TIP #1: BRING APPROPRIATE SHOES! Ideally, this means hiking boots. Even if you are not planning to do much hiking, the 15-20 minute walk between the parking lot and campsite goes over grass, mud, and potentially over some slippery, uneven river stones. You can bring flip flops for when we are at the site itself, but any footwear you intend to wear between the parking lot and the campsite will get dirty, muddy, and probably wet. Even sneakers are iffy; I had sneakers my first time and it was extremely uncomfortable.

TIP #2: This campsite is not technically a proper campsite at all, but rather, a sort of clearing in the woods on the edge of the lake. This means there are NO BATHROOMS and NO RUNNING WATER. You will have to answer nature’s call in the woods, or hike back to the bathrooms in the parking lot (see below). Be prepared for that. Bring toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and whatever else will make you feel comfortable.

There are bathrooms in the parking lot and they will close when the park closes at dusk.

TIP #3: BRING WATER. Lots of it. More than you think you’ll need. A couple of years in a row now we’ve had people bring only a couple of Poland Spring bottles and they ran out of water in a few hours. It will be hot, you will be moving a lot. Seriously, bring water.

TIP #4: BRING ONLY WHAT YOU CAN CARRY BY YOURSELF. This goes for food, tents, etc. If you bring a tent, make sure it is appropriately sized for the number of people who plan to sleep in it. If that’s just you, a 1-2 person tent is perfect. Anything larger will probably be several pounds, which is several more pounds to carry the half mile or whatever it is between the parking lot and campsite.  Please also bring a decent backpack to carry everything through the woods.

TIP #4.5 – Feel free to bring alcohol, but any food or drinks you bring, try to get stuff with as little packaging as possible. Granola bars, good. Plastic bottles, fine. Anything biodegradable, awesome. Glass, not so great. We will be carrying everything out that we carry in.

TIP #5: BE PREPARED TO WORK! We will need lots of wood to keep the fire going. Imagine how much wood you’ll think we’ll ever need, and then double that. It’s still not enough. Just be ready to help gather wood, which will likely include stepping through briar patches and insects and whatnot. Hence the sturdy shoes.

TIP #6: HAVE FUN! Leave the drama at home. There will be a lot of people coming, some of whom you may have better relationships with than others. When you are at the site, you are family. Share food, water, stories, and games. Many of us have known each other for 10 or more years now, and if this trip is a success, maybe we can plan for something in the wintertime, too! It’s always been good, lighthearted fun, so let’s try to keep it that way.