Parent–Youth Adventure & Leadership Camp
A 3-day off-grid adventure for one parent and up to two youth — where you learn real outdoor skills together, take on fun challenges, and reconnect without screens or stress.
Who This Camp Is For
This parent youth camp is designed for families who want a meaningful wilderness weekend near Ottawa, filled with skills, connection, and fun challenges. Over three days, you’ll learn hands-on outdoor skills, work together through Survivor® style challenges, and build confidence as a team. No experience needed — just curiosity, teamwork, and a sense of adventure.
If you’ve been looking for a family wilderness camp that focuses on connection, teamwork, and real outdoor skills, this weekend is built for you.
This camp is designed for one parent or guardian and up to two youth who want to share a meaningful outdoor adventure together. It’s a great fit for families who want:
Real connection without screens
Time together where you talk, work as a team, and actually experience things side by side.Hands-on outdoor skills
Fire-building, navigation, canoeing basics, teamwork challenges, and more — taught in a supportive, step-by-step way.A fun mix of adventure + learning
Not a hardcore survival program, but a guided, family-friendly challenge weekend where everyone contributes.A structured way to build confidence
Every activity is designed so youth of different ages can succeed, feel proud, and take the lead.A shared story you’ll talk about for years
Families leave with inside jokes, campfire memories, and a sense of “we did this together.”
It’s a parent child outdoor program designed to help families learn, explore, and grow together in a supportive environment. This is one of the most accessible family outdoor adventures in Quebec — close to Ottawa, but far from distractions.
Core Promise
Tents set up in our wilderness camp during our parent–youth adventure camp at The Off Grid Ark.
At the Parent–Youth Adventure & Leadership Camp, you and your youth step into a three-day parent youth adventure weekend built around skills, challenge, and genuine connection. You’ll learn practical outdoor skills together, take on fun family-versus-family activities, and finish the weekend feeling like a stronger team.
What makes this family wilderness camp different is how present you become once you’re out here.
Phones can stay with you for photos and safety, but during activities the goal is to set them aside.
When you do, something shifts — conversations come easier, teamwork feels natural, and both parent and youth get to relax into the moment instead of the screen.
This isn’t a parent child outdoor program where adults stand back and watch — and it’s not one where parents do the teaching either. You’re both learning new skills side by side, often for the very first time. And what surprises many families is how quickly youth catch on to things like canoe strokes, fire-building, and navigation — sometimes faster than the adults. That role reversal creates partnership, respect, and a connection that you simply can’t get in everyday life.
And somewhere in those moments, many parents will feel a quiet reminder — the kind of gentle, Cat’s in the Cradle awareness that childhood moves fast, and shared time like this matters.
By the end of the weekend, parents feel closer to their youth, youth feel more confident in themselves, and everyone walks away with a new story your family will keep for life.
“Everything about the man was kick-ass, it was killer… that’s my endorsement for Mr. Caldwell.”
— Les Stroud, Survivorman
Benefits for Parents & Youth
This weekend is designed to bring families closer through shared challenge, teamwork, and real outdoor skills. You’ll both walk away with something meaningful.
For Youth
See their parent in a new light
Youth rarely see their parent outside the usual routines — rushing, managing, reminding. Out here, that all shifts. You’re learning new skills side by side, laughing through challenges, and taking on the same obstacles together.
Many youth leave feeling, “My parent is actually pretty fun out here.” That shift creates a connection most families don’t get in daily life.Build real confidence
Lighting a fire, steering a canoe, navigating a trail — these aren’t pretend achievements. They’re real skills that make youth feel capable, trusted, and proud.
Lead, decide, and take ownership
Youth aren’t being “talked at.” They get to lead parts of each activity, make decisions, and guide the team. Parents support, not direct — and kids notice.
Create memories that last
The inside jokes, the small wins, the shared “we did it” moments — these are the memories youth hold onto long after the weekend is over.
