Backpack? Check!
Everything your camper needs for a big day in the wild — and nothing they don't. Pack it together the night before: backpack, check. Life jacket, check. Lunch… check. Adventure incoming.
The big nine — never leave home without them
Label everything with your camper's name — gear with a name on it always finds its way home.
- A trusty backpack to carry it all
- A hearty packed lunch + snacks (peanut-free, please)
- A full, refillable water bottle
- Closed-toe shoes that can get muddy
- Layers + rain gear: jacket, pants, boots
- Sun kit: hat, sunscreen & sunglasses
- Water shoes for creek & river days
- A Transport-Canada-approved PFD (life jacket) from home
- Bathing suit & a full change of clothes
Sun, rain or river — pack to match
The weekly itinerary (it lands the Friday before each week) tells you what kind of days are coming. Here's how to gear up for each one.
Water days
PFD on, water shoes packed, bathing suit and a dry change of clothes in the bag. Creek walks and river paddles get gloriously wet.
Sunny days
Hat, sunscreen and sunglasses — there's not much shade out on the river.
Rainy days
Camp runs rain or shine. A rain jacket, rain pants and boots turn a wet day into the best kind of muddy.
Riding the Wilde Bus?
No extra steps — lunch, water and gear ride along with your camper, straight to the adventure and back home again.
Curious where the adventure goes each day? See a day at WILDE →
Five minutes tonight, smooth trails tomorrow
Pack together — campers who load their own bag always know where the snacks are.
- 1Check the planWater day? Offsite trip? The weekly itinerary knows — a 30-second look sets up the whole bag.
- 2Pack the bag togetherBackpack, check. Rain gear, check. PFD by the door for water days. Let your camper run the checklist — it's their adventure.
- 3Lunch & water bottleBig days build big appetites — make it substantial, keep it peanut-free, and park it in the fridge until morning.
- 4Lay out the day's clothesClosed-toe shoes by the door, layers for the morning chill, sun hat on top. Done.
- 5Early to bedTomorrow there's a forest to explore. Sleep is the secret packing item.
The do-not-pack list
A short list, but a mighty one.
Screens & gadgets
Phones, tablets and games stay home — the forest is the entertainment.
Peanut products
WILDE is a peanut-free camp — please double-check snack and lunch labels.
Precious treasures
Anything that can't get muddy, wet or briefly misplaced is happier at home.
Asked & answered
What should my camper bring every day?
- Sturdy closed-toe shoes that can get muddy
- Rain gear: jacket, pants, boots
- Water shoes for creek & river days — no Crocs or flip-flops
- A Transport-Canada-approved PFD from home
- Hat, sunscreen & sunglasses
- A refillable water bottle
- Packed lunch + snacks
- Bathing suit & a change of clothes
- A backpack to carry it all
Want the fun version — water days, the leave-at-home list and night-before tips? Open the Packing Guide. A detailed packing list also arrives with your registration.
Do you provide lunch or snacks?
No — please pack a lunch, snacks and a full water bottle every day. Camp days are big and appetites are bigger, so make it substantial.
WILDE is a peanut-free environment.
Does my child need their own life jacket (PFD)?
Yes. Every camper brings a properly fitting, Transport-Canada-approved PFD from home, worn at all times in or near the water.
WILDE provides the canoes, paddles, bikes, tools and the rest of the adventure gear.
Packed and ready to roam?
See what a WILDE day looks like — or grab your spot before the summer fills up.