“In my experience, Duluth Packs are somewhat bomb-proof. We put our packs through significant stress and they always hold up. We have hundreds of packs, including the #4, #3, and #2 styles. You just know that your Duluth Pack is going to last forever.”

Not even the absence of camp could stop our community from coming together and carrying on the traditions we would normally have shared on Deer Island. Our staff made it their mission to keep our campers happy and engaged—just as they would have at camp.

Reconnect with fellow campers and staff members. Share photos, updates and memories. Introduce, employ and mentor young alums. Advance your career through inside connections working in top companies. All in one place.

In this episode, we find Pat and Matt down at Red Lodge on Jimmy Buffett night, snarfing chicken burgers and swapping polar bear tales. Bill Johnson, a charter member of Red Lodge, joins the boys inside the iconic log building to answer some questions about its early years. Who built Red Lodge? Where did the Red God come from? Has the Pop Shack always been there?

On January 6, 1999, then-Ohio Congressman Rob Portman stood before his colleagues in the US House of Representatives to pay tribute to one of Cincinnati’s “finest citizens.” He was speaking about longtime Kooch-i-ching Director John Holden, who had recently succumbed to cancer at the age of 75.

In the summer, you’re likely to find him leading a postprandial paddling session, poring over maps in the Map Room, fixing zippers in the Trip Center, or ripping across Rainy Lake in his Boston Whaler.

While piloting the Endeavour, Zach and Matt bump into Roger Miller mid-trip. Roger leaves his campers on shore to collect firewood and boards the vessel to discuss his tripping philosophy. Later, the hosts pick up "Dirty" Mike Esselman, who shares his secrets to a successful layover day.

In the fourth episode of First Bell, we join Zach, Pat and Matt at the Parent Fish Fry, where an ordering mishap threatens to make the event to go belly up. Fortunately, recent staff man Andrew Paulik saves the day with his angling aptitude.

Zach, Pat and Matt are back! In the third episode of First Bell, the official podcast of Camp Kooch-i-ching, they watch the annual Around-the-Island Canoe Race with current record holder Kyle Ronemus, who shares some secrets from his 1976 victory.