For Parents
Reconnect without distractions
Life moves fast. Screens, schedules, and responsibilities pile up. This weekend gives you the chance to slow down, be fully present, and share something meaningful with your youth — the kind of time you wish happened more often.
See your youth’s strengths in a new environment
You’ll watch your youth problem-solve, take initiative, support you, and shine in ways that everyday routines don’t always show. Seeing them thrive outdoors can be a powerful moment.
Learn together as equals
For once, you’re not the instructor or the referee. You’re on the same team — learning, trying, and laughing side by side. It creates a sense of partnership that’s hard to find in day-to-day life.
A “Cat’s in the Cradle” reminder — in the best way
This isn’t meant to be heavy, but being out here has a way of reminding you how fast these years go.
Not in a guilt-driven way — more in a “I’m really glad we’re doing this now” way.
It’s a chance to make a memory you’ll be grateful for later.
For Both
A shared achievement
You finish the weekend feeling like a stronger team — not because everything was easy, but because you figured things out together.
A new story for your family
Shared challenges turn into inside jokes, memories, and moments you’ll keep for life. These are the stories your family will talk about for years.
A break from screens and routines
For a couple of days, everyone gets to unplug — not because of a rule, but because you’re busy doing something real. With the forest, campfires, and challenges in front of you, phones naturally stay in pockets, and you get to actually enjoy time together without distractions.
Because this is a parent youth leadership camp, every activity is designed to build confidence, communication, and teamwork.
High Level Itinerary
Each day blends outdoor skills, teamwork, and meaningful connection — all at a relaxed, family-friendly pace.
Day 1 - Arrival and Foundations
Set up camp and settle into your site
Welcome briefing and safety orientation
Intro to outdoor basics (fire-building, tool use, teamwork)
Evening campfire connection time
Day 2 — Canoeing Adventure Day
This is a full, rewarding day focused on canoe skills and time on the water.
Drive to the canoe launch (6 km)
Unload canoes and gear
Canoeing instruction:
Portage carry
J-stroke
Draws
Pries
Steering as a team
Paddle "upriver" (no current) to an island
Lunch and swimming at the island (weather-dependent)
Paddle back to take-out
Load canoes, return to The Ark
Day 3 — Mantracker + Survivor Challenge Day
Morning — Mantracker Navigation Game
A parent–youth twist on the Off Grid Ark classic.
Map & compass navigation
Try to reach checkpoints while avoiding the “trackers”
Perfect balance of fun, strategy, and teamwork
Afternoon — Survivor® Challenge Finals
A fast-paced series of family-vs-family events:
Fire-building race
Giant slide puzzle
Rope handcuff escape
Blindfold obstacle course
Balance + endurance challenges
Memory Gauntlet — Blind Transfer Edition
All challenges use a points-based scoring system to keep things fair across ages.
Final tally & celebration
Awards ceremony
Certificates presented to each family team
High Level Itinerary
Each day blends outdoor skills, teamwork, and meaningful connection — all at a relaxed, family-friendly pace.
Day 1 - Arrival and Foundations
Set up camp and settle into your site
Welcome briefing and safety orientation
Intro to outdoor basics (fire-building, tool use, teamwork)
Evening campfire connection time
Day 2 — Canoeing Adventure Day
This is a full, rewarding day focused on canoe skills and time on the water.
Drive to the canoe launch (6 km)
Unload canoes and gear
Canoeing instruction:
Portage carry
J-stroke
Draws
Pries
Steering as a team
Paddle "upriver" (no current) to an island
Lunch and swimming at the island (weather-dependent)
Paddle back to take-out
Load canoes, return to The Ark
Day 3 — Mantracker + Survivor Challenge Day
Morning — Mantracker Navigation Game
A parent–youth twist on the Off Grid Ark classic.
