British Columbia·OUR VANCOUVER

Summer camps for adults who need a truly playful getaway

Matt Margetts and Clay Lanoue founded The Wild Rumpus after realizing the untapped market for adult summer camps. The adults do all the things kids do including arts and crafts, water sports, and bunking with strangers. There is beer at night.

The men behind the 'Wild Rumpus' camp believe adults need to tap into their silly playful side

Adult summer camp takes people back to days of silly summer play

7 years ago
Duration 5:38
Clayton Lanoue and Matt Mergetts talk about their company The Wild Rumpus

Why should kids have all the fun?

Matt Margetts and his business partner Clayton Lanoue believe summer camp should extend well beyond the tender years and include silly fun and remote getaways for adults.

That's why they started their company The Wild Rumpus.

Margetts admits he never went to camp as a child. "I felt I really didn't need camp as a kid. But now I do as an adult." 

Wild Rumpus claims to help adult campers disconnect from technology and return to simpler times by making new friends in the woods.

"That's something we're missing in today's society is that personal connection. Face to face, one on one," says Lanoue.

(The Wild Rumpus)

Camp activities

Wild Rumpus offers a range of camp activities and actively encourages campers to wear fun costumes.

However, this is not your usual childhood camping experience. Wild Rumpus serves alcoholic beverages in the evening with different theme parties planned for each day.

"It's more intimate, it's more wholesome," says Margetts, "you get to play with everybody."

Lanoue mentions there is no focus on a big artist or DJ at a summer camp. "The activities at camp facilitate interaction," says Lanoue.

The Wild Rumpus attendee demographic varies in age. Singles and couples are intermingled between co-ed and gender-specific cabins.

Lanoue mentions that an adult camp allows the same opportunity to mingle with a diverse crowd like a children's camp does.

"That's how you make friends outside your comfort zone."