Water, Water Everywhere- Even in a manufactured wilderness!

Water, Water Everywhere

We have more drinking fountains at Camp Mishawaka now than we did in 1910, if there were any at all back then! At the end of every summer we have dozens of stray water bottles that campers have left behind - even though the vessel has been literally and figuratively attached to their hip for their entire stay.

Don’t get me wrong, hydration is important, but somehow I (and so many of my contemporaries) survived our childhood by finding (and drinking water) when we were thirsty. If we were thoughtful, we even took water before we were thirsty! Some of us had canteens, but these were only used for “expeditions” like exploring the woods behind my house or a Boy Scout Jamboree.

Like many other camps that opened around the turn of the 20th century, when Mishawaka opened in 1910, parents were worried that modern upgrades of life like electricity, running water, and indoor plumbing would make their sons soft. The American frontier had officially closed. There was nothing left to explore, no wilderness to toughen kids up. No “expeditions” where a surplus stock of water would be needed. Camps manufactured a new wilderness.

The 2026 Problem

The modern version of getting kids out of their comfort zone starts with just getting them out of the wilderness of their bedrooms. Parents tell me their son had a great time at camp, left excited, but that next summer he just wants to stay home and hang out with his friends. And they “don’t want to push him.”

This is new. Or at least newer. It used to be that parents would say, “Hey Jimmy, you’re going to camp by the way.” There was less negotiation. Now there’s this deference, amplified since the pandemic, where the concern for wellbeing means not pushing.

I understand it. Parents love their kids more than anything in the world, and more than anything in the world, want them to be happy. But if we don’t push them toward just a little productive discomfort, who will? Again, don’t get me wrong - dehydration is not our goal, but thirst can be a good thing, and quenching it is like nothing else I know of.

What Hasn’t Changed

The act of growth requires at least a little discomfort along the way. That was true in 1910, and it’s true heading into 2026.The work of Camp Mishawaka hasn’t changed. We’re still very much in the business of getting kids comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Boundary Waters canoe trip when you’re paddling into the wind and your arms feel spent. Sailing for the first time on Pokegama and the boat absolutely refuses to go where you want it to. It happens in a cabin with six other kids who don’t share your exact preferences about lights out or whose turn it is to sweep.

These aren’t manufactured crises by any stretch of the imagination. They’re just the natural frictions of real life, experienced away from certain comforts. “Safety, Health and Happiness” has been the Mishawaka motto since 1910. The wilderness we manufacture today looks different, but the purpose? Identical.