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Adult Program Logistics for Training Camps
Logistics, Health & Safety: We don’t rely on novice instructors to lead programs, because of course, the skills we teach require great experience. Our highly seasoned, dynamic instructors are the best, and we place the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health of our students as our top priority. We have always maintained an intimate 6-1 or smaller student-instructor ratio, and we facilitate excellent organic and wild edible meals utilizing local farms and co-ops. All camps weeks are co-ed. Participants may freely call home as much as they need during the time they are with us. Register for as many weeks as you like!
Print out an Application Form which has the whole schedule listed, and send it in the mail with your deposit; or Email or call us at 425-248-0253 with questions.
See individual course pages for tuition rates.
Our refund policy is written just above where you sign your registration form. It reads that if we cannot accept your registration due to closed enrollment or other reason during the application process, you will receive a full refund on deposits. Otherwise, deposits are not refundable. If you need to cancel after making further payment, you may receive a credit for a future program, minus a 25% administration fee of your total payments, in case of emergency. Of course, you will receive a full refund if the program you sign up for is canceled and not rescheduled at a time you can attend. Participants may be asked to leave at any time for inappropriate behavior or unresolvable match to camp, and no refund (nor credit necessarily) will be given for the portion of the program which is missed.
See our Merit Scholarships, Financial Aid & Giving page to learn how campers can raise money for paying their own way to camp, and how to get financial aid if needed. Our refund policy is written just above where you sign your registration form. It reads that if we cannot accept your registration due to closed enrollment or other reason during the application process, you will receive a full refund on deposits. Otherwise, deposits are not refundable. If you need to cancel after making further payment, you may receive a credit for a future program, minus a 25% administration fee of your total payments, in case of emergency. Of course, you will receive a full refund if the program you sign up for is canceled and not rescheduled at a time you can attend. Participants may be asked to leave at any time for inappropriate behavior or unresolvable match to camp, and no refund (nor credit necessarily) will be given for the portion of the program which is missed.
Camp Schedule & Transportation:
CHECK EACH INDIVIDUAL WEEK FOR ITS RENDEZVOUS LOCATION. Or check our Driving Directions Page for a list of camp rendezvous locations, or call / email us with all the details.
See individual course pages for transportation options.
Agreements for Participation
Agree to honor the experience as a safe haven for every person – physically and emotionally. This means encouraging others to rise to the challenge in every group activity, watching out for the physical and emotional safety of every person, and respecting the personal boundaries of others in camp, including bodies, belongings, and behavior that others may or may not witness.
If unclear or uncomfortable about sleeping, dressing, and bathroom situations after your initial camp orientation, be sure to discuss it with a lead camp instructor. Also, make sure a responsible party always knows where you are going, especially if you walk into the woods, go down to the water, or leave Wolf Camp property.
Ghost stories, jokes, or comments which are derogatory toward others or toward sacred themes such as bodily function, are discouraged since we have a diversity of participants with varied sensitivities. Also, all participants agree to discuss only age-appropriate themes and behaviors around younger campers without adult supervision. Asking permission is always the best policy.
Drugs, including alcohol, are not allowed at Wolf Camp - not even in private vehicles, and tobacco may only be used in areas that are out of smell of others. In addition, please don’t consume or improperly handle any plant that you don't know 100% that it won't cause illness or poisoning. Further, due to the mixed ages and genders at camp, all participants should refrain from any kind of sexual activity anywhere on the property in case of accidental (visual or audial) exposure to others, and simply to keep the focus where it is meant to be while here at camp: on the subjects that we teach.
Pets must be kept on leash or in your vehicle at all times due to the abundance of wild and domestic animals here. Children must remain within the designated boundaries and under the direct supervision of a permitted parent or instructor. They can only enter water under strict supervision of their own parent or an instructor 21 years of age or older with lifeguard training.
Please note that you may be asked to sign an additional liabilty release form with all the rules of the Wolf Camp or other property being utilized during camp. Finally, please take all garbage home with you to recycle after camp, and in fact, please pick up any litter you see, and separate it into garbage or recycling or compost.
