If your camp has been dealing with extreme heat recently, you’re not alone. Camp Lake Stephens in Mississippi has had more than its fair share of extra-hot camp days this season, and Assistant Director Jeff Wilson shares insights about how he and the staff are managing and some things they’ve learned along the way.

Shade & Moving Water

• Not all water activities are built equally. A lake or pool under full sun can be as dangerous as an athletic field under full sun. Sitting in warm or unmoving water makes your body have to work even harder to cool down. If you have a creek or river or a way to have a water activity with shade or moving water, choose that option. Save full sun water activities for early morning.

• Shade and moving air and/or water are the key to cooling down.

• If you can safely do so and you have access to pools, try a night swim.

Hydration & Overhydration

• Focusing on good hydration should start before the extreme heat advisory or warning.

• Provide cold water sources at every activity inside and outside.

• Buy extra water bottles for those who may not have them. Amazon has bulk water bottles fairly cheap.

• Learn about the warning signs and treatment for hyponatremia. This condition is often caused when someone over-hydrates because they are trying not to become dehydrated.

Heat-related Illness

• Learn warning signs of heat exhaustion and stroke. Both can happen VERY quickly. Learn signs and treatment procedures for both and practice with your staff!

• Make connections with a pediatrician; they can help you understand heat related risks for campers.

Weather Planning

• Generally, extreme heat situations are reliably forecasted well in advance, compared to rain or storms. So make your plans early. We usually know 7-ish days in advance to start prepping for extreme heat.

• Make connections with your local weather station or National Weather Service office. They can help you understand and prepare for weather patterns you are unfamiliar with, such as “heat domes.”

• Humidity is a relative number. 70% humidity in 50°F weather is a vastly different condition than 70% in 90° F weather. Find a heat index chart for your area. Humidity is a multiplier. The higher the humidity, the harder it is for your body to cool down.

Activities & Scheduling

• Be flexible with upending your schedules. Health is more important than tradition.

• Schedule rest times or cabin clean-up competitions during the hottest part of day.

• Stay indoors as much as possible from 11:30 am - 4:30 / 5:00 pm.

• Create an indoor bonfire experience, play indoor team games, indoor talent show (with cabin groups instead of individuals), play real life versions of board games like Clue, Battleship, Guess Who, or whatever your favorite is. 

• Move team building from low ropes to indoors. Use more initiative type games instead of obstacle based challenges (e.g., baking challenges with teams, trivia).

• What ever you do, DON’T SHOW A MOVIE. No other indoor activity will be engaging after a movie is shown. 

• With any of your indoor activities, try to create props or decorations so it feels like a genuine camp activity and not just a last minute audible. Be creative! All of our maintenance sheds / barns have tons of reusable materials that can be created into cool decorations.

• If your indoor air conditioned space is limited, consider activities in useable spaces that can involve all camper ages without causing too much competitive strife from older campers. 

• Make a plan for accommodating campers who are sensitive to loud sounds and large crowds. Provide a quiet room or space they can utilize during heat.

Food and Water

• Giving SOME sugary / salty drinks or snacks can actually be beneficial during heat events. It can help replace sugars or electrolytes lost to sweating and high metabolism.

• Consider adjusting meals to less heavy or greasy foods. Try more cool salads and fruit with high water content.

Cool, Relocate, or Cancel?

• If you have no air conditioning, at a certain point you should consider renting portable air-conditioning or moving campers off-site to a place that can accommodate your needs with A/C.

• When lows overnight are at 80°f or higher with high humidity, it’s time to start canceling or modifying campouts or any non-air-conditioned sleeping. Temperatures that high at night can cause campers to be even further behind the curve on hydration and rest before a hot day’s worth of activity.

• If you have acceptable activities at your site but they are a considerable distance away from camper’s current locations, consider shuttles.

• Misting machines and football type evaporative cooling fans could be useful in certain situations.

Caregiver Communications

• Keep parents and caregivers aware of changes.

• Younger campers are often affected by heat more quickly because of their size. Younger campers are also the group who might not realize they are getting overheated until it’s too late.

• Check campers’ health risks and notify guardians if you are concerned for their camper’s health before the week occurs. Give them your action plans for mitigating excessive heat exposure. See if they are comfortable with risks.

Care For Staff

• Remember it’s not just counselors and campers who are dealing with the heat. Consider the needs of support staff such as kitchen workers and grounds maintenance workers.

• Adapt schedules for mowing and other outdoor work projects.

• Encourage lightweight, loose clothing for those working outdoors. 

• Be sure lifeguards have shade.

• Schedule more breaks and hydration reminders.

• Provide access to air conditioning for all employees on breaks.

Jeff Wilson is the Assistant Director at Camp Lake Stephens (MS). He holds a degree in Biology and Earth System Sciences from the University of Alabama - Huntsville. His love for camp began after his freshman year in college when he joined the CLS summer staff as a counselor. Four summer seasons later, Jeff made the commitment to go into camping ministry full time. In addition to spending time with spouse Emily and their son Jude, he enjoys spending his free time hiking and photographing wildflowers. Jeff is a student in the Compass Points Certificate Program and volunteers on the UMCRM National Gathering Design Team.