7 Outdoor Skills Every Teen Learns at Summer Adventure Camp
Summer might feel a long ways off as we begin the new year, but here at Bold Earth headquarters we’re already getting excited for the season to come. We always want new families to feel welcome and well informed about the programs we offer. Here on the blog, we like to provide detailed answers to the FAQs you or your teen might have about our summer adventure camps. Getting all the information ahead of time can help make you feel ready and excited for the next steps of your summer adventure. These are just a few of the skills our teens walk away with at the end of a Bold Earth summer.
1. Make and Break Camp
If you’ve ever wanted to begin your outdoor education, learning how to efficiently set up and take down your tent is the best place to start. It might sound basic, but this is a foundational skill for any great outdoor adventure. Getting familiar with every part of your tent is something that takes time and practice. Luckily, you’ll have plenty of chances to get comfortable with tent camping on all of our domestic adventures and some of our international trips, too, including South Africa and the Italian Dolomites. If you want to make sure your trip includes camping, check out the “Accommodation” section of the itinerary you’re interested in. This will show you how many nights you can expect to be camping versus staying in hostels, chalets, homestays, or huts.
2. Cook Outside with Confidence
Learning how to cook a simple, nutritious, and delicious meal that you can share with friends is an essential teen skill, whether you’re backpacking or hanging out at home. Gaining the confidence to cook over a camp stove with ingredients you picked out yourself is the next level. On every Bold Earth trip, you’ll have the chance to not only cook for your entire group, but also plan and shop for your meal. Everybody gets the opportunity to decide what’s for dinner. One of the most fun parts is using the local ingredients you find at your travel destination. From papayas to homemade pasta, cooking at summer camp is an adventure in itself.
3. Be the Leader
Making decisions in a group of eleven students and two trip leaders can be a difficult task. Everybody’s got opinions and ideas, especially when it comes to things like how you’re going to spend free time or choosing what to eat. That’s why leadership is an essential component of every outdoor expedition. The trip leaders on your summer adventure will handle the logistics of your itinerary, but every student gets the chance to be a leader of the day. That means you’ll be in charge of meeting with your trip leaders and making the plan for the day. Once you’ve tried it out for yourself, you might realize that being the leader isn’t always as easy at it looks. That being said, having the autonomy to make decisions for yourself and your fellow students can transform an adventure from basic summer camp experience to the trip of a lifetime.
4. Work as a Team
From rope teams on the flanks of Everest to whitewater rafting crews conquering rapids on the Colorado River, every outdoor adventurer must learn to work with their co-adventurers if they’re going to reach their goals. Some of the greatest feats of outdoor skill have been achieved by teams of talented individuals who realized they could go further working together. Even American rock climbing icon Alex Honnold can’t free solo the biggest walls in the world without his support team. Teamwork is foundational to outdoor adventure, whether you aspire to become a mountaineer or big wave surfer. Teamwork also makes things more fun, period. Reaching that awesome summit? Even more epic when you’ve got your friends by your side. On a typical Bold Earth summer adventure, the teamwork begins on day one. The more you help a friend clean up after they’ve made your group dinner, the easier it will be to enlist some support when your turn rolls around. The groups who have the most fun during the summer are the ones who function as excellent teams.
5. Get Comfortable with Failure
It might not seem like a desirable skill at first glance, but learning how to fail is actual a critical part of being a successful outdoor adventurer. Never experiencing failure is not a measure of success. It probably means you aren’t experiencing real challenges or pushing yourself to learn new things. Failure is one of our greatest teachers in the outdoor world. It shows us where our boundaries are so we can expand them. Without failure, we wouldn’t be able to learn from our attempt. Nailing a whitewater rapid on your first try feels awesome, but you won’t become a master river runner sticking to the lines you already know you can make. True learning happens when you fail and try again. Maybe you won’t figure it out today, maybe not even tomorrow, but the actual act of failing is something we can practice and get better at. Failures of the future, whether big or small, won’t be able to knock you down.
6. Extend the Gift of Kindness
If you’ve ever been the newest kid in class, you’ll know how much it means when somebody offers you a seat next to them. On a Bold Earth summer adventure, everybody is the new kid in class. The first couple of days can include a period of adjustment as you get to know the members of your group. As you begin to take on new outdoor challenges and test our your skills, some teens will have more experience than others. This is the moment to practice kindness. A word or a helping hand at the right moment goes a long way. Whether in outdoor pursuits or in daily life, practicing kindness will always strengthen your team and allow you to achieve even more than you could alone.
7. Expand Your Recreational Repertoire
One of the best parts of a Bold Earth summer is the chance to try a whole new array of adventure sports and activities. From rock climbing to canyoneering, surfing to ziplining, our summer camps are packed with active itineraries. There are specific activities for each trip, so be sure to look closely at the itinerary if you’re looking to try a certain sport. Every time you encounter something you’ve never done before, you can feel safe and prepared with professional outdoor outfitters and all the equipment provided. This summer you might just fall in love with a brand new outdoor hobby that could stick with you for a lifetime.
Grow Your Outdoor Skills This Summer!
Check out our full list of summer outdoor adventure camps to find the right match for your 2025 goals. Still have more questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out. We’d love to hear from you!
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