“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.”

“He really just lives and breathes this stuff,” says Foundation President Hugh Haller. “I started talking to him about this program years ago. I told him to be patient and to get involved and that’s what he’s done.”

In the final episode of First Bell’s first season, Pat, Zach and Matt rendezvous with Assistant Director Tim Downey for an off-the-record interview about his ambitious long-term vision for camp: solar power, Coca-Cola and a battle for the directorship decided in Little Council.

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.

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.

Born and raised in Columbia, Missouri, Kier has been coming to Kooch-i-ching since he was 9 years old. He is currently a junior at Missouri University’s School of Journalism, where he is double majoring in strategic communications and business management and serves as treasurer for the school’s chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists.

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.