Map & compass navigation
Try to reach checkpoints while avoiding the “trackers”
Perfect balance of fun, strategy, and teamwork
Afternoon — Survivor® Challenge Finals
A fast-paced series of family-vs-family events:
Fire-building race
Giant slide puzzle
Rope handcuff escape
Blindfold obstacle course
Balance + endurance challenges
Memory Gauntlet — Blind Transfer Edition
All challenges use a points-based scoring system to keep things fair across ages.
Final tally & celebration
Awards ceremony
Certificates presented to each family team
Survivor® Challenge
Survivor® Challenge Day is the high-energy finale that brings the whole weekend together. It’s designed to give families a fun, friendly way to test the skills and teamwork they’ve built over the first two days.
Instead of individual competition, everything is done as a parent–youth team.
Kids get to lead. Parents get to support. And every challenge rewards communication just as much as speed or strength.
A Day Built Around Teamwork
Each activity is designed so different ages can contribute in different ways. Some challenges favour strategy, some favour memory, others favour balance or patience. No single family has an advantage — everyone gets their moment to shine.
Friendly Competition, Real Connection
The scoring system keeps things playful, not stressful. Parents often discover their youth are better at certain tasks… and kids love the chance to “carry the team.”
It creates moments that turn into instant inside jokes and family stories.
A Meaningful Finish
The day ends with a small celebration, recognition, and certificates. It’s simple but powerful — a moment where each family gets to feel proud of how they worked together.
What’s Included in This Parent Youth Adventure Weekend?
Your weekend is fully guided, fully equipped, and designed to be as turnkey as possible. Everything listed below is included in the camp fee.
Full 3-Day Program
A complete adventure featuring canoeing, navigation, and Survivor®-style challenges.
All Meals Provided
Nutritious, hearty meals prepared together as a group. (Contact us for special dietary restrictions)
Families help with cooking and cleanup — part of the teamwork experience.
All pots, pans, cooking tools, plates, bowls, and cutlery included.Tents & Camp Setup Gear
Sturdy group tents provided for each family team.
Sleeping pads included.
(You bring your own sleeping bags and pillows.)Bunkhouse Access
Available for weather events or special needs.
Used as a common space and backup sleeping area.Canoes & Water Safety Gear
Transportation of canoes and gear to and from the Gatineau River.
Tandem canoes, PFDs, paddles, dry bags — everything needed for Day 2.
All Challenge Materials
Maps, compasses, puzzle boards, ropes, blindfolds, fire-building supplies, scorecards — fully provided.
Guided Outdoor Instruction
Step-by-step teaching for canoeing, navigation, fire-building, and all challenges.
Small Group Size
Limited to 3–6 family teams for safety, connection, and personal attention.
Full Access to the Off Grid Ark
160+ acres of forests and trails. Camp firepit, picnic table, clean outhouses, fresh water, and bunkhouse.
2026 Camp Dates
Maximum 6 families per camp
Parent/Youth Adventure Weekend #1
July 11–13, 2026
A perfect early-summer reset before the heat and chaos of July fully arrive. Great for first-time families or anyone craving some early sunshine and teamwork.
Daddy–Daughter Adventure Weekend
July 25–27, 2026
Built for dads and daughters who want something more meaningful than another “busy weekend.”
Expect skills, teamwork, laughs, and a lot of proud dad moments.Mid-Week Parent/Youth Camp
August 5–7, 2026 (Tues–Thurs)
Same full experience, smaller mid-week vibe.
Ideal for families with flexible schedules or who want a quieter summer escape.Parent/Youth Adventure Weekend #2
August 15–17, 2026
A high-impact “last big summer memory” before school starts.
This weekend gives families a meaningful way to wrap up summer and head into the school year feeling closer.
Safety and Supervision
Before building The Off Grid Ark, I spent years as a helicopter paramedic — experience that shapes our safety-first approach.
Safety is built into every part of this camp. All activities are designed to be beginner-friendly, age-appropriate, and achievable for families working together as a team.
Led by an Experienced Outdoor Professional
The entire program is facilitated by me — a retired helicopter paramedic with decades of emergency and wilderness experience. You’ll always have clear instruction, calm leadership, and a plan for every activity.
