Most of my adult friends have what you might consider “regular” careers. You know, doctors, lawyers, teachers, business, tech.

They aren’t spending their summer days bouncing between the Climbing Wall, the Fine Arts Center, and the Swim Bay.

But sometimes there’s some overlap.

One of the favorite pastimes of professionals in their 30’s seems to be talking about the “tech stacks” they use to be more efficient.

You know, the group of tools and apps that they use to do things like schedule meetings, manage projects, and communicate with customers.

Comparing tools can be fun to a point, but during these conversations, I often find my mind wandering to the tech-free environment at camp.

And then it dawned on me. There is actually a perfect camp analogy for the “tech stacks” that professionals use to be more productive.

It’s the well-being stack - the stack of benefits that kids get when they spend a few weeks outdoors making friends, playing games, doing activities, and taking a break from devices.

The Camp Stack

After watching thousands of kids move through camp over the years, I think our “stack” comes down to four core components:

Fun + Challenge + Friendship + Reflection.

You need each of these things on their own, but the real wins come when they work together.

Fun without challenge becomes entertainment.

Challenge without fun becomes drudgery.

Friendship without reflection lacks depth.

Reflection without friendship can feel isolating.

This plays out with each of the other possible pairings.

And what happens if we combine all four? That’s when we’re really cooking.

Fun is the delivery mechanism making everything else possible. It’s not just entertainment. It’s when kids are genuinely enjoying themselves. Fun transforms potential resistance into enthusiasm.

Challenge provides the age-appropriate stretch that builds confidence. Not overwhelming, not too easy, but just hard enough to make success feel earned.

Friendship is all about real connections while learning social skills. The best ones build on shared experiences with mutual support.

Reflection helps kids thoughtfully process experiences. Sometimes it’s at the cabin level during our Daily Debriefs each night. Other times, we gather at The Sail Point for shared moments of reflection, or we tells stories during Torchlight.

Each element amplifies the others.

And it’s not just four separate experiences happening at camp. It’s like a full recipe where every ingredient is needed to make full meal pop.

What It Looks Like

I could try to explain this with words. And it might work. But I know it will work if I show you what it looks like:

It Hits Different At Camp

Most places kids go, they get one or maybe two of these elements.

School provides challenge and reflection, but might struggle with fun.

Sports can offer challenge and friendship, but may not have time for the reflection piece.

Entertainment gives fun, but might miss meaningful challenge or growth.

And yeah, there might be a day when each of these elements comes together. Maybe there is an outstanding coach who helps create a sense of fun, challenge, friendship, and reflection during soccer practice (keep that coach!). But practice ends, it’s hard to sustain the moment through a busy schedule.

Camp is one of the few places that consistently provides all four elements in the right proportions.

But that’s not all.

At camp, they get the full stack every day, one day after the other, for 2-3 weeks straight.

This is part of what makes camp such a sticky, memorable experience.

They get to live in it until fun + challenge + friendship + reflection becomes a part of who they are.

Why This Matters

When kids have access to this complete well-being stack, they are on the path to being their best selves. They feel confident, capable, and enthusiastic. Little obstacles don’t knock them off course.

The camp stack gives kids a chance to internalize a story about who they are when they are at their best.

Fun + Challenge + Friendship + Reflection = Sustainable Growth.

That adds up to powerful stories, memories, and experiences they can take with them anywhere they go.

Oh, and again, to see what it looks like in action, go watch the video a second (or third) time.

Erec Sir