Lost & Found Policy: If you leave it at camp, it will be picked up by charity unless you pick it up on a weekend before we move our office down to the South Sound region in the fall. We won’t have staff to package and send home forgotten items. Again, to help avoid loosing things, please put your name on every item you bring, bring only what you need, and as explained above, leave all electronic devises and other distractions at home.
Packing & Preparing for Camp:
After registering, we will send you a detailed program description, with directions on how to prepare. For week-long camps, we will also send a questionnaire for new campers to complete. It will include health history questions and other information that are designed to ensure that the program for which you apply is the best choice for you.
The most important thing for you to do is to sleep well the night prior to camp and eat a healthy breakfast the day camp starts. Remember, we will be camping primitively, so set your expectations appropriately.
We will do a pack check upon check-in at camp, and the following items are required, so parents need to pack together with campers to make sure everything is present! However, if you cannot attain a required item, we have lots of extra supplies at our Home Campus, so be sure to advise us to bring something in advance! Otherwise, we probably won't have extra gear to lend out, as all of our camps are field-site based. If there is a favorite item a camper wants to bring, even though we haven't mentioned it, or advised against it, or provide it for you, simply advise us before camp starts. Otherwise, the items on this page are things you'll need to bring to camp to help ensure that everyone is comfortable.
Health History: If it’s not too time-consuming, please bring the results from your most recent physical exam to place into your file upon check-in on the first day of camp. A very recent physical is not required as long as you were forthcoming when you filled out the health history form (which was part of your registration form), but a physical is recommended if you have not had one in the past year. Please tell your doctor your plans for coming to camp, and the activities involved.
Bring a medium-size, day-hike type backpack (such as a big school-size backpack) with your name printed on it and include the following essentials inside: (we can supply all of these, however, if you ask us in advance)
• Full Water Bottle
• Large Zip Lock Bag labeled with your name and containing:
• Small Toothbrush in small zip-lock bag
• Floss (which has many purposes like rope/string does, i.e. tieing things, etc.)
• Two Feminine Pads (which double as first aid bandages) in small zip-lock bag
• Band-Aids (smalls for common uses, larges we use when teaching how to secure bigger bandages) in small zip-lock bag.
• Large Zip Lock Bag labeled with your name and containing:
• Very Small Sunscreen Tube (we’ll have extra)
• Small Flashlight or headlamp with new batteries, all in a small zip-lock bag
• One Tablespoon of Salt in a small zip-lock bag (no more as critters like salt, and no less as salt is critical to hydration)
• Toilet Paper (enough for 2 uses – we’ll resupply) in small zip-lock bag
• Individually-packaged Handi Wipes, or baby wipes in small zip-lock bag.
• Spoon / Swiss Army: We recommend bringing the cheapest Swiss Army Knife you can find With Spoon on it to use as silverware, but youth must be tested by parents on how to safely use the swiss army knife before sending it along, as folding knives are fairly risky. We do not allow you to use any knives you bring for carving or projects. Instead, we will supply and train you on the Frost Mora brand with finger guard. Only campers who attend a second overnight camp week and who reach our Level III knife safety can bring the knife home. Alternatively, parents may also pay $25 for a knife at the end of a camper’s first week if they wish.
• Metal Pot & Cup: The most important item to fit in your small backpack or waistpack is a small metal pot plus a cup that fits inside, because as you will discover after becoming proficient in survival (that is, after being able to make fire by friction, sharpen rocks for tools, etc.) that a metal pot is the last thing you would ever leave home without. In the meantime, the small pot will be used for food at meals. We recommend a small stainless steel pot even though they weigh a bit more and are harder to come by in sporting goods sections (so check housewares for something that will still fit inside your small backpack or waistpack, or go to REI etc. for the expensive compact ones) because they are more durable to use when cooking over a fire, often have small handles which is nice for useability, and most important, aren’t as toxic like aluminium when used over the long term.
