Bamfield Trip - Top 10 Tips for You!

1. Bring proper raingear! (seriously)
By proper raingear we mean the whole ensemble : rain jacket, rain pants, and most importantly - BOOTS. It's fine to bring a pair of jeans for inside times, but it is definitely not the thing to wear when it's pouring outside and you need to do your field study! As we had been told and experienced last year, your happiness level is inversely proportional to your wetness level. Keep that in mind while packing! You want to enjoy Bamfield, right? So make sure you get proper waterproof gum boots! (And don't just wear socks and sandals on a trip into the forest...Shoujun had a bad time last year. XD)

2. Mark your boots so they are recognizably yours!
After a long day, you will all stomp into the cabin and take off your wet boots...somewhere. When you go retrieve them the next morning, you realize that 10 other people have the exact same boots as you...in this situation (which is bound to happen), it definitely helps if you have some sort of marking on yours that you will recognize! Use stickers! Silver sharpies! Elastics! Anything will do.

3. Don't bring your textbooks!
No matter how much you want to use your spare time at Bamfield to read your prereadings or study for your midterms...don't do it! You'll have tons of fun activities throughout your Bamfield days to tire you out, and your down time is for YOU to enjoy! You also don't want to ruin your roommates' time by staying inside reading your Chemistry text...So, you ask us, what do you do? Please read on!

4. Enjoy all that Bamfield's natural beauty has to offer!
Bamfield is such a beautiful place, and for most people, it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. So, seize the opportunity to take it all in, don't just stay inside and play cards!
Some ideas of what to do : go star gazing (if it's not cloudy or rainy), go down to the water and look for bioluminescence, or...while walking through the trail from your cabin to breakfast, sing loudly to scare off the bears! That of course was not an exhaustive list - ask the Bamfield staff and your profs for other things worth doing!

5. Bring snacks!
These will come in handy on the ferry, on the bus, and during the evening.
Ferry - sure, you can buy stuff on the ferry, but it's super expensive! Save yourself some moolah by bringing your own food!
Bus - you never know, you could get hungry on the bus (even after your lunch.) And it's also a bonus for you if you have some snacks to share around - think of all the friends you'll make! LOL
Evening - Meals at Bamfield are absolutely delicious, so you will probably stuff yourselves all the time. But you can get hungry back at the cabin, so bring your own snacks (or pack a few apples or muffins from the Bamfield Caf at breakfast.)

6. Bring stuff for the long trip there and back!
There will be a lot of time during which you'll just be sitting...on the ferry or on the bus. Bring stuff to do! A deck of cards, a Rubix cube, a music player, sudokus, the daily crossword puzzle...anything to pass your time! Of course, you can always sleep - except if you're sharing earphones with your neighbour and you are prone to lolling forwards while napping upright...then make sure you two have an agreement of some sort.
Also, the bus ride to bamfield is quite bumpy - if you are prone to getting carsick, bring some Gravol and make sure to sit near the front of the bus!

7. Bring a camera!
Bamfield(and the trip there) is one of the coolest experiences you'll ever have in Science One - there will be so many new, unique, and interesting things to see and do, and you will definitely want to capture them all to enjoy in the future. If you can't bring your own camera, make sure someone you'll be with a lot has one!

8. Always have a whistle and a good flashlight with you, and never walk outside alone!
The flashlight will be super important when you're walking outside early in the morning or late at night - there aren't any street lamps so your flashlight will be your only source of illumination!
Have a whistle tied around your neck - you never know when you'll need it. Also, always have a buddy with you wherever you go.

9. Don't lose your field study equipment!
All those tubes, calipers, grids, and rulers that you'll be using...don't lose them! (aka don't chuck them into the water once you're done.) Otherwise...the Bamfield staff and your Bio 140 instructors will be cross with you!

10. Have fun with your classmates!
Bamfield is the best time to bond with each other - you'll never get a chance like this ever again! Get to know people you usually don't sit with in class - maybe you'll find a kindred spirit!