What

The Brink is the best camping trip in the history of the world. No cell phones, no video games, and no deadlines. Just good, old-fashioned adventures in the middle of nowhere. Mountains, streams, slingshots, arrows, campfires, bug bites and more stars than you’ve ever seen.

Who

While we know that some moms love sleeping on dirt, the Brink is reserved for dads and savages, boys and girls alike on an invite-only basis.

Hint to dads: treat your wife to a trip to the spa while you’re Brinking it—they certainly deserve it.

Where

We’re considering heading to Bird Lake on the east side of Mt Adams for the first time.

A $50 deposit is required to reserve your spot and the full amount is due by June 1, 2022. Slots will fill up fast so if you want to come, don’t dally. 

Contact Chris Erickson to make it happen.

Friendship

The Brink isn’t just a trip to teach savages new tricks or enjoy the outdoors, though that will certainly happen. It’s about creating and deepening peer-to-peer and interfamily relationships. That isn’t to say that everybody has to become best friends or be especially outgoing—that isn’t realistic. Rather, it’s about creating opportunities for authentic relationships to bud, grow and deepen than wouldn’t naturally happen as we go about our daily lives.

Adventure

The Brink is the perfect time to take a few risks and dare to do big things that could never happen in our safe and well-programmed daily lives. Dads provide a measure of sanity and wisdom to the affair, but are also expected to supply the biggest, craziest ideas. Through it, we’ll learn that opportunity is always around us, if we simply put ourselves in a position to embrace it.

Memories

Big adventures with friends will make up the stories of our lives for years to come. Years from now, we’ll still be saying, “remember that time when Jono ate that live squirrel?” Memories, shared with friends and strung together across many years, will leave us with something neither we nor our savages will ever forget.

Legends

Let’s show our kids how to be the hero of their own story. With our encouragement and their courage, savages will forge trails, conquer fears and glory in triumph. Sure, we’ll have fun, but the Brink goes a lot deeper. Year by year, stories and confidence together will grow. Some will become larger than life and be told to our grandkids, who will in turn be inspired to lead courageous lives. Along the way, our savages will grow up, confident and capable, ready to take on epic dreams and difficult challenges.

Details

Nestled SW of Mt Adams, Forlorn Lakes is an epic spot. Bring float tubes, fishing poles, and an appetite for adventure.

Location

6h 09m from Bellingham
Map it from Bellingham

4h 41m from Seattle
Map it from Seattle

2h 09m from Portland
Map it from Portland

Camping disconnected

The Brink is held at scenic and relatively remote locations. It will likely fall outside of cell service, so be prepared to go old school. Here are some tips:

• Make sure to plan and coordinate before you leave. Assume you won’t have the ability to send or receive phone calls or texts.

• Download the location and surrounding area in Google Maps on your phone and your phone GPS will still work. Learn how here.

• Print or buy a good map.

• Make a list of important destinations, like gas stations, before you leave.

• Come prepared with a spare tire, jack and fix-a-flat. If you get a flat tire, calling for help might not be an option.

Saturday, July 16

• Travel

• Camp set-up

• Exploration

• Hot dog dinner

• Fireside

Sunday, July 17

• Breakfast

• Exploration

• Lunch

• Free play

• Dinner

• Brink kick-off

• Fireside

Monday, July 18

• Breakfast

• Optional field trip #1

• Lunch

• Free play

• Dinner

• Fireside

Tuesday, July 19

• Breakfast

• Optional field trip #2

• Free play

• Dinner

• Fireside

Wednesday, July 20

• Breakfast

• Lunch

• Free play

• Dinner

• Fireside

Thursday, July 21

• Breakfast

• Pack up camp

• Head home

• Lunch on the road

Enthusiasm

The Brink is a great place to build confidence and have fun, so leave Debbie Downer in your home town. Get ready to dole out high fives and mad props as our kids (and you) discover new ways to take on the world.

Camaraderie

Come prepared to connect with old friends and make new ones. Dads and savages are all in this together. Share what you have, borrow what you need. Work together. Play together. Take care of each other.

Breakfasts

You can’t beat country-style flapjacks, eggs, links, bacon and fresh air for getting the day off to a great start.

Dinners

We’ll serve up family-style dinners every evening.