• Giant Plastic Garbage Bag: Also, it’s fine if you want to round-out the “ten hiking essentials” recommended by organizations such as the Mountaineers or Sierra Club but don’t get carried away at home because one of the first things we do is a pack-check and add Wolf Camp supplies where needed, including a whistle, more giant plastic garbage bags for waterproofing (which is in the top 4 critical items never to leave home without – see http://www.wolfcamp.com/wolfjourney/essays/order.html for details – since stuffing an adequately large garbage bag with debris will give you a quick, waterproof “nature’s sleeping bag” to use in emergency if caught by dusk, whereas a natural debris hut requires several hours to make comfortable, which is what one would want to do in day two of a survival situation since plastic bags retain moisture, meaning that any debris or blanket put inside or under plastic will need to be aired out in the morning, while with a natural debris hut, your own body heat will actually dry out the debris packed around you overnight).
• Wool or synthetic hat for warmth (with your name printed on the tag as with all these items)
• Sun hat (baseball cap fine, but full brim yet foldable is best). You can also bring hair ties or buy a Wolf Camp bandana.
• Thin leather gloves in a large zip-lock bag (leather because it is safe for working with tools/knives, for warmth, and around fire).
• Amber-colored, uv-protection sunglasses with strap, preferably those without nose rests nor screw-corners as they always unscrew and/or break-off whenever being packed. Rather, look for the plastic ones formed to rest directly on the nose, with sturdy folding corners. However, don't bring expensive sunglasses, as they get lost too easily. Spending $15 is about right. The amber color is important when sunglasses are needed for eye protection in dim light, as they can actually seem to brighten up the surroundings, yet lessen eye fatigue in bright sunlight.
Pack the following gear (with your name printed on everything) in a larger soft-cover bag (that's easy to throw into our gear truck or trailer, i.e. a large laundry bag, large duffle bag, internal-frame backpack, soft suitcase without wheels, etc.). We won't be backcountry camping except for short overnight trips when you will leave your larger bag back at base camp, so your medium-size daypack will be sufficient for excursions.
• Sleeping Bag that fits into a semi-small stuff-sack to save space, speed packing, and add some water resistance. The mid-price range kind at cheaper sporting-goods stores like Fred Meyer or Big Five are good enough, and we have plenty of extras in case you can’t afford or don’t have time to get one yourself.
• Closed cell foam Sleeping Pad, preferably the square fold-up type since they are easiest to pack and use (air mattress pads are not okay, unless you have arthritis, since they pop holes easily when we sleep under the stars, and do not provide protection during lightning storms, however rare they are in low elevation Western Washington). Again, we have extra roll-up types, but let us know in advance if you can’t bring your own.
• Tiny Sewing Kit (learning to use it by sewing it safely to the inside of the backpack) including safety pins if you can find one.
Clothing (which we recommend to be natural color or patterned, and not noisy or “swooshy sounding” when moving in them, especially if you are attending Scout week since earth tone clothes are best for camp skill games we do every week, and they may increase chances of seeing wildlife) with your name printed on the tag with a thin marker:
• Bring/buy one of those medium-guage $35 rainsuits (jacket and pants). If you already have more expensive or durable rain gear, that's great, but the kind at Fred Meyer / Walmart / Big K / Big 5 medium-guage rainsuits are probably best for one-week of use, as more expensive ones may get ripped anyway, and cheaper windbreaker type material is worthless.
• Three pair of long pants: 1) Sturdy but comfortable jeans for working with tools (especially knives) and for moving through sticker bushes; 2) Thinner kahki pants for hiking and moving through brush; and 3) a pair of fleece sweatpants, thin wool pants (try second-hand stores) or thick stretch pants (that can be worn as outerwear) are also required.
• Synthetic long underwear bottoms or comfortable synthetic leggings which are key to warmth at night and during wet weather. Fred Meyer / Walmart / Big 5 / Etc. often have soft synthetic long underwear bottoms which are not of great quality, but they do the trick.
• Two long-sleeve undershirts. 1) One needs to be synthetic, and the cheapest are those thin “body glove” ones sold in places like Big Five Sporting Goods, but the warmest ones are the softer polypropelene ones sold for more in places like REI. This shirt will be good for wet weather and terrain, plus cold-water swimming/bathing. 2) The other long-sleeve shirt should be a good fitting, comfortable cotton shirt that would be good for moving through underbrush in warm weather.
