Can Beginners Attend a Jewish Backpacking Camp?
Yes! Lech-Lecha’s teen adventure camp absolutely welcomes campers without previous backpacking experience, but with several caveats. We highly recommend you attend one of our info sessions and we always schedule a one on one meeting with potential campers and their families ahead of time.
Who is Adventure Camp right for?
You definitely don't need prior backpacking experience to go to Adventure Camp. In fact, it is many campers' first time backpacking with Lech-Lecha.
However, it's also really important that campers enjoy hiking, camping, being in the outdoors, and are in reasonable shape. Mindset absolutely matters the most and if a teen is comfortable dealing with being sweaty, mosquitos, rain, and getting dirty, and is able to keep a positive attitude during challenges, they'll absolutely have an incredible time at camp.
In fact, the challenges are really what makes Adventure Camp so special. They bring the group together, give us incredible laughs, and show us what we're capable of when we work together.
But it's probably not the right fit if your teen would rather enjoy a calm, indoor experience.
How in-shape must my teen be?
Your teen doesn't need to be an olympic athlete to be comfortable at Adventure Camp. In fact, many teens report wishing that the hiking was a bit more challenging – but we like to find a happy balance.
Teens should be comfortable hiking for an hour without a break and being able to hike 6 or 7 up-and-down miles in a day with lots of breaks and good snacks.
What will campers do at Lech-Lecha?
Lech-Lecha’s Jewish adventure camp includes backpacking, canoeing, climbing and outdoor skills. It serves rising 6th–11th graders, with 8-day and 15-day session options.
During the week, campers will backpack or canoe from campsite to campsite, building their tents, lighting fires, cooking their food, and singing, playing games, swimming, and learning.
For Shabbat, we meet back at basecamp at our cabins, where we get to rest, shower, sleep in beds, and prepare for and celebrate Shabbat together. We also get resupplied with fresh good food!
Do we need to buy all the equipment?
Lech-Lecha provides all of the communal gear that campers need which includes tents, cooking equipment, tarps, and first-aid equipment. Campers must bring personal equipment including a backpack, sleeping bag and sleeping pad, as well as hiking boots and hiking clothes.
We do have gear available for rent if you need.
How can a teen get familiar with the experience?
Ideally, teens will spend their summer being active before heading to Lech-Lecha. We highly recommend you do some dayhikes with your teen(s) in the months leading up to camp. It's also highly recommended that you put about 25 pounds in a backpacking backpack (make sure it has hip support) and hike a few miles together. This will help your teen get comfortable with having weight on their back.
What about Jewish practice?
Lech-Lecha is kosher and Shomer Shabbat and welcomes campers from all different Jewish backgrounds. In fact, it's one of the things we like most about Adventure Camp: having Jewish teens meet and interact with each other, across the religious spectrum.
Everyday, we begin with Hitoreriut, which is a combination of stretching, warmup games, saying the Shema together, and then personal time where campers can daven, meditate, or do Hitbodeduit. We explore all of these practices together in the first few days of camp.
On Shabbat, campers work together to prepare for Shabbat, cooking, cleaning, and setting the table. We sing songs together, learn, and play together.
During the week, our counselors learn and talk with the kids, exploring Judaism, what it means to be Jewish, why we have this tradition, and what it can add to our life. Our goal is to expose campers to an engaged, vibrant, living Judaism and facilitate conversation so that they may develop their own relationship with our living tradition.
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