Hot dogs

For savages who can’t imagine anything better than a grandstander cooked over an open flame, we’ve got them covered. Enjoy all-you-can-eat all-beef dogs all day long.

Liquids

Fresh water won’t be available where we’re going, so we’ll bring in a truck load.

Ice

Our camping outpost will be hours form the nearest refrigerator, and none of us want food poisoning, so we’ll bring plenty of ice.

S’mores

Need we say more?

Tee shirt & hat

An ultra-soft Brink tee and a tuff trucker hat come standard for every Brinker. Who wants to bet that 80% of our savages never take them off?

Campground fees

We’ll cover campsite and vehicle fees.

Cooking fuel

We’ll bring two large propane tanks for cooking. Please note that they won’t be used to power your lanterns—you are on the hook for bringing your own little propane canisters.

Firewood

To prevent tree diseases and foreign insects from entering National Forests, it’s illegal to bring in firewood from different areas. So, we’ll purchase legal firewood on the way to our outpost just in case natural firewood isn’t available.

Odds ’n ends

All the boring stuff, like paper towels, foil, soap, garbage bags and cutlery.

Lunches

You’ll want to bring 4-5 days worth of on-the-go types of lunches for your family. We recommend simple pleasures like bread, peanut butter, granola bars, chips, cookies, etc—the types of things that don’t need to be refrigerated, cooked or warmed up.

Family specific foods

We’ll stick to the basics, so our dinners and breakfasts should work for most, but if you have special crackers that you just can’t live without, make sure to pack ’em.

Travel costs

It takes a bit of effort to get to where we’re going. You’re on the hook for that bit.

Snacks

Preferences vary widely, so apart from trail mix, we’re leaving snacks up to you. Head to Costco and stock up on granola bars, jerky, gross raisins or whatever you’re into these days.

Alcohol

The Brink isn't a get-wasted type of camping trip, but if you want to bring some Pabst or some New Deal Whiskey, go for it. We want you to stay sharp for all the trouble your kids will be raising during the day though, so keep a lid on the spirits until the kids are sawing logs.

The Brink is everyone's to own. Even the smallest sapling has a skill to teach, a story to tell and a mess to clean—but they won’t if you don’t. 

—

Dads, you set the tone. The more you put into the Brink, the more memorable it will be. In addition to pumping it up and building excitement beforehand, jump in and take ownership during the trip and help us make the Brink legendary. 

Here are a few areas that we’ll need help with, but don’t let it limit you. If you have more ideas, let us know and we’ll help you take the lead. 

Exploration

Night games

Food prep

Clean-up

Fishing

Activities

Safety

Marksmanship

Music

Snare setting

Storytelling

Water activities          

Contraption building

Fort making

Skill share

Water action

Make sure to bring swim suits, towels, and water shoes to swim in. Non-swimmers or those still perfecting their stroke should bring a life jacket so that they can take part in the fun.

Water safety

The waters around the Brink are manageable, but it's still wild out there, so we’ll check each swimming area to make sure there are no submerged stumps or Kraken nearby.

There won’t be lifeguards, but none of the kids will be in the water without one of the dads there to supervise. Additionally, one of the dads is a former lifeguard instructor and will teach the kids some useful lifesaving skills.  

Life preservers

We know that many of the Brink savages are very accomplished swimmers. Regardless, life jackets are mandatory for all minors below the age of 16. While the waters are tame, we'd rather be safe than sorry when it comes to water safety.

Drop some knowledge

It would be rad if every dad and savage came prepared with a skill or interest to share with the other Brinkers. It’s a great way to connect and learn about what makes each of us unique.

Past skills have ranged from blowdart making to sewing to magic tricks.

What should you share?

If you love astronomy, then you could give us a tour of the cosmos. If you love animals, then you could share what types of creatures live around our outpost. If you love super heroes, then you could show people how to draw them. Remember, it’s about you, so make it personal.

Supplies

If you’re skill or activity requires supplies, please bring enough for 25 or so folks. We realize that is a lot of people, so keep it simple and inexpensive.

After Hours

Once the savages are tucked away, dads can stay up as late as they want telling absurd stories that no one believes. This is when we can get real and connect on a level a few notches higher than fart jokes. If you brought a flask or something classy like Pabst, this is the appropriate time to take it out and share it, although heads up, the Brink isn’t the right place to get slizzard.