Making camping accessible for all children with health needs

Snow Peak and Burano, a non-profit organization devoted to the betterment of children requiring medical care and their families, have announced a groundbreaking initiative designed to provide children with health challenges the resources and opportunities to enjoy the enriching experience of camping.

The new venture will include the creation of a specialized camping guidebook and an all-encompassing portal site. These platforms will be dedicated to broadening the knowledge and expertise of families eager to embark on camping adventures, irrespective of where they reside in Japan. The ultimate goal? Empowering children who require medical care, and their families, to independently enjoy camping and to help foster a society where outdoor adventures are accessible to everyone.

In a world where children naturally learn from their surroundings – such as the chirping of birds or the rustling of leaves – children requiring ongoing medical attention often find their contact with the natural world extremely limited. Extended hospital stays, coupled with the need for medical equipment post-discharge, can pose significant challenges for outdoor activities, particularly camping.

Recognizing this, Snow Peak Inc., a camping professional organization, has decided to collaborate with Burano to execute an inclusive camping program. If children needing medical care can enjoy camping, it stands to reason that everyone can, offering a powerful testament to the spirit of inclusivity and possibility.

Conversations between Burano and Snow Peak began back in October 2021, with a shared goal of creating meaningful camping experiences for children with health needs. A day camp was successfully hosted at the Sanomiya Fureai Park Campsite in Shimotsuke City, Tochigi Prefecture, in November 2022, followed by a two-day, one-night camping session at Snow Peak’s main campground, welcoming four families with medically cared-for children.

The safety and well-being of children requiring medical care remain paramount, so the creation of a specialized camping guidebook and portal site will be vital to supporting families wishing to engage in camping. These resources will be made available on the web, creating an online community where users can share their camping experiences. The crowdfunding project to create the guidebook has launched on CAMPFIRE.

Moving forward, Burano and Snow Peak are planning to distribute the guidebook at Snow Peak stores across Japan, enabling anyone to pick up a free copy. The portal site will serve as a hub for information sharing, community engagement, and resources to support camping experiences for children requiring medical care and their families nationwide.