INVESTING IN FUTURES PHOTO: COURTESY THE OUTWARD BOUND TRUST, UK


While those numbers reflect the tuition for high-end camps,


heightened parental, camper and industry expectations are sig- nificant drivers of camp costs across the country. Even while some camps have resisted the widespread adoption of Kevlar boats and chosen to retain fleets of aluminum canoes, many have had to keep up with the times when it comes to technological advances. In the 1980s, canoe trip staff felt comfortable circling the loca-


tions of cached emergency radiophones on their maps and cross- ing their fingers, now many camps mandate that satellite phones be carried into the field. The technology is not cheap and there’s an expectation amongst parents that all trips will carry one. Director of Temagami-based Camp Wanapitei, Eoin Wood


says the heightened standards are not unreasonable. “Ten years ago we didn’t use satellite phones. Now every trip


has one and a SPOT [satellite GPS messenger], too. Some par- ents think, ‘Oh, it’s summer camp, my kids just go and play—how expensive can that be?’ The truth is,” says Wood, “most families, including my own, expect top-rate care and equipment for their child while at camp. It costs money to make that happen.” That dollar value can include the increased price of counselor


certifications, which cover the gamut from first aid to techni- cal skills to leadership development, as well as liability insurance


for business and staff and, for some camps, the cost of providing a once-in-a-lifetime trip. In order for high-end camps to remain competitive, there’s pres-


sure to increase the length of trips and offer them in ever-more- remote locations, says Statten. Twenty-five years ago, a weeklong canoe trip in Algonquin Park


would have fulfilled many expectations for a wilderness experience. Today, trips are exponentially longer and increasingly remote. Just this past summer, Taylor Statten Camps sent out six 50-day canoe trips and Camp Wanapetei led three 53-day expeditions in Cana- da’s North. While there’s no way to return to the days of dented Grummans


for some, it’s not all bad. Certainly camp has never been more expen- sive, but it has also never been more professional. Backcountry trips are equipped with high-tech devices, paddling routes are the stuff of dream destinations and counselors are trained and seasoned special- ists. Camp is no longer just a rite of passage, some have evolved into an unparalleled leadership and learning opportunity. Rory Gilfillan was an instructor with Outward Bound and NOLS.


Now, with two small children at home, he’s all too aware of the cost of paddling camps.


PADDLING BUYER’S GUIDE | www.rapidmedia.com 27


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