Equipment

The main prerequisite for an ideal and safe stay at this kind of mountain camp, besides a good will is the appropriate camping/alpine equipment.  Most of this equipment is fairly expensive and thus for the better part of our youth (ie, their parents’ pocketbooks) inaccessible.  The St. Lazar’s Orthodox Youth Camp owns an amount of basic equipment which will be available for all the participants in the camp.  This equipment includes excellent three-season tents, sleeping mats and sleeping bags. The camp also possesses a limited quantity of high-quality alpine or military rucksacks, along with some pairs of gaiters and headlamps.

An important item – battery-run headlamp

Children’s camouflage t-shirt

Along with this, the desired clothing for the camp participants would be either military – camouflage or olive green. Military trousers, button down shirts, t-shirts, fall jackets, etc can be bought at very reasonable prices at army surplus stores.

Children’s camouflage trousers

We appeal to all participants in the camp (that is, and their parents) that no trousers or shirts with any worldly writing of any kind be brought to the camp.

Girls are required to wear skirts and scarves!

Likewise, we appeal to all the participants in the camp and their parents to take care of one very important item of alpine equipment – hiking boots. 

The activities of the camp will include daily multiple-kilometer-long hikes in the mountains , expeditions which very often imply significantly difficult rocky terrain for which ordinary sport footwear is not adequate.

Hiking boots are fairly expensive, but as we do not have them, we place them as a required item with the plea that when children grow out of them, they be donated to the camp in order to serve the coming generations of campers.

Hiking Boots

Required equipment for the camp:

-Hiking boots, if  possible, should be of Gore-Tex material with a hard  Vibram® sole, for the use of long hikes over difficult, mountainous terrain.  Of course, this kind of shoe is significantly expensive, so any kind of shoe from the “Trekking” line of shoes should be satisfactory.

Sneakers or sandals - will be used within the grounds of the camp for games, sports and resting the feet.

Socks – several pairs, including cotton and wool (wool for hiking boots)

Battery-powered flashlights, with extra sets of batteries, or headlamps, if possible, which leave the hands free

Other desired equipment for the camp (if you have them, bring them):

Backpack, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, and tents

Gaiters – of water-proof material which covers a part of the leg from the shoe to the knee, which protect the legs from wet grass, thorns, stinging nettle and ticks.

A classic pair of gaiters

We remind you, if you are able, to choose shoes with Vibram soles