• 2-4 undershirts (t-shirts and tank-tops should be tasteful)
• Two Outer Tops that are good in cold/wet weather: 1) One Wool Shirt (like a button-down shirt from Goodwill / Value Village / St. Vincent de Paul) and 2) one fleece jacket/pullover. We do have quite a few extra fleece pullovers, so if your budget is limited, just tell us in advance to bring an extra. Please note that cotton coats are worthless when wet. Don’t bring any. Cotton is very comfortable, and can be tightly woven like jeans to provide some protection when working with tools and moving through sticker bushes, but again, don’t count on it if ever you need it to stay warm in Western Washington. Remember that it gets cold and wet by the water, at higher elevations, and at night, even in the middle of the summer!
• 3-6 pair of underwear.
• 4 pair of comfortable socks, plus 2 pair of wool/insulated socks are required!
• Swimwear, including a required pair of water shoes, aka water moccasins, water socks, water shoes, etc. are required!
• Large, raggedy beach towel.
Footwear: Waterproof hiking boots are required. Proper footwear is the only thing we recommend spending money on if a person also plans to hike in the outdoors regularly in the coming year. However, you might want to wait for growth spurts to pass before spending what it takes ($150) to get truly waterproof, sturdy but comfortable hiking boots, since having 2 or even 3 changes of cheap, comfortable shoes ready in a backpack can be just as effective, so if A relatively cheap combination of footwear includes: $25 hiking/work boots, $20 sneakers, $15 rubber boots small enough to pack, $10 water moccasins, and as many pair of $5 wool socks as you can get. You won’t find prices like that at REI etc. where you should go for quality hiking boots, but if you go to army surplus, big-box, second-hand, or sporting goods stores, that’s where you’ll find the cheap, one-summer, pre-growth-spurt supplies. Last, but not least important, be sure you have broken in all footwear well in advance to avoid common blisters!
Please do not bring candy, chips, drinks, nor the like. It's fine to bring power bars, etc., for snacks but all food must be packed in zip-lock bags with your name on a piece of duct-tape (or other sturdy tape that ink will adhere to) and you will need to give it to us right away to keep in our secure food storage bins (or secured out of reach of critters). Further, we recommend that you visit the bulk dispenser section of your store rather than bringing highly packaged or processed foods, canned goods, etc. Please do bring specialty foods if you have certain nutritional requirements. Otherwise, just let us know your needs, as we supply all meals, drinks and snacks.
Finally, please consider purchasing the following resources: (we will have extra copies to use, and will also offer them at the end of the week by donation to our scholarship fund)
Survival Camps: Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature & Survival for Children plus Wilderness Survival Skills by Larry Dean Olsen.
Wildlife Tracking Camps: Wildlife of the Pacific Northwest by David Moskowitz plus a good birding field guide like the affordable Golden Guide's Birds of North America - A Guide to Field Identification. You will also want to bring a journal with colored pencils. Finally, if you can afford/risk to send along a digital camera, that would be wonderful!
Herbal Camps: Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast by Jim Pojar, and Botany in a Day by Thomas Elpel. You will also want to bring a journal with colored pencils. Finally, if you can afford/risk to send along a digital camera, that would be wonderful!
Artisanry Camps: The People of Cascadia by Heidi Bohan and a subscription to the Society of Primitive Technology from which you will receive the latest copy of the Bulletin of Primitive Technology. You will also want to bring good fitting goat-skin leather gloves for flintknapping.
Art & Music Camps: Drawing from the Book of Nature by Dennis Klocek. You will also want to bring a journal with colored pencils, plus music and instruments you enjoy.
Scout Camps: The Spirit of Sacajawea dvd about Sacajawea's life, people and participation in the Lewis & Clark expedition. You will also want to bring extra fleece (as well as natural-color) clothing, extra shoes and socks, since the weather is always misty and very cool by the ocean.
Fishing Camps: You will want to bring a fishing license if old enough, plus fishing gear and resource books that you may already have.
ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED RESOURCES DEPENDING ON THE SUBJECTS YOU WISH TO STUDY:
SUSTAINABLE PIONEERING
Bring shovels, rubber boots, wheel barrows, garden tools, work gloves, trimmer/cutters, and old seeds/starts.
Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture by Toby Hemenway & John Todd
Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison, for larger permaculture designs
The Foxfire Book series in many volumes
The Earth Manual (Heyday Books, Berkeley) by Malcolm Margolin
The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono
OUTDOOR MENTOR FACILITATION TRAINING
Building United Judgement, and A Manual for Group Facilitators, (The Fellowship for Intentional Community) by the Center for Conflict Resolution
Rediscovery - Ancient Pathways - New Directions by Thom Henley
Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature and Survival for Children (Berkley)
How to Shit in the Woods (Ten Speed Press) by Kathleen Meyer
The Stars by H.E. Rey, or (Peterson’s) Skies, or A New Way To See Stars
The Great Floods (documentary in cooperation with Coulee Dam National Rec Area Nat'l Park Service) produced by Washington State University.
Drawing from the Book of Nature (Rudolf Steiner College Press)
WILDERNESS FIRST AID & WATER SITE MANAGEMENT & RESCUE TRAINING
Lifeguard Training by the American Camping Association
Tracker by Joel Hardin available from www.jhardin-inc.com
Tracking: A Bluepring for Learning How by Jack Kearney (Pathways) for human tracking
Three Days at the River documentary by Thomas J. Elpel available from www.hollowtop.com
Order from Paul Nicolazzo at www.wildmedcenter.com:
Art & Technique of Wilderness Medicine
Wilderness Medicine Handbook
Case Studies in Wilderness Medicine
Weatherproof Patient SOAP Notes
Effective Outdoor Program Design & Management
Site Management Handbook
Also, please cut up 2 old shirts to make 2 rolls of webbing
2 sets of in-tact pants, 2 tee-shirts, and 2 regular shirts which will be stained and cut up during rescue simulations.
If you have a set of ski poles, please, please bring them.
If you have a tarp that is 8x10 feet or somewhat larger, please bring it.
EARTH SKILLS UNDERSTANDING
Waterlily (University of Nebraska Press) by Ella Cara Deloria.
Watch for Me on the Mountain (historical fiction about Geronimo) by Forrest Carter.
The Song of Hiawatha by by Henry Wadsworth Longellow (version by Bounty is beautiful).
Lighting the 7th Fire (documentary from Upstream Productions) by Sandra Osawa.
The Peacemaker's Journey (cassette from wildernessawareness.org/tapeindex.html) with Jake Swamp.
Nanook of the North (documentary now produced by Reel Enterprises) directed by Robert Flaherty.
The Great Dance: A Hunter's Story (an Aardvark / Earthrise / Liquid Pictures / Off the Fence film co-produced with KirchMedia, e.tv, and Primedia Pictures in association with WIMSA) directed by Craig Foster and Damon Foster, produced by Ellen Windemuth and James Hersov, featuring !Nqate Xqamxebe, Karaho "Pro" Langwane, XlhoaseXlhokhne, The !Xo, Xwikwe and Nharo people, edited by Damon Foster, written by Jeremy Evans, music by Barry Donnelly.
Rabbit-Proof Fence (movie by Miramax Films about Molly Craig and her family) based on the book by Doris Pilkington Garimara.
I Heard the Owl Call My Name (movie by Tomorrow Entertainment) based on the book by Margaret Craven.
WILDLIFE TRACKING & BIRDING SEMINARS
Monday, Sept. 5, 09:00 - Friday, Sept. 9, 17:00 at Wolf Camp on Animal Tracks & Surveying with Chris
Small Binoculars, waterproof hiking boots, a watch, and a bird song recording devise if possible.
Flashlights that send out smooth beam (no dark spots in the middle - bring extra batteries)
Palm pilot with cybertracking software if you have been previously trained to use it.
Natural colored clothes of browns and greens that you can camouflage and paint, and a watch.
Camouflage patterned clothing is fine if you have it, but it is not necessary.