Reliable Communication & Emergency Access
95% cell service coverage across the property
20 minutes from Wakefield Hospital
First-aid gear on site and rapid access to the main Ark building or bunkhouse
Small Group Size
Limited to 3–6 family teams to ensure personal attention, safe oversight, and a relaxed atmosphere.
Ground-Level, Low-Risk Challenges
There’s no climbing, cold-water immersion, heavy lifting, or high-speed activities. Everything is designed for family participation and success.
A group selfie during one of our outdoor leadership programs — moments like this are what make The Off Grid Ark special.
Canoeing on the Gatineau River is a highlight for many youth — especially when the dogs decide to join in.
Canoeing Safety
Canoes, PFDs, and all gear are provided. Instruction happens on flatwater, and families paddle as a supervised group.
Parents Stay With Their Youth
You remain with your youth throughout the entire program — during activities, meals, camp setup, and downtime — which makes the experience safer and more meaningful.
Screen-Free Focus (Not a Rule, But a Rhythm)
Phones can be used for photos and safety, but during activities the goal is to be fully present. Most families naturally put devices away as the weekend unfolds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a parent–youth adventure camp?
A parent–youth adventure camp is a structured outdoor program where one parent or guardian joins their youth for hands-on activities, teamwork challenges, and skill-building experiences. Instead of dropping kids off, you participate together — learning canoeing, navigation, campcraft, and communication as a team.
Our program is designed to help families reconnect, build confidence, and spend time outdoors without screens or distractions. Everything is guided, beginner-friendly, and done at a relaxed, family pace.
Is it safe?
The outdoors always carries some level of risk, and no program can be 100% risk-free — but we take safety seriously and build it into every part of the weekend.
The camp is led by me, a retired helicopter paramedic with decades of emergency and wilderness experience. Activities are designed to be ground-level, beginner-friendly, and done at a relaxed, family pace. Parents remain with their youth at all times, and canoeing takes place on calm, flatwater conditions.
We also have first-aid gear on site, reliable cell service across 95% of the property, and we’re only 20 minutes from Wakefield Hospital.
Our goal is to create a challenging yet supportive environment where families can learn together while minimizing unnecessary risks.
What ages can participate?
The recommended age range is 9–16.
If your youth is 7–8 and already comfortable outdoors or active, contact me to confirm fit.
How many people can join per family?
Each family team includes one parent/guardian and up to two youth. This keeps the challenges fair and the group size small and personal.
Do we need any outdoor experience?
No experience is needed. Everything — canoeing, navigation, fire-building, challenges — is taught step by step. This weekend is designed to be accessible, even for first-time campers.
Are meals provided?
Yes. All meals are included.
Families help with preparation and cleanup as part of the teamwork experience. All cooking tools, pots, pans, plates, and cutlery are provided.
Dietary sensitivities and restrictions can be discussed in advance. Participants can bring their own snacks and flavoured drinks.
Where do families sleep?
Each parent–youth team is provided with a tent and sleeping pads.
You bring your own sleeping bags and pillows.
The bunkhouse is available as a backup option in case of weather or special needs.
What do we need to bring?
A full packing list will be sent after registration. In general:
- sleeping bags + pillows
- clothing for all weather
- sturdy shoes
- toiletries
- reusable water bottles
We provide tents, pads, meals, cooking gear, canoes, and all activity equipment.
What is the group size?
Small by design: 3–6 family teams.
This keeps the weekend safe, supportive, and personal.
How do we register or ask questions?
You can reserve your spot with a $200 deposit or pay $795 in full.
If you’d like to talk first, you can call or text me anytime between 9am–7pm. If I’m at the sawmill or out on the lake and miss the call, just send a quick text and I’ll get back to you.
📞 819-422-1222
Pricing
Founding Season Price: $795 per family
(One parent/guardian + up to two youth)
This weekend is designed to be simple, accessible, and completely turnkey. Your family gets three days of guided adventure — canoeing, navigation, outdoor skills, Mantracker, and Survivor®-style challenges — without needing to bring specialized gear or plan a thing.
