Ely Outfitting Company opens its ‘Boundary Waters Teen Essay Contest’

Ely Outfitting Company has opened is its biannual Boundary Waters Teen Essay Contest once again. The Deadline is February 4th.

The winner receives a fully outfitted, self-guided, five-day, canoe-camping adventure in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). Up to three friends, ages 15 through 18, can join in. But…no parents or adult guides are allowed. You can find the entry details on their website here.

The company holds this contest to encourage to get outdoors. The contest is open nationwide to current high school sophomores, juniors and seniors. Essays should range in length from 1,000-1,500 words and respond to the question, “Why do you want to go on a parent-free, BWCAW canoe-camping adventure with your friends?”

Safety is the top priority to ensure the winner experiences a successful trip. Ely Outfitting Company addresses considerations and concerns on its website for parents who might have reservations about their child participating in a self-guided trip.’

The first contest winner, Julia Ruelle, from Minnetonka, Minn., spoke to the value of learning wilderness skills, escaping technology and relying on group independence. “Sharing a parent-free BWCA trip with my friends was a transformative and immersive experience. Ely Outfitting Company prepared us perfectly to sustain ourselves with only what we could carry in our canoes and safely face the breathtaking wilderness head-on,” she said