THINGS TO BRING
——-Start living simply NOW.—— Pack lightly and tightly.——
Do not bring anything you don’t want lost, broken, eaten or stolen by others.
MANDATORY
Winter Coat – October through March – a “hoodie” is not a winter coat!
BUG SPRAY – due to climate change, our area now has the lyme disease-carrying deer ticks year-round.
WORK GLOVES -these are different from snow gloves, gardening gloves, or water-proof rubber gloves. You need THESE. Please invest. NOTE: One size does not fit all &, if they’re too big, they can make work more difficult or even unsafe. Get them smaller if need-be.
WORK BOOTS – If you don’t have them, don’t buy them special for this trip. Hiking boots or rain boots will do, or two pairs of tennis shoes -in case one gets wet or just completely trashed.
rain coat – a “hoodie” is not a raincoat, either, and it’s hard to work in ponchos.
sleeping bag – it keeps us from having to do tons of laundry between groups – if you don’t have one, please borrow one.
pillow case – we have pillows; leave yours at home to save space.
reusable water bottle –well–water is the beverage of choice here.
slippers, flip-flops, or comfy socks – no shoes or boots inside.
toiletries – toothbrush/paste, soap, towel/washcloth, small bottle of shampoo
shirts – long sleeves, short sleeves
underwear – long underwear (winter), short underwear (always!), socks
jeans for work (JEANS, not yoga pants) – save the sweats, shorts & yoga pants for sleep, free time & field trip…they are not safe to wear while working, and you’ll get burrs stuck to them, or snags or holes in them, or your knees!
sweatshirt – okay, now you can pack the hoodie!
OPTIONAL: flashlight, journal, camera
“When it comes to work,
there’s no such thing as
inclement weather;
just inappropriate clothing.”
*****do not forget*****
medications for diabetes, asthma, allergies or other conditions needing regularly prescribed drugs- dogs, cats, bees, livestock, hay, pollen, dust, and an occasional fellow student can cause a reaction.
medication for car sickness- “I never got woozy ’til I moved to West Virginia.” -me
orthodontic stuff like head gear, rubber bands, mouth guard, retainer. Yes, I’ll be asking you about it.
*****LEAVE at HOME******
homework – you won’t have time for it & who wants to do it anyway?
electric tooth brushes – we’re trying to “unplug,” remember?
NO PHONE ZONE.
Phones distract and take away from the kinds of experiences we hope you’re wanting to have when you come here. We ask that all participants -except leaders- refrain from using cell phones for anything but pictures/videos. Getting a signal in the hollers and on country roads is spotty anyway.
All loved ones should be told you will not be able to be reached by cell. In case of an emergency at home, they can call our land line – 304-927-5798. Messages are retrieved several times a day and will be given to you as soon as possible.
If you are involved in an emergency or accident here, your leaders or I will use the emergency contact number listed on your form to alert folks at home. So, be sure to turn that in before your departure.
If you use the camera on your phone, that’s fine, but we can’t recharge everyone’s without charging you more for the electricity you’ll be using. Turn it off when not in use to save your battery, and always keep it on airplane mode when it’s on.
Speaking of…
NO ACCIDENTS ALLOWED.
In over 2 decades, we’ve never had an accident on a work project, only mishaps during ‘fun’ times, but let’s not have YOU add to them. Please try to avoid getting hurt at all costs or at least don’t make any accidents worse if you can help it!
2000-2008 – ZERO
2009 – During a free-time hike mid-week, a student ran as fast as he could down a mountainside in the woods he’d walked down before, tripped, fell, and landed on a strand of old, rusty barbed wire. He suffered a scrape and puncture wound on his BUTT, embarrassment, and spent long, uncomfortable hours sitting in the Emergency waiting room, received Tetanus shot and endured ruthless teasing by his friends. I just rolled my eyes and snickered a lot.
2010 – A student had a seizure during final banquet. EMS was called to the house, and the girl was fine by the time they arrived. She admitted to them she had not brought her medication saying she didn’t think she would need it.
2011 – On the last free-time hike of the week, while wearing thin, canvas tennis shoes, a student joined her friends in exploring the inside of an old, abandoned, dilapidated house and stepped on a rusty nail that went straight through the shoe’s sole and into the ball of her foot. She suffered puncture wound, long hours in the Emergency waiting room, and a Tetanus shot. Meanwhile, she missed ‘movie night’ with the group.
2012-2013 - ZERO
2014 – During the last hike of the week, a staff leader caught his foot on the root of a tree, lost balance, fell and twisted his ankle while making his way down a steep hill. He kept it elevated but declined the offer of ice until it blew up like a balloon and turned black and blue. Once home, his doctor said it was sprained and he was on crutches for two weeks.
2015 – ZERO
2016 – At the end of a hike on the very last day, after successfully conquering all hilly and rocky terrain, a student leader slipped in the mud on flat ground and twisted her ankle. She went home with an ice pack.
2017-2018 - ZERO
2019 - ZERO. However… One case of the chicken pox was confirmed the morning of departure. You know who you are. (Shawn Breslin!)
2020 - ZERO. However…The last group to arrive before the COVID lockdown got in an accident on their way here. They came in two mini-vans. An hour from the house, when the first van hit a deer, the second van hit the first van. Neither vehicle was driveable, and we couldn’t get rentals until mid-week which significantly altered our schedule. BE CAREFUL WHEN DRIVING!
2021 - 2022 - ZERO