Bird Tracks & Sign: A Guide to North American Species (Stackpole) by Mark Elbroch
Mammal Tracks & Sign: A Guide to North American Species (Stackpole) by Mark Elbroch
Mammals of the Pacific Northwest by Chris Maser
Skulls and Bones by Glenn Searfoss (Stackpole)
Advanced Bird Language cassettes by Jon Young (www.natureoutlet.com).,
Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs compact disks (Time Warner), or Audoban’s or Peterson's Western Bird Songs CD
A Field Guide to North American Birds (Golden Guide)
A Field Guide to Mammal Tracking in North America (Johnson Books) by James Halfpenny
Tracking and the Art of Seeing (Berkley) by Paul Rezendes
Peterson’s Birding by Ear (Houghton-Mifflin) cassettes, and the books Bird Eggs and Bird Nests
Sibly's Guide to Bird Behavior or the The Birder's Handbook
Three Among the Wolves (Sasquatch Books) by Helen Thayer
HERBALISM SEMINARS
Botany in a Day: Tomas J. Elpel's Herbal Field Guide to Plant Families (HOPS Press)
Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast (Lone Pine) or Plants of the British Columbia Interior (Lone Pine)
Peterson’s Medicinal Plants and Edible Wild Plants (Huoughton Mifflin) for Western North America
(Peterson’s) Poisonous Plants, both published by Houghton Mifflin
Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West by Michael Moore
Healing Wise by Susun S. Weed, and Primitive Cooking (Wood moke) video available through hollowtop.com
Billy Joe Tatum's Wild Foods Field Guide and Cookbook and The Eat-A-Bug Cookbook by David George Gordon
Pacific Seaweeds by Louis Druehl
Northwest Trees (The Mountaineers)
WILDERNESS SURVIVAL & PRIMITIVE LIVING
Clothing that can get extremely soiled, and waterproof hiking boots.
Any primitive tools or crafts that you have made in the past which would be helpful on your trek.
Outdoor Survival Skills by Larry Dean Olsen
Indian Fishing: Early Methods on the Northwest Coast by Hilary Stewart, and her book Cedar
Primitive Technology – A Book of Earth Skills (Gibbs Smith, Publisher)
Bulletin of Primitive Technology, back issues from PO Box 3226, Flagstaff, AZ 86003
Scout Handbook by Baden Powell, and Outdoor Skills Instruction - Survival (Boy Scouts of America)
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George (Puffin/Penguin)
Hatchet and Winter Dance by Gary Paulson (Doubleday)
PRIMITIVE HUNTING & FISHING CAMPS
Self-bow and arrows, throwing sticks, at-latl darts, fishing spears and other hunting crafts you have made.
Hunting knives, clubs, scrapers, and other animal processing tools you have made.
Natural colored, quiet, cold/wet weather clothing you can camouflage and paint, and waterproof hiking boots.
Camouflage patterned clothing is fine if you have it, but it is not necessary.
The Indian Hunters by R. Stephen Irwin (Hancock House)
Bows & Arrows of the Native Americans by Jim Hamm (Lyons & Burford)
Primitive Bow & Arrow (Prarie Wolf) video on dry scrape found through hollowtop.com
Traps (Hoods Woods) video found through hollowtop.com
Indian Fishing: Early Methods on the Northwest Coast by Hilary Stewart, and her book Cedar
Primitive Technology II – Ancestral Skills (Gibbs Smith, Publisher) ed. David Wescott
Bush Craft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival by Mors Kochanski
Scout Handbook by Baden Powell
SKILLS OF THE PRIMITIVE ARTISAN
Clothing that can get extremely soiled.
Knappable stone and knapping tools. Scraper (good one available from hollowtop.com) or other tools you made.
Raw materials such as seasoned woods, hides, and well preserved animal parts.
Buckskin - The Ancient Art of Braintanning by Steven Edholm & Tamara Wilder
Deerskins Into Buckskins by Matt Richards
Blue Mountain Buckskin by Jim Riggs
Complete Brain Tanner by Brent Ladd video found at hollowtop.com
Primitive Technology – A Book of Earth Skills (Gibbs Smith, Publisher) ed. David Wescott
Earth Knack - Stone Age Skills for the 21st Century by Robin Blankenship
Flintknapping - The Art of Making Stone Tools by Paul Hellweg
The Art of Flint Knapping (Mound Builder) video found through hollowtop.com
See Books and AV for additional resource choices.
Print out an Application Form which has the whole schedule listed, and send it in the mail with your deposit; or Email or call us at 425-248-0253 with questions.
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