Information for Students
This page is to help our Students to know what to expect and to be prepared for a successful event.
Welcome to the Between the Rivers Family! We appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedules and spending time with us, and for helping to make this gathering a success. The 2020 gathering will mark our 8th year. We hope you will plan on coming back year after year! Between the Rivers Gathering is family friendly camp with a no drugs and alcohol policy - nice and safe for children and entire families.
Location: Our Gathering is located within a few miles of Chewelah, WA, about an hour North of Spokane on Hwy 395. Detailed instructions and a map will be posted within 2 weeks of event start. Please respect the landowners and do not come to the site location at others times during the year.
Welcome to the Between the Rivers Family! We appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedules and spending time with us, and for helping to make this gathering a success. The 2020 gathering will mark our 8th year. We hope you will plan on coming back year after year! Between the Rivers Gathering is family friendly camp with a no drugs and alcohol policy - nice and safe for children and entire families.
Location: Our Gathering is located within a few miles of Chewelah, WA, about an hour North of Spokane on Hwy 395. Detailed instructions and a map will be posted within 2 weeks of event start. Please respect the landowners and do not come to the site location at others times during the year.
Between the Rivers - Where we get our name
We derive our name from our general geographic location. We are nearly halfway between the Pend Oreille River on the east and the mighty Columbia River on the west, and we are about 45 miles north of the Spokane River. Historically the rivers here were the highways and there were smaller overland trails that connected them in places. Our gathering location, in historical geographic terms, is simply, "Between the Rivers."
Ancestral Skills & Self-Sufficiency Classes - the core of the Gathering!
On Monday morning at 10am we will have an opening orientation meeting and we will have the instructors introduce themselves, tell what they will be teaching and when their classes will be held. You will want to bring a notebook and write down the things you are interested in and what time they will happen, then you will have a chance to prioritize your interests, talk with the instructors, sign up for classes and such. There will be many free classes available, and there will be some that require an appropriate fee for materials depending on what is being made. Classes will start at 1pm Monday.
Our instructors come from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds. Some are nationally (or internationally) known while others are local experts or enthusiasts. The majority of instructors have been in their respective field for years and are knowledgeable about much more than what they are teaching at Between the Rivers.
A list of possible classes can be found on the Schedule page to give you an idea of what you may expect.
Students are welcome to arrive as early as Sunday, the day before the event starts, and to stay a day late if needed. Since this will be held on private property and we don’t want to overwhelm the landowners, we will not be able to come way early and stay way late. Please plan accordingly.
Our instructors come from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds. Some are nationally (or internationally) known while others are local experts or enthusiasts. The majority of instructors have been in their respective field for years and are knowledgeable about much more than what they are teaching at Between the Rivers.
A list of possible classes can be found on the Schedule page to give you an idea of what you may expect.
Students are welcome to arrive as early as Sunday, the day before the event starts, and to stay a day late if needed. Since this will be held on private property and we don’t want to overwhelm the landowners, we will not be able to come way early and stay way late. Please plan accordingly.
Full Event Tuition Includes:
2 meals per day, camping, parking, access to all classes, evening activities, bathroom facilities, potable water, and entrance to an amazing community the whole week!
Tuition Rates and discounts for early registration before May 1st listed on the registration page.
Day-Rate Tuition Includes:
Access to all classes for the day, and a taste of an amazing community! Day rate does not include meals.
When you arrive please check-in and register at the on-site Office.
2 meals per day, camping, parking, access to all classes, evening activities, bathroom facilities, potable water, and entrance to an amazing community the whole week!
Tuition Rates and discounts for early registration before May 1st listed on the registration page.
Day-Rate Tuition Includes:
Access to all classes for the day, and a taste of an amazing community! Day rate does not include meals.
When you arrive please check-in and register at the on-site Office.
Primitive Camping
This is a primitive camp, and we would like to preserve the atmosphere of the setting. This is not a time-period camp, so all styles of tents and gear are acceptable and welcome. Please come prepared to camp self-contained with your own tent, bedding, etc. For those paying to attend the full week, 2 meals per day will be provided for you. For lunch and snacks you will be on your own. Porta-potties will be provided, as well as water, wood and room to camp. There will be a central fire pit, and it is strongly suggested that you take advantage of this for your fire needs instead of having many satellite campfires. If you must have your own fire it needs to be in a self-contained, above ground fire apparatus and done safely.
For campers in the primitive camp, you will be able to drive to where you can set up your camp to unload, but vehicles will not be allowed to stay in camp during the week, and will be in the parking area after set-up. You will have access to your vehicles, and may come and go as needed from the parking area. If you car camp, or camp in modern RVs, you may do so in the designated Tin Tipi area near the parking. Car camping in the primitive camp area will not be available at this gathering. Camp set-up for Students will be all-day Sunday. We have a beautiful site on private land with trees, grass & loam. There is a beautiful waterfall on the creek just a short walk from the main camp.
Please take responsibility for your own trash and keep your camp clean. If you brought it with you, it's yours. Please make sure it leaves with you.
Please make arrangements to leave your pets at home if at all possible!
For campers in the primitive camp, you will be able to drive to where you can set up your camp to unload, but vehicles will not be allowed to stay in camp during the week, and will be in the parking area after set-up. You will have access to your vehicles, and may come and go as needed from the parking area. If you car camp, or camp in modern RVs, you may do so in the designated Tin Tipi area near the parking. Car camping in the primitive camp area will not be available at this gathering. Camp set-up for Students will be all-day Sunday. We have a beautiful site on private land with trees, grass & loam. There is a beautiful waterfall on the creek just a short walk from the main camp.
Please take responsibility for your own trash and keep your camp clean. If you brought it with you, it's yours. Please make sure it leaves with you.