Only 3–6 family teams can join each session to keep the experience personal and supportive.
Included Bonuses
To make this weekend as stress-free as possible, your family also gets these extras at no additional cost:
Family Tent + Sleeping Pads Provided
A comfortable setup waiting for you when you arrive. No hauling or buying gear.
All Cooking Gear Supplied
Pots, pans, utensils, plates, bowls, and cutlery — everything you need for group meals.
Full Canoe + Safety Gear Package
Tandem canoes, paddles, PFDs, and dry bags included for your family adventure day.
Printed Leadership Certificates
A meaningful keepsake for both parent and youth.
Access to the Bunkhouse
Used as a weather backup or comfort option when needed.
The Confidence Guarantee
If weather or safety conditions force us to cancel the weekend, you’ll receive a full refund or credit — your choice.
We run a challenging program, but never at the expense of safety or common sense.
Deposit & Cancellation
A $200 deposit holds your family’s spot.
The remaining balance is due 30 days before camp.
Refund Policy
30+ days before camp: full refund (minus the deposit)
15–29 days before camp: 50% refund or full credit
0–14 days before camp: no refund unless we can fill your spot
If we cancel the program, you receive a full refund or credit (your choice).
Pricing
Founding Season Price: $795 per family
(One parent/guardian + up to two youth)
This weekend is designed to be simple, accessible, and completely turnkey. Your family gets three days of guided adventure — canoeing, navigation, outdoor skills, Mantracker, and Survivor®-style challenges — without needing to bring specialized gear or plan a thing.
Only 3–6 family teams can join each session to keep the experience personal and supportive.
Included Bonuses
To make this weekend as stress-free as possible, your family also gets these extras at no additional cost:
Family Tent + Sleeping Pads Provided
A comfortable setup waiting for you when you arrive. No hauling or buying gear.
All Cooking Gear Supplied
Pots, pans, utensils, plates, bowls, and cutlery — everything you need for group meals.
Full Canoe + Safety Gear Package
Tandem canoes, paddles, PFDs, and dry bags included for your family adventure day.
Printed Leadership Certificates
A meaningful keepsake for both parent and youth.
Access to the Bunkhouse
Used as a weather backup or comfort option when needed.
The Confidence Guarantee
If weather or safety conditions force us to cancel the weekend, you’ll receive a full refund or credit — your choice.
We run a challenging program, but never at the expense of safety or common sense.
Deposit & Cancellation
A $200 deposit holds your family’s spot.
The remaining balance is due 30 days before camp.
Refund Policy
30+ days before camp: full refund (minus the deposit)
15–29 days before camp: 50% refund or full credit
0–14 days before camp: no refund unless we can fill your spot
If we cancel the program, you receive a full refund or credit (your choice).
Choose How You Want to Get Started
⭐ Option 1 — Register Now (Deposit or Full Payment)
Pay the $200 Deposit
Secure your family’s spot today.
Balance due 30 days before camp.
Great if you want to lock in your weekend and handle payment later.
Or Pay in Full ($795)
Take care of everything at once.
Nothing else to think about.
⭐ Option 2 — Have a Question? Call or Text Me
My phone is on from 9am to 7pm, and I answer most of the time.
If I’m working on the sawmill, out in the canoe, or running a program, I may not be able to pick up right away.
If I miss your call, just send a quick text with the best times to reach you, and I’ll call you back.
📞 Call/Text: 819-422-1222
No pressure — just a real conversation to help you decide if this weekend is right for your family.
Map & Directions to the
Cliffside Camp in the Outaouais
Families love that this adventure camp near Ottawa feels remote, while still being easy to reach.
The Off Grid Ark is a wilderness camp in Western Quebec offering a parent youth adventure weekend that combines leadership training, outdoor skills, and a true family wilderness camp experience.