conditions or travel are unsafe.
We will do everything in our power to hold classes and will only cancel if conditions are unsafe or if travel to the site is hazardous. We may have to postpone sessions to other days of the week. If you are not able to attend a postponed session you will not be refunded the cost of that session. Decisions will be made the morning of the day in question, and communicated via email and/or text messages to our parents.
Please have your child use the bathroom before coming to the program. There may be facilities or a porta potty nearby but if we are hiking it might be difficult to get to it in time. Children might need to use the bathroom independently during bio breaks in the wilderness. We suggest conversing with your children about needing to be prepared to take bathroom breaks outside. Children will be taught how to use their natural surroundings responsibly and ecologically and will be expected to do so privately.
Bathroom Breaks
Some of the areas we will be exploring do have a reported tick presence. Ticks have become a reality of outdoor exploration here in the Northeast. Ticks are a concern because some individual ticks carry Lyme and other diseases. With proper precautions, we can keep ourselves as safe as possible, but ticks are a danger that we must bring awareness and preparedness to. In instances when we go into the forest, we will show campers how to tuck their pants into their socks.
The addition of a picaridin or deep woods style DEET insect repellent is recommended. It is also an option to treat your child's clothes with permethrin. Some studies have shown permethrin-treated clothes and shoes to be effective in deterring ticks. We may spray campers' shoes with bug repellent. The repellent we use contains DEET. If you prefer your child(ren) use a different kind of product, please have them bring it.
Finally, as noted above, long pants are strongly recommended for all our campers. Lighter colors are preferred because of easier spotting of ticks. Campers can tuck their long pants into their socks. These precautions do not guarantee that campers will not get bitten by ticks, but each precaution is part of a strategy to keep ourselves as tick-safe as possible.
We strongly recommend parents/guardians do a tick check after camp and before bedtime.