Please make arrangements to leave your pets at home if at all possible!
What to Bring
Items we suggest you consider bringing:
- Shelter: All time periods (primitive, traditional, modern) are welcome; they should be sturdy and able to withstand weather conditions.
- Clothing: Bring clothing that will keep you warm and dry as well as shelter you from the sun. Wearing clothing in not optional.
- Food: Between the Rivers Gathering will be serving 2 meals per day for all full-week participants! This will include breakfast and dinner. Much of our food is organic and local, but not all. Our greens are grown special just for us by one of our staff. We do provide vegetarian options at all meals, but we cannot cater to every specific dietary need. We do not offer discounts for bringing your own food. You will need to bring your own dishes and eating utensils, and wash water will be provided after meals for you to wash them up. You will also want to provide your own lunches and snacks. If needed, the central fire pit is available for cooking.
- Water Containers: There will be potable water available to all campers, so bring personal containers and canteens for your own camp.
- First Aid kit and other personal items like allergy meds, sting kits and electrolyte replacements.
- Cash: Some classes have a minimal materials fee so plan accordingly. Also many of the instructors and students will have goods for sale or for trade so bring some cash or tradable goods.
- Bedding: Nights can get cold so a good sleeping bag and/or extra blankets is a wise choice. Most of our heat is lost by conduction through the ground so bring a ground pad and sleep well.
- Toiletries: There will be Porta-potties available but you will need to supply all other required items. Hygiene is an important part of camping and will make the experience far more pleasant for yourself and others. A warm canteen bath can be a good idea for a mid-week rinse. Sunscreen and insect repellant are some other very useful items.
- Lighting: There will me many guy lines & ropes set up in camp to keep all of the shelters up and sturdy, so if you do not want to trip over these bring a light source: flashlight, headlamp, candle lantern, oil lamp, or kerosene lamp.
- Tools: Instructors will provide tools for the classes. But, a good woodsman will never leave home with out a good knife, saw, and hatchet. These are indispensable tools.
- Music: Musical instruments create a beautiful atmosphere especially around the campfire. Spontaneous entertainment is always welcome so be sure to bring the instruments of your choice!
- Shirt: Bring an extra one (dark color, 100% cotton) to make your own Between the Rivers Gathering T-Shirt. We will have some additional shirts for use there as well, we just ask that you throw a donation in the jar. This has been great fun and we look forward to seeing the creative shirts people design each year!
- Weather: It is generally warm in Northeast WA at the end of May, but it can also be chilly and rainy at times. The best strategy is to expect a mixed bag, dress like an onion, and come prepared for anything.
Children's Program
We have a children's program that allows your children to learn amazing skills with their peers and to have an great time. We ask that there is a parent in the main camp at all times when your child is in the children's camp and that you take responsibility for your children. Kids camp is not child care. You are still responsible for your child's needs.
Materials Fee ?
The instructors come and teach because of their passion for primitive skills and self sufficiency. These instructors come at their own expense and bring their own materials that are needed for the classes they teach. Some instructors choose to have a minimal fee and others choose not to, but any fee that is charged is for materials only.
Barter, Trade & Such
It is common at gatherings for folks to bring things to trade with others, and some may have items for sale. These things need to be related to ancestral skills in some way, such as your own hand-made items and/or raw materials for crafting and ancestral skills. To avoid the situation getting out of hand, trade/sale should limited to instructors and paid participants (no tailgaters). Camp can be a great place to pick up unique quality gifts for your loved ones and some gear for yourself! Organized blanket trades are also a common sight at gatherings. Come prepared!
Services: There are several small towns within a short distance. Chewelah is the largest and has a grocery store, mechanics, hardware
stores, restaurants, motels, etc. It is a few miles to the north on Hwy 395. Ask us for our recommendations if you are unsure where to go for specific things. Don't want to camp? Prefer to stay in a hotel and come out for the daytime activities? Our friends Paul and Andi at the Nordlig Motel in nearby Chewelah will treat you well. Check out their website here: http://www.nordlig.com/index.html Be sure to make your reservations with them far ahead.
Work Trade: there are a limited number of work trade positions open that include breakfast or dinner kitchen work and camp set-up or take-down and maintenance. Work-trade positions receive tuition at a sweat-equity rate, plus a nominal $50 registration/tuition fee. If you are interested in work trade please see the drop-down menu for scholarships and work trade, and download an application from that page. Applications will be processed and notification will be made no later than May 1st.
Barter, Trade & Such
It is common at gatherings for folks to bring things to trade with others, and some may have items for sale. These things need to be related to ancestral skills in some way, such as your own hand-made items and/or raw materials for crafting and ancestral skills. To avoid the situation getting out of hand, trade/sale should limited to instructors and paid participants (no tailgaters). Camp can be a great place to pick up unique quality gifts for your loved ones and some gear for yourself! Organized blanket trades are also a common sight at gatherings. Come prepared!
Services: There are several small towns within a short distance. Chewelah is the largest and has a grocery store, mechanics, hardware
stores, restaurants, motels, etc. It is a few miles to the north on Hwy 395. Ask us for our recommendations if you are unsure where to go for specific things. Don't want to camp? Prefer to stay in a hotel and come out for the daytime activities? Our friends Paul and Andi at the Nordlig Motel in nearby Chewelah will treat you well. Check out their website here: http://www.nordlig.com/index.html Be sure to make your reservations with them far ahead.
Work Trade: there are a limited number of work trade positions open that include breakfast or dinner kitchen work and camp set-up or take-down and maintenance. Work-trade positions receive tuition at a sweat-equity rate, plus a nominal $50 registration/tuition fee. If you are interested in work trade please see the drop-down menu for scholarships and work trade, and download an application from that page. Applications will be processed and notification will be made no later than